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| * In the closing table discussion, the group notes that the campaign is approaching its two-year anniversary and that the next major arc will focus on systematically confronting the remaining enemy powers. | * In the closing table discussion, the group notes that the campaign is approaching its two-year anniversary and that the next major arc will focus on systematically confronting the remaining enemy powers. | ||
| + | ===== Session 66.26.8.15 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place 1869.1.24 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | === Act I — Briefing at the Citadel === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The session opens with a recap: Drift previously won big at poker, the party discovered that six crates of magical animals never reached the Citadel armory, and Scrapbeak was delivered to the Citadel. | ||
| + | * Odri finishes explaining Solaren and basic Anwyn concepts to the Night Sovereign. Nanook warns Odri that Solaren is vastly more powerful than he is, intensely driven, and should not be hindered. | ||
| + | * The group confirms that the Sovereign resembles Edgar, establishing that she is likely his long-lost sister. Edgar had not known whether she survived after his death and years of separation. | ||
| + | * Drift reports on the Chief’s protection racket, the warehouse, the missing magical-animal crates, and the Brass Rail invitation token received from Benny. | ||
| + | * The Night Sovereign confirms the Chief is a persistent problem and warns that the Brass Rail caters to nobles and wealthy patrons who exploit desperate people through dangerous gambling. | ||
| + | * She asks the party to identify the organizers and high-status sponsors behind these activities, especially because corruption and leaks likely exist within the city’s own institutions. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign gives Drift a magical authority token: | ||
| + | * It records confessions. | ||
| + | * It grants advantage when discerning whether someone is telling the truth. | ||
| + | * It can be placed on a corpse for disposal if the party must kill proven monsters. | ||
| + | * The party has broad authority to pursue the investigation, | ||
| + | * Odri schedules a more detailed discussion with the Sovereign for the next morning at 9:00 AM. | ||
| + | * The party splits up: Odri heads to the archives to research Solaren and historical connections, | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II — The Brass Rail’s Public Face === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift reaches the Brass Rail, a huge, ornate gothic casino/ | ||
| + | * The first floors offer normal-looking food, performances, | ||
| + | * Drift uses Benny’s token to gain entry to the invitation-only upper floors. | ||
| + | * On the exclusive gaming floor, Drift observes a magical Russian-roulette-style game: | ||
| + | * Participants take turns firing a revolver at themselves. | ||
| + | * The audience bets on outcomes. | ||
| + | * The “losers” appear to be incapacitated rather than immediately killed, then are removed by staff. | ||
| + | * At the bar, Drift learns about several key figures: | ||
| + | * **Sugar**: a loud, wealthy house debt collector who handles gamblers’ debts. | ||
| + | * **Catnip**: a noble-connected woman who particularly enjoys the human roulette games. | ||
| + | * **Savage**: someone who locates people for the casino’s games. | ||
| + | * **Star**: The Brass Rail manager, an older man overseeing the establishment. | ||
| + | * Drift learns the casino’s debt system: after accumulating three debt markers, patrons owe the house a “favor” and are sent to the fourth floor. Refusal also sends them there. | ||
| + | * The bartender explains that the fourth floor hosts the “most exciting” games and that the lower-status “undesirables” use a separate route through the building. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III — The Fourth Floor and Drift’s Fight === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift goes to the fourth floor and immediately smells blood. | ||
| + | * She sees victims of the roulette game revived, assigned debt markers, and forced into lethal or near-lethal contests to clear their debts. | ||
| + | * One game involves a debtor running a long obstacle-lined lane while wealthy patrons pay for shots and try to hit them with hand crossbows. | ||
| + | * The runner’s reward depends on how far they get. | ||
| + | * Injured survivors are patched up, but failure can add another debt marker. | ||
| + | * Drift also watches a brutal arena where contestants fight dangerous beasts for prize money: | ||
| + | * A contestant is killed by hellhounds. | ||
| + | * Another barely defeats them and is treated afterward. | ||
| + | * Looking for a way into the operation, Drift speaks to the floor manager and signs up to fight. | ||
| + | * Two contestants are killed before Drift’s turn. | ||
| + | * Drift enters the arena against a tiger: | ||
| + | * The tiger lands a heavy opening strike. | ||
| + | * Drift responds with a fast, highly effective dagger assault. | ||
| + | * She kills the tiger in short order, despite the crowd’s mixed reaction. | ||
| + | * Impressed, the fight master invites Drift to a higher-profile **Fight Night** on Fennday at 7:00 PM, three days away. | ||
| + | * Drift receives winnings and a debt marker that can be returned on Fight Night, keeping her connected to the venue and its internal system. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV — Private Rooms, Benny, and the Hidden Route === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift spends more time observing and learns that directly asking about the Chief would be dangerous. | ||
| + | * She notices Benny enter one of the private meeting rooms for roughly 10–15 minutes. | ||
| + | * Trying to inspect the room, Drift pretends to be looking for a private place with a drunken patron. She is stopped by staff and receives another debt marker for breaking the rules. | ||
| + | * Drift leaves and reunites with Doc, sharing what she discovered: | ||
| + | * The upper floors are built around coercive gambling, debt bondage, violent spectacle, and recruitment of desperate people. | ||
| + | * Benny appears to have access to private meetings. | ||
| + | * The casino has a separate path for “undesirables.” | ||
| + | * Doc notes that, from his overwatch position, he saw no corresponding public exit for the people Drift saw using the internal stairs. | ||
| + | * Concerned that a direct assault could destroy their chance to reach the Chief or attend Fight Night, they decide to investigate the hidden route rather than immediately attack. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V — Underground Tunnels and Noble Connections === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift uses the Brass Rail token again, bringing Doc inside as apparent backup. | ||
| + | * They sneak past the guarded stairwell and descend beneath the casino. | ||
| + | * They discover that the private rooms connect to a hidden underground tunnel network branching beneath the wealthy district. | ||
| + | * While hiding in the tunnels, they observe a conspicuous noblewoman: | ||
| + | * About 40 years old, extremely tall, heavily built, with faintly glowing citrine eyes. | ||
| + | * She radiates unusually strong Anwyn energy, roughly comparable to powerful figures such as Palerider or Sister of Nightshadow. | ||
| + | * She travels with an entourage and another, lower-status companion. | ||
| + | * The party does not confront her, but recognizes that the conspiracy likely reaches deep into noble society. | ||
| + | * They follow one tunnel to a concealed exit in a high-end wine cellar, proving that the Brass Rail has covert access routes through the upper-class district. | ||
| + | * A magical effect cleans the group of blood and grime as they leave, suggesting the tunnel system may include magical concealment or sanitization. | ||
| + | * Drift and Doc conclude that the information is too sensitive to pass through normal channels. Because the Sovereign herself warned of leaks, they decide to report directly to her through Odri rather than trust Holder or other Citadel personnel. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VI — Session End and Next Steps === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party has two full in-game days before Fight Night. | ||
| + | * Odri will research Solaren, Mithras, and related history at the archives before meeting the Sovereign. | ||
| + | * Drift and Doc plan to relay their findings—names, | ||
| + | * The immediate investigation remains centered on: | ||
| + | * Identifying the Chief. | ||
| + | * Determining how high the corruption reaches among the nobles. | ||
| + | * Using Drift’s Fight Night invitation to get closer to the organizers. | ||
| + | * The group explicitly decides not to burn down the Brass Rail yet, since doing so could alert the Chief and eliminate their best opportunity to expose the network. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 67.26.8.22 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place 1869.1.24-25 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | === Act I — Dinner, leads, and the Sisters === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party reconvened over dinner in the Tightwater to compare notes after recent investigations into the Brass Rail and its criminal network. | ||
| + | * They reviewed Drift’s casino encounter: despite winning money, he received a nonmagical Brass Rail debt token after entering the wrong room. | ||
| + | * The group confirmed they had found no further archival material about the Sovereign Spirit beyond the hidden record that survived the Church’s purges. | ||
| + | * They debated whether Odri should tell the Sovereign that the party had known her presumed-dead brother, Edgar. The consensus was to be honest, but careful: the revelation could be emotionally volatile given the Sovereign’s immense power. | ||
| + | * The party visited Frankie, who confirmed that the Sisters knew of the Brass Rail and had previously dealt with its contact, **Fang**—a very tall woman matching the figure the party had seen in the tunnels. | ||
| + | * Frankie arranged a meeting with Sister Lawless at the Discovery Gallery for the next day, supplied a recognition phrase, and offered broader intelligence: | ||
| + | * The goblin population at the front had grown beyond 300 and continued to increase. | ||
| + | * The war effort was progressing well; the occupied territory could potentially be stabilized in a few months. | ||
| + | * The party could aid the larger campaign by causing trouble behind enemy lines in Misty Slough. | ||
