Archon's Academy of Advanced Arcane Arts Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Axl's Arena: The Gauntlet of Gaius Inferno Now filling seats! Needs 3 to start
Coral Kingdom Chronicles Needs 3 to start
Of Rock and Ragnar Needs 2 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - Now playing! Seats still available! The crew sailed their course toward the Chubby Flounder and the promise of treasure. On the way, they spotted a rocky outcropping covered in giant sunbathing lizards, and what appeared to be a drow observing them? The crew picked up this drow after helping them navigate down and onto their ship. Captain Hex questioned him before adding Z as a new crew member of the Haunted Halibut. After another 2 days of sailing, the crew reached the Chubby Flounder floating adrift in the sea. Some careful investigating revealed the crew members were all dead below deck, wrecked by some disease which scaled their skin and sunk in their eyes. One of these sickly sailors coughed up water, transforming fully into a fish headed humanoid monster that attacked the party.
Shadows of the Stringbinder Needs 1 to start
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! This was week 2 of our 2 week hiatus due to vacations and scheduling! Be back soon!
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full! The shopkeepers set about cleaning and repairing their shop, albeit somewhat creatively with their spells. After taking a LONG time to clean the front steps of all the goblin blood, power washing half of one floor, and using their cleansing stone toilet bucket with mage hands to clean half of another floor the party called it a day. The next day involved readying some of their planters and seeds, finding a lead on an underground herb supplier and a potential investigation lead of the Coalworth family. It seems all is not well between Lord Durgan Coalworth and some of the wealthier members of his family.
Archon's Academy of Advanced Arcane Arts Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Axl's Arena: The Gauntlet of Gaius Inferno Needs 3 to start
Coral Kingdom Chronicles Needs 3 to start
Of Rock and Ragnar Needs 2 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - Now playing! Seats still available! Whisper the NPC found a stowaway aboard the ship which she brought to the captain's attention. Bubbles decided to vouch for this stowaway and she became a part of the crew. The party then investigated the dead crew of the Chubby Flounder, all of them transforming after a time into evil creatures that the party had to eliminate. After a tough battle below deck with several of these evil creatures, the party was barely victorious. They then looked around and found some treasure, and a disturbing captain's log. The party then sank the Chubby Flounder and headed on their way, opting to make some crab soup for dinner and put their new crew member to work cooking for them.
Shadows of the Stringbinder Starting this week!
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! The party left the city-building of Kanshichi and headed back to the Stonefist Ludus to get ready to host the RyuZen Dojo for a series of fights. Along the way, Dralkas the party's ranger got a message in his head about going back to Hecate's shrine in the cave they found before. Dralkas found a priestess of Hecate there who gave him a list of ingredients she needed to make him a potion to help with his transformation into Hecate's champion. The party set out to get various items including nightshade and poison from a giant poisonous snake, having to kill a Yuan-ti Abomination along the way. At the end, Dralkas' potion was made and he drank it, blacking out at the end of the session.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full! The shopkeepers woke up and all met each other, deciding on one course of action for the day. They set out to get their deed signed at the castle with Master Alaric as requested. After completing their paperwork, Alaric offered them each a book out of his private collection to celebrate them becoming citizens of Aldoria. He then gave them an exclusive tour of High Queen Caerwyn Breindalin's castle which included an impromptu hoe-down in the ballroom. After some rest, the party headed out to country karaoke night at a local tavern, where they bested Sam Huntsman but lost out to Shania Twin-axe and Bricks & Stone. Still not a bad showing as they won some gold and some of the crowd in the process!
Inherit a mysterious farm in the eerie outskirts of Willowdale, where you'll balance tending crops with uncovering the secrets of the land's haunted past. Can you turn this blighted soil into a thriving homestead?
Has been moved to Monday nights and 2 already! Just 1 more to start!
Inherit a mysterious farm in the eerie outskirts of Willowdale, where you'll balance tending crops with uncovering the secrets of the land's haunted past. Can you turn this blighted soil into a thriving homestead?
Archon's Academy of Advanced Arcane Arts Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Axl's Arena: The Gauntlet of Gaius Inferno Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Coral Kingdom Chronicles Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Crops & Crypts Needs 1 to start!! - Get your seat now!
Of Rock and Ragnar Needs 3 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - Seats available again! 2 players had schedule changes so their seats are open! The Haunted Halibut and crew decided to put some space between themselves and the sinking Chubby Flounder. While doing so, PC Anlyn went up into the crow's nest to take watch and spotted a red-sailed ship on the horizon. Captain Hex feared this to be the Blood Reef again, and rang the all hands on deck bell for the crew to speed their ship up. In an attempt to hide, the HH picked up as much speed as it could and banked a corner, putting out all the lights and waiting in the darkness. With no sign of the Blood Reef, the crew set out to repair the ship and explore the island, the party heading to the nearby village. The friendly native orcs were inviting to the party, too inviting, and it was quickly discovered that they were either to be eaten or sacrificed. They met another captive dragonborn, and fought their way out of the great hall which is where we ended for the night, unsure what comes next for them!
Shadows of the Stringbinder Our epic campaign started with the party on a museum tour in Dunroven, a bustling city nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and a winding river. Eldrin, the tour guide, showed the party various relics of the Aenorian elves —a once-harmonious race known for their deep connection to nature and their serene way of life. During the tour the party heard loud cracks and screaming from outside as a shadow dragon descended on the city, lighting it afire and plunging it into chaos. Eldrin, revealed to be a Stormkeeper of the Order of the Tempest Djinn, tasked the party with delivering the Shadow Sphere to Jaelor, a fellow Stormkeeper. Upon teleporting the party to the lighthouse Jaelor was supposed to be at, the party found it abandoned and empty.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! Dralkas (PC) would sleep through the night, the party taking him and carrying him with them to camp. After several days of waking up feeling drained, his amulet of Hecate's Chosen pulsed with energy, restoring his lost constitution and strength with power for spellcasting. The team headed back to their Stonefist Ludus, stopping at Mao's farm along the way and enjoying the company of the druids that now run it, and the potent moonshine concoction they've made dubbed "Cherry Bounce". Rogwin (PC) got pleasantly drunk off of it and made sure it will be sold at the Ludus. The party then spent their days relaxing and getting ready for the fight day that weekend. It came with a serious tone, the gladiators had breakfast together, and those that would be fighting took their places. The first match would be an epic meeting of 2 unstoppable forces, as Urzog the Bear, a huge goliath barbarian, with his polar bear Grimfur took on Garruk the half-giant half-orc. In a true clash of titans, both sides exchanged heavy blows, not bothering to block at the end as they slugged it out. Garruk looked as if he were in his final moments before Urzog took as swing at Purrsephone, Garruk's primal companion kitten, enraging Garruk leading to a hurricane uppercut finishing blow. Match 1 goes to the Stonefist Ludus.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full! Had to skip this week due to scheduling! Be Back soon!
Crops & Crypts Needs 1 to start!! - Get your seat now!
Of Rock and Ragnar Needs 3 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! The party wasted no time hatching a plan to distract the tribe with Frostshell's (PC) Quasit familiar while they would run the other way. As the Quasit took off for the door, it swung open casually revealing Ogra the Chiefess had come to join the party in their meal. Outraged at the sight of her fallen brethren she attacked the party with some more orcs, almost killing a few of them but the party took her down. They then knocked down the back wall of the Great Hall and fled for the Haunted Halibut with Drakkar the prisoner. He was badly wounded in the fight and would take a few days to recover, so he drew them a map to his temple where the treasure would be and sent them to get it, warning them of predatory beasts along the way. We ended with the party being tracked in the jungle by something, but a couple crit fail checks in a row failed to give the party any information!
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! The party woke up and searched the lighthouse more, finding nothing there but dust and empty air. Sendrith (PC) heard Eldrin in his head, sending a message to him with his spells to protect and activate the lighthouse, find Jaelor as he's unreachable, and that Dunroven has been lost to the Shadow Dragon. He would be in touch when he could be. The party set out to explore the area, finding that the forest had malicious spirits in it, fighting some awakened shrubs and a tree that stalked them and attacked during the night. After some more exploring the party came upon the cabin of a blind Firbolg who seems to commune with the forest somehow.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! The tournament continued with Lucius the Executioner and Jorhan fighting a troll and some goblin leaders from the nearby salt cave, with their crusted skin and thick black blood. The monsters appeared too formidable, as the Salt troll killed and ate both Lucius and Jorhan during the fight, who were only able to kill a goblin or two. After a solemn moment of losing a Ludus member, the party took to the arena to fight Graniticus, one of Thor's messengers sent to challenge Rogwin (PC) and his companions. Graniticus turned out to be a fearsome competitor, slashing out at the party with dual longswords, however with some spells and strong frontline behavior, the party was able to overwhelm him, with the paladin Silas (PC) getting the killing blow and revenge for losing his crush Elara the medic to Graniticus' saucy behavior.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full! The party was awoken bright and early by a sharp knocking on the door. Sslith their neighbor wanted to inquire about the planters that were left outside on their steps the day before and if they would be there again, and if the party got the necessary permits for their shop or not. They were friendly and told him they did and sent him on his way quickly as they could. After struggling and having to make breakfast in the sink as it's the only fire safe place in the shop, the party went out to purchase a stove from the Coalworth Mining Supply store. Afterward they made their way to Bran Coalworth's residence in the Aurator Borough to inquire about why he's hiring Diggle Ironfang, a known bugbear gang member, as manager of his store instead of his kin who already work there. Bran explained that he merely wants an expansion of labor over drinks and some flirting with Minerva (PC) who used it as a chance to get more information out of him.
Crops & Crypts We've had some player changes - this campaign is no longer listed as it has been combined with The Shopkeepers of Aldoria
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! Update to come after this session as there are some mysteries for the party to figure out where information is important. I don't want to spoil it in the update for them!
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! The blind Firbolg seer came to be known as Sylroot and after sensing a disturbance in the wind, he ushered the party into his hut. As wind howled and raged around them, the party snuck a peek at what seemed to be a corrupted spirit of wind passing by. After it passed, they learned from Sylroot of some druids at the top of the cliff that may be able to help or provide some more information. After traveling to the cliffs the party was unable to scale them at this time, and travelling south by the cliffs was eventually halted by thick forest and vines and roots that were too interwoven to pass. The party reconvened at their lighthouse, where they were confronted by a shadow goblin
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - 1/6 seats available! Isolde, Dominus of the Stonefist Ludus, and Master Kenzo Ryu of the RyuZen Dojo had their battle to the death, for ownership of the other's combat school. During the fight, Isolde accidentally cut another tear in reality with her Șoapta Morții which a shadowspawn crawled out of. The party initiated a fight with it so the 2 could continue their duel, Isolde and the party both coming out victorious in a succession of turns. After the celebration, the party got to work around the Ludus improving things and building things. They made a deal with a Hag of Hecate who came to set up a shrine for Dralkas (PC) to worship her from, however they needed help building a forge so the hag offered to magically create one if it could double as a shrine, which they agreed to. Through a mastery of words, she also roped Hatamari (PC) the Light Cleric into this deal and his willingness has led to some corruption in himself and his powers. Currently, he cannot cast spells as shadow creeps up his arm, centered on the spot he should hands with the hag.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full! The party moved forward with their shop, setting a plan to start stocking it while also moving their investigations forward. They met Dr. Morvan Zanker, a Doctor of medicine who uses herbs in his healing, who offered them a plant called a Pyrabloom which he was given and doesn't have time to research. The party made a series of checks but have not been able to discern anything special about this plant at this time. After some restocking and adventuring around town getting ready, the party is gearing up to head into Gloomshade next session and confront some of the gang members there as well as look for a supplier they heard of named Rikkit.
