As the full impact and insinuations of Meresaa's wit are greeted with deafening silence, a familiar creaking sound comes from outside the small workshop. Moments later, the Tree Knights are arrayed within the cramped space. Not one to let their guard down, they stiffly stand to attention, eager in the knowledge that they will return home once more, after many, many years.
The Captain, not one for complacency, marches back and forth among its troops, ensuring that they are well turned out and in tip-top shape; well, as tip-top as a group of ancient treant-styled fighters can be. Occasionally stopping and flicking the odd piece of moss, or tiny insect, from one of its charges, the Captain turns to Meresaa and gives a polite bow. The meaning is clear enough, they are ready for whatever, or whoever might exist beyond the portal.
Meanwhile, the Sagacitas swarm/creature has been successful in penetrating the outer glass shell of the tank. Two of its tentacle appendages are lacerated, with glass protruding from its wounds. Nonetheless, its amazing healing ability can already be observed, as many of the smaller cuts begin to close. As before, an overwhelming feeling of happiness and completeness psychically emanates from the creature as it is reunited with its kin. Bounding towards the portal, it reaches out with its tentacle appendages and gently caresses the stone arch.
Turning, the Sagacitas faces the party, gratitude washes over them, ebbing and flowing like waves on a beach. It begins to make a retching sound, its giant maw coughs and splutters, before hocking up a pool of phlegm and mucus. Regaining its composure, it psychically sends out a message of farewell, turns back towards the arch and runs under it, disappearing midway through; a seemingly odd occurrence given that the device is not activated and no portal currently exists within the arch.
Within the pool of mucus, a tiny object sits. It is dull, grey, and looks like a fossilised version of the Sagacitas larvae. Except it is coiled around itself in the shape of a ring -- perhaps a parting gift (see below).
((Ignore the name of the item, I just nabbed the image because I thought it looked good.))
A bark of laughter escapes the tall blue woman as she sees the wormy creature spit a goodbye and good riddance to the world where it had been imprisoned. Quickly, though, she notices the ring amidst the spittle and moves to retrieve it with her pre-soiled rag.
"I believe that is the strangest bezoar I've seen to date," she says as she inspects it then holds it out to the others for their own inspections as desired.
"Would make for an odd keepsake but it seemed to bond with you to some extent, Nikita. Would you like it?"
((Once all this is settled, Meresaa will place her hand on one of the runes with whoever else is willing to open the portal.))
Without meaning to, Nikita allows a teardrop to escape her eye as the Sagacitas takes its leave. It finds a groove in the large scar on her face and runs down the length of her cheek. She finds herself too choked to speak for a moment as she telepathically bids farewell to the strange, yet surprisingly gentle creature. She chides herself mentally. You are never going to make it if you start bawling every time an octopus dog aberration you just met two days ago says goodbye. I told myself after seeing all my friends die at the hands of Iuz's minions that I would never form such attachments again. Yet I have my new friends and even the Tree Knights. I haven't cried since I lost my coterie. I've kept it inside...
She accepts the Sagacitas' parting gift with a thankful nod at Meresaa. She fully intends to put it on, but old habits make her inspect it first. Not surprisingly, once again, the magic is quite foreign to her. Arcana: 13.
If she finds no obvious curse or evil presence, she puts the ring on and begins to attune to it if necessary, trusting in tentacled creature not to do her harm intentionally (though unintentional harm was always the problem with the Sagacitas). Only then does it occur to her...
"I am unsure how the the Sagacitas apparently went through the portal without it being active." Nevertheless, she puts her hand on the rune on one side.
You find no clear trace of any evil presence or curse.
Satisfied that the Sagacitas meant no ill will with its gift, you focus your mind on the ring, attempting to attune to it. As you turn the ring in your hands you find that a thick, viscous, purple fluid (similar to the fluid the Sagacitas larvae left behind) seeps out of its fossilised mouth.
It strikes you then that this fluid had the ability to not only drain the lifeforce from creatures but to subsequently restore the lifeforce of others.
Fossilised Sagactias Ring
Ring, rare
This ring has 3 charges, and it regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing the ring, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast the following spell:
Vampiric Touch (using spellcasting stat of casters choice + proficiency)
((Item should be added to your DnDB character sheet))
Boyd arrives behind the wood elf brigade just in time to see the dogtopus hack up a pile of phlegm on the ground. He shakes his head in disgusted disbelief. "Well... at least that thing's gone..." He hears Nikita's thoughts on the matter of the portal and tosses out a totally uneducated blurb of pure conjecture: "Well maybe those things what live on the other side can go back whenever."
"You're looking to head home now, right fellas?" He says to the wood elves, "Want to test it out or should we do the palm print things on the wall first? ... Meresaa, did you decide if you was gonna touch it or - uh - should I?"
Nikita listens with interest and respect to hear what the Tree Knight Captain and his charges choose to do.
She turns the Fossilized Sagacitas Ring absently on her finger and allows herself a moment of nostalgia about Nick Nack and even Ermasnietsz who the group is leaving behind. Magic such as this is of a school I shunned utterly, but both of those two might have loved this ring!
Her hand is ready to touch the portal's runes and begin the next journey.