| + | * The party also told Frankie about the sealed library entrance. Several Sisters may be interested in joining a future expedition there. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II — Odri meets the Sovereign === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The following morning, Odri and archivist Hendrix met the Sovereign, Elara, in a garden behind the manor. | ||
| + | * Odri explained the nature of the force connecting realms and planes, the danger of drawing raw power without a conduit, and the role of personal foci in safely channeling magic. | ||
| + | * Elara demonstrated that her magic is largely instinctual and manifests through fire, plasma, warmth, and protective or inspiring energy. She successfully imitated a simple //mage hand//-like effect after Odri described it. | ||
| + | * The two sparred physically and magically in a controlled exchange. Odri learned that Elara can partially transform into flame and plasma, though she restrained herself enough to keep the fight nonlethal. | ||
| + | * During their conversation, | ||
| + | * Odri revealed that the party had known Edgar. Elara’s grief resurfaced, but she also showed the same playful, mischievous qualities the group had known in him. | ||
| + | * Junior appeared to meet Elara and share stories of Edgar. He explained that after serving the Ferryman, Edgar had been able to live the life he otherwise would have had. | ||
| + | * Junior played a song that gave Odri and Elara a vision of Edgar living peacefully beyond the reach of the Shadow—with his sister, wife, and best friend. | ||
| + | * Elara was deeply moved, grateful for the gift of closure even as she mourned the life she missed with her brother. | ||
| + | * The meeting ended warmly. Elara invited Odri to spar again, asked the party to call on her when moving against the Church, and teased Odri about eventually becoming strong enough to challenge her. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III — The Discovery Gallery investigation === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * While Odri met Elara, Doc and Drift visited Sister Lawless at the Discovery Gallery. | ||
| + | * Lawless explained the likely hierarchy of the Brass Rail’s organization: | ||
| + | * District-level bosses. | ||
| + | * “Watchers, | ||
| + | * The Filthy Nobles. | ||
| + | * An unidentified authority above the Nobles—the likely “Chief.” | ||
| + | * Lawless said Fang and her consort Fury were the most dangerous known Brass Rail figures. Fang possesses supernatural abilities, while Fury is a dangerous combatant. | ||
| + | * She advised that the Nobles might be approached through leverage, threats, their appetites for rare art or exotic fighting contestants, | ||
| + | * Lawless was skeptical that the Nobles were redeemable, noting that their wealth and power were built on exploitation. She suggested a more direct approach: burn the Chief’s assets until someone important reacts. | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift decided to follow Benny rather than immediately provoke the organization. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV — Following Benny to the collection point === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * In the slums, Doc and Drift eventually located Benny after searching and asking around. | ||
| + | * They tailed him as he collected envelopes and bank bags from several locations—apparently protection money, debts, or other payments. | ||
| + | * Benny returned to the Brass Rail, entered a private room, and emerged without the bags before going downstairs to play cards. | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift slipped into the room behind him and discovered a hidden exit concealed beneath crown molding. | ||
| + | * A bouncer caught them accessing the secret passage, forcing them to flee into the tunnels. Drift flashbanged the pursuing guards, allowing the pair to escape without escalating into a larger fight. | ||
| + | * In the tunnels, they spotted Sugar, a Filthy Noble associated with loans and debt collection, fleeing with the money. | ||
| + | * After a chase through the tunnels, Doc and Drift restrained Sugar with a lasso, shadow magic, and pinned him with a stake. | ||
| + | * Sugar broke under pressure and led them to a small, reinforced collection house containing a large safe. He explained that collectors deposit money there and are expected to leave; he did not know who ultimately retrieves it. | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift chose not to kill Sugar. Doc healed him enough to keep him alive, warned him not to report the encounter, and hid with Drift to wait for the next courier. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V — The collector’s ambush === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * After roughly two hours, a well-dressed, | ||
| + | * Drift attempted to restrain him with shadow magic. The man broke free almost immediately, | ||
| + | * The stranger reacted with anger rather than fear, warning the party that they had made a mistake. He then attacked Drift with devastating enhanced punches. | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift fought him in the cramped room: | ||
| + | * Doc struck him with a radiant Mithras-powered bolt, though the enemy proved immune to the resulting vulnerability effect. | ||
| + | * Drift landed a major critical hit, dealing approximately 70 damage through rapid strikes and **Death Touch**. | ||
| + | * The enemy repeatedly counterattacked with brutal punches and knife-hand strikes, often dealing 24–38 damage at a time. | ||
| + | * Junior intervened through a token, appearing briefly to catch a killing blow aimed at Drift. | ||
| + | * Doc used a Mithras pact to share damage between himself and Drift. | ||
| + | * The battle turned increasingly dangerous as Drift neared collapse. Doc finally transformed into a dragon-like form, clearing his own damage and intimidating the wounded attacker. | ||
| + | * Exhausted, badly wounded, and no longer able to maintain his empowered state, the collector surrendered. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Session ending === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The session ended with Doc, in dragon form, holding the captured collector against the wall and demanding to know: **“Who do you work for?”** | ||
| + | * Next session will begin with determining how cooperative the prisoner is and extracting information about the Chief, the Brass Rail hierarchy, and the money pipeline. | ||
| + | * Major discoveries: | ||
| + | * Edgar’s fate after death was revealed to Elara. | ||
| + | * The party now understands more of the Brass Rail’s hierarchy and financial operations. | ||
| + | * The Brass Rail’s collector network is protected by at least one extremely dangerous supernatural enforcer. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 68.26.8.29 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place 1869.1.25-27 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | === Act I: Turning T-Bone === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Back at the drop house, Doc interrogated the defeated assailant using forceful but controlled persuasion. | ||
| + | * The prisoner identified his employer as **Lord Stephen Cole**, the hidden “Chief” behind the city’s black-market and criminal operations. | ||
| + | * He revealed that Cole lives in a conspicuous gothic plantation manor in the Gate Block, recognizable by its gilded spires and glowing neon-green reeds. | ||
| + | * The prisoner, **T-Bone / Cleveland Steele**, explained that he acts as Cole’s right hand and practical interface with the organization. | ||
| + | * T-Bone described Cole’s operation as covering broad underworld activity, with Cole’s authority enforced through leverage, fear, and T-Bone’s management of enforcers. | ||
| + | * The party learned that T-Bone’s wife, **Selma**, and daughters are being held at Cole’s manor as insurance against his betrayal. | ||
| + | * Rather than simply eliminate T-Bone, the party offered him and his family safety, purpose, and potential work in Braveslanding if he cooperated. | ||
| + | * T-Bone agreed in principle: once his family was safe, he would help the party bring down Cole and cooperate with the Sovereign. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II: The Fight Night Plan === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * T-Bone outlined the upcoming Fight Night at the **Brass Rail**, scheduled for the following evening. | ||
| + | * Drift is already registered as one of five contestants. | ||
| + | * The event is a dangerous elimination contest with randomized opponents and combat circumstances; | ||
| + | * Lord Stephen Cole and the Filthy Nobles are expected to attend, making Fight Night an ideal opportunity to catch much of the network in one place. | ||
| + | * The party debated whether to strike Cole before the event or wait until everyone had assembled. | ||
| + | * Their concern was that killing or exposing Cole too early could scatter the criminals, trigger destruction of evidence, or lead to reprisals against the captive families. | ||
| + | * T-Bone explained that, because he is the organization’s visible operational authority, he can continue giving orders and maintain the appearance of normal business even if Cole is removed. | ||
| + | * He also said he knows who is on the payroll and could help identify the organization’s enforcers and infrastructure. | ||
| + | * The group concluded that the best approach was to preserve the Fight Night trap while quietly removing the leverage Cole held over T-Bone first. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III: Odri Is Hunted === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * While the others headed toward the Citadel to seek the Sovereign’s support, **Odri** noticed the magical coins in his pocket reacting—a warning that he was being followed. | ||
| + | * Odri changed course, sought a more public area, and attempted to identify the pursuer. | ||
| + | * A sniper fired at him from a rooftop, aiming deliberately for his calf to disable rather than immediately kill him. | ||
| + | * Odri successfully avoided the first shot, but the attacker continued pursuing him across rooftops and walls with uncanny spider-like movement. | ||
| + | * The attacker used strange tactics: | ||
| + | * He fired repeatedly from elevated cover. | ||
| + | * An illusory barrel rolled through civilians and toward Odri, apparently intended to distract or manipulate his movement. | ||
| + | * He generated a fog cloud to impose disadvantage and create distance. | ||
| + | * Odri suffered a leg injury that restricted his movement, though his armor absorbed later shots. | ||
| + | * He counterattacked with repeated ice spikes, scoring several strong hits and multiple critical successes. | ||