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! The party, having successfully escaped from the Ashen Fang Orc Camp without being eaten, rendezvoused at the Haunted Halibut, got a map from Drakkar who couldn't make the trip due to injuries, and set out to get the treasure they were promised by him. They fought a pack of allosaurus and velociraptors on the way that were stalking them through the jungle and made their way to Drakkar's temple. Turns out it's actually a cave full of lava rivers and is the lair of Morgrath the Scorched who is a young red dragon, not the made up mountain spirit that the orcs worship as Drakkar told them. Morgrath explained that orcs don't eat people, Drakkar was bringing him orcs to eat and then gave them some riddles to determine if they were worthy. They got the correct answer, so Morgrath made them a deal, he would let them live AND supply them with treasure IF they brought him more orcs to eat. He would prefer they give Drakkar back as well if they're not going to feed him regularly. The party agreed and left the cave, almost losing 2 party members to the lava due to collapsing structures and missing bridges. They were given 3 days before Morgrath would assume they fled, and on the 4th morning leave his cave to hunt them.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! The party defeated the shadow goblin using a flurry of spells and arrows and though the creature dissipated as it died as the other shadow creatures have, the scimitar it was wielding clattered to the ground remaining behind. The party collected it and made their way up the cliffs in search of the druids they were told of. After traveling for a few days with no real signs of them, Reed (PC) saw a vision of a deer in their campfire, walking south. He would follow this path to find the druid refuge, hidden in a mist, and learn that it was likely Mielikki, the Goddess of Nature, that sent him that vision. The party would learn that the scimitar was likely of Duergar make, an unsettling idea as the Duergar are supposed to be under watch of the lighthouse which is currently not active. Aeliana, the head druid, would tell them that she was part of the peace treaty between the Duergar who live in the Undercliff and Stoneheart Dwarves who live a few days away in a mountain. Stormkeeper Jaelor, Warden of the Gales, who the party was supposed to meet at the lighthouse and is currently missing, was also part of that peace treaty, and used the aura of the lighthouse to monitor where the Duergar were allowed to dig underground, until the lighthouse was deactivated and he and everyone inside went missing some time ago.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! Isolde, Dominus of the Stonefist Ludus, and Master Kenzo Ryu of the RyuZen Dojo had their battle to the death, for ownership of the other's combat school. During the fight, Isolde accidentally cut another tear in reality with her Șoapta Morții which a shadowspawn crawled out of. The party initiated a fight with it so the 2 could continue their duel, Isolde and the party both coming out victorious in a succession of turns. After the celebration, the party got to work around the Ludus improving things and building things. They made a deal with a Hag of Hecate who came to set up a shrine for Dralkas (PC) to worship her from, however they needed help building a forge so the hag offered to magically create one if it could double as a shrine, which they agreed to. Through a mastery of words, she also roped Hatamari (PC) the Light Cleric into this deal and his willingness has led to some corruption in himself and his powers. Currently, he cannot cast spells as shadow creeps up his arm, centered on the spot he shook hands with the hag.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 2/6 seats available! The party waited until night to set out for Gloomshade, looking for a drug source and maybe some information on Diggle, a member of the bugbear gang the Ironfangs. Before setting out there was a pounding on their door as a large dark furred tabaxi introduced himself and told them all to put hoods on so that he could take them to see Rikkit who the party had been asking around town about. When Faux the tabaxi pointed out another member in the shadows of their shop the party freaked out and learned that a Gloamhollow, a small gnome like creature made of bark, had been living there for an unknown amount of time. The party eventually obliged, going to meet Rikkit and striking a deal to be his above ground vendor in exchange for 25% of the sales and Rikkit lending them his Circle of Spores goblin as a steady supply of narcotics to sell. The party then set out to navigate the sewers under the city back to the surface, meeting Muck, a dense goblinoid creature, and Pudge, some sort of orcish troll, on their way out. They found some gold and treasures among the trash on their way, getting lost for a bit but eventually making their way back to their shop.
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! The party talked about their dilemma with other crew members, notably First Mate Fishbones who said more than anything else he doesn't want a dragon hunting them but that he isn't a fan of feeding the orcs to Morgrath, being an orc himself. The party determined from him that they MIGHT be able to smooth things out with the orcs and wanted to try that first, but if nothing else the whole crew agreed they had to feed the dragon SOMETHING rather than nothing if nothing else worked. They sailed towards the beach that the orc village is on, finding the orcs on the beach with some ogres wielding huge crossbows, with lines out to see taught with another pirate ship on the end of them. A battle had begun between the orcs and the Horned Mustang, which the party joined in on, killing the captain and crew of the Horned Mustang and hoping to use it as good will with Chief Bonebreaker.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! A council was had that night, with Aeliana, other druids of the sanctuary, and the party. There were rumors of a corrupted treant in the forest and twistings of roots and branches in areas. After a long conversation, it was determined to fight the corruption as they felt they had no other choice. All would go to bed and make plans the next morning to verify any rumors of corrupted creatures in the forest, sending out scouts and the party to find what they could. Before plans could be made however, they were under attack from various pine and needle and vine blights who had pierced the mist veil that protected them for so long. The fight for the Evershade has begun.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! The party woke up to news that their mead hall was finished by the gnomes, and what a creation they made. A large stone table, a huge hearth fireplace, a long wooden bar fully stocked and seats all over. Many victory celebrations will be had here! In heading to the Tipsy Teapot to let others know, horns could be heard blasting from the forest. A giant elk with a treehouse on its back came charging out, and small forest-bear humanoids came crawling down, introducing themselves as Meloks, followers of Mielikki the Goddess of Nature and they are here to help Volk grow in strength and create a shrine for Mielikki nearby. Darkness fell on the party as a cold shiver came over them, and when their sight came back they were once again in Bane's arena. Bane is upset that his champion Sylas is letting all these other shrines get built near the Ludus and none for him, he wants to test Sylas and his friends again. After calling forth 2 vicious beasts of Malar as challengers in the arena, Thor would show up to even the match for the party, granting his paladin Rogwin and Sylas the paladin of Bane their steeds for the fight. The party made quick work of the Vrock but the Cyclops took 2 of them down and almost outright killed another flinging his rocks at them, until Sylas was able to charge in on his matte black elk Viktor and slay the monster.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 2/6 seats available! The party slept through the night and were awoken the next morning by knocking on their door. 2 drow, armed to the teeth, made their way inside and inspected the shop, much to the dismay of Tears of the Mushroom (PC). After some hostile conversation they introduced themselves as Eris and Liora, security for Lady Evelina Nightbloom. Lady Nightbloom would make her way into the shop, and a conversation was had where the party determined she had an eye for things rare and collectible, and would be willing to fund their venture in exchange for a percent and some exclusivity on high end items. The party was weary about this and checked with Rikkit, their supplier, who said as long as he got his 25% and they didn't say anything about him, they could do whatever they wanted. The party then went to the Broken Anvil to find someone who could help them dig up their basement and so that Eilinora (PC) could try to flirt with Jork the hot orc bartender and owner. The party fumbled this hard and Eilinora even asked to see his brewing room at one point which he though was very forward, but his sister Mara agreed to help the party in exchange for getting to watch Eilinora do hard labor. The party then started digging up their floor only to find a layer of stone, which they promptly broke through, and pulled up the trap door they found underneath. Turns out the shop did have a basement already, with a hastily made false roof for some reason. The party went down into the basement and found a massive crypt in the center of the room, which they guessed is why it was sealed up. They promptly opened the crypt, allowing a dark force to culminate in the room and escape. In a second warded and locked storage room which they bulled through, they found an eerie painting and child's toy, both of which they promptly picked up, again disturbing some dark spirit.
All campaigns took a week off, this is what happened when we picked up!
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start! Of Rock and Ragnar is set in Fjordhelm, a thriving stone city ruled by the Tropiliaths and surrounded by dangerous jungles filled with dinosaurs. As tensions rise with the Horizon Watch Clan, who share a deep bond with these ancient creatures, adventurers must navigate political intrigue, perilous jungle expeditions, and the secrets of the giants who built the city. Players will shape the future of Fjordhelm, balancing the demands of the city and the wild forces threatening its stability.
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! The Ashenfang clan pulled the Horned Mustang to shore with their ogres, all while setting up on the beach. Chief Gorath offered a parlay to the Haunted Halibut, but warned them he knew of their foul deeds escaping. The party decided to accept, taking Captain Hex, Whisper, Fishbones, and Drakkar the prisoner with them. Negotiations were tense as the Ashenfangs stated they would split the spoils of the Horned Mustang with them, but that they demanded retribution for the orc lives lost including Ogra the Chiefess. Frostshell (PC) offered Ogra's spear and between him and Stein (PC) they were able to prove the existence of the dragon and explain how Drakkar tricked them into thinking the orcs were going to eat them. Chief Gorath explained that they were excited to see tortles because they used to have a working relationship with a tortle pirate ship that brought them exotic meats. It would eventually be negotiated that the party would hand over Drakkar, as well as pay retributions and try to convince Morgrath to allow the Ashenfangs to feed him cattle meat from now on instead of eat the orcs. The Haunted Halibut also entered an agreement with the Ashenfangs to have Cindershore be their home base, with some trade goods being agreed upon and a split of treasures to help fund and build up Cindershore. The night ended with some drinking and boxing competitions, and Chief Gorath fighting Drakkar to the death in a close match.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! The party spent the night and woke up the next morning, meeting with Aeliana by the fire as druids could be seen recovering from the fight. She would inform them that she is sending out scouts to find out what they could, but that they were spread thin and could use the party's help checking areas to the south. She warned them that if the rumors of a corrupted treant are true, not to engage it as it is too powerful. The party agreed and soon set out to find what they could. Sendrith (PC) led the way, sometimes getting the party lost but with aid was able to mostly lead them south. They came upon a pile of animal carcasses at one point which they determined were killed by blights. The tree seemed to be feeding on their essence so the party moved the pile and burned some of it, discovering that the dark sap that some of the trees are excreting in the area is flammable in the process. A tall wall of thorny branches and roots would eventually block their path southward, grabbing at them and constricting them as they tried to climb through a gap. The wood is especially hard to cut into and seems to be growing unnaturally. They followed it east where they were ambushed by pale skinned elves that almost killed the party in the ensuing combat, with only Reed (PC) being up at the end of the fight, with very little HP. The elves had a note on them saying to "assist Rivenbark on King Valthor's behalf - M". The party would make camp for the night, and upon waking, feel and hear a loud tremble, as the trees creak and sway, and Rivenbark the corrupted treant charges at them from the distant depths of the forest.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! Bane sent a warpriest back with the party who gave Silas "Bane's Fan of Command" a heavy, sharp, iron fan that can be wielded in battle and gives Silas and aura of command and fear to him. Thor sent Flaminius, Rogwin's next challenger of Thor's champions, and with her, a giant Stables for the Ludus as a gift for winning in Bane's arena. They even came with Bjorn, an air elemental to care for the beasts, and a comfy luxe shrine to Thor in one of the stables. The Meloks would make some Barkskin armor for Volk (PC) which is as tough as studded leather, but will give him a +1 to AC while wild shaped. Feeling left out, Matahari (PC) would try to pray to his, still unknown to him, lord of light, but after only a glimmer in his amulet, received no other communication from them. A celebration fight was held to see off Isolde and the members of the new Stonefist Dojo, in which the party fought the Boar Master, a tough spear wielder with 2 great boar and 2 dire boar at his command. During the fight, Matahari tried to heal Silas back to life, but instead the spell came out corrupted and did necrotic damage to Silas, costing him a death save fail. The corruption grew up Matahari's arm after this, and it would happen again so that Matahari's entire right arm is now corrupted. The party would win the fight though, and while celebrating afterward determined that they would go to Silverspine Pass, where Dralkas (PC) is from to drum up some more competition and crowd for their arena. In the days before setting off, Matahari and Volk would undergo the ritual of becoming a gladiator and be granted the mark of Draxus.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 2/6 seats available! We pick up in front of the Church of Sune (changed for story reasons) which is a beautiful marble building with stained glass in hues of pinks and blues and purples and lots of pretty flowers in the gardens on the grounds. The party, being their natural selves, were unsettling to the High Priest and Priestess of Sune, but nonetheless received charity aid of holy water in the form of Divinity No. 9 perfume, just a few sprays and bad omens, and odors, be gone. They also were given some Scent of Serenity incense to possibly ward off their shop. A fashion show was held by the Priestess offering some of the paid goods the church has, but the party was unable to afford anything at the time. They returned to their shop where they found Sslith waiting outside for them, by the new piles of dirt and stone they created. They tried to blame it on him but with some ability check fails were unable to do so, and were informed they would be fined for the dirt. While trying to get Sslith inside their shop, they informed him it was haunted to which he reacted immediately not wanting anything to do with inside "The Old Blackthorn place". The party would use this information to go to the library and find some books that Lady Blackthorn checked out over a century ago, now brittle and faded. The overall theme of the books was dealing with beings in the shadowfell, with the party picking up some specific clues in them. Without seemingly any other options, the party would seek out the Hasta Conclave for help with the evil spirits they released inside their home.