Morning - Day 4 - Where One Door Closes, Another Opens
Of Trees and Men
Confirming their eagerness to return to their home plane, the Tree Knight Captain strikes at his chest and turns towards the stone arch. It had been many years since he had initially found himself within the foreign and unyielding land of Oerth.
His mind drifted, as he often had throughout the years, to happier times. Times when he had not been separated from those he cared about most or been restricted within a wooden shell, unable to speak or to feel. Memories now entered of Astrazalian, its beautiful crystal towers stretching up into the sky, sparkling in the moonlight, the City of Starlight had always stood resplendent and was the pride of all who had the privilege to call it home.
He saw her now. Lady Shandria, niece of the Summer Queen, sword in hand, accepting him into her service. How he wished to once more gaze upon her face. If his wooden body was capable of producing tears, he would certainly be crying tears of joy and the thought of once more returning home.
Turning to the party gathered before him, he was struck by the alliance that had existed all those years ago. The Kingdom of Aerdy, he wondered whether it still existed or, for that matter, whether his home was as he had left it. The last he had heard the alliance was winning the war against the forces of the Queen of Air and Darkness. Most had been pushed back to the Underdark and provisions were being taken to restrict any future incursions. A barrier was due to be established within Oerth that would have prevented any fey creature – ally or enemy – from crossing.
He had fallen all those years ago. But death had not come, his spirit had been imprisoned, linked to this plane, never to return… until now. A sense of gratitude filled him as looked from Nikita, to Meresaa, to Boyd, and even ferocious little Faila. These people had ended his exile and given him hope.
Mentally, he bit at his lip as struck proudly at his chest. ‘Yes’, a thousand times ‘yes’, it was time to return home. Eying his fellow soldiers, he could not help but feel a deep sense of delight that they had remained loyal and true over the years – it was their existence that had stopped him from losing his mind, on more than one occasion. They followed his orders without exception.
Waiting patiently, he watched as Meresaa and Nikita assumed positions on either side of the stone arch. As he surveyed the non-native plant growth stemming from the arch, he contemplated just how much the veil between planes had lifted; it was this encroachment that had meant that the barrier between planes had been necessary.
A Fleeting Trip
No sooner than Meresaa and Nikita press their hands on the Hawkes Device then the large generators begin to light up. Magical runes cover the exterior of the generators, they flicker a strange green colour. Vines, in blues and reds, light up next, they join the generators to the stone arch – seemingly disappearing within its frame.
Thwoosh! It sounds like rushing air as a burst of blue energy shoots from the centre of the stone arch before it returns. The gap under the arch becomes wavey, almost like looking over the surface of an ocean, it ripples and waves.
Meresaa & Nikita - You feel a strange tingling sensation as you place your hands on your respective generators. Similarly to the dreams and visions you have experienced in recent days, your minds begin to soar.
For as far as your mind’s eye can comprehend, you see a vast and open landscape – you hover over it, flying high. To the west, you see glints of copper, bronze and gold, rays of amber shine down on what appears to be a sprawling metropolis, it flickers in and out of time.
In the northeast, a mighty ocean roars, its waters run erratically and you swear you see a moving island in its centre. Strange, leathery-winged birds with elongated heads circle the island, instilling a sense of dread within you.
To the east, you see a great expanse of wilderness. Drums of war beat out a steady rhythm and the fires of industry rage – smoke momentarily obscures your sight.
You see it then, a city of beauty sitting in the ocean. Crystal Towers stretch up as far as the eye can see. A large city accompanies the towers, though it is no less beautiful, decorated in purples and midnight blues.
Unable to control your vision, you are taken southwards. Rolling hills and grassy plains cover the landscape. You see what appear to be wagons and horses, as long, winding caravans cross the open sea of grass. The hills here are not static but rather sway and move, frequently changing position with their neighbour, in what looks like a giant game of musical chairs.
Beyond the fields to the south, you sense only darkness and unease. Your mind does not dwell there long.
All at once, your senses are pulled, yanking you westwards. Your mind travels over forests with trees of all colours; greens, yellows and reds, are mixed with less usual colours like purples and blues.
Forcibly, your mind is pulled to a once-splendid city, now ruined. The carcasses of buildings, once tall and beautiful, now decrepit, litter the area. Vines, mosses and fungi grow everywhere, looking not too dissimilar to Prospect, except older, much older.
As you approach the ruins, you are directed through empty streets until you arrive at a house. Though most of the building, like the others, is ruined and broken, you cannot help but think that it bears an uncanny resemblance to Prospect.
Your mind is further twisted and pulled until you see a stone arch similar to the one you have just activated. Your mind goes under the arch, through the portal, and returns to its body. Though you have experienced all of the above, only seconds seem to have passed.
An Eye-Opening Experience
Spotting that the portal has been activated, the Tree Knight Captain strikes his chest and directs his knights to move through. Marching at some speed, one by one they travel through the deep blue veil, disappearing as they go. Plucking up the courage, the party follow the Tree Knights.
Swirling lights and colours replace the dull grey walls of the workshop. You have experienced teleportation before, only this time it is different and strange. A voice enters your head, it is a woman’s, and her voice contains both warmth and kindness.
“Thank you.”
The lights continue to swirl in your vision, you cannot feel your arms, your legs, or any other parts of your physical body.
“Long I have been trapped. Experiencing what you do now.”
Images of Prospect flash before your eyes. Only it is not your time. It is a time long past.