| + | * Odri tried to pull the attacker off the roof with his conjured magic hand, but the attacker resisted. | ||
| + | * As law-enforcement whistles grew nearer, Odri pushed through the injury, closed distance, and finally killed the pursuer mid-leap with an ice spike. | ||
| + | * He searched the body before the authorities arrived, recovering: | ||
| + | * Three more magical coins. | ||
| + | * A map connected to the coins and their locations. | ||
| + | * Loose currency and ordinary equipment. | ||
| + | * No additional magical artifacts beyond the coins. | ||
| + | * Odri escaped before the law arrived, leaving behind a visibly frost-riddled corpse. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV: Alliance with the Sovereign === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party reconvened and brought Odri up to speed on T-Bone, Cole, Fight Night, and the captive families. | ||
| + | * They decided they needed the Sovereign’s help to contain the criminal organization once the larger operation began. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign agreed that rescuing T-Bone’s family first was the wisest course of action. | ||
| + | * She supported a stealth infiltration of Cole’s manor before Fight Night, while delaying overt guard action until the event was underway. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign emphasized that capturing people alive for trial was preferable where possible, though she would not mourn Cole if lethal force proved necessary. | ||
| + | * The party also discussed using the Sisters and city resources later to dismantle tunnels, records, and other criminal infrastructure. | ||
| + | * They agreed to keep the plan tightly compartmentalized because of fears of informants inside the city. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V: Preparing the Manor Infiltration === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift met T-Bone at Rot Gut, a grimy and chaotic tavern in the sewer district. | ||
| + | * T-Bone provided: | ||
| + | * A key for an unguarded tunnel entrance into the manor. | ||
| + | * A rough floor plan of areas he knew. | ||
| + | * The location of Cole’s quarters. | ||
| + | * Information that the manor was heavily patrolled but more vulnerable late at night. | ||
| + | * Confirmation that he did not know every room in the large estate, including precisely where all prisoners were held. | ||
| + | * The group regrouped and chose a split-operation approach: | ||
| + | * Drift would infiltrate first alone using shadows to conduct reconnaissance. | ||
| + | * Doc and Odri would wait at the tunnel entrance. | ||
| + | * Once Drift identified Cole and the captive families, she would return with the information. | ||
| + | * The full group would then enter, with Drift handling Cole while Doc and Odri rescued the prisoners. | ||
| + | * Mechanically, | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VI: Drift’s Reconnaissance === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift slipped into the dark manor, using shadow movement and stealth to bypass patrols. | ||
| + | * She discovered the house was lavishly wealthy, though she stayed focused on the mission rather than looting it. | ||
| + | * She located Lord Stephen Cole asleep in an upper-floor chamber within the manor’s central spire. | ||
| + | * Continuing her search, Drift located the prisoners in another tower converted into comfortable-looking but clearly restrictive living quarters. | ||
| + | * She discovered that T-Bone’s family was not alone: roughly **twelve people total**, including several families, were being held there. | ||
| + | * Drift determined that the prisoners were separated into rooms but confined to the same tower, with guards stationed around the approach rather than directly within the family area. | ||
| + | * She returned to the tunnel and relayed the key intelligence: | ||
| + | * Cole was isolated upstairs. | ||
| + | * The captives were grouped in a separate tower. | ||
| + | * There were several families, not just T-Bone’s. | ||
| + | * The party could potentially teleport the entire group away once assembled. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VII: Rescue and Abduction === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party entered the manor using T-Bone’s tunnel route and split according to plan. | ||
| + | * Drift went to Cole’s room while Doc and Odri moved toward the prisoner tower. | ||
| + | * Doc and Odri used the Sovereign’s key to open the mundane locked doors without forcing them. | ||
| + | * They woke the adult prisoners first, quietly explained the rescue, and instructed them to wake their children and take only what was necessary. | ||
| + | * Doc’s presence and authority helped calm the frightened families and keep them organized. | ||
| + | * Selma was found among the captives, along with T-Bone’s children. | ||
| + | * The rescuers gathered everyone into a large room, explained the impending magical evacuation, and prepared them for teleportation. | ||
| + | * The party teleported the rescued families to the train, where they could remain hidden and protected by the train’s staff and guards. | ||
| + | * They instructed the staff to treat the families as protected guests, not reveal their presence, and prevent anyone from leaving until the situation was resolved. | ||
| + | * On the way back, the party left T-Bone a message at the Brass Rail confirming that the rescue had succeeded. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VIII: Cole Falls === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Meanwhile, Drift entered Cole’s bedroom while he slept. | ||
| + | * She used a chloroform-like substance to render Cole unconscious; | ||
| + | * Drift tied the second man to the bed and had her Midnight Spirit carry the unconscious Cole away. | ||
| + | * During the escape, Drift encountered a guard and cast a silencing, magic-suppressing bubble around him to prevent an alarm. | ||
| + | * When the guard attacked, Drift severely wounded him, then chose to knock him unconscious rather than kill him. | ||
| + | * Further along the escape route, Drift was confronted by a larger group of guards. | ||
| + | * She used **Hypnotic Shimmer** to stun the initial group, then chose not to flee when additional guards arrived. | ||
| + | * The escape turned into a brutal corridor fight: | ||
| + | * Drift used Rain of Blades repeatedly against clustered guards. | ||
| + | * Several guards were killed or incapacitated by massive magical damage. | ||
| + | * The remaining head guards attempted to subdue her with clubs but failed to stop her. | ||
| + | * Drift eventually killed the last head guard and eliminated the immediate pursuit. | ||
| + | * With Cole secured, she escaped through the tunnel network and arranged transport by horse. | ||
| + | * She carried the unconscious, | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IX: Session End State === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party reunited at their diplomatic quarters around 1:00 a.m. | ||
| + | * T-Bone’s family and the other captive families are safe aboard the train and hidden from Cole’s organization. | ||
| + | * Lord Stephen Cole has been captured alive, though the party’s extraction left numerous manor guards dead or incapacitated. | ||
| + | * T-Bone’s leverage is gone, positioning him to cooperate openly with the Sovereign and help expose the underworld’s structure. | ||
| + | * The party still intends to proceed with Fight Night, using it as the main opportunity to trap the Filthy Nobles and broader criminal network. | ||
| + | * The next phase will likely involve: | ||
| + | * Deciding how to handle or interrogate Cole. | ||
| + | * Coordinating with the Sovereign and possibly the Sisters. | ||
| + | * Securing surface exits and tunnel routes. | ||
| + | * Containing criminals and evidence during Fight Night. | ||
| + | * Dismantling the underworld’s remaining operations after the event. | ||
| + | * The session ended with the group recognizing that they had completed a major nonviolent rescue, even though Drift’s separate extraction became extremely violent. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 69.26.9.5 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place 1869.1.27 - 2.8 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | |||
| + | The party completed a coordinated takedown of the city’s corrupt bloodsport operation, strengthened its alliance with the Sovereign, returned the kidnapped families, and redirected its attention toward the obelisks and the looming confrontation with OrZean. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act I: Delivering Lord Cole === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * In the early hours of Fight Night, the party returned to the diplomat quarters with the captured chief—revealed as former Lord Cole—unconscious, | ||
| + | * After a long rest, the group brought Cole before the Sovereign in her throne room. A summoned shadow spirit carried the sheet-covered chair through the halls to keep the former lord out of public view. | ||
| + | * The party reported that they had rescued Cole’s captives and their families, moving them safely out of danger by train. | ||
| + | * They explained that Cole had used imprisoned relatives as leverage to extort and control people. | ||
| + | * The party credited T-Bone for his help and intelligence, | ||
| + | * The Sovereign refused to hear Cole’s defense. She ordered his assets seized, with the option to give them to T-Bone or liquidate them for the benefit of the city’s people. | ||
| + | * Cole was thrown into the dungeon to await trial and eventual punishment. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II: Entering Fight Night === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party prepared to raid the Brass Rail’s Fight Night, a public bloodsport event connected to the city’s corrupt noble faction. | ||
| + | * At roughly 7 PM, they entered the third-floor arena: | ||
| + | * Drift registered as a contestant and went backstage with the other fighters. | ||
| + | * Doc and Odri entered the stands to observe the nobles, identify escape routes, and prepare to intervene. | ||
| + | * The floor had been converted into a fighting pit surrounded by raised seating, betting pools, noble boxes, staff, bouncers, and an announcer’s box run by Star. | ||
| + | * The nobles watched from private boxes with their entourages, while regular spectators filled the stands. | ||
| + | * T-Bone and his people were positioned to cover the underground routes in case the nobles tried to flee. | ||
| + | * The party’s plan was to let the tournament begin, trigger the Sovereign’s intervention at the right moment, and prevent the conspirators from escaping. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III: The Bloodsport Tournament === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Star introduced the five contestants: | ||