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start! An epic underwater campaign set in the vibrant and politically charged city of Coralport. As the young King Rheus Thalassath struggles to maintain control of the throne, powerful noble factions and ancient threats from the deep vie for power. Players will navigate a world filled with political intrigue, dangerous expeditions to distant cities, and cosmic horrors lurking in the Abyss. With every decision, they will shape the fate of the Coral Kingdom, choosing to defend the fragile peace or seize the opportunity to rewrite its future.
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! The crew would spend the night drinking, fighting, and celebrating with the orcs. The next morning, Chief Gorath made a plan with the party to have them sail on their ship while the Ashenfangs went through the forest as they're faster that way and had all the stuff for the bridges to bring with them. They took their separate ways and met up outside the entrance to the cave that is Morgrath's lair, when two red dragonborn strode out of the cave. They were friends of Drakkar and were told to hunt orcs if he ever went missing, Chief Gorath did not take kindly to this and joined the party in fighting the gladiators. Formidable foes, though they were, the combined force of the Ashenfang clan with the party proved too much for the dragonborn, both of them being slain brutally in the end, one by Chief Gorath and his mighty greataxe, another by Anlyn (PC) the barbarian and her mighty greataxe, bonding those two in the blood of their enemies. They would then enter the cave, Chief Gorath having the ogres and orcs construct stone and iron bridges in the cave wherever needed so that the pass can be made more easily. Morgrath would greet the group with curiosity, agreeing to at least hear out the brave orc chief standing in front of him. The Ashenfangs have always worshipped the "Spirit of the Volcano" which turns out to be Morgrath's father, Ashgaar, who last flew out to the east a while ago and has never been seen since. The Ashenfangs would enter a pact with Morgrath (and the party would enter as a third member of the alliance), to feed and worship and strengthen him, and he would grant them his boon and protect them and his / their lands (which includes Cindershore, the home of the Ashenfangs and the Haunted Halibut's new base). The Ashenfangs would prove their loyalty to Morgrath by walking through a wall of fire that he created, transforming into a new stronger breed, empowered by Morgrath. Morgrath would then address the party, stating that they already drew power from other sources and he was not yet strong enough to offer a boon to them, but that they are accepted members of this alliance. He would then gift them each a custom magic item crafted by him in the heat of the lava and his fire.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! Rivenbark and his small army of blights and more of these pale-skinned elves chased the party through the forest, trying to kill the party before they could get away. Initially, Reed (PC) transformed into an Elk to carry the other two party members, but after getting hit by a flurry of arrows from the mysterious elven archers, he lost his wild shape and would focus on healing while the party tried to run on foot. It was a good thing too because, though Rivenbark and the blights were soon outrun by the party, the archers showed enormous range and precision, continuously hitting and sometimes even downing members of the party as they dashed away. After a series of rounds at 1-2hp, the archers finally missed on a whole round, allowing the party to just barely escape with their lives. They would make their way back to Whispering Pines, resting and meeting with Aeliana, Kaedric, and the other druids at night around the fire. Kaedric brought up the myth of Cernoth, Guardian of the Wilds, a giant stag of legends past, saying that if Treant could be corrupted and all this bad stuff could be happening, maybe the tales of Cernoth are true. Aeliana wanted to spend their time building practical defenses, saying that the scouts determined they had 3 days before Rivenbark would be here with his army. The druids decided to follow the choice of the party, stating that their presence, especially Reed's, has been a sign from Mielikki. The party would decide to risk the ritual to summon Cernoth, even after learning it would take all of their preparation time to gather the ingredients needed and it would be a dangerous affair to get the 2 items the party is tasked with retrieving. These items are: a feather of a Takaala, a type of giant eagle that the druids of old would see far above the Evershade, said to be descended of the huge rocs, and purified spring water from the Underspring, a somewhat shrine of Mielikki deep in the Undercliff. The scout Willow has seen some of their nests before, in a dangerous area of the cliffs to climb. She offered to bring the party to the top of the area she saw the nest in, ending there for them to decide how to make the descent to the nest.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! The party set off from their Stonefist Ludus the next morning, saddling up the horses they caught before and the summoned steeds of the paladins. They would take the new path the gnomes have created between the ludus and the farm, shortening the trip to a day's ride instead of 2-3 through the dense forest. At the farm, Peregrine greeted them happily and told them that while they're staying they could create the signature Stonefist Ludus drink that they've wanted to, which the gnomes could then reproduce for the private barrel to always be stocked in the gladiators' mead hall back at the Ludus. The party learned that the cinnamon trees had been stolen by centaurs, and the gnomes asked for help getting them back, which was agreed to. Cash, one of the original farmers who fought in the first exhibition match against the party (where the party killed two of the farmers), revealed himself to be training this whole time, and after making some deal with an unknown power, challenged the party to mortal combat. The party made quick work of him, ending the bloodline of those farmers as Mao, the owner of the farm and now their biggest fan, was unrelated to them and had just hired them as help. The party would then make a deal for a signature cigar with the permanent tabaxi cub Baruski, a medium sized 1-2 ring cigar with a Connecticut shade wrapper, dipped in honey and dried. Unwilling to set up shop at the ludus for anonymity reasons, Baruski mentioned "visiting" some of the people at the ludus "in the dark" to "make arrangements to sell cigars there", we don't know what that means yet. The party then spent the day drinking, eating, and getting ready 2 of the ingredients for their signature drink. First they made a whipped cream using the finest cream the farm had available, on the last of 3 tries before the fine heavy cream ran out, they were able to make a great whipped cream that has been magically set to retain its form and flavor. They then mixed different strengths and viscosities of cherry bounce moonshine to get the perfect shot of the liquor to add in as the second ingredient.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 1/6 seats available! The party discussed their haunting with the Hasta Conclave Vanguard named Steve. They tried lying about being responsible for all of it but after low rolls all around, they ended up coming true to Steve. Steve's suggestion at the end was "We burn it. Every inch of this place. From the roof to the floorboards. We tear it down and raise nothing but holy fire to the cursed foundations." which the party did not want so they sent him away. They then tried to purify the wooden doll and painting of the Blackthorn's, finding out that after releasing whatever dark spirits from them last time, the items are no longer haunted. Eilinora (PC) and Tears (PC) would then opt to sleep in the basement, Tears choosing to bunk in the crypt itself. Isra (PC), upon their turn to sleep, had a nightmare of being chased by a pair of yellow glowing eyes, that alarmed them and left them uneasy after waking. The next morning while Tears was making breakfast, a knock at the door brought them Regulatory Compliance Officer Drik, informing them of their new fines that he was able to get them a whole week's time before they needed to be paid. Drik dropped them hints of how to get the paperwork done properly and the least inconvenient way for them, and after learning he loved to eat mushrooms, Tears invited Drik over for dinner the following night. The party set out to try to fix their dirt problem, first putting some of it in the crypt to use as a grow bed. They found a city sanitation worker that Tears attempted to bribe into clearing the dirt for them, but the dim-witted worker informed Tears that as per his Grub and Scrub Brotherhood union regulations he only did the jobs on his paper and nothing else. The party then headed to the Broken Anvil tavern where they learned that Mara has hired a bouncer to keep out all potentially haunted individuals, specifically the party. Brak, the bouncer, informed them that orcs don't play with that kind of stuff. Eilinora tried to get Jork's attention through the window, which she did briefly, but he looked away immediately. They tried to sneak around but with some bad luck rolls, were unsuccessful and eventually driven away by Brak. They headed to Coalworth Mining supply, where they saw a bugbear working in the back with Dilgen and Raina, the Coalworth dwarves the party has gotten to know. Both dwarves seemed uneasy today, and Tears tried to make conversation with the bugbear, eventually pissing him off until he accused Tears of being "one of those Nighthawks", a gang the party knows of, and kicking both Tears and Isra out as Isra mentioned being there with Tears. Eilinora then got information from Raina that she would like them to steal the cart from the back of the shop, which the party needs anyway to haul off the dirt and stones. At the back of the shop they saw some more bugbears unloading the cart, and then another cart that came and dropped off Stonefoot crates. The bugbears rapidly unloaded this cart which left immediately, and the bugbears then began painting Coalworth over the Stonefoot name on the side of the crates, and stacking them with the other recently unloaded cargo. Eilinora got caught snooping, and with battle impending, Isra was able to make enough of a distraction that Eilinora could get at a range to cast a spell with her new Wand of Chaotic Charms that Orlin the Enchanter gifted her, him being curious as to what it does. She rolled a 23 on her d100, successfully casting polymorph on one of the bugbears and turning him into a huge chubby hampster.