“I thought it my own mind, my own will, that caused me to investigate the link between Oerth and the Feyrealm. Alas, I was but a pawn, blinded by my own ego.”
You get an immense feeling of love and gratitude washing over you.
“But it is due to your actions. Your abilities that I have been freed from my prison.”
Then it hits you. Bright, blinding light. You stand, gasping, as though emerging from having been underwater. Your eyes take a moment to acclimatise. The world around you seems strange; colours somehow appear more vibrant, there is a persistent smell of spice, and the light is bright almost to the point of being blinding. You are surrounded by a room not too different, in fact frightfully similar, to the one you left behind. However, the roof of this workshop only partially covers the top of the room, and streaks of amber sunlight break through the gaps.
You see her then. A young, red-headed satyr. She steps forward, she is smiling and emanates a glowing aura as though her skin itself is on fire.
“Welcome,” she says with a flourishing bow, “my name is Asha. Asha Hawkes.”
((Asha Hawkes? Credit goes to Claire O'Sullivan for the artwork. I spent a long time looking for pieces that best reflected the image I had in my mind and feel this fully encapsulates it.))
Thus concludes Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect. I shall look to open a new campaign thread for Chapter 1 in due course.
In the meantime, thank you all for playing. It always feels crazy when I look back upon this odd idea I had for the adventure -- attempting to combine Greyhawk (a low-fantasy setting) with the Feyrealm (a fantastical, chaotic setting). I can safely say that without all of your patience, creativity and fantastic roleplaying and characters this campaign would not have been the story that it become. Rough ideas and chaotic thoughts (as chaotic as the material I was hoping to portray!) came to life through your participation and assistance!
Dealing with the portal, either by activating it or its attempted destruction, was always designed to be the end of Chapter 0 and represents a major, world-changing, milestone. As such, everyone has gained enough experience to level up! Welcome to level 4!
It started with a flash. Our adventurers were transported, against their will, from their current predicaments to a more buoyant scene – a Carnival.
Tindal, a flamboyantly dressed and silver-tongued Carnival barker, directed the party to Lady Isolde, the enigmatic Carnival Mistress. Isolde informed the party that an illness was sweeping through the Carnival, sapping people of their strength and turning them to dust.
Lady Isolde asked the party to investigate the mysterious sickness and attempt to discern its origins. She explained that the teleportation spell that summoned the party was a one-way ticket, the brainchild of Claude, a charlatan, and would-be sorcerer, and a strange, tattooed man, known simply as the Illuminated Man.
Seeking Claude, they found that the spell had backfired. Causing a demonic imp, whom he had stylised ‘Maud', to be summoned directly into his body – splicing the two beings together. However, it was the other figure, the Illuminated Man, who proved to be the more capable of the two; downplaying his magical ability and painting intricate tattoos on willing customers.
In the meantime, several party members had sought out the Carnival members that were currently suffering from the sickness: Harold Priestly and Nancy Carver. Both located within the Carnival’s makeshift medical tent, they were being looked after by the only local physician willing enough to assist, a disgraced ex-priest of Procan, Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Coombes.
Unfortunately, the party arrived too late to save Harold Priestly. They did, however, managed to find his likely cause of death; several parasitical eggs had been laid within Harold’s stomach. Acting quickly, they encased the eggs within a block of ice, before obliterating them with several eldritch blasts. Upon investigating the remnants, the remains of creatures resembling lampreys, dark purple in colour, and covered in thick purple slime, are found.
Saltmarsh
Believing there to be more to the Carnival’s mysterious illness than met the eye, the party chose to explore the local town of Saltmarsh. Many of their suspicions were confirmed when they stopped by the Ruddy Tankard, a local inn, and discovered that a black carriage was spotted speeding away from the Carnival the night before.
Entering the town centre, the party sought a particularly helpful local businessman, Captain Thomas Dolan. He revealed that he had suspicions that a hidden group was working against him. Explaining that there was currently a vacant seat on the Saltmarsh Town Council – vacant since the untimely death of Sir Charles Freyn – with multiple local factions desperately attempting to instate their own advocate in the position. He listed the potential candidates:
Casper Brinck - Outspoken against the Carnival. Rapid rise to prominence and wealth. Owner of a lavish black carriage.
Eliander Fireborn - Loyal to the Crown ((Loyalist Faction)). Walked with a slight limp. Ex-military.
Jilar Kanklesten - Guild Mistress of the Carpenters' Guild. Largely unpopular outside of her guildmembers. Neutral ((neither Tradionalist nor Loyalist)).
In addition, the party met Sergeant Eamon O'Toole, a town guard that was investigating corruption within the guard, believing that many were taking money from a hidden faction. He was able to provide information on several key members of this faction:
Theodore Sedgewick
Casper Brinck
Lexi Rosetta
Rosie Malloy
and another name, Asha Hawkes.
Sergeant O’Toole was able to provide the party with the name of this shadow faction, the Sanguine Cabal. Additionally revealing that he had received direct orders to not assist the Carnival in their plight; though his loyalty to the late Sir Charles Freyn prevented him from carrying out this order.
Carnival Return
The party, attempting to make sense of the information received, chose to return to the Carnival. En route, they came across a weakened boy, of Skurra (the Carnival folk) decent asking that the part “save Essie,” before collapsing.