| + | * **Fussy Pants** faced a rolling horde of cat-sized furball creatures with teeth and limbs. He killed several but was overwhelmed and devoured, leaving behind a stripped skeleton. | ||
| + | * **Koby** fought a raguru, a wolf-headed humanoid monster. He used multiple sawed-off shotguns to tear it apart and left the arena largely unscathed. | ||
| + | * **Raven** faced a large, fresh-blooded redcap with an oversized razor. She fought with a cutlass and lasso but was eventually killed in a gruesome display that delighted the crowd. | ||
| + | * **Silver**, an elderly contestant, faced another raguru. Although she landed some shots with her rifle, the creature killed her and dragged her body out of the arena. | ||
| + | * Doc and Odri bet heavily on Drift’s survival at two-to-one odds. | ||
| + | * **Drift versus the redcap:** Drift opened with a critical stake launcher shot, avoided the redcap’s razor, and tore it apart with her daggers. She threw its bloodied cap into the crowd, provoking excitement and a scramble among the spectators. | ||
| + | * **Koby versus the troll:** Koby evaded the troll’s club, destroyed its knee with shotgun fire, and finished it by obliterating its head. | ||
| + | * **Drift versus the mawb:** Drift used Rain of Blades to devastate the furball horde. Junior protected her from the surviving creatures, and Drift quickly finished the rest. | ||
| + | * **Koby versus the second redcap:** Koby blew off the monster’s weapon arm and then destroyed its face with another volley of shotgun fire. | ||
| + | * **Drift versus the raguru:** This was Drift’s most dangerous tournament fight. The raguru’s howl spread fear through the area, and it wounded Drift several times before she disabled and killed it. Drift kept one of its teeth as a trophy. | ||
| + | * By the fourth round, only Drift and Koby remained. The audience began treating them as the main attraction, betting more heavily on the fighters than on the monsters. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV: The Raid Begins === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Drift entered the arena to face a troll, while Doc and Odri prepared to initiate the raid. | ||
| + | * Drift noticed Fang, one of the noble conspirators, | ||
| + | * The troll immediately endangered the crowd by grabbing a spectator to throw at Drift. | ||
| + | * Doc flew down and rescued the spectator from the troll’s grasp, placing himself between the monster and the civilians. | ||
| + | * Drift ambushed Fang from the shadows and dealt massive damage, leaving her gravely wounded just as she began to cast magic. | ||
| + | * Fang attempted to charm or infatuate Drift, but Drift resisted using Monster Hunter. | ||
| + | * The troll struck Doc, while Fang’s consort Fury joined the fight and stabbed Drift with a rapier. | ||
| + | * Odri reached a window and fired the prearranged signal flare, confirming to the Sovereign that the raid should begin. | ||
| + | * Fang used magic to blast Drift and Doc with a powerful gust of wind. Drift resisted the effect, while Doc was knocked back but protected the rescued civilian. | ||
| + | * Guards began firing into the chaos, threatening the party and civilians alike. | ||
| + | * Odri maneuvered through the crowd and forcibly pushed Fang into the arena. Fang was knocked unconscious rather than killed, preserving her for trial. | ||
| + | * The troll continued attacking near the fallen Fang, but Drift and the party contained it. | ||
| + | * Doc revealed his wings and used his authority to command the guards to surrender. He announced that the Sovereign had surrounded the building and told everyone to lay down their weapons. | ||
| + | * His display stunned the room. The guards surrendered, | ||
| + | * Drift then focused on the troll, cutting it down in the pit. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V: Securing the Brass Rail === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * With the arena under control, the party heard fighting elsewhere in the building. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign’s forces arrived and demanded that all remaining combatants surrender or be burned. | ||
| + | * Drift went downstairs to confront guards who had barricaded the stairwell and were firing toward the lower floor. | ||
| + | * She persuaded them to surrender, preventing the fight from escalating further. | ||
| + | * The other nobles had fled their boxes through the underground routes, but T-Bone and his people were waiting to intercept them. | ||
| + | * Fang was found alive but close to death. Doc stabilized and healed her just enough to keep her alive, then had her restrained because of her magical abilities. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign arrived in the arena, praised the party’s success, and began processing everyone present. | ||
| + | * Roughly 100 people had been crammed into the Fight Night floor, and around 15 civilians had been wounded in the crossfire and needed triage. | ||
| + | * The party and Sovereign shared a toast: “To Hope and the end of tyranny.” | ||
| + | * Soon afterward, a guard captain returned with the captured nobles, T-Bone, and several of T-Bone’s allies. | ||
| + | * T-Bone was grateful that the party had saved his family. They explained that his family had been teleported away for safety and would be returned shortly. | ||
| + | * Doc urged T-Bone to honor the people who died during the operation by helping ensure the city never fell under this kind of corruption again. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign stated that the city’s underworld would be watched closely and that T-Bone’s future role would be discussed later. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VI: Celebration With the Sovereign === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * After the raid, the Sovereign accepted Drift’s invitation to visit Excitabowl’s roller rink and ice-cream establishment. | ||
| + | * The party spent the evening skating and eating ice cream with her, seeing a more relaxed, friendly side of the Sovereign. | ||
| + | * As they crossed town, ordinary residents recognized her, thanked her, and spoke with her openly, showing that she was well loved by the public. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign skated energetically for hours and appeared to have almost limitless stamina, nearly keeping pace with Drift despite the earlier raid. | ||
| + | * Near the end of the night, the party discussed its future plans: return the rescued families, reconnect with allies, resupply, and prepare for the Abandoned Gate mission. | ||
| + | * Doc privately asked the Sovereign to accept a sharing of his memories. | ||
| + | * Through that exchange, Doc showed her his origin, his relationship with Mithras, his history of working alongside different peoples and factions, and his hope for a future unlike the oppressive modern church. | ||
| + | * Doc also conveyed his belief that the Sovereign’s power, Mithras’s power, and Solaren may be connected. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign accepted the memories and trusted the party more deeply afterward. | ||
| + | * She repeated the party’s shared ideal: “To Hope and the end of tyranny. Let us bring hope to the world.” | ||
| + | * She then departed by flying into the night sky. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VII: Return Journey and Downtime === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party teleported back to the train, woke the crew, and began moving the rescued families toward safety. | ||
| + | * They decided to travel toward Braves Landing, resupply, and send cargo and equipment onward to support their wider forces. | ||
| + | * The trip was estimated to take roughly seven days with travel stops and logistical delays. | ||
| + | * During the journey, Drift crafted items, including Dark Smoke-related supplies, and spent time resting. | ||
| + | * Doc meditated and communed with Mithras. | ||
| + | * Odri researched magical projects, particularly the scum-hat/ | ||
| + | * Odri made enough progress to understand how the scum hat functions and how its effect could be replicated onto another charm, though producing multiple versions would require more time and materials. | ||
| + | * The rescued families were returned to T-Bone and the city’s custody system, allowing the authorities to manage reunification and recovery. | ||
| + | * Odri collected copies of the Solaren related documents, intending to keep one and give another to Ollie. | ||
| + | * The party planned to acquire additional elderite ammunition, weapons, and other supplies from Braves Landing for their allies. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VIII: Mithras and OrZean === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * During meditation, Doc made direct contact with Mithras, who appeared weakened but recognized that Doc’s power was growing. | ||
| + | * Mithras revealed an important new fact: shattering the obelisks would let Doc absorb their power and progress toward his full dragon form. | ||
| + | * The party revisited the prophecy: “Shatter the obelisks, slay the lich, take your full form.” | ||
| + | * They clarified that the obelisks hold OrZean captive and prevent him from escaping, but destroying them weakens the prison that contains him. | ||
| + | * Destroying every obelisk would give Doc the greatest possible power, but it could also release OrZean before the party is fully prepared. | ||
| + | * OrZean’s phylactery is believed to be hidden in his underground lair. Destroying it would make OrZean permanently killable instead of allowing him to return after defeat. | ||
| + | * The party considered breaking the obelisks while leaving the Nightmore obelisk for last, then using its destruction to draw OrZean back toward Nightmore. | ||
| + | * They discussed using the map room to spy on OrZean when the last obelisk falls, ideally learning whether he takes or moves his phylactery. | ||
| + | * A possible plan emerged: | ||
| + | * Break most or all obelisks to strengthen Doc. | ||
| + | * Keep the Nightmore obelisk intact until the party is ready. | ||
| + | * Draw OrZean into a prepared battle at Nightmore. | ||
| + | * Send Odri and possibly Ollie through teleportation to destroy the phylactery during or around the final confrontation. | ||
| + | * The group agreed that confronting OrZean soon may be better than delaying for the Abandoned Gate mission, since the obelisks offer a direct route to greater power and a more controllable confrontation. | ||
| + | * Jaq, a retired Reaper, was identified as a likely ally for the eventual fight. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IX: End-State and Next Session === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party ended the session at or en route to Braves Landing after completing the Fight Night raid and returning to the campaign’s main objective. | ||