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available! After the new Ashenfang orcs were revealed to the party, Chief Gorath would raise his axe and bellow loud and deeply in the cavern, the rest of the orcs and Bruce the Ogre following suit. With the party joining in, Morgrath would stand up, breathing in deeply and exhaling a river of flame toward the ceiling, covering it in waves of fire. They would then all bow to each other, truly an honor that a dragon of any size would join in that, and the orcs and crew would leave. The Ashenfangs and the party would agree to the same deal of the orcs going by land and the party by sea. Aboard the ship, the crew celebrated, considering this new alliance and home base a huge win for all of them and excited for the opportunities it would bring. They discussed a new split of treasures including the 25% to Cindershore, and some options for increasing their fleet with their crew members or trusted orcs becoming captains of claimed ships. Whisper mentioned a new lead that she wanted to get opinions on before she followed up on, as the merchant ship target is being protected by the Anchored Legion. Hex and some of the NPC crew informed the party that they are a naval operation that is very strong and if they are involved, some high strings were pulled. They all agreed to have Whisper find out more as they are cautious but interested. Upon returning to Cindershore, the party would find a pack of Kuo-Toa raiding the beach, already having killed some of the orcs and ogres left behind to guard it, swarming the beached Horned Mustang. A fight at sea broke out, and though it was a tough one, the party proved strong and eliminated all the Kuo-Toa in the water, with Chief Gorath and the orcs from the cave showing up mid fight to take care of those that were on land already.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available! As was warned to the party, the climb and search for a Takaala nest would prove dangerous beyond expectations. Reed (PC) transformed into a giant lizard and the other two tied themselves on to him to begin the descent. Far below they could see fog and swirling mists, making it hard to make out anything and give them a good sense of direction. Some good perception checks gave them a hint of where to go, but as Reed started making his way in that direction a gust of wind would knock him off balance, and after many many attempts to correct themselves and some failed saves, Olly (PC) would plummet from his seat on Reed's back. Reed and Sendrith (PC) were able to right themselves and rushed down the cliffside, fearing for the worst, making it about 80 ft down through the fog until a swirling wind revealed a clearing. A huge nest, with branches and twigs the size of small trees, was built into the cliffside there, much bigger than they guessed, and in it at the cliffside lay Olly. Nearly, but not fully, dead, Olly was sunk several feet into the nest having crash landed into it. Some heals were doled out and the party looked around the nest, finding 2 huge dark eggs with purple marks all over them, and woven into the nest on the other edge was a white feather with a blue tip, somehow pristine. Some failed sneaking around led to the eggs hatching, and though Reed was able to distract the 2 large creature sized black winged baby birds that emerged with half of the rations he had, they eventually were too interested in Olly sneaking around the nest and attacked him instead. Olly would get stuck in the nest again, and spend the entire fight trying to get out, failing several roles and ending up tied up in his own rope, dangling out over the cliff between 2 branches. Sendrith and Reed fought hard, going unconscious several times during the fight, but at the end their luck would hold and they were able to down both birds before being eaten. The party had no way of bringing Olly in at this point, the branches not being strong enough to hold any more weight and having limited ropes and tools left to aid them, they rested before trying again. During this time Olly would black out and have another nightmare, possibly a flashback, of him being called a weapon by the succubus Lilithara. After a lot of luck and enginuity and reaching the end of their abilities and thinking, the party managed to get both Olly and the feather, and get out of the nest and back up to the top of the cliffs.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! Having done all they could for their drink, the party spent the night resting and woke up early the next morning to recover the cinnamon trees. The gnomes had breakfast ready for them, and would show them the way to the part of the forest they considered creepy and where they didn't want to follow the centaurs into. The party headed into the thick of the forest, examining the ruins along the way and keeping a sharp eye out. What they would end up finding were indeed centaurs, wrapped in brittle, ancient bandages, their hollow eyes glowing with a sickly, unnatural light. The centaur mummies attacked the party, a whole herd of them coming into the battle from various depths of the forest and charging the party. The party, with 2 paladins leading the charge, would barely make it through, all of them succumbing to mummy rot during the fight and only a few of them being alive at the end to heal or stabilize the rest. This was a tough grueling fight which took all the party had to live through.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 1/6 seats available! Picking up with one of the bugbears being transformed into a giant hamster, the other 2 who were unloading the crates with him scattered, afraid of Eilinora (PC) and her chaos stick. The big chubby guy pulled out a cookie from his pouch, and Eilinora tried befrending him by feeding him some peanuts, which he enjoyed. Tears (PC) transformed into a draft horse and had the cart they were supposed to take hooked up to him, and they headed out. Upon returning to their shop they found everything outside pristinely clean, all the piles of dirt and everything gone. On their steps stood Lady Evelina Nightbloom and her two drow bodyguards. She also had with her Verona (new PC), a professional she was giving to the party to help with all their proceedings. Lady Nightbloom would soon cut to the chase, she wanted to buy the shop. An offer of 10,000 gold was given, for ownership of the shop, allowing the party to live their rent free and do what they want with it business wise, they just have to surrender it to Lady Nightbloom when they're done living in it or using it as a shop. After some discussion, the party found no fault in this and really needed the funds to get things going, so they agreed to it, the current owners signing the paperwork for Lady Nightbloom and the party being given a large suede bag of 10,000 gold which they carried inside. Upon going inside however, they were greeted by a warm cozy environment of a store with shelves lined with enchanted items and a family of 4 sitting at a table for games. Arnold, Isabella, Aldric, and Liora Blackthorn were there, happily greeting the party and inviting them to play mini games with them. Most of the party would oblige, taking turns playing games and inspecting the shop. Verona tried to swindle some items as she looked, including a gorgeous pair of elven boots that looked in Lady Blackthorn's style. At various points, knocking would happen on the front door. Tears answered the first time, greeted by a small pumpkin headed figure that proclaimed "Trick or Treat!". Unprepared, Tears would have a few tricks played on him by the door knockers, until Gord (PC) grabbed one of the treats from around the shop to give to the next trick or treater. All the while, the family members were saying increasingly ominous things, including Liora saying that she hears voices calling her name at night sometimes. When night fell, tremors started all over the shop as Lady Blackthorn's figure grew and melded into the shadows, items shaking and crumbling all around and the floor cracked and gave way, the apparent mirage falling into darkness as the party themselves fell physically, crash landing in their crypt basement below.
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 1/6 seats available! We pick up with the party clearing the Kuo-toa out with the Ashenfangs. Among the end of the treasure being unloaded from the Horned Mustang there was an oddly weighted barrel with iron seals. Chief Gorath would rip the barrel open, exposing Vladimir (PC), an albino green dragonborn who was captured and stowed in the barrel with a few days' supply of food and water. With a personal purpose but no real other means, Vladimir would join the crew and prove quickly to be a useful asset. The party would spend the day meeting with Gorath and other orcs, finalizing their deal including a possible fleet expansion under the Haunted Halibut captained by orcs they will train. Overall they do not trust captured pirates to be in their fleet and would rather trap the ships in Cindershore between the Halibut and the Ashenfangs, destroying them and eventually building their own ships to command. Whisper was able to get a lead on the Plump Pelican, a merchant ship being guarded by on of the Anchored Legion armada, however she also found out that the Blood Reef was given the same lead days ago, though they are still further away. The Halibut would add an Ashenfang Ogre Bolt Launcher to the ship, and with new allies and a new home behind them, sails off in the direction of the Pelican.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 1/6 seats available! After bringing the Takaala feather back to Whispering Pines, the party would rest for the night and aid the druids in the general readying of the sanctuary for the fight to come. The next morning, with Aeliana's guidance, they would make their way to the secret cave of the Underspring. Aeliana performed the ritual to expose and open the entrance in a light of ancient druidic runes and stone, and the party ventured in. Soon after entering the cave, they would be met by a flash of emerald light, revealing a tall, blonde paladin by the name of Dominik (PC). Through divine intervention, Dominik was taken from his time and place, and put here for reasons not yet known. The party would venture further into the cave, solving some of the puzzles and killing some giant guardians of the Underspring along the way. Reed (PC) would get a sense of these creatures merely doing what they were put here to do, and instead of taking any trophies from them the party would pile them up respectfully while Reed said some words. We ended the session with the party not yet at the spring they need to get the water from, continuing their descent in the Underspring.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full! With the undead centaurs all slain or fled, the party would move to the task at hand, getting the 3 cinnamon trees back to the farm. At a weight of around 1200 lbs each, it would take all of the party and all of their mounts to pull the trees in 1 trip, but they were able to after some logical thinking and maneuvering. The gnomes of Mao's PC farm (PC for the crops they produce and animals they have, potatoes corn pork chicken etc) would re-plant the trees and get some bark ready for the party to finish their signature drink. Named 'Mon-cheri bounce' after the cherry bounce moonshine the dwarves make that goes in it, the party made a fantastic drink for their private stock, and a slightly lesser version called 'Cherry Sparkle Dream Supreme' that will be offered at the Tipsy Teapot by the ludus. During the night, Dagon the god of the Depths would reach out to Rogwin through a water elemental in the river. Offering him the power to control the mummy rot, and empowerment through the cursed Spear of Dagon he was offered to be Dagon's Undead Champion of the Depths. Rogwin would hold strong even when questioned why his other god hasn't offered help, currently turning down Dagon. Still unable to cure the mummy rot, all party members would wake up to the curse growing on them, eating away at their skin and life. Matahari (PC) the currently corrupted cleric, would try to shake his corruption for just enough to cure himself of the curse, and Dralkas (PC). It was a risk as the party is unsure what will happen if he false casts his spell and it gets cast with his necrotic side instead of the healing cleric side. 2 of them have now been cured, with the other 3 remaining to find out what will happen to them if they aren't cured soon.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 1/6 seats available! Shaken by the presence of the haunting again, the party would take turns at watch throughout the night. Around midnight, some sharp knocking on the door would reveal 2 goblins. Tears (PC) greeted them, and they told him that they appreciated the "haunting and spooky stuff" they were doing and that the goblins have an agent outside of other shops burning incense to "protect the other shops" at a rate of 20g PER DAY. This understandably has some of the other shopkeepers furious that they have to do it, but customers had stopped coming into their stores out of fear of being haunted, so they are doing what they must. The goblins would leave without offering a share of the spoils but a thank you and a keep it up to the party. After morning the party would head out to do some shopping, picking up groceries and supplies, interacting with some NPCs, and eventually making their way to the Enchanted Reflection where Roran Glass, a tall and handsome leonin, would greeted them boldly. After finding a mirror that was off, some of the party seeing things in it, they decided to buy it, thinking it had a connection to the Blackthorns. This large heavy mirror now sits in their main shop room, Eilinora (PC) having seen shadows of some kind in it. The highlight of this session was Regulatory Compliance Officer Drik, a little kobold with a propensity for being friendly, coming over for mushroom soup for dinner and bringing a full bottle of fantastic homemade port wine with him. After explaining many times that he filled out all the required paperwork and was off the clock and therefore did NOT have to fine them for anything he saw inside, he asked for a tour of the shop. After the tour, Drik suggested a business idea to the party: Leave everything alone, charge an enormous amount for entry, have 2 grow rooms (one in the attic loft for warm plants, the basement crypt for things that would grow better there), and use the large backroom of the basement as a "hangout" area where people could sample goods and relax. It would be discussed and agreed that Drik could quit his job and move in, excited to be working for himself for a change in a place of friends, and that he could sell or offer some of his port wine in that room in the basement. Excited for this new venture, Drik would soon leave to write his letter of resignation, also offering the party a powerful ally in someone who knows how to do the city paperwork. At the very end of the session, another knock at the door would reveal Liz Temptashian, a lizardfolk woman who told the party her uncle would like to have them over to thank them for how nice they've been. As she was leaving, Isra (PC) was able to ask who Liz's uncle was, to which she replied "Oh! Sslith."
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
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Monday update 08/19/24
Archon's Academy of Advanced Arcane Arts
Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Axl's Arena: The Gauntlet of Gaius Inferno
Now filling seats! Needs 3 to start
Coral Kingdom Chronicles
Needs 3 to start
Of Rock and Ragnar
Needs 2 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - Now playing! Seats still available!
The crew sailed their course toward the Chubby Flounder and the promise of treasure. On the way, they spotted a rocky outcropping covered in giant sunbathing lizards, and what appeared to be a drow observing them? The crew picked up this drow after helping them navigate down and onto their ship. Captain Hex questioned him before adding Z as a new crew member of the Haunted Halibut. After another 2 days of sailing, the crew reached the Chubby Flounder floating adrift in the sea. Some careful investigating revealed the crew members were all dead below deck, wrecked by some disease which scaled their skin and sunk in their eyes. One of these sickly sailors coughed up water, transforming fully into a fish headed humanoid monster that attacked the party.