Putting two and two together, the party was able to discern that this was likely Billy ‘the kid’ Spitzer and that ‘Essie’ referred to Esther Freyn, the missing people from the night before. They quickly take Billy to the medical tent and are able to remove several parasites from his stomach. Thankfully, Billy, even in his weakened state is able to mutter the following words; "Essie, help Essie... Prospect."
Asha Hawkes
Seeking to find out more about the illusive Asha Hawkes. They learn that she had previously been taken, as a young child, to the Temple of Procan. Aware that Nate would have been a practicing priest at the time, they set off to check whether he had any recollection of Ms. Hawkes.
"Thunderous skies, the heavy pitter-patter of rainfall, a carriage emerges from the night's sky. The parents of a concerned young girl - "She's having them again, unable to sleep". Hawkes, young Asha." Nathaniel says, almost in a trance, "Visions, visions beyond your wildest beliefs. A world with oceans without end, of canopied forests, of mushrooms as tall as houses, of beings with wings... Fanciful stuff."
Nathaniel shakes his head. "Yet she was not lying. She believed she was telling the truth. Flights of fancy from a young girl I was told. Her parents sought tonics to aid with sleep. Strangest little girl. Hair as red as blood. We had wondered whether her ailments required exorcising." He takes a hipflask from his pocket and has a swig.
"We saw her once more after that. Parents had sought other means to still their child's mind. Visions had got worse, you see. Claimed a gentleman had met with her in her dreams... cannot remember the name she had given him. Too long ago." Nathaniel shakes his head, seemingly coming out of whatever memory he had been recalling. "Huh, sorry about that. When you reach my age your mind tends to wander."
Prospect, it transpires, was the name given to the Hawkes Family Estate; a large property on the outskirts of Saltmarsh that was, years ago, used to hosting all sorts of lavish parties. Nowadays, however, it was rumoured to be abandoned and left to nature.
O Fortuna!
Seeking any aid they can, the party visited the local fortune teller, the aptly named Madame Fortuna. She was able to provide a reading, though it did not all go according to plan. The following cards were drawn and fortunes told:
Artifact - “An artefact… Tall it stands, swirling around. Always in balance until it is not. Faltering and stuttering it shall collapse in time. Though created the artefact reveals that which is natural. A caged bird sits next to it, chirping away it wears a red-hood." Madame Fortuna grins and stares through hollow eyes at Ermasnietsz, "such a pretty bird should be freed should it not?"
Donjon - "The donjon. The artefact sits deep in a place that was once grand but now sits idle. I see a doll ragged and worn a tarnished tiara sitting upon her golden head. She wears a tatty dress though it was once rich and beautiful it is now torn and ripped. Half a cloth heart has been sewn onto the front of the dress, the other half presumably ripped away. Water rises from the ground, the doll is not much longer for this world." Madame Fortuna shakes her head, "I see large wrought iron gates, providing little prospect of escape."
The Broken One - “I see a man, he is aged beyond his years. Proud and intelligent, he is now broken. His pain..." She stops and shudders, physically moved. "He has lost himself. He holds the truth, yet no one will listen. He preaches in front of a congregation, yet they are deaf. He knows the secrets you seek though he is unaware of it. I see him now standing in front of a mirror pining over the man he once was... weakened in body, he remains strong in mind."
Illusionist - "The Illusionist. The card represents lies, deceit and duplicity." Madame Fortuna considers it briefly. "The Illusionist is a tricky card," she chuckles, "it is as deceitful as the things it foretells. It often appears when there is secrecy and trickery at work. Though it is generally associated with ill that need not be the case."
Charlatan - "It is rare to see both the seven of stars and the seven of glyphs drawn together. I urge caution." Madame Fortuna says ominously. "The Charlatan is a liar. Professing to believe one thing but actually believing another."
The meeting is subsequently interrupted by floral chutes that sprout and grow from Madame Fortuna’s cards. Breaking character, Madame Fortuna drops her accent and reveals that she is not responsible for the magic at work.
The Broken One
Meanwhile, members of the party meet Reggie Clover. Though his mind seems to have been tormented to the point of breaking, he is able to provide further information on Asha Hawkes, Theodore Sedgewick, and the experiments undertaken at Prospect, being that he was once Asha’s research assistant.
The parasitical creatures were brought to Saltmarsh from another plane of existence. They were able to withdraw the lifeforce from one being and grant it to another. Within their research they referred to the creature as a Sagacitas; as the boon granted by the creatures led to an increase in the individual's mental faculties and acuteness.
Theodore Sedgewick, it transpired, had set up the Sanguine Cabal after Asha Hawkes had disappeared through her device. It was revealed that he had recruited Brinck, Molloy, and then Rosetta.
The party now had names for four of the prominent Cabal members, though they were unsure of whether the conspiracy went further. Those they knew about, in order of joining were:
Theodore Sedgewick - the founder of the Cabal.
Casper Brinck - the ‘face’ and financial expert.
Rosie Molloy - logistics, owner of a shipping fleet.
Lexi Rosetta - recent recruit. The muscle of the group - Pirate Captain of the Flayed Finger.
Finally, when pressed, Reggie was able to detail how Asha had disappeared:
"That was not where Reggie spent most of his time, was it?" the other voice says accusatory.
"Correct. Reggie spent most of his time in the Workshop outback. That's where... that's where..." Reggie struggles with the words.