| + | * Immediate priorities are to resupply at Braves Landing, send support equipment onward, continue downtime projects, and coordinate with Jaq, Ollie, and other allies. | ||
| + | * The party intends to travel to the obelisks, shatter them to strengthen Doc, and use the final Nightmore obelisk and the known location of OrZean’s phylactery to prepare a decisive confrontation. | ||
| + | * The group now understands that Doc’s eventual full dragon transformation is tied directly to absorbing the obelisks’ power. | ||
| + | * The session ended on a strong note: the city’s Fight Night corruption had been broken, the Sovereign had become a trusted ally, and the party had committed to escalating its fight against OrZean. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 70.26.9.26 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place 1869.2.8-27 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | The party returned to the growing settlements of Braveslanding, | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act I — Homecoming and the State of the Settlement === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party arrives back in the Braveslanding region and meets with Ramsey, Happy, and local leadership to hear what has changed during their absence. | ||
| + | * The settlement has expanded rapidly: | ||
| + | * Mining, smelting, blacksmithing, | ||
| + | * Farms and ranches are being established between the town and Nightmoure. | ||
| + | * The Hounds patrol the outskirts and appear to deter or drive off dangerous monsters. | ||
| + | * Trade has improved: | ||
| + | * Agreements are in place with Spotted Spider and Whisper Post to the north. | ||
| + | * Emil remains a useful supplier. | ||
| + | * People from the Whispering Marshes are bringing trade goods, messages, and assistance. | ||
| + | * Defenses are becoming more serious: | ||
| + | * New walls, gun emplacements, | ||
| + | * Blackrock is developing into an industrial center, with laborers, artisans, weaponsmiths, | ||
| + | * Jacq’s Eldritch-powered train now makes the trip to Blackrock in about an hour. Its unnerving scream functions both as a warning signal. | ||
| + | * Nightmoure has become both a refuge and a bizarre attraction: | ||
| + | * Gilbert oversees the carnival/ | ||
| + | * Ollie is cleaning and fortifying the underground complex as a potential bunker. | ||
| + | * The former clown population helps organize entertainment and manage troublemakers. | ||
| + | * A roller coaster—with plans for a full loop—is under construction. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II — The Party Reports on the Wider War === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party explains that the conflict has escalated well beyond local threats: | ||
| + | * Dark forces have been importing enslaved goblins, gnomes, and other beings from other realms. | ||
| + | * These captives were being used to build artillery, machinery, armored troops, brawlers, and suicide automatons. | ||
| + | * The party freed some of the goblins, who have since rallied around Zub: | ||
| + | * Zub makes a dramatic appearance with confetti, a huge blue mustache, jokes, and magically animated blue mustaches/ | ||
| + | * He is recruiting blue-mustachioed goblins into a growing force loyal to their “new boss.” | ||
| + | * The group recounts their campaign against Scrap Beak: | ||
| + | * Scrap Beak had been producing increasingly dangerous machines, including spider-like war machines and other constructs. | ||
| + | * The party infiltrated the enemy city, defeated Scrap Beak, and brought back his equipment for study. | ||
| + | * They describe their alliance with the Night Sisters: | ||
| + | * Some Night Sisters distinguish darkness from evil and have become allies. | ||
| + | * Those who equated darkness with evil were killed or fled. | ||
| + | * The allied Sisters helped clean up Grim Ridge and now recognize the larger danger approaching. | ||
| + | * The party also describes the Sun Meadows and its leader, the Sovereign: | ||
| + | * The Sovereign is infused with the region’s magical power and is an immensely formidable fire-aligned ally. | ||
| + | * She is actively defending the Sun Meadows against enemy incursions. | ||
| + | * The party believes her support may become critical as the war broadens. | ||
| + | * The party establishes a memorial project: | ||
| + | * A large statue and memorial island will honor Edgar and those lost in the fighting. | ||
| + | * The monument will include space for names of future fallen and be placed near the river, fitting Edgar’s connection to it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III — Junior, Zub, and the Time Powers === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Ramsey asks after Junior, prompting the party to explain his new role. | ||
| + | * Junior survived contact with the timestream and became an acolyte or conduit of a time-related deity. | ||
| + | * He is no longer constantly traveling with the party, but he occasionally appears in battle to protect them or take a crucial blow. | ||
| + | * The party misses him, remembers his love of ice cream, and learns that a local ice-cream shop may be a plausible place to summon him with an offer of a float. | ||
| + | * Zub is similarly connected to this unusual divine/ | ||
| + | * The party’s allies are surprised—but reassured—that these strange beings are on their side. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV — The Obelisk Strategy and the Coming Battle === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party shifts from reporting past victories to planning the next major operation: defeating OrZean. | ||
| + | * They explain that the remaining obelisks are essential: | ||
| + | * The party must absorb their power to complete the transformation needed to oppose OrZean. | ||
| + | * The obelisks should not simply be destroyed; absorbing their power is the important objective. | ||
| + | * Nightmoure is chosen as the final battlefield because it is tied to OrZean’s old fortress and is the likely place he will seek to reclaim. | ||
| + | * The party and settlement leadership begin planning a full military response: | ||
| + | * Civilians will be offered evacuation, accommodations, | ||
| + | * Fighters will receive deputy wages and access to weapons. | ||
| + | * Nightmoure’s defenses will be reinforced and rearranged to face OrZean’s likely approach. | ||
| + | * Gatling guns can move along rail systems between gates. | ||
| + | * Emil will be asked to supply roughly 10–20 cannons and crews. | ||
| + | * Jacq, Ramsey, the deputies, Ollie, the Hounds, and allied forces are all expected to contribute. | ||
| + | * The group expects OrZean to arrive with an undead army rather than alone: | ||
| + | * Based on old records and what is known of liches, the party anticipates undead servants, possibly artillery, ghosts, skeletons, shades, and other forces. | ||
| + | * They recognize that OrZean may be difficult to kill permanently without dealing with his phylactery or equivalent source of return. | ||
| + | * They also discuss the Abandoned Gate: | ||
| + | * The party’s long-term goal is to stop hostile forces from other realms entering their world. | ||
| + | * Closing the gates is the priority; invading those other realms is considered too costly for now. | ||
| + | * Jacq may eventually help develop an explosive or destructive answer for the gate itself. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V — Blackrock, Jacq, and New War Gear === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party takes the screaming Eldritch train to Blackrock to meet Jacq and inspect the growing industrial complex. | ||
| + | * Blackrock is heavily restored and fortified: | ||
| + | * Large iron doors, guard towers, gun emplacements, | ||
| + | * Workers operate on four-hour shifts to keep production running continuously while avoiding exhaustion. | ||
| + | * Jacq enthusiastically agrees to support the coming fight against OrZean. | ||
| + | * The party gives him recovered Scrap Beak equipment for analysis: | ||
| + | * A gravity glove capable of manipulating large objects. | ||
| + | * A missile backpack that can manufacture and fire its own missiles. | ||
| + | * A shock/stun shovel. | ||
| + | * A shield backpack that reduces incoming harm to a protected target. | ||
| + | * Additional armor pieces, mechanisms, and enemy technology. | ||
| + | * Jacq begins studying the devices and explains that: | ||
| + | * He can make the recovered equipment functional relatively quickly. | ||
| + | * Mass production will take much longer. | ||
| + | * Some of the technology could eventually create specialized troops equipped to protect frontline fighters. | ||
| + | * Jacq also has major industrial projects underway: | ||
| + | * Elderite rifles are nearing industrial production. | ||
| + | * Elderite rune work is being developed with Mustang and Elder Sartoc. | ||
| + | * Mushroom cultivation is underway, with possible uses not yet fully determined. | ||
| + | * The party receives upgraded armor: | ||
| + | * Doc and Odri gain Elderite plate integrated beneath or alongside their existing gear. | ||
| + | * The armor improves durability and damage thresholds while retaining the party’s established combat style. | ||
| + | * Drift receives Elderite, chainmail, stakes and five compact razor-wire restraining devices. | ||
| + | * Recovered Scrap Beak equipment is assigned: | ||
| + | * Odri takes the missile pack, gaining mobile long-range firepower and a jet-assisted repositioning option. | ||
| + | * The gravity glove is identified as a powerful tactical tool for moving or weaponizing objects. | ||
| + | * The shield pack is recognized as useful for protecting vulnerable allies or the party’s key frontline combatant. | ||
| + | * The shock shovel remains available as a heavy melee/stun option. | ||
| + | * | ||
| + | === Act VI — Magical Research and Downtime === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party decides to spend approximately two weeks in preparation rather than rush immediately toward the obelisks. | ||
| + | * Odri and Mustang begin work on two magical projects: | ||
| + | * Studying the ancient teleportation hearthstone/ | ||
| + | * Transferring the protective magic from three old “scum hats” into more practical personal objects. | ||
| + | * The transferred protective magic becomes a reusable defensive effect: | ||
| + | * Once per long rest, a character can cause a damaging hit or dangerous effect to effectively miss them. | ||
| + | * The power is moved into personal items: | ||
| + | * One becomes attached to a claw. | ||
| + | * One becomes a Pale Rider invitation coin. | ||
