The Shifting Tides Act 1

Session 20 - Bandit's End

The next week of travel brought the party closer to Redlin without incident, save for the occasional caravan or March patrol on the road. That peace broke one morning as they set out and not long after spotted the blackened husks of wagons, partially hidden off the roadside. No cargo, no animals—just the charred frames of what once was a caravan.

Investigating further, they found more wagons deeper in the woods. There, the scene turned grim: fifteen corpses lay scattered, a handful of merchants and over a dozen mercenaries likely hired as guards. No clear signs explained what had happened.

As they considered leaving, an elf emerged from the trees. He greeted them, claiming he’d been out hunting when he stumbled on the wreckage, checking to see if any survivors remained. But his story quickly unraveled. When he tried to flee, the party caught him and forced the truth from him.

His name was Lysar, a low-ranking member of a bandit company led by a ruthless man named Charlie. Lysar also carried a staggering 20,000 gp bounty on his head. Once the party learned the camp’s location, they left him tied up and set out to deal with the bandits directly.

The camp lay hidden a few miles from the road, encircled by cliffs. Lysar had told them of a lesser-known entrance along the southern edge, and the party used it to creep close to the walls of the camp. But as they prepared their spells, their presence was noticed, and battle erupted.

Charlie unleashed his tricks, and his men fought hard, but it wasn’t enough. The party cut down the rank and file, his lieutenant, and finally Charlie himself—leaving none alive.

None, that is, except Lysar.

Session 19 - Strange Candy, Stranger Chickens

For several weeks the party’s journey west went undisturbed. They passed caravans and patrols of the March, keeping to the Copper Road as Redlin drew nearer.

One evening, the air grew rich with the smell of sugar. From the opposite direction came an eccentric gnomish candy maker, his cart unfolding into a fully stocked stall. To their surprise, his goods were no ordinary sweets—each candy carried a magical effect. The party stocked up, buying samples of every flavor, and spent the night in his company, enjoying the food and the laughter he brought to the roadside. By morning, they purchased even more before parting ways, hoping their paths might cross again someday.

Another week passed, and they lodged at one of the many waystations along the road. In the morning, commotion stirred: an overweight tiefling was shouting about his missing oxen yoke, a prized possession. His anger was directed at the stablehands, but the party intervened, freeing the workers from his wrath and offering to find the yoke themselves.

Tracks revealed something feathered had carried it off into the northern woods. Following the trail, they discovered a goblin camp. The creatures were mounted on rare Dohdahs—giant birds resembling chickens. The goblins were slain, the yoke recovered, and the surviving birds marched back to the waystation, where they were sold to a tavern cook.

With the matter resolved, the party set out once more, the road to Redlin stretching ahead.

Session 18 - Sewers and Secrets

With little time to act, the party stripped what they could from the bodies of the nine ambushers. Their halfling guide—still bound and gagged—muffled something about escape through the sewers, but they ignored him, regrouping instead as the sound of armored boots grew louder from both directions.

Aelar vanished, turning invisible and flying off with a warning: dozens of guards were closing in. Left to decide on their own, Alaric led the others toward the sewer grate. Ungagged at last, the halfling warned them the grate was stuck. The druid, still in the form of a polar bear, easily wrenched it open, and the party slipped below. Connie, last through, slammed the grate shut just as the guards arrived, covering their retreat.

They followed the halfling through the sewers for some time before he led them to another exit. There, he tried to bargain: since he’d given them safe passage, he should be set free. The party was unmoved. When he attempted to bolt, he was struck down and knocked unconscious instead.

Split apart for a while, the party eventually regrouped. The matter of the halfling’s fate weighed heavy. Alaric and Samuel took him away, intending to kill and dispose of him quietly. But when Tobin woke mid-journey, pleading for his life, their hesitation gave him the chance to slip free. Samuel had assumed Alaric would strike, while Alaric expected Samuel to finish the job. In the end, neither did, and Tobin escaped into the dark.

Meanwhile, the others returned to business in the city. They purchased scribing supplies from the arcane college and set out to meet Grimshaw and Rix—the contacts Baldrek Ironquill had sent them to. From them, the party learned more about the map Baldrek desired, including rumors of a vault filled with gold hidden in Calderra’s lost capital. They made the deal, securing the map with a promise of shared fortune.

Once reunited the party retired to the same inn, they then debated Tobin’s escape, unease growing about who he might work for.

The next morning, they delivered the map to Baldrek. He confirmed the rumors the party learned from Rix: Calderra’s capital was said to contain a vault of unimaginable wealth, lost and forgotten. In return for the party’s efforts, he asked only that they bring him any knowledge they uncovered there. A handshake sealed the agreement.

Finally, the party collected what they had originally come to Genth for: a small, unassuming crate, five inches by five inches by twenty inches, reinforced with metal strips. Despite its size, it weighed fifty pounds. They purchased spare corner strips in case they wanted to investigate it further, but for now, the crate remained sealed.

With their business concluded, the party left Genth, turning west along the Copper Road. Their destination: Redlin, where Levi was said to be waiting.

Session 17 - New Shadows, Old Faces

The party awoke to find their numbers diminished. Jack was gone—no note, no farewell. Maren, too, had departed, though she left behind a letter explaining her decision to seek work at the arcane academy. Their breakfast was accompanied by a third note, this one unsigned. Its author claimed to be in Levi’s company and displayed an unsettling knowledge of the party’s travels. The message instructed them to go to the Rows—the warehouse district of Genth—to collect “what they came for.”

Setting that aside for the moment, the party spent the day selling off their accumulated loot. Their path eventually led them to the University of Rational Arts in Hillcrest Heights, where they met Alrend Vost. Vost directed them toward Old Town, suggesting they speak with Baldrek Ironquill, a retired historian fascinated by Calderra.

Baldrek proved eager—almost too eager—to acquire their goods. He bought everything without haggling and then made them an offer: there was a map he desired, but the sellers refused to deal with him directly. Asking the party to act as intermediaries. They agreed, arranging payment in the form of historical coins before heading out on a shopping spree, upgrading gear and supplies.

Their next destination was the Rows, where they hoped to find a smuggler’s market to purchase magic items. On the way, they encountered a strange paladin who boldly claimed to be a new god, destined to break the wheel. Odd as he was, he joined their company, and together they pressed on.

Connie led the search, and soon they found a halfling willing to guide them to a seller of magical goods. Suspicion lingered, and for good reason—the “seller” turned out to be an ambush. The party was ready, cutting down the thugs before the trap could spring fully.

In the chaos, they gained an unexpected ally: a druid who entered the fray on their side. When the dust settled, the ambushing thugs were dead, the halfling guide was captured, and the guards were closing in on the scene.

Time pressed against them. Decisions had to be made.

Session 16 - Arrival in Genth

Aelar spent long hours poring over the druidic scrolls, working to unravel their dense, metaphor-laden phrasing. Piece by piece, he managed to piece together the process behind creating the heartwood-core trolls. The ritual was costly and precise, demanding a complex list of rare ingredients. Most were identified, though two key components remained beyond his grasp.

Releasing such creatures was out of the question. Instead, the party turned their efforts toward sabotage. At the lake, they disrupted the breeding grounds of the fish that fueled Velmil’s economy—an act they hoped would, in time, weaken Mayor Burstein’s hold on power.

With that done, they resumed their journey south toward Genth, passing through several small villages before reaching the famed Copper Road. Their