"Where Asha Hawkes created her device, Reggie." The overbearing voice helps out.
"Yesss! Yessss!" Reggie screams, "Yess! Brilliant! That is where the space between planes was weakest. I'll never know how Asha was able to create such a thing. It was truly remarkable!"
"She wasn't remarkable enough to save herself though, was she Reggie?" the voice mocks.
"No. Don't... I can't," Reggie struggles for words, pining over his lost friend. "Something happened when she went through... a power surge. Reggie and Theodore... Sedgewick. Panicking, hoping to find a way to bring her back. Screams. Existing in two planes simultaneously. I could not help her. Powerless to comprehend what was happening." You get a glimpse into the man Reggie had once been - a scholar with a brilliant mind.
"What have we done?!" Reggie yells, reliving the moment. "Quick Theodore, reroute the power! The rift cannot be maintained." He looks around panicking. "HELP! HELP!" he yells at you, "it's consuming everything. SHUT IT OFF!". He starts frantically mimicking a striking, chopping motion with his hands. "It's too powerful Theo! We must break the connection. I..."
"ENOUGH!"the other voice roars.
Could Sedgewick have done something to trap Asha within the device, not wholly existing between planes?
Night-time Escapades
Taking all the information they had gained to date, the party visited Lady Isolde and received their reward. However, believing that their task was not yet complete, they resolved to visit Prospect.
However, prior to setting off the party stayed the night at the Carnival. Being woken by a strange dream/vision:
Sleep is quick coming to those that settle down for the night, likely drained by the revelations of the day. Vivid dreams filled with colour enter the minds of our party; large winding rivers of blues and purples, strange trees unlike any you have ever seen twisted and all shades of green, fields of orange and red. A figure stands and beckons, a smirk on his face, he has the legs and horns of a goat, yet his body is a man's. A hushed voice enters your mind then. "SAHMYR AMI", it whispers. You hear laughter then, it is loud and joyous, the man turns to you. His facade shifts and changes, leaving a man covered head-to-toe in tattoos. Those that met him know instantly who he is - The Illuminated Man.
Whilst the others rested, a couple of the party members chose to scout the local area. They encounter a bizarre situation – some of those whose life had been drained by the Sagacitas were spotted as ghosts, moving southwards in the general direction of Prospect.
We’re on the road… to Prospect
The next morning, after a quick shopping trip to Saltmarsh, spending their well-earned money, the party set off for Prospect. They were able to convince Lady Isolde to allow both Toska, a powerfully built female orc (whom it transpired had been secretly fed strength-enhancing potions by the Carnival Mistress), and Claude (with Maud) to accompany them on the journey.
They observe that the closer they get to Asha Hawkes' familial home, the more the local flora and fauna seem to have been affected by something, as though polluted by an otherworldly source. This is encapsulated by a brief scuffle the party has with strange, little, blue fey creatures, known as boggles. These creatures seemingly had the ability to open up small, localised portals, through which they could travel and ambush potential victims.
Morning - Day 4 - Fare-ye-well!
As the full impact and insinuations of Meresaa's wit are greeted with deafening silence, a familiar creaking sound comes from outside the small workshop. Moments later, the Tree Knights are arrayed within the cramped space. Not one to let their guard down, they stiffly stand to attention, eager in the knowledge that they will return home once more, after many, many years.
The Captain, not one for complacency, marches back and forth among its troops, ensuring that they are well turned out and in tip-top shape; well, as tip-top as a group of ancient treant-styled fighters can be. Occasionally stopping and flicking the odd piece of moss, or tiny insect, from one of its charges, the Captain turns to Meresaa and gives a polite bow. The meaning is clear enough, they are ready for whatever, or whoever might exist beyond the portal.
Meanwhile, the Sagacitas swarm/creature has been successful in penetrating the outer glass shell of the tank. Two of its tentacle appendages are lacerated, with glass protruding from its wounds. Nonetheless, its amazing healing ability can already be observed, as many of the smaller cuts begin to close. As before, an overwhelming feeling of happiness and completeness psychically emanates from the creature as it is reunited with its kin. Bounding towards the portal, it reaches out with its tentacle appendages and gently caresses the stone arch.
Turning, the Sagacitas faces the party, gratitude washes over them, ebbing and flowing like waves on a beach. It begins to make a retching sound, its giant maw coughs and splutters, before hocking up a pool of phlegm and mucus. Regaining its composure, it psychically sends out a message of farewell, turns back towards the arch and runs under it, disappearing midway through; a seemingly odd occurrence given that the device is not activated and no portal currently exists within the arch.
Within the pool of mucus, a tiny object sits. It is dull, grey, and looks like a fossilised version of the Sagacitas larvae. Except it is coiled around itself in the shape of a ring -- perhaps a parting gift (see below).
((Ignore the name of the item, I just nabbed the image because I thought it looked good.))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
A bark of laughter escapes the tall blue woman as she sees the wormy creature spit a goodbye and good riddance to the world where it had been imprisoned. Quickly, though, she notices the ring amidst the spittle and moves to retrieve it with her pre-soiled rag.
"I believe that is the strangest bezoar I've seen to date," she says as she inspects it then holds it out to the others for their own inspections as desired.
"Would make for an odd keepsake but it seemed to bond with you to some extent, Nikita. Would you like it?"