| + | * One is moved into another favored item/ | ||
| + | * The teleportation system is identified as much more difficult: | ||
| + | * Understanding the old magic will take substantial time. | ||
| + | * Replicating the device will take even longer. | ||
| + | * The party leaves the hearthstone with Mustang for continued study but intends to retain access to the travel system for operational use. | ||
| + | * Doc works with Elder Sartoc on the bottomless restorative flask: | ||
| + | * The goal is eventually to produce renewable healing supplies for troops. | ||
| + | * Initial research is promising, but military-scale production will require much more time. | ||
| + | * Odri presents a bridge seed: | ||
| + | * Sartoc recognizes it as an important and rare item used by his people to grow living bridges, barricades, and permanent structures. | ||
| + | * The apprentices are tasked with growing it into a mature, seed-producing plant. | ||
| + | * The bridges are strong and potentially permanent with magical assistance, though still vulnerable to fire. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VII — Drift’s Reconnaissance at Nightmoure === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * While the others research and craft, Drift travels to Nightmoure to scout the area and assist with preparation. | ||
| + | * Drift reunites with Ollie: | ||
| + | * Ollie is operating in her true form as a green-glowing skeleton and is organizing skeletal workers and underground defenses. | ||
| + | * She is cleaning the old complex, repurposing traps, preparing hidden routes, and turning the underground structure into a defensible bunker. | ||
| + | * Ollie expects OrZean to come to Nightmoure because the site was once his throne room and fortress. | ||
| + | * Drift warns her that OrZean will likely bring servants and undead forces. | ||
| + | * Ollie commits to defending the town and using her skeletons as part of its defense. | ||
| + | * Drift introduces Ollie to the story of Zub, Junior, Scrap Beak, and the blue-mustachioed goblins. | ||
| + | * Zub abruptly appears while Drift and Ollie are sliding through the complex on improvised hoverboard-like planks: | ||
| + | * He trades a joke with Ollie. | ||
| + | * He names her an honorary Cerulean Knight. | ||
| + | * He magically gives her a mustache before vanishing again. | ||
| + | * Drift uses the map room/ | ||
| + | * One site has four Night Sisters actively working to decode or break open the seal. | ||
| + | * A second site has roughly six Sisters present and appears similarly active. | ||
| + | * The mountain site has three to six Sisters excavating it from beneath fallen rock and appears less advanced. | ||
| + | * The group concludes that the best likely order is: | ||
| + | |||
| + | - The most advanced lowland/ | ||
| + | - The second active lowland/ | ||
| + | - The mountain obelisk. | ||
| + | - Nightmoure as the final and decisive obelisk/ | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VIII — Departure Plan and Session Endpoint === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * At the end of the two-week preparation period: | ||
| + | * The protective-item magic transfer is complete. | ||
| + | * Elderite armor and special gear are ready. | ||
| + | * Jacq has analyzed and restored key Scrap Beak equipment. | ||
| + | * Nightmoure has begun preparing for evacuation, fortification, | ||
| + | * The party has clearer intelligence on the remaining obelisk sites. | ||
| + | * The party learns that once OrZean is freed or set in motion, he will likely need about three days to march to Nightmoure with his undead forces. | ||
| + | * That window will allow the group to: | ||
| + | * Complete the obelisk operation. | ||
| + | * Teleport or travel back. | ||
| + | * Finalize defenses. | ||
| + | * Prepare for OrZean’s arrival. | ||
| + | * Odri acquires four warp-dynamite charges for the coming operation. | ||
| + | * The next session begins with the party departing to claim the remaining obelisks, starting with the most urgent site, before returning for the battle at Nightmoure. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 71.26.10.3 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place from 1869.2.27 - 3.21 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | === Act I — Ambush at the Obelisk Site === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party approaches a suspected obelisk site near sunset. Odri’s talons detect **four people** spread around the area, likely Night Sisters, but the group cannot tell whether they know about the schism within their order. | ||
| + | * The group sends the talons ahead as a first wave. The stealth attempt goes badly; the hounds are immediately ambushed. | ||
| + | * The party rushes into the wooded swamp to reinforce them and finds: | ||
| + | * Two melee Night Sisters fighting the hounds. | ||
| + | * A hidden archer in the trees. | ||
| + | * A spellcasting Night Sister preparing magic. | ||
| + | * Drift attacks the caster, who responds by splitting into three illusory versions of herself, forcing instinct checks to identify the real target. | ||
| + | * Doc moves directly into the melee, heals wounded talons with divine light, and burns the two melee attackers with fire. | ||
| + | * The enemy archer and caster pressure the group from range. The hounds are repeatedly injured, while Doc absorbs several strong hits and spends armor to stay standing. | ||
| + | * The caster repeatedly attempts to put Doc and Drift to sleep. They initially resist, but later Drift is finally overcome while pursuing the fleeing mage. | ||
| + | * The party kills one melee Sister and badly wounds the others. Doc identifies the hidden archer’s position, allowing the group to return fire. | ||
| + | * Seeing the fight turning against them, the surviving Sisters scatter and retreat in separate directions. Drift pursues the mage through shadows, lands a major hit, but is hit with sleep magic and collapses. | ||
| + | * The others search for Drift, eventually finding her unconscious and trapped in nightmares. She takes stress damage before the party wakes her safely. | ||
| + | * With the enemy gone and darkness falling, the party resumes its search for the nearby obelisk. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II — First Obelisk Reclaimed === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * After roughly half an hour of searching, the party finds the excavated obelisk site. The stone has been damaged and scraped, showing that someone had been trying to break into or dismantle it. | ||
| + | * Doc activates the site’s central tablet using Mithras’s symbol. The mechanism opens and a white-and-gold obelisk rises from the earth. | ||
| + | * When Doc touches it, Mithras speaks through the air and commands him to receive the power. | ||
| + | * The obelisk’s energy flows into Doc. He transforms more fully into his dragon-knight form, radiating golden light with a flame-like aura. | ||
| + | * The group realizes the obelisk disappears afterward, leaving behind a deep hole rather than restoring the ground. | ||
| + | * They make camp away from the dangerous opening, take a long rest, and recover from the ambush. | ||
| + | * The party confirms its next route: visit friendly or potentially friendly Night Sister sites, prevent other obelisks from being destroyed, and keep absorbing their power before hostile forces can interfere. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III — The Friendly Sister Base === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Over the next several days, the party travels to another obelisk site known to be associated with Night Sisters. | ||
| + | * At the outskirts of the base, Sister Jewel intercepts them and demands to know who they are and why they have come. | ||
| + | * Doc introduces himself as Mithras’s champion, a friend of the Night Sisters, liberator of Grimwater and Sun Meadows, and bearer of several growing titles. | ||
| + | * Jewel recognizes the group’s importance and escorts them into a cleaned-up, operational Night Sister base where several Sisters are studying an obelisk. | ||
| + | * Doc activates the obelisk without delay. The same ritual repeats: | ||
| + | * The obelisk rises. | ||
| + | * Mithras’s strength increases. | ||
| + | * Doc becomes more radiant in dragon-knight form. | ||
| + | * The Sisters react with awe and begin asking questions. Doc explains only enough to stress that the obelisks are important and that Sisters trying to destroy them may be in danger. | ||
| + | * Jewel reveals that the Sisters’ original mission had been to open the obelisks and free Or' | ||
| + | * Doc asks Jewel to warn other Sister groups if possible. Jewel agrees to personally accompany the party to another camp, where her status may persuade uncertain Sisters to cooperate. | ||
| + | * The group departs with Jewel, using her as both guide and diplomatic authority. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV — Cave Obelisk and Alliance Building === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party travels to a remote mountain camp where a group of Sisters has been excavating an obelisk inside a cave. | ||
| + | * Jewel goes ahead to speak with them. The group waits, then cautiously advances when she does not return promptly. | ||
| + | * Drift is challenged by a lookout in a tree, but identifies herself and confirms that Jewel has been negotiating with the camp. | ||
| + | * The party enters peacefully. The Sisters are hospitable, curious, and visibly relieved that Jewel vouches for them. | ||
| + | * The obelisk is partly buried beneath rubble in a mined-out cavern. Odri uses his gravity glove to move the collapsed stone while Doc assists manually. | ||
| + | * Their work clears the chamber without causing a cave-in, astonishing Sisters who had spent months trying to excavate the site. | ||
| + | * The camp gathers to watch the ritual. They take photographs before the obelisk vanishes. | ||
| + | * Doc activates the obelisk, and Mithras becomes noticeably stronger once again. Doc’s transformation intensifies into a more dramatic, flame-aura dragon-knight form. | ||
| + | * The Sisters react with reverence and excitement. Jewel recognizes that the party’s claims are genuine and that something much larger is happening. | ||
| + | * The group spends the night celebrating with the Sisters: | ||
| + | * Odri and the Sisters experiment with the Bag of Hoarding, pulling out party supplies, cookies, and better alcohol. | ||
| + | * The bag causes stress and frustration when it resists some attempts. | ||
| + | * Doc sleeps under his wing in dragon form, offering warmth and protection to Sisters who approach him. | ||