Shadows of the Stringbinder
Needs 1 to start
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
This was week 2 of our 2 week hiatus due to vacations and scheduling! Be back soon!
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full!
The shopkeepers set about cleaning and repairing their shop, albeit somewhat creatively with their spells. After taking a LONG time to clean the front steps of all the goblin blood, power washing half of one floor, and using their cleansing stone toilet bucket with mage hands to clean half of another floor the party called it a day. The next day involved readying some of their planters and seeds, finding a lead on an underground herb supplier and a potential investigation lead of the Coalworth family. It seems all is not well between Lord Durgan Coalworth and some of the wealthier members of his family.
Rum, Rogues, & Riches
Now only has 1 seat left!
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria
Is full again! Check out my other campaigns that still have some seats left!
Details:
Shadows of the Stringbinder
Now has 2 players queued! Only 1 needed to start!
Of Rock and Ragnar
Now has 1 player queued! Only 2 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches
Filled up but someone had to drop due to a scheduling conflict someone else had to drop, so we're back to 1 seat open!
Shadows of the Stringbinder
Now has 3 players and will be starting with Session 0 this Thursday 08/29/24!
Monday update 08/26/24
Archon's Academy of Advanced Arcane Arts
Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Axl's Arena: The Gauntlet of Gaius Inferno
Needs 3 to start
Coral Kingdom Chronicles
Needs 3 to start
Of Rock and Ragnar
Needs 2 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - Now playing! Seats still available!
Whisper the NPC found a stowaway aboard the ship which she brought to the captain's attention. Bubbles decided to vouch for this stowaway and she became a part of the crew. The party then investigated the dead crew of the Chubby Flounder, all of them transforming after a time into evil creatures that the party had to eliminate. After a tough battle below deck with several of these evil creatures, the party was barely victorious. They then looked around and found some treasure, and a disturbing captain's log. The party then sank the Chubby Flounder and headed on their way, opting to make some crab soup for dinner and put their new crew member to work cooking for them.
Shadows of the Stringbinder
Starting this week!
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
The party left the city-building of Kanshichi and headed back to the Stonefist Ludus to get ready to host the RyuZen Dojo for a series of fights. Along the way, Dralkas the party's ranger got a message in his head about going back to Hecate's shrine in the cave they found before. Dralkas found a priestess of Hecate there who gave him a list of ingredients she needed to make him a potion to help with his transformation into Hecate's champion. The party set out to get various items including nightshade and poison from a giant poisonous snake, having to kill a Yuan-ti Abomination along the way. At the end, Dralkas' potion was made and he drank it, blacking out at the end of the session.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full!
The shopkeepers woke up and all met each other, deciding on one course of action for the day. They set out to get their deed signed at the castle with Master Alaric as requested. After completing their paperwork, Alaric offered them each a book out of his private collection to celebrate them becoming citizens of Aldoria. He then gave them an exclusive tour of High Queen Caerwyn Breindalin's castle which included an impromptu hoe-down in the ballroom. After some rest, the party headed out to country karaoke night at a local tavern, where they bested Sam Huntsman but lost out to Shania Twin-axe and Bricks & Stone. Still not a bad showing as they won some gold and some of the crowd in the process!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches
Another person had a scheduling change, 2 seats currently open!
Crops & Crypts
Is now filling seats for Friday nights!
Inherit a mysterious farm in the eerie outskirts of Willowdale, where you'll balance tending crops with uncovering the secrets of the land's haunted past. Can you turn this blighted soil into a thriving homestead?
Crops & Crypts
Has been moved to Monday nights and 2 already! Just 1 more to start!
Inherit a mysterious farm in the eerie outskirts of Willowdale, where you'll balance tending crops with uncovering the secrets of the land's haunted past. Can you turn this blighted soil into a thriving homestead?
Tuesday update 09/03/24
Archon's Academy of Advanced Arcane Arts
Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Axl's Arena: The Gauntlet of Gaius Inferno
Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Coral Kingdom Chronicles
Currently on hold - dm me if interested
Crops & Crypts
Needs 1 to start!! - Get your seat now!
Of Rock and Ragnar
Needs 3 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - Seats available again! 2 players had schedule changes so their seats are open!
The Haunted Halibut and crew decided to put some space between themselves and the sinking Chubby Flounder. While doing so, PC Anlyn went up into the crow's nest to take watch and spotted a red-sailed ship on the horizon. Captain Hex feared this to be the Blood Reef again, and rang the all hands on deck bell for the crew to speed their ship up. In an attempt to hide, the HH picked up as much speed as it could and banked a corner, putting out all the lights and waiting in the darkness. With no sign of the Blood Reef, the crew set out to repair the ship and explore the island, the party heading to the nearby village. The friendly native orcs were inviting to the party, too inviting, and it was quickly discovered that they were either to be eaten or sacrificed. They met another captive dragonborn, and fought their way out of the great hall which is where we ended for the night, unsure what comes next for them!
Shadows of the Stringbinder
Our epic campaign started with the party on a museum tour in Dunroven, a bustling city nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and a winding river. Eldrin, the tour guide, showed the party various relics of the Aenorian elves —a once-harmonious race known for their deep connection to nature and their serene way of life. During the tour the party heard loud cracks and screaming from outside as a shadow dragon descended on the city, lighting it afire and plunging it into chaos. Eldrin, revealed to be a Stormkeeper of the Order of the Tempest Djinn, tasked the party with delivering the Shadow Sphere to Jaelor, a fellow Stormkeeper. Upon teleporting the party to the lighthouse Jaelor was supposed to be at, the party found it abandoned and empty.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
Dralkas (PC) would sleep through the night, the party taking him and carrying him with them to camp. After several days of waking up feeling drained, his amulet of Hecate's Chosen pulsed with energy, restoring his lost constitution and strength with power for spellcasting. The team headed back to their Stonefist Ludus, stopping at Mao's farm along the way and enjoying the company of the druids that now run it, and the potent moonshine concoction they've made dubbed "Cherry Bounce". Rogwin (PC) got pleasantly drunk off of it and made sure it will be sold at the Ludus. The party then spent their days relaxing and getting ready for the fight day that weekend. It came with a serious tone, the gladiators had breakfast together, and those that would be fighting took their places. The first match would be an epic meeting of 2 unstoppable forces, as Urzog the Bear, a huge goliath barbarian, with his polar bear Grimfur took on Garruk the half-giant half-orc. In a true clash of titans, both sides exchanged heavy blows, not bothering to block at the end as they slugged it out. Garruk looked as if he were in his final moments before Urzog took as swing at Purrsephone, Garruk's primal companion kitten, enraging Garruk leading to a hurricane uppercut finishing blow. Match 1 goes to the Stonefist Ludus.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full!
Had to skip this week due to scheduling! Be Back soon!
Tuesday update 09/10/24
Crops & Crypts
Needs 1 to start!! - Get your seat now!
Of Rock and Ragnar
Needs 3 to start
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
The party wasted no time hatching a plan to distract the tribe with Frostshell's (PC) Quasit familiar while they would run the other way. As the Quasit took off for the door, it swung open casually revealing Ogra the Chiefess had come to join the party in their meal. Outraged at the sight of her fallen brethren she attacked the party with some more orcs, almost killing a few of them but the party took her down. They then knocked down the back wall of the Great Hall and fled for the Haunted Halibut with Drakkar the prisoner. He was badly wounded in the fight and would take a few days to recover, so he drew them a map to his temple where the treasure would be and sent them to get it, warning them of predatory beasts along the way. We ended with the party being tracked in the jungle by something, but a couple crit fail checks in a row failed to give the party any information!
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
The party woke up and searched the lighthouse more, finding nothing there but dust and empty air. Sendrith (PC) heard Eldrin in his head, sending a message to him with his spells to protect and activate the lighthouse, find Jaelor as he's unreachable, and that Dunroven has been lost to the Shadow Dragon. He would be in touch when he could be. The party set out to explore the area, finding that the forest had malicious spirits in it, fighting some awakened shrubs and a tree that stalked them and attacked during the night. After some more exploring the party came upon the cabin of a blind Firbolg who seems to commune with the forest somehow.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
The tournament continued with Lucius the Executioner and Jorhan fighting a troll and some goblin leaders from the nearby salt cave, with their crusted skin and thick black blood. The monsters appeared too formidable, as the Salt troll killed and ate both Lucius and Jorhan during the fight, who were only able to kill a goblin or two. After a solemn moment of losing a Ludus member, the party took to the arena to fight Graniticus, one of Thor's messengers sent to challenge Rogwin (PC) and his companions. Graniticus turned out to be a fearsome competitor, slashing out at the party with dual longswords, however with some spells and strong frontline behavior, the party was able to overwhelm him, with the paladin Silas (PC) getting the killing blow and revenge for losing his crush Elara the medic to Graniticus' saucy behavior.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full!
The party was awoken bright and early by a sharp knocking on the door. Sslith their neighbor wanted to inquire about the planters that were left outside on their steps the day before and if they would be there again, and if the party got the necessary permits for their shop or not. They were friendly and told him they did and sent him on his way quickly as they could. After struggling and having to make breakfast in the sink as it's the only fire safe place in the shop, the party went out to purchase a stove from the Coalworth Mining Supply store. Afterward they made their way to Bran Coalworth's residence in the Aurator Borough to inquire about why he's hiring Diggle Ironfang, a known bugbear gang member, as manager of his store instead of his kin who already work there. Bran explained that he merely wants an expansion of labor over drinks and some flirting with Minerva (PC) who used it as a chance to get more information out of him.
Update week of 09/15/24
Crops & Crypts
We've had some player changes - this campaign is no longer listed as it has been combined with The Shopkeepers of Aldoria
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
Update to come after this session as there are some mysteries for the party to figure out where information is important. I don't want to spoil it in the update for them!
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
The blind Firbolg seer came to be known as Sylroot and after sensing a disturbance in the wind, he ushered the party into his hut. As wind howled and raged around them, the party snuck a peek at what seemed to be a corrupted spirit of wind passing by. After it passed, they learned from Sylroot of some druids at the top of the cliff that may be able to help or provide some more information. After traveling to the cliffs the party was unable to scale them at this time, and travelling south by the cliffs was eventually halted by thick forest and vines and roots that were too interwoven to pass. The party reconvened at their lighthouse, where they were confronted by a shadow goblin
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - 1/6 seats available!
Isolde, Dominus of the Stonefist Ludus, and Master Kenzo Ryu of the RyuZen Dojo had their battle to the death, for ownership of the other's combat school. During the fight, Isolde accidentally cut another tear in reality with her Șoapta Morții which a shadowspawn crawled out of. The party initiated a fight with it so the 2 could continue their duel, Isolde and the party both coming out victorious in a succession of turns. After the celebration, the party got to work around the Ludus improving things and building things. They made a deal with a Hag of Hecate who came to set up a shrine for Dralkas (PC) to worship her from, however they needed help building a forge so the hag offered to magically create one if it could double as a shrine, which they agreed to. Through a mastery of words, she also roped Hatamari (PC) the Light Cleric into this deal and his willingness has led to some corruption in himself and his powers. Currently, he cannot cast spells as shadow creeps up his arm, centered on the spot he should hands with the hag.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - Full!