((Once all this is settled, Meresaa will place her hand on one of the runes with whoever else is willing to open the portal.))
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Without meaning to, Nikita allows a teardrop to escape her eye as the Sagacitas takes its leave. It finds a groove in the large scar on her face and runs down the length of her cheek. She finds herself too choked to speak for a moment as she telepathically bids farewell to the strange, yet surprisingly gentle creature. She chides herself mentally. You are never going to make it if you start bawling every time an octopus dog aberration you just met two days ago says goodbye. I told myself after seeing all my friends die at the hands of Iuz's minions that I would never form such attachments again. Yet I have my new friends and even the Tree Knights. I haven't cried since I lost my coterie. I've kept it inside...
She accepts the Sagacitas' parting gift with a thankful nod at Meresaa. She fully intends to put it on, but old habits make her inspect it first. Not surprisingly, once again, the magic is quite foreign to her. Arcana: 13.
If she finds no obvious curse or evil presence, she puts the ring on and begins to attune to it if necessary, trusting in tentacled creature not to do her harm intentionally (though unintentional harm was always the problem with the Sagacitas). Only then does it occur to her...
"I am unsure how the the Sagacitas apparently went through the portal without it being active." Nevertheless, she puts her hand on the rune on one side.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Nikita's arcana check:
You find no clear trace of any evil presence or curse.
Satisfied that the Sagacitas meant no ill will with its gift, you focus your mind on the ring, attempting to attune to it. As you turn the ring in your hands you find that a thick, viscous, purple fluid (similar to the fluid the Sagacitas larvae left behind) seeps out of its fossilised mouth.
It strikes you then that this fluid had the ability to not only drain the lifeforce from creatures but to subsequently restore the lifeforce of others.
((Item should be added to your DnDB character sheet))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Boyd arrives behind the wood elf brigade just in time to see the dogtopus hack up a pile of phlegm on the ground. He shakes his head in disgusted disbelief. "Well... at least that thing's gone..." He hears Nikita's thoughts on the matter of the portal and tosses out a totally uneducated blurb of pure conjecture: "Well maybe those things what live on the other side can go back whenever."
"You're looking to head home now, right fellas?" He says to the wood elves, "Want to test it out or should we do the palm print things on the wall first? ... Meresaa, did you decide if you was gonna touch it or - uh - should I?"
Nikita listens with interest and respect to hear what the Tree Knight Captain and his charges choose to do.
She turns the Fossilized Sagacitas Ring absently on her finger and allows herself a moment of nostalgia about Nick Nack and even Ermasnietsz who the group is leaving behind. Magic such as this is of a school I shunned utterly, but both of those two might have loved this ring!
Her hand is ready to touch the portal's runes and begin the next journey.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Morning - Day 4 - Where One Door Closes, Another Opens
Of Trees and Men
Confirming their eagerness to return to their home plane, the Tree Knight Captain strikes at his chest and turns towards the stone arch. It had been many years since he had initially found himself within the foreign and unyielding land of Oerth.
His mind drifted, as he often had throughout the years, to happier times. Times when he had not been separated from those he cared about most or been restricted within a wooden shell, unable to speak or to feel. Memories now entered of Astrazalian, its beautiful crystal towers stretching up into the sky, sparkling in the moonlight, the City of Starlight had always stood resplendent and was the pride of all who had the privilege to call it home.
He saw her now. Lady Shandria, niece of the Summer Queen, sword in hand, accepting him into her service. How he wished to once more gaze upon her face. If his wooden body was capable of producing tears, he would certainly be crying tears of joy and the thought of once more returning home.
Turning to the party gathered before him, he was struck by the alliance that had existed all those years ago. The Kingdom of Aerdy, he wondered whether it still existed or, for that matter, whether his home was as he had left it. The last he had heard the alliance was winning the war against the forces of the Queen of Air and Darkness. Most had been pushed back to the Underdark and provisions were being taken to restrict any future incursions. A barrier was due to be established within Oerth that would have prevented any fey creature – ally or enemy – from crossing.
He had fallen all those years ago. But death had not come, his spirit had been imprisoned, linked to this plane, never to return… until now. A sense of gratitude filled him as looked from Nikita, to Meresaa, to Boyd, and even ferocious little Faila. These people had ended his exile and given him hope.
Mentally, he bit at his lip as struck proudly at his chest. ‘Yes’, a thousand times ‘yes’, it was time to return home. Eying his fellow soldiers, he could not help but feel a deep sense of delight that they had remained loyal and true over the years – it was their existence that had stopped him from losing his mind, on more than one occasion. They followed his orders without exception.
Waiting patiently, he watched as Meresaa and Nikita assumed positions on either side of the stone arch. As he surveyed the non-native plant growth stemming from the arch, he contemplated just how much the veil between planes had lifted; it was this encroachment that had meant that the barrier between planes had been necessary.
A Fleeting Trip
No sooner than Meresaa and Nikita press their hands on the Hawkes Device then the large generators begin to light up. Magical runes cover the exterior of the generators, they flicker a strange green colour. Vines, in blues and reds, light up next, they join the generators to the stone arch – seemingly disappearing within its frame.
Thwoosh! It sounds like rushing air as a burst of blue energy shoots from the centre of the stone arch before it returns. The gap under the arch becomes wavey, almost like looking over the surface of an ocean, it ripples and waves.