| + | * The camp begins to see the party not merely as outsiders, but as allies and possible leaders in the coming conflict. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V — The Next Obelisk and Mithras’s Warning === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The next morning, Jewel agrees to keep traveling with the party and helps arrange contact with more Sister groups. | ||
| + | * The party reaches another Night Sister camp near an overgrown obelisk site. Jewel again approaches first and prevents an immediate confrontation. | ||
| + | * The Sisters are wary but not openly hostile. They watch as Doc activates the obelisk. | ||
| + | * This time the ritual is substantially more intense: | ||
| + | * Mithras’s voice is heard more clearly. | ||
| + | * White energy becomes threaded with gold. | ||
| + | * The ground shakes. | ||
| + | * The party hears a distant sound like glass cracking. | ||
| + | * Mithras tells Doc that Or' | ||
| + | * Doc accepts the burden even if it could cost his life. | ||
| + | * After the ritual, Doc is visibly more dragon than humanoid. His clothing and form have partly merged into his draconic body, and a rolling flame-like aura moves along his spine and tail. | ||
| + | * Doc delivers a powerful public statement of his creed and purpose. His words inspire those present: | ||
| + | * Odri and Drift each gain a one-use d6 “prayer die.” | ||
| + | * Jewel and the Sisters commit more fully to helping against Or' | ||
| + | * Jewel asks for support mobilizing Night Sisters for the coming battle. The party discusses transportation, | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VI — Mobilizing the Night Sisters === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party decides to split their efforts to save time: | ||
| + | * Odri uses teleportation to move Jewel and groups of Sisters between distant bases. | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift continue handling obelisks and preparing the final defense. | ||
| + | * Odri teleports with Jewel, Lapu, and the other Sisters to the main Night Sister mountain base. | ||
| + | * The teleportation surprises the assembled Sisters, but Jewel quickly establishes control and begins giving orders for war preparations. | ||
| + | * Lapu is fascinated by teleportation and briefly wonders whether it could improve hunting. | ||
| + | * Over the following days, Jewel sends word and rallies approximately **40 Night Sisters** for the defense of Nightmoure. | ||
| + | * The party successfully absorbs another obelisk under the protection of a village that had been watching it. Elder Yakoon confirms the site has remained safe since the party previously cleared threats from the area. | ||
| + | * Each absorbed obelisk produces more distant “cracking glass” sounds, indicating that Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VII — War Council at Nightmoure === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party regroups in Nightmoure, now transformed into a fortified military staging point. | ||
| + | * The Jacq brings significant military resources: | ||
| + | * Ten cannons. | ||
| + | * Elderite-inscribed guns that do not require elderite ammunition. | ||
| + | * Ammunition, weapons, dusters, and trained personnel. | ||
| + | * Jacq, Ollie, Jewel, and the party hold a war council to prepare for Or' | ||
| + | * The working plan is: | ||
| + | - Absorb the final obelisk. | ||
| + | - Observe Or' | ||
| + | - Wait for him to leave his prison. | ||
| + | - Odria and Drift teleport to his prison afterward. | ||
| + | - Recover the dangerous oil-can-like artifact if it remains behind. | ||
| + | - Bring the artifact back to Nightmoure, forcing Or' | ||
| + | * The group discusses whether the artifact can be safely destroyed, but concludes they likely need to inspect it directly before deciding. | ||
| + | * Nightmoure’s defenses have been strengthened during the party’s absence: | ||
| + | * More armed defenders are present. | ||
| + | * Runners and communications are organized. | ||
| + | * The observatory will be staffed around the clock. | ||
| + | * The town’s narrow approaches make its defensive line more manageable. | ||
| + | * The party is told they likely have no more than three days after the final seal breaks before Or' | ||
| + | * The session ends with the group preparing to activate the final obelisk next session, beginning the confrontation with Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Key Outcomes === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party survived an ambush by hostile Night Sisters, though Drift was briefly incapacitated and the talons were badly hurt. | ||
| + | * Doc absorbed multiple obelisks and became progressively more powerful and visibly draconic. | ||
| + | * Mithras is much closer to freedom, but Or' | ||
| + | * Sister Jewel became a major ally and diplomatic bridge to other Night Sister factions. | ||
| + | * Around 40 Night Sisters, artillery, elderite weapons, and local defenders are being mobilized for Nightmoure’s defense. | ||
| + | * The immediate next event is the activation of the final obelisk, followed by a planned raid to recover Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 72.26.10.10 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place from 1869.3.21-23 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | === Act I — The Final Obelisk and Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The party reconvenes at the final obelisk after securing the others and preparing Nightmore’s defenses. Odri’s earlier efforts have brought forty additional sisters to help defend the city. | ||
| + | * Ollie stabilizes the chamber’s moving platforms, allowing everyone to approach safely. | ||
| + | * Doc touches the obelisk and encounters Mithras, who is recovering but still bound. Mithras grants Doc strength to defeat Or' | ||
| + | * Mithras reveals Doc’s true avatar form: a massive golden dragon, approximately thirty feet long, with a fiery aura. | ||
| + | * At the same time, Or' | ||
| + | * Through the viewing scope, the party watches Or' | ||
| + | * Outside observers report an approaching storm threaded with green lightning. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II — The Raid on Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * With Or' | ||
| + | * They arrive among magical treasures, walls containing the faces of past poker victims, and a bone throne occupied by a chained, mummified guardian. | ||
| + | * The guardian attacks immediately, | ||
| + | * Odri burns and crushes the beetle swarms while Drift attacks the guardian at close range. | ||
| + | * After its first defeat, the guardian transforms into a larger skeletal beast. An oil-can-shaped object—the suspected phylactery—is visible inside its chest. | ||
| + | * The pair survive its repeated attacks and destroy its second form. Drift cuts around the oil can and retrieves it as the remaining beetles disperse. | ||
| + | * Before leaving, they spend about ten minutes grabbing promising treasure, then teleport back to the party. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III — Identifying the Phylactery and Preparing for Battle === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Odri and Ollie confirm that the recovered oil can is Or' | ||
| + | * They determine that its binding can be undone relatively easily. | ||
| + | * Because Or' | ||
| + | * Ollie helps identify the recovered loot: | ||
| + | * Nightmare mead, which reveals the deepest fear of the next person the drinker makes eye contact with. | ||
| + | * A psychopomp shroud, which temporarily turns a deceased creature’s spirit into a spectral assistant. | ||
| + | * An invisibility potion that lasts until the user deals damage or takes their next rest. | ||
| + | * Steel-skin salve that temporarily increases damage thresholds. | ||
| + | * A trapped-soul consumable that allows a spell from the user’s vault to be cast. | ||
| + | * A drake mantle granting temporary flight, increased damage thresholds, and an additional point of proficiency. | ||
| + | * The party distributes the useful items and rests during the remaining time before Or' | ||
| + | * On the day before battle, Doc rallies the defenders in his dragon avatar form. His exceptional speech raises the city’s defensive countdown from twenty to thirty-four. | ||
| + | * The battle plan separates their responsibilities: | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV — The Ambush and the Shattered Phylactery === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * As battle erupts outside Nightmore, cannon fire and Gatling guns tear through the surrounding forest. | ||
| + | * Drift hides near Or' | ||
| + | * Odri places a Sigil of Retribution on Or' | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift open with a coordinated strike, inflicting seventy-five damage. | ||
| + | * Drift presents the phylactery, and Doc destroys it with Mithras’s sword directly in front of Or' | ||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Doc and Drift immediately follow with another coordinated attack, pressing their opening advantage before Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V — Fireballs, Curses, and Mounting Pressure === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Doc carries Drift upward and away from Or' | ||
| + | * Odri’s explosions clear nearby skeletons and damage Or' | ||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Odri and Drift combine a fireball with a shadow-step knife attack for another heavy coordinated strike, amplified by accumulated retribution damage. | ||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Doc burns attacking shades with his fire breath, then dives back into melee and lands a critical sword strike. Drift follows with another close-range attack. | ||
| + | * More skeletons pour into the fight. Their massed attacks become increasingly dangerous as the party spends armor, health, Hope, Stress, and defensive resources. | ||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Spectral hands restrain Odri and Drift. They chew restorative leaves to regain enough Hope to act and break free. | ||
| + | * As the skeletons crowd around Doc and Drift, a concentrated attack deals forty-eight physical damage, sharply increasing the pressure on the party. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VI — The Warp Grenade and Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Odri warns the others and throws a warp grenade into the clustered enemies. | ||
| + | * The grenade rolls much lower damage than hoped, dealing twenty-one direct damage after retribution is added. Doc and Drift weather the friendly fire, while the blast wipes out the surrounding skeletons. | ||
| + | * The explosion distorts reality across the battlefield, | ||
| + | * Badly damaged, Or' | ||
| + | * Once outside the distortion, he lands additional life-siphoning attacks on Doc and recovers some health. | ||