The party moved forward with their shop, setting a plan to start stocking it while also moving their investigations forward. They met Dr. Morvan Zanker, a Doctor of medicine who uses herbs in his healing, who offered them a plant called a Pyrabloom which he was given and doesn't have time to research. The party made a series of checks but have not been able to discern anything special about this plant at this time. After some restocking and adventuring around town getting ready, the party is gearing up to head into Gloomshade next session and confront some of the gang members there as well as look for a supplier they heard of named Rikkit.
Update week of 09/22/24
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
The party, having successfully escaped from the Ashen Fang Orc Camp without being eaten, rendezvoused at the Haunted Halibut, got a map from Drakkar who couldn't make the trip due to injuries, and set out to get the treasure they were promised by him. They fought a pack of allosaurus and velociraptors on the way that were stalking them through the jungle and made their way to Drakkar's temple. Turns out it's actually a cave full of lava rivers and is the lair of Morgrath the Scorched who is a young red dragon, not the made up mountain spirit that the orcs worship as Drakkar told them. Morgrath explained that orcs don't eat people, Drakkar was bringing him orcs to eat and then gave them some riddles to determine if they were worthy. They got the correct answer, so Morgrath made them a deal, he would let them live AND supply them with treasure IF they brought him more orcs to eat. He would prefer they give Drakkar back as well if they're not going to feed him regularly. The party agreed and left the cave, almost losing 2 party members to the lava due to collapsing structures and missing bridges. They were given 3 days before Morgrath would assume they fled, and on the 4th morning leave his cave to hunt them.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
The party defeated the shadow goblin using a flurry of spells and arrows and though the creature dissipated as it died as the other shadow creatures have, the scimitar it was wielding clattered to the ground remaining behind. The party collected it and made their way up the cliffs in search of the druids they were told of. After traveling for a few days with no real signs of them, Reed (PC) saw a vision of a deer in their campfire, walking south. He would follow this path to find the druid refuge, hidden in a mist, and learn that it was likely Mielikki, the Goddess of Nature, that sent him that vision. The party would learn that the scimitar was likely of Duergar make, an unsettling idea as the Duergar are supposed to be under watch of the lighthouse which is currently not active. Aeliana, the head druid, would tell them that she was part of the peace treaty between the Duergar who live in the Undercliff and Stoneheart Dwarves who live a few days away in a mountain. Stormkeeper Jaelor, Warden of the Gales, who the party was supposed to meet at the lighthouse and is currently missing, was also part of that peace treaty, and used the aura of the lighthouse to monitor where the Duergar were allowed to dig underground, until the lighthouse was deactivated and he and everyone inside went missing some time ago.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
Isolde, Dominus of the Stonefist Ludus, and Master Kenzo Ryu of the RyuZen Dojo had their battle to the death, for ownership of the other's combat school. During the fight, Isolde accidentally cut another tear in reality with her Șoapta Morții which a shadowspawn crawled out of. The party initiated a fight with it so the 2 could continue their duel, Isolde and the party both coming out victorious in a succession of turns. After the celebration, the party got to work around the Ludus improving things and building things. They made a deal with a Hag of Hecate who came to set up a shrine for Dralkas (PC) to worship her from, however they needed help building a forge so the hag offered to magically create one if it could double as a shrine, which they agreed to. Through a mastery of words, she also roped Hatamari (PC) the Light Cleric into this deal and his willingness has led to some corruption in himself and his powers. Currently, he cannot cast spells as shadow creeps up his arm, centered on the spot he shook hands with the hag.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 2/6 seats available!
The party waited until night to set out for Gloomshade, looking for a drug source and maybe some information on Diggle, a member of the bugbear gang the Ironfangs. Before setting out there was a pounding on their door as a large dark furred tabaxi introduced himself and told them all to put hoods on so that he could take them to see Rikkit who the party had been asking around town about. When Faux the tabaxi pointed out another member in the shadows of their shop the party freaked out and learned that a Gloamhollow, a small gnome like creature made of bark, had been living there for an unknown amount of time. The party eventually obliged, going to meet Rikkit and striking a deal to be his above ground vendor in exchange for 25% of the sales and Rikkit lending them his Circle of Spores goblin as a steady supply of narcotics to sell. The party then set out to navigate the sewers under the city back to the surface, meeting Muck, a dense goblinoid creature, and Pudge, some sort of orcish troll, on their way out. They found some gold and treasures among the trash on their way, getting lost for a bit but eventually making their way back to their shop.
Update week of 09/29/24
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
The party talked about their dilemma with other crew members, notably First Mate Fishbones who said more than anything else he doesn't want a dragon hunting them but that he isn't a fan of feeding the orcs to Morgrath, being an orc himself. The party determined from him that they MIGHT be able to smooth things out with the orcs and wanted to try that first, but if nothing else the whole crew agreed they had to feed the dragon SOMETHING rather than nothing if nothing else worked. They sailed towards the beach that the orc village is on, finding the orcs on the beach with some ogres wielding huge crossbows, with lines out to see taught with another pirate ship on the end of them. A battle had begun between the orcs and the Horned Mustang, which the party joined in on, killing the captain and crew of the Horned Mustang and hoping to use it as good will with Chief Bonebreaker.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
A council was had that night, with Aeliana, other druids of the sanctuary, and the party. There were rumors of a corrupted treant in the forest and twistings of roots and branches in areas. After a long conversation, it was determined to fight the corruption as they felt they had no other choice. All would go to bed and make plans the next morning to verify any rumors of corrupted creatures in the forest, sending out scouts and the party to find what they could. Before plans could be made however, they were under attack from various pine and needle and vine blights who had pierced the mist veil that protected them for so long. The fight for the Evershade has begun.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
The party woke up to news that their mead hall was finished by the gnomes, and what a creation they made. A large stone table, a huge hearth fireplace, a long wooden bar fully stocked and seats all over. Many victory celebrations will be had here! In heading to the Tipsy Teapot to let others know, horns could be heard blasting from the forest. A giant elk with a treehouse on its back came charging out, and small forest-bear humanoids came crawling down, introducing themselves as Meloks, followers of Mielikki the Goddess of Nature and they are here to help Volk grow in strength and create a shrine for Mielikki nearby. Darkness fell on the party as a cold shiver came over them, and when their sight came back they were once again in Bane's arena. Bane is upset that his champion Sylas is letting all these other shrines get built near the Ludus and none for him, he wants to test Sylas and his friends again. After calling forth 2 vicious beasts of Malar as challengers in the arena, Thor would show up to even the match for the party, granting his paladin Rogwin and Sylas the paladin of Bane their steeds for the fight. The party made quick work of the Vrock but the Cyclops took 2 of them down and almost outright killed another flinging his rocks at them, until Sylas was able to charge in on his matte black elk Viktor and slay the monster.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 2/6 seats available!
The party slept through the night and were awoken the next morning by knocking on their door. 2 drow, armed to the teeth, made their way inside and inspected the shop, much to the dismay of Tears of the Mushroom (PC). After some hostile conversation they introduced themselves as Eris and Liora, security for Lady Evelina Nightbloom. Lady Nightbloom would make her way into the shop, and a conversation was had where the party determined she had an eye for things rare and collectible, and would be willing to fund their venture in exchange for a percent and some exclusivity on high end items. The party was weary about this and checked with Rikkit, their supplier, who said as long as he got his 25% and they didn't say anything about him, they could do whatever they wanted. The party then went to the Broken Anvil to find someone who could help them dig up their basement and so that Eilinora (PC) could try to flirt with Jork the hot orc bartender and owner. The party fumbled this hard and Eilinora even asked to see his brewing room at one point which he though was very forward, but his sister Mara agreed to help the party in exchange for getting to watch Eilinora do hard labor. The party then started digging up their floor only to find a layer of stone, which they promptly broke through, and pulled up the trap door they found underneath. Turns out the shop did have a basement already, with a hastily made false roof for some reason. The party went down into the basement and found a massive crypt in the center of the room, which they guessed is why it was sealed up. They promptly opened the crypt, allowing a dark force to culminate in the room and escape. In a second warded and locked storage room which they bulled through, they found an eerie painting and child's toy, both of which they promptly picked up, again disturbing some dark spirit.
Update week of 10/13/24
All campaigns took a week off, this is what happened when we picked up!
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Of Rock and Ragnar is set in Fjordhelm, a thriving stone city ruled by the Tropiliaths and surrounded by dangerous jungles filled with dinosaurs. As tensions rise with the Horizon Watch Clan, who share a deep bond with these ancient creatures, adventurers must navigate political intrigue, perilous jungle expeditions, and the secrets of the giants who built the city. Players will shape the future of Fjordhelm, balancing the demands of the city and the wild forces threatening its stability.
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
The Ashenfang clan pulled the Horned Mustang to shore with their ogres, all while setting up on the beach. Chief Gorath offered a parlay to the Haunted Halibut, but warned them he knew of their foul deeds escaping. The party decided to accept, taking Captain Hex, Whisper, Fishbones, and Drakkar the prisoner with them. Negotiations were tense as the Ashenfangs stated they would split the spoils of the Horned Mustang with them, but that they demanded retribution for the orc lives lost including Ogra the Chiefess. Frostshell (PC) offered Ogra's spear and between him and Stein (PC) they were able to prove the existence of the dragon and explain how Drakkar tricked them into thinking the orcs were going to eat them. Chief Gorath explained that they were excited to see tortles because they used to have a working relationship with a tortle pirate ship that brought them exotic meats. It would eventually be negotiated that the party would hand over Drakkar, as well as pay retributions and try to convince Morgrath to allow the Ashenfangs to feed him cattle meat from now on instead of eat the orcs. The Haunted Halibut also entered an agreement with the Ashenfangs to have Cindershore be their home base, with some trade goods being agreed upon and a split of treasures to help fund and build up Cindershore. The night ended with some drinking and boxing competitions, and Chief Gorath fighting Drakkar to the death in a close match.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
The party spent the night and woke up the next morning, meeting with Aeliana by the fire as druids could be seen recovering from the fight. She would inform them that she is sending out scouts to find out what they could, but that they were spread thin and could use the party's help checking areas to the south. She warned them that if the rumors of a corrupted treant are true, not to engage it as it is too powerful. The party agreed and soon set out to find what they could. Sendrith (PC) led the way, sometimes getting the party lost but with aid was able to mostly lead them south. They came upon a pile of animal carcasses at one point which they determined were killed by blights. The tree seemed to be feeding on their essence so the party moved the pile and burned some of it, discovering that the dark sap that some of the trees are excreting in the area is flammable in the process. A tall wall of thorny branches and roots would eventually block their path southward, grabbing at them and constricting them as they tried to climb through a gap. The wood is especially hard to cut into and seems to be growing unnaturally. They followed it east where they were ambushed by pale skinned elves that almost killed the party in the ensuing combat, with only Reed (PC) being up at the end of the fight, with very little HP. The elves had a note on them saying to "assist Rivenbark on King Valthor's behalf - M". The party would make camp for the night, and upon waking, feel and hear a loud tremble, as the trees creak and sway, and Rivenbark the corrupted treant charges at them from the distant depths of the forest.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
Bane sent a warpriest back with the party who gave Silas "Bane's Fan of Command" a heavy, sharp, iron fan that can be wielded in battle and gives Silas and aura of command and fear to him. Thor sent Flaminius, Rogwin's next challenger of Thor's champions, and with her, a giant Stables for the Ludus as a gift for winning in Bane's arena. They even came with Bjorn, an air elemental to care for the beasts, and a comfy luxe shrine to Thor in one of the stables. The Meloks would make some Barkskin armor for Volk (PC) which is as tough as studded leather, but will give him a +1 to AC while wild shaped. Feeling left out, Matahari (PC) would try to pray to his, still unknown to him, lord of light, but after only a glimmer in his amulet, received no other communication from them. A celebration fight was held to see off Isolde and the members of the new Stonefist Dojo, in which the party fought the Boar Master, a tough spear wielder with 2 great boar and 2 dire boar at his command. During the fight, Matahari tried to heal Silas back to life, but instead the spell came out corrupted and did necrotic damage to Silas, costing him a death save fail. The corruption grew up Matahari's arm after this, and it would happen again so that Matahari's entire right arm is now corrupted. The party would win the fight though, and while celebrating afterward determined that they would go to Silverspine Pass, where Dralkas (PC) is from to drum up some more competition and crowd for their arena. In the days before setting off, Matahari and Volk would undergo the ritual of becoming a gladiator and be granted the mark of Draxus.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 2/6 seats available!