An Eye-Opening Experience
Spotting that the portal has been activated, the Tree Knight Captain strikes his chest and directs his knights to move through. Marching at some speed, one by one they travel through the deep blue veil, disappearing as they go. Plucking up the courage, the party follow the Tree Knights.
Swirling lights and colours replace the dull grey walls of the workshop. You have experienced teleportation before, only this time it is different and strange. A voice enters your head, it is a woman’s, and her voice contains both warmth and kindness.
“Thank you.”
The lights continue to swirl in your vision, you cannot feel your arms, your legs, or any other parts of your physical body.
“Long I have been trapped. Experiencing what you do now.”
Images of Prospect flash before your eyes. Only it is not your time. It is a time long past.
“I thought it my own mind, my own will, that caused me to investigate the link between Oerth and the Feyrealm. Alas, I was but a pawn, blinded by my own ego.”
You get an immense feeling of love and gratitude washing over you.
“But it is due to your actions. Your abilities that I have been freed from my prison.”
Then it hits you. Bright, blinding light. You stand, gasping, as though emerging from having been underwater. Your eyes take a moment to acclimatise. The world around you seems strange; colours somehow appear more vibrant, there is a persistent smell of spice, and the light is bright almost to the point of being blinding. You are surrounded by a room not too different, in fact frightfully similar, to the one you left behind. However, the roof of this workshop only partially covers the top of the room, and streaks of amber sunlight break through the gaps.
You see her then. A young, red-headed satyr. She steps forward, she is smiling and emanates a glowing aura as though her skin itself is on fire.
“Welcome,” she says with a flourishing bow, “my name is Asha. Asha Hawkes.”
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Recap of Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect
A Carnival’s Curse
It started with a flash. Our adventurers were transported, against their will, from their current predicaments to a more buoyant scene – a Carnival.
Tindal, a flamboyantly dressed and silver-tongued Carnival barker, directed the party to Lady Isolde, the enigmatic Carnival Mistress. Isolde informed the party that an illness was sweeping through the Carnival, sapping people of their strength and turning them to dust.
Lady Isolde asked the party to investigate the mysterious sickness and attempt to discern its origins. She explained that the teleportation spell that summoned the party was a one-way ticket, the brainchild of Claude, a charlatan, and would-be sorcerer, and a strange, tattooed man, known simply as the Illuminated Man.
Seeking Claude, they found that the spell had backfired. Causing a demonic imp, whom he had stylised ‘Maud', to be summoned directly into his body – splicing the two beings together. However, it was the other figure, the Illuminated Man, who proved to be the more capable of the two; downplaying his magical ability and painting intricate tattoos on willing customers.
In the meantime, several party members had sought out the Carnival members that were currently suffering from the sickness: Harold Priestly and Nancy Carver. Both located within the Carnival’s makeshift medical tent, they were being looked after by the only local physician willing enough to assist, a disgraced ex-priest of Procan, Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Coombes.
Unfortunately, the party arrived too late to save Harold Priestly. They did, however, managed to find his likely cause of death; several parasitical eggs had been laid within Harold’s stomach. Acting quickly, they encased the eggs within a block of ice, before obliterating them with several eldritch blasts. Upon investigating the remnants, the remains of creatures resembling lampreys, dark purple in colour, and covered in thick purple slime, are found.
Saltmarsh
Believing there to be more to the Carnival’s mysterious illness than met the eye, the party chose to explore the local town of Saltmarsh. Many of their suspicions were confirmed when they stopped by the Ruddy Tankard, a local inn, and discovered that a black carriage was spotted speeding away from the Carnival the night before.
Entering the town centre, the party sought a particularly helpful local businessman, Captain Thomas Dolan. He revealed that he had suspicions that a hidden group was working against him. Explaining that there was currently a vacant seat on the Saltmarsh Town Council – vacant since the untimely death of Sir Charles Freyn – with multiple local factions desperately attempting to instate their own advocate in the position. He listed the potential candidates:
Casper Brinck - Outspoken against the Carnival. Rapid rise to prominence and wealth. Owner of a lavish black carriage.
Eliander Fireborn - Loyal to the Crown ((Loyalist Faction)). Walked with a slight limp. Ex-military.
Jilar Kanklesten - Guild Mistress of the Carpenters' Guild. Largely unpopular outside of her guildmembers. Neutral ((neither Tradionalist nor Loyalist)).
In addition, the party met Sergeant Eamon O'Toole, a town guard that was investigating corruption within the guard, believing that many were taking money from a hidden faction. He was able to provide information on several key members of this faction:
Theodore Sedgewick
Casper Brinck
Lexi Rosetta
Rosie Malloy
and another name, Asha Hawkes.
Sergeant O’Toole was able to provide the party with the name of this shadow faction, the Sanguine Cabal. Additionally revealing that he had received direct orders to not assist the Carnival in their plight; though his loyalty to the late Sir Charles Freyn prevented him from carrying out this order.
Carnival Return
The party, attempting to make sense of the information received, chose to return to the Carnival. En route, they came across a weakened boy, of Skurra (the Carnival folk) decent asking that the part “save Essie,” before collapsing.