| + | * Doc transforms into his full golden dragon avatar and pursues him, charging into melee for another heavy hit. | ||
| + | * Drift tries to catch a ride during Doc’s sudden transformation and takeoff but cannot get aboard. | ||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Drift closes the distance through shadow steps and lands the finishing attack, using her momentum to carve through Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VII — Covos Claims the Dead === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * Covos manifests above the battlefield as an immense butterfly-winged presence and encloses his fleeing soul. | ||
| + | * Or' | ||
| + | * With Or' | ||
| + | * The battlefield falls silent as the gunfire and screaming stop. Nightmore’s defenses hold, with the countdown only reduced from thirty-four to roughly twenty-nine. | ||
| + | * The session’s in-world action ends on the party’s victory, and everyone earns a level-up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Epilogue — Debrief and Next Priorities === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The players discuss how strong opening attacks and favorable rolls helped secure the victory, while Or' | ||
| + | * They identify the next priority as dealing with the church and freeing Mithras before returning their full attention to the wider war. | ||
| + | * The GM reports that the Sun Meadows front has largely recovered, freeing the Sovereign, Rala, and their experienced troops for future operations. | ||
| + | * The party considers returning to Or' | ||
| + | * Level-up and possible multiclass choices are left for the next session, along with the immediate aftermath of the battle. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Session 73.26.10.17 ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Takes place from 1869.3.23 - 4.22 | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{ : | ||
| + | |||
| + | === AI Summary === | ||
| + | === Act I — Or' | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The session opens immediately after Or' | ||
| + | * Drift receives a letter from Covos thanking her for helping collect a soul long overdue. Drift gains a blessing that lets them reroll damage dice showing ones or twos. | ||
| + | * The party searches Or' | ||
| + | * Odri discovers that bonding with the staff would allow communication with the dead. Its presence resists further examination and suggests an appetite for conquest and control, so he initially keeps it without bonding. | ||
| + | * Doc, still in dragon form, burns Or' | ||
| + | * The party flies back to Nightmore to cheering crowds. Doc returns to his normal form and shares an emotional reunion with Ramses. | ||
| + | * They learn that the defense cost approximately 23 lives, largely from shades passing through fortifications. Doc asks that the fallen be recorded for the future memorial at Brave’s Landing. | ||
| + | * Ollie preserves the bodies until their families can attend the funerals. Nightmore celebrates the victory with a feast, music, dancing, and fireworks, while word goes out that evacuated families can safely return. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act II — Planning the Next Campaign === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Doc contacts his sister, Rallah, and learns that their allies have secured the border. He asks her to bring the Sovereign to join preparations for the next campaign; they expect to arrive in about a week. | ||
| + | * Ollie proposes an expedition with the Night Sisters to recover the remaining treasures from Or' | ||
| + | * The party holds an initial council about confronting the Church at the Fortress of Light and freeing Mithras. | ||
| + | * Mithras can offer little intelligence beyond confirming that he remains caged in his lair within the mountain’s principal holy site. | ||
| + | * Jacq favors an overwhelming assault, but Ramses warns that artillery and magical warfare inside the inhabited mountain would cause extensive civilian casualties. | ||
| + | * The discussion develops three connected objectives: | ||
| + | * Free Mithras. | ||
| + | * Eliminate the Trinity. | ||
| + | * Win over Pale Riders who might support Mithras and the old faith. | ||
| + | * The party considers using unused Church favors to request an audience, infiltrating through a diplomatic visit, teleporting to familiar locations, or approaching from the air. Security restrictions and the fortress’s defenses complicate each option. | ||
| + | * They settle on gathering better intelligence from Anton and their contacts at the library before committing to an attack. The Sovereign’s diplomatic standing may provide another route inside. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act III — Odri Bonds with the Staff === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * During the days before the memorial, Odri and Ollie continue studying Or' | ||
| + | * They uncover its ability to raise an “Army of Darkness”: | ||
| + | * The party debates whether using the dead could spare living soldiers. They distinguish animating empty remains from imprisoning souls or killing people to create undead. | ||
| + | * Persuaded that it might serve as a useful tool, Odri **bonds** with the staff. | ||
| + | * Its presence immediately tries to overwhelm him. He resists, but learns that its greater powers will require further contests of will. | ||
| + | * He also discovers that demons and undead spirits created it to bring ruin upon the world. Breaking the bond—or moving too far from it—would require another struggle against its influence. | ||
| + | * The staff can function as a magical weapon without the same contest, but communicating with the dead or raising an army exposes Odri to its presence. | ||
| + | * Odri briefly collapses during the bonding, then explains what he has learned. He asks Ollie to intervene if he loses control. | ||
| + | * The group raises the possibility of destroying it, although the staff’s whispers claim that doing so lies beyond the world’s capabilities. Odri remains bound to it, increasingly aware of the danger he accepted. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act IV — Honoring the Fallen === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Three days after the victory, Nightmore holds the funerals and memorial. | ||
| + | * The group establishes a local burial practice combining enclosed interment with returning bodies to nature: the dead are placed in hollows carved into trees, packed with nourishing material, and sealed inside. | ||
| + | * Families conduct individual burial ceremonies before gathering for a communal remembrance. | ||
| + | * Ramses reads the names of the fallen, thanks those who fought, and promises that the names will also appear on the memorial at Brave’s Landing. | ||
| + | * Doc follows with a brief address, describing their sacrifice as an important chapter in a story that is not yet finished. | ||
| + | * Gilbert and the clowns then turn the gathering into a wake, with music, shared memories, and at least 23 pies—one reflecting each fallen person’s favorite. | ||
| + | * Throughout the occasion, the staff tempts Odri with opportunities to speak to the dead, sharpening his unease about the bond. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act V — The Sovereign Arrives === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * The day after the memorial, Odri accompanies Ollie and several Night Sisters to Or' | ||
| + | * While they are away, Doc uses Nightmore’s magical surveillance apparatus to observe the Fortress of Light. He sees regular train traffic, flying riders, and military supply movements, but cannot see inside the mountain. | ||
| + | * Several days later, the Sovereign arrives in Nightmore with Rallah, Frankie, and a small entourage. Doc arranges an honor guard and formal welcome. | ||
| + | * Rallah and Jacq promptly slip away together, leaving the others to handle the initial briefing. | ||
| + | * Doc updates the Sovereign on Or' | ||
| + | * The Sovereign supports removing the Trinity and freeing the city. She also recognizes that victory would ease the eventual advance into the Twilight Wilds. | ||
| + | * Doc explains the party’s intelligence resources, including the Dark Library and the secret surveillance device, then demonstrates the latter to the Sovereign and a limited group. | ||
| + | * Frankie confirms that her operatives can get their entire train into the fortress station without close inspection. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign proposes bringing the soldiers and equipment inside aboard the train while a smaller group investigates covertly. If negotiations or infiltration fail, their armed support will already be in position. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Act VI — Recovery, Rearmament, and the Final Council === | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Over the following two weeks, the allies prepare troops and equipment while Doc gives the Sovereign a fuller account of Mithras’s history and their work at Nightmore and Brave’s Landing. | ||
| + | * The Sovereign takes an interest in Jacq’s industrial achievements and the possibility of improving production and finding elderite deposits in her own territory. | ||
| + | * At Or' | ||
| + | * The expedition returns with approximately a train car’s worth of artifacts and supplies. Ollie continues studying the recovered collection. | ||
| + | * At the final council, Frankie reiterates that getting the loaded train into the station is secure; the remaining question is what people and equipment to bring. | ||
| + | * The party favors capable volunteers and strong equipment suited to fighting inside an inhabited mountain, rather than indiscriminate destruction. | ||
| + | * Odri recognizes that the staff could jeopardize an infiltration. He resolves not to let it endanger the mission, even if that means attempting to break the bond. | ||
| + | * Ramses explains that rallying sympathetic Pale Riders will depend heavily on how Doc reveals himself. Building support district by district could help, but would take time and risk exposing their intentions. | ||
| + | * The group clarifies the fortress’s enormous scale: its districts lie inside the mountain, linked by rail, trams, and footpaths. The surveillance device cannot substitute for interior maps or local intelligence. | ||
| + | * The expedition’s roster includes 40 Night Sisters, 100 selected soldiers, the Sovereign and her accompanying staff, Jacq, Rallah, Ramses, Ollie, and the party. The recovered artifacts will travel with them. | ||
| + | * The session ends before departure, with the library as their first intended stop inside the Fortress of Light. After speaking with Anton, they will decide which objective to pursue first: freeing Mithras, striking the Trinity, or rallying the Pale Riders. | ||