We pick up in front of the Church of Sune (changed for story reasons) which is a beautiful marble building with stained glass in hues of pinks and blues and purples and lots of pretty flowers in the gardens on the grounds. The party, being their natural selves, were unsettling to the High Priest and Priestess of Sune, but nonetheless received charity aid of holy water in the form of Divinity No. 9 perfume, just a few sprays and bad omens, and odors, be gone. They also were given some Scent of Serenity incense to possibly ward off their shop. A fashion show was held by the Priestess offering some of the paid goods the church has, but the party was unable to afford anything at the time. They returned to their shop where they found Sslith waiting outside for them, by the new piles of dirt and stone they created. They tried to blame it on him but with some ability check fails were unable to do so, and were informed they would be fined for the dirt. While trying to get Sslith inside their shop, they informed him it was haunted to which he reacted immediately not wanting anything to do with inside "The Old Blackthorn place". The party would use this information to go to the library and find some books that Lady Blackthorn checked out over a century ago, now brittle and faded. The overall theme of the books was dealing with beings in the shadowfell, with the party picking up some specific clues in them. Without seemingly any other options, the party would seek out the Hasta Conclave for help with the evil spirits they released inside their home.
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
An epic underwater campaign set in the vibrant and politically charged city of Coralport. As the young King Rheus Thalassath struggles to maintain control of the throne, powerful noble factions and ancient threats from the deep vie for power. Players will navigate a world filled with political intrigue, dangerous expeditions to distant cities, and cosmic horrors lurking in the Abyss. With every decision, they will shape the fate of the Coral Kingdom, choosing to defend the fragile peace or seize the opportunity to rewrite its future.
Update week of 10/20/24
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
The crew would spend the night drinking, fighting, and celebrating with the orcs. The next morning, Chief Gorath made a plan with the party to have them sail on their ship while the Ashenfangs went through the forest as they're faster that way and had all the stuff for the bridges to bring with them. They took their separate ways and met up outside the entrance to the cave that is Morgrath's lair, when two red dragonborn strode out of the cave. They were friends of Drakkar and were told to hunt orcs if he ever went missing, Chief Gorath did not take kindly to this and joined the party in fighting the gladiators. Formidable foes, though they were, the combined force of the Ashenfang clan with the party proved too much for the dragonborn, both of them being slain brutally in the end, one by Chief Gorath and his mighty greataxe, another by Anlyn (PC) the barbarian and her mighty greataxe, bonding those two in the blood of their enemies. They would then enter the cave, Chief Gorath having the ogres and orcs construct stone and iron bridges in the cave wherever needed so that the pass can be made more easily. Morgrath would greet the group with curiosity, agreeing to at least hear out the brave orc chief standing in front of him. The Ashenfangs have always worshipped the "Spirit of the Volcano" which turns out to be Morgrath's father, Ashgaar, who last flew out to the east a while ago and has never been seen since. The Ashenfangs would enter a pact with Morgrath (and the party would enter as a third member of the alliance), to feed and worship and strengthen him, and he would grant them his boon and protect them and his / their lands (which includes Cindershore, the home of the Ashenfangs and the Haunted Halibut's new base). The Ashenfangs would prove their loyalty to Morgrath by walking through a wall of fire that he created, transforming into a new stronger breed, empowered by Morgrath. Morgrath would then address the party, stating that they already drew power from other sources and he was not yet strong enough to offer a boon to them, but that they are accepted members of this alliance. He would then gift them each a custom magic item crafted by him in the heat of the lava and his fire.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
Rivenbark and his small army of blights and more of these pale-skinned elves chased the party through the forest, trying to kill the party before they could get away. Initially, Reed (PC) transformed into an Elk to carry the other two party members, but after getting hit by a flurry of arrows from the mysterious elven archers, he lost his wild shape and would focus on healing while the party tried to run on foot. It was a good thing too because, though Rivenbark and the blights were soon outrun by the party, the archers showed enormous range and precision, continuously hitting and sometimes even downing members of the party as they dashed away. After a series of rounds at 1-2hp, the archers finally missed on a whole round, allowing the party to just barely escape with their lives. They would make their way back to Whispering Pines, resting and meeting with Aeliana, Kaedric, and the other druids at night around the fire. Kaedric brought up the myth of Cernoth, Guardian of the Wilds, a giant stag of legends past, saying that if Treant could be corrupted and all this bad stuff could be happening, maybe the tales of Cernoth are true. Aeliana wanted to spend their time building practical defenses, saying that the scouts determined they had 3 days before Rivenbark would be here with his army. The druids decided to follow the choice of the party, stating that their presence, especially Reed's, has been a sign from Mielikki. The party would decide to risk the ritual to summon Cernoth, even after learning it would take all of their preparation time to gather the ingredients needed and it would be a dangerous affair to get the 2 items the party is tasked with retrieving. These items are: a feather of a Takaala, a type of giant eagle that the druids of old would see far above the Evershade, said to be descended of the huge rocs, and purified spring water from the Underspring, a somewhat shrine of Mielikki deep in the Undercliff. The scout Willow has seen some of their nests before, in a dangerous area of the cliffs to climb. She offered to bring the party to the top of the area she saw the nest in, ending there for them to decide how to make the descent to the nest.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
The party set off from their Stonefist Ludus the next morning, saddling up the horses they caught before and the summoned steeds of the paladins. They would take the new path the gnomes have created between the ludus and the farm, shortening the trip to a day's ride instead of 2-3 through the dense forest. At the farm, Peregrine greeted them happily and told them that while they're staying they could create the signature Stonefist Ludus drink that they've wanted to, which the gnomes could then reproduce for the private barrel to always be stocked in the gladiators' mead hall back at the Ludus. The party learned that the cinnamon trees had been stolen by centaurs, and the gnomes asked for help getting them back, which was agreed to. Cash, one of the original farmers who fought in the first exhibition match against the party (where the party killed two of the farmers), revealed himself to be training this whole time, and after making some deal with an unknown power, challenged the party to mortal combat. The party made quick work of him, ending the bloodline of those farmers as Mao, the owner of the farm and now their biggest fan, was unrelated to them and had just hired them as help. The party would then make a deal for a signature cigar with the permanent tabaxi cub Baruski, a medium sized 1-2 ring cigar with a Connecticut shade wrapper, dipped in honey and dried. Unwilling to set up shop at the ludus for anonymity reasons, Baruski mentioned "visiting" some of the people at the ludus "in the dark" to "make arrangements to sell cigars there", we don't know what that means yet. The party then spent the day drinking, eating, and getting ready 2 of the ingredients for their signature drink. First they made a whipped cream using the finest cream the farm had available, on the last of 3 tries before the fine heavy cream ran out, they were able to make a great whipped cream that has been magically set to retain its form and flavor. They then mixed different strengths and viscosities of cherry bounce moonshine to get the perfect shot of the liquor to add in as the second ingredient.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 1/6 seats available!
The party discussed their haunting with the Hasta Conclave Vanguard named Steve. They tried lying about being responsible for all of it but after low rolls all around, they ended up coming true to Steve. Steve's suggestion at the end was "We burn it. Every inch of this place. From the roof to the floorboards. We tear it down and raise nothing but holy fire to the cursed foundations." which the party did not want so they sent him away. They then tried to purify the wooden doll and painting of the Blackthorn's, finding out that after releasing whatever dark spirits from them last time, the items are no longer haunted. Eilinora (PC) and Tears (PC) would then opt to sleep in the basement, Tears choosing to bunk in the crypt itself. Isra (PC), upon their turn to sleep, had a nightmare of being chased by a pair of yellow glowing eyes, that alarmed them and left them uneasy after waking. The next morning while Tears was making breakfast, a knock at the door brought them Regulatory Compliance Officer Drik, informing them of their new fines that he was able to get them a whole week's time before they needed to be paid. Drik dropped them hints of how to get the paperwork done properly and the least inconvenient way for them, and after learning he loved to eat mushrooms, Tears invited Drik over for dinner the following night. The party set out to try to fix their dirt problem, first putting some of it in the crypt to use as a grow bed. They found a city sanitation worker that Tears attempted to bribe into clearing the dirt for them, but the dim-witted worker informed Tears that as per his Grub and Scrub Brotherhood union regulations he only did the jobs on his paper and nothing else. The party then headed to the Broken Anvil tavern where they learned that Mara has hired a bouncer to keep out all potentially haunted individuals, specifically the party. Brak, the bouncer, informed them that orcs don't play with that kind of stuff. Eilinora tried to get Jork's attention through the window, which she did briefly, but he looked away immediately. They tried to sneak around but with some bad luck rolls, were unsuccessful and eventually driven away by Brak. They headed to Coalworth Mining supply, where they saw a bugbear working in the back with Dilgen and Raina, the Coalworth dwarves the party has gotten to know. Both dwarves seemed uneasy today, and Tears tried to make conversation with the bugbear, eventually pissing him off until he accused Tears of being "one of those Nighthawks", a gang the party knows of, and kicking both Tears and Isra out as Isra mentioned being there with Tears. Eilinora then got information from Raina that she would like them to steal the cart from the back of the shop, which the party needs anyway to haul off the dirt and stones. At the back of the shop they saw some more bugbears unloading the cart, and then another cart that came and dropped off Stonefoot crates. The bugbears rapidly unloaded this cart which left immediately, and the bugbears then began painting Coalworth over the Stonefoot name on the side of the crates, and stacking them with the other recently unloaded cargo. Eilinora got caught snooping, and with battle impending, Isra was able to make enough of a distraction that Eilinora could get at a range to cast a spell with her new Wand of Chaotic Charms that Orlin the Enchanter gifted her, him being curious as to what it does. She rolled a 23 on her d100, successfully casting polymorph on one of the bugbears and turning him into a huge chubby hampster.
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Update week of 10/27/24
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 2/6 seats available!