Putting two and two together, the party was able to discern that this was likely Billy ‘the kid’ Spitzer and that ‘Essie’ referred to Esther Freyn, the missing people from the night before. They quickly take Billy to the medical tent and are able to remove several parasites from his stomach. Thankfully, Billy, even in his weakened state is able to mutter the following words; "Essie, help Essie... Prospect."
Asha Hawkes
Seeking to find out more about the illusive Asha Hawkes. They learn that she had previously been taken, as a young child, to the Temple of Procan. Aware that Nate would have been a practicing priest at the time, they set off to check whether he had any recollection of Ms. Hawkes.
Prospect, it transpires, was the name given to the Hawkes Family Estate; a large property on the outskirts of Saltmarsh that was, years ago, used to hosting all sorts of lavish parties. Nowadays, however, it was rumoured to be abandoned and left to nature.
O Fortuna!
Seeking any aid they can, the party visited the local fortune teller, the aptly named Madame Fortuna. She was able to provide a reading, though it did not all go according to plan. The following cards were drawn and fortunes told:
Artifact - “An artefact… Tall it stands, swirling around. Always in balance until it is not. Faltering and stuttering it shall collapse in time. Though created the artefact reveals that which is natural. A caged bird sits next to it, chirping away it wears a red-hood." Madame Fortuna grins and stares through hollow eyes at Ermasnietsz, "such a pretty bird should be freed should it not?"
Donjon - "The donjon. The artefact sits deep in a place that was once grand but now sits idle. I see a doll ragged and worn a tarnished tiara sitting upon her golden head. She wears a tatty dress though it was once rich and beautiful it is now torn and ripped. Half a cloth heart has been sewn onto the front of the dress, the other half presumably ripped away. Water rises from the ground, the doll is not much longer for this world." Madame Fortuna shakes her head, "I see large wrought iron gates, providing little prospect of escape."
The Broken One - “I see a man, he is aged beyond his years. Proud and intelligent, he is now broken. His pain..." She stops and shudders, physically moved. "He has lost himself. He holds the truth, yet no one will listen. He preaches in front of a congregation, yet they are deaf. He knows the secrets you seek though he is unaware of it. I see him now standing in front of a mirror pining over the man he once was... weakened in body, he remains strong in mind."
Illusionist - "The Illusionist. The card represents lies, deceit and duplicity." Madame Fortuna considers it briefly. "The Illusionist is a tricky card," she chuckles, "it is as deceitful as the things it foretells. It often appears when there is secrecy and trickery at work. Though it is generally associated with ill that need not be the case."
Charlatan - "It is rare to see both the seven of stars and the seven of glyphs drawn together. I urge caution." Madame Fortuna says ominously. "The Charlatan is a liar. Professing to believe one thing but actually believing another."
The meeting is subsequently interrupted by floral chutes that sprout and grow from Madame Fortuna’s cards. Breaking character, Madame Fortuna drops her accent and reveals that she is not responsible for the magic at work.
The Broken One
Meanwhile, members of the party meet Reggie Clover. Though his mind seems to have been tormented to the point of breaking, he is able to provide further information on Asha Hawkes, Theodore Sedgewick, and the experiments undertaken at Prospect, being that he was once Asha’s research assistant.
The parasitical creatures were brought to Saltmarsh from another plane of existence. They were able to withdraw the lifeforce from one being and grant it to another. Within their research they referred to the creature as a Sagacitas; as the boon granted by the creatures led to an increase in the individual's mental faculties and acuteness.
Theodore Sedgewick, it transpired, had set up the Sanguine Cabal after Asha Hawkes had disappeared through her device. It was revealed that he had recruited Brinck, Molloy, and then Rosetta.
The party now had names for four of the prominent Cabal members, though they were unsure of whether the conspiracy went further. Those they knew about, in order of joining were:
Theodore Sedgewick - the founder of the Cabal.
Casper Brinck - the ‘face’ and financial expert.
Rosie Molloy - logistics, owner of a shipping fleet.
Lexi Rosetta - recent recruit. The muscle of the group - Pirate Captain of the Flayed Finger.
Finally, when pressed, Reggie was able to detail how Asha had disappeared:
Could Sedgewick have done something to trap Asha within the device, not wholly existing between planes?
Night-time Escapades
Taking all the information they had gained to date, the party visited Lady Isolde and received their reward. However, believing that their task was not yet complete, they resolved to visit Prospect.
However, prior to setting off the party stayed the night at the Carnival. Being woken by a strange dream/vision:
Whilst the others rested, a couple of the party members chose to scout the local area. They encounter a bizarre situation – some of those whose life had been drained by the Sagacitas were spotted as ghosts, moving southwards in the general direction of Prospect.
We’re on the road… to Prospect
The next morning, after a quick shopping trip to Saltmarsh, spending their well-earned money, the party set off for Prospect. They were able to convince Lady Isolde to allow both Toska, a powerfully built female orc (whom it transpired had been secretly fed strength-enhancing potions by the Carnival Mistress), and Claude (with Maud) to accompany them on the journey.
They observe that the closer they get to Asha Hawkes' familial home, the more the local flora and fauna seem to have been affected by something, as though polluted by an otherworldly source. This is encapsulated by a brief scuffle the party has with strange, little, blue fey creatures, known as boggles. These creatures seemingly had the ability to open up small, localised portals, through which they could travel and ambush potential victims.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)