After the new Ashenfang orcs were revealed to the party, Chief Gorath would raise his axe and bellow loud and deeply in the cavern, the rest of the orcs and Bruce the Ogre following suit. With the party joining in, Morgrath would stand up, breathing in deeply and exhaling a river of flame toward the ceiling, covering it in waves of fire. They would then all bow to each other, truly an honor that a dragon of any size would join in that, and the orcs and crew would leave. The Ashenfangs and the party would agree to the same deal of the orcs going by land and the party by sea. Aboard the ship, the crew celebrated, considering this new alliance and home base a huge win for all of them and excited for the opportunities it would bring. They discussed a new split of treasures including the 25% to Cindershore, and some options for increasing their fleet with their crew members or trusted orcs becoming captains of claimed ships. Whisper mentioned a new lead that she wanted to get opinions on before she followed up on, as the merchant ship target is being protected by the Anchored Legion. Hex and some of the NPC crew informed the party that they are a naval operation that is very strong and if they are involved, some high strings were pulled. They all agreed to have Whisper find out more as they are cautious but interested. Upon returning to Cindershore, the party would find a pack of Kuo-Toa raiding the beach, already having killed some of the orcs and ogres left behind to guard it, swarming the beached Horned Mustang. A fight at sea broke out, and though it was a tough one, the party proved strong and eliminated all the Kuo-Toa in the water, with Chief Gorath and the orcs from the cave showing up mid fight to take care of those that were on land already.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 3/6 seats available!
As was warned to the party, the climb and search for a Takaala nest would prove dangerous beyond expectations. Reed (PC) transformed into a giant lizard and the other two tied themselves on to him to begin the descent. Far below they could see fog and swirling mists, making it hard to make out anything and give them a good sense of direction. Some good perception checks gave them a hint of where to go, but as Reed started making his way in that direction a gust of wind would knock him off balance, and after many many attempts to correct themselves and some failed saves, Olly (PC) would plummet from his seat on Reed's back. Reed and Sendrith (PC) were able to right themselves and rushed down the cliffside, fearing for the worst, making it about 80 ft down through the fog until a swirling wind revealed a clearing. A huge nest, with branches and twigs the size of small trees, was built into the cliffside there, much bigger than they guessed, and in it at the cliffside lay Olly. Nearly, but not fully, dead, Olly was sunk several feet into the nest having crash landed into it. Some heals were doled out and the party looked around the nest, finding 2 huge dark eggs with purple marks all over them, and woven into the nest on the other edge was a white feather with a blue tip, somehow pristine. Some failed sneaking around led to the eggs hatching, and though Reed was able to distract the 2 large creature sized black winged baby birds that emerged with half of the rations he had, they eventually were too interested in Olly sneaking around the nest and attacked him instead. Olly would get stuck in the nest again, and spend the entire fight trying to get out, failing several roles and ending up tied up in his own rope, dangling out over the cliff between 2 branches. Sendrith and Reed fought hard, going unconscious several times during the fight, but at the end their luck would hold and they were able to down both birds before being eaten. The party had no way of bringing Olly in at this point, the branches not being strong enough to hold any more weight and having limited ropes and tools left to aid them, they rested before trying again. During this time Olly would black out and have another nightmare, possibly a flashback, of him being called a weapon by the succubus Lilithara. After a lot of luck and enginuity and reaching the end of their abilities and thinking, the party managed to get both Olly and the feather, and get out of the nest and back up to the top of the cliffs.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
Having done all they could for their drink, the party spent the night resting and woke up early the next morning to recover the cinnamon trees. The gnomes had breakfast ready for them, and would show them the way to the part of the forest they considered creepy and where they didn't want to follow the centaurs into. The party headed into the thick of the forest, examining the ruins along the way and keeping a sharp eye out. What they would end up finding were indeed centaurs, wrapped in brittle, ancient bandages, their hollow eyes glowing with a sickly, unnatural light. The centaur mummies attacked the party, a whole herd of them coming into the battle from various depths of the forest and charging the party. The party, with 2 paladins leading the charge, would barely make it through, all of them succumbing to mummy rot during the fight and only a few of them being alive at the end to heal or stabilize the rest. This was a tough grueling fight which took all the party had to live through.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 1/6 seats available!
Picking up with one of the bugbears being transformed into a giant hamster, the other 2 who were unloading the crates with him scattered, afraid of Eilinora (PC) and her chaos stick. The big chubby guy pulled out a cookie from his pouch, and Eilinora tried befrending him by feeding him some peanuts, which he enjoyed. Tears (PC) transformed into a draft horse and had the cart they were supposed to take hooked up to him, and they headed out. Upon returning to their shop they found everything outside pristinely clean, all the piles of dirt and everything gone. On their steps stood Lady Evelina Nightbloom and her two drow bodyguards. She also had with her Verona (new PC), a professional she was giving to the party to help with all their proceedings. Lady Nightbloom would soon cut to the chase, she wanted to buy the shop. An offer of 10,000 gold was given, for ownership of the shop, allowing the party to live their rent free and do what they want with it business wise, they just have to surrender it to Lady Nightbloom when they're done living in it or using it as a shop. After some discussion, the party found no fault in this and really needed the funds to get things going, so they agreed to it, the current owners signing the paperwork for Lady Nightbloom and the party being given a large suede bag of 10,000 gold which they carried inside. Upon going inside however, they were greeted by a warm cozy environment of a store with shelves lined with enchanted items and a family of 4 sitting at a table for games. Arnold, Isabella, Aldric, and Liora Blackthorn were there, happily greeting the party and inviting them to play mini games with them. Most of the party would oblige, taking turns playing games and inspecting the shop. Verona tried to swindle some items as she looked, including a gorgeous pair of elven boots that looked in Lady Blackthorn's style. At various points, knocking would happen on the front door. Tears answered the first time, greeted by a small pumpkin headed figure that proclaimed "Trick or Treat!". Unprepared, Tears would have a few tricks played on him by the door knockers, until Gord (PC) grabbed one of the treats from around the shop to give to the next trick or treater. All the while, the family members were saying increasingly ominous things, including Liora saying that she hears voices calling her name at night sometimes. When night fell, tremors started all over the shop as Lady Blackthorn's figure grew and melded into the shadows, items shaking and crumbling all around and the floor cracked and gave way, the apparent mirage falling into darkness as the party themselves fell physically, crash landing in their crypt basement below.
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Update week of 11/03/24
Of Rock and Ragnar - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!
Rum, Rogues, & Riches - 1/6 seats available!
We pick up with the party clearing the Kuo-toa out with the Ashenfangs. Among the end of the treasure being unloaded from the Horned Mustang there was an oddly weighted barrel with iron seals. Chief Gorath would rip the barrel open, exposing Vladimir (PC), an albino green dragonborn who was captured and stowed in the barrel with a few days' supply of food and water. With a personal purpose but no real other means, Vladimir would join the crew and prove quickly to be a useful asset. The party would spend the day meeting with Gorath and other orcs, finalizing their deal including a possible fleet expansion under the Haunted Halibut captained by orcs they will train. Overall they do not trust captured pirates to be in their fleet and would rather trap the ships in Cindershore between the Halibut and the Ashenfangs, destroying them and eventually building their own ships to command. Whisper was able to get a lead on the Plump Pelican, a merchant ship being guarded by on of the Anchored Legion armada, however she also found out that the Blood Reef was given the same lead days ago, though they are still further away. The Halibut would add an Ashenfang Ogre Bolt Launcher to the ship, and with new allies and a new home behind them, sails off in the direction of the Pelican.
Shadows of the Stringbinder - 1/6 seats available!
After bringing the Takaala feather back to Whispering Pines, the party would rest for the night and aid the druids in the general readying of the sanctuary for the fight to come. The next morning, with Aeliana's guidance, they would make their way to the secret cave of the Underspring. Aeliana performed the ritual to expose and open the entrance in a light of ancient druidic runes and stone, and the party ventured in. Soon after entering the cave, they would be met by a flash of emerald light, revealing a tall, blonde paladin by the name of Dominik (PC). Through divine intervention, Dominik was taken from his time and place, and put here for reasons not yet known. The party would venture further into the cave, solving some of the puzzles and killing some giant guardians of the Underspring along the way. Reed (PC) would get a sense of these creatures merely doing what they were put here to do, and instead of taking any trophies from them the party would pile them up respectfully while Reed said some words. We ended the session with the party not yet at the spring they need to get the water from, continuing their descent in the Underspring.
Tales of the Bándearg Valley - Full!
With the undead centaurs all slain or fled, the party would move to the task at hand, getting the 3 cinnamon trees back to the farm. At a weight of around 1200 lbs each, it would take all of the party and all of their mounts to pull the trees in 1 trip, but they were able to after some logical thinking and maneuvering. The gnomes of Mao's PC farm (PC for the crops they produce and animals they have, potatoes corn pork chicken etc) would re-plant the trees and get some bark ready for the party to finish their signature drink. Named 'Mon-cheri bounce' after the cherry bounce moonshine the dwarves make that goes in it, the party made a fantastic drink for their private stock, and a slightly lesser version called 'Cherry Sparkle Dream Supreme' that will be offered at the Tipsy Teapot by the ludus. During the night, Dagon the god of the Depths would reach out to Rogwin through a water elemental in the river. Offering him the power to control the mummy rot, and empowerment through the cursed Spear of Dagon he was offered to be Dagon's Undead Champion of the Depths. Rogwin would hold strong even when questioned why his other god hasn't offered help, currently turning down Dagon. Still unable to cure the mummy rot, all party members would wake up to the curse growing on them, eating away at their skin and life. Matahari (PC) the currently corrupted cleric, would try to shake his corruption for just enough to cure himself of the curse, and Dralkas (PC). It was a risk as the party is unsure what will happen if he false casts his spell and it gets cast with his necrotic side instead of the healing cleric side. 2 of them have now been cured, with the other 3 remaining to find out what will happen to them if they aren't cured soon.
The Shopkeepers of Aldoria - 1/6 seats available!
Shaken by the presence of the haunting again, the party would take turns at watch throughout the night. Around midnight, some sharp knocking on the door would reveal 2 goblins. Tears (PC) greeted them, and they told him that they appreciated the "haunting and spooky stuff" they were doing and that the goblins have an agent outside of other shops burning incense to "protect the other shops" at a rate of 20g PER DAY. This understandably has some of the other shopkeepers furious that they have to do it, but customers had stopped coming into their stores out of fear of being haunted, so they are doing what they must. The goblins would leave without offering a share of the spoils but a thank you and a keep it up to the party. After morning the party would head out to do some shopping, picking up groceries and supplies, interacting with some NPCs, and eventually making their way to the Enchanted Reflection where Roran Glass, a tall and handsome leonin, would greeted them boldly. After finding a mirror that was off, some of the party seeing things in it, they decided to buy it, thinking it had a connection to the Blackthorns. This large heavy mirror now sits in their main shop room, Eilinora (PC) having seen shadows of some kind in it. The highlight of this session was Regulatory Compliance Officer Drik, a little kobold with a propensity for being friendly, coming over for mushroom soup for dinner and bringing a full bottle of fantastic homemade port wine with him. After explaining many times that he filled out all the required paperwork and was off the clock and therefore did NOT have to fine them for anything he saw inside, he asked for a tour of the shop. After the tour, Drik suggested a business idea to the party: Leave everything alone, charge an enormous amount for entry, have 2 grow rooms (one in the attic loft for warm plants, the basement crypt for things that would grow better there), and use the large backroom of the basement as a "hangout" area where people could sample goods and relax. It would be discussed and agreed that Drik could quit his job and move in, excited to be working for himself for a change in a place of friends, and that he could sell or offer some of his port wine in that room in the basement. Excited for this new venture, Drik would soon leave to write his letter of resignation, also offering the party a powerful ally in someone who knows how to do the city paperwork. At the very end of the session, another knock at the door would reveal Liz Temptashian, a lizardfolk woman who told the party her uncle would like to have them over to thank them for how nice they've been. As she was leaving, Isra (PC) was able to ask who Liz's uncle was, to which she replied "Oh! Sslith."
Tides of the Coral Kingdom - Listed! Only 3 needed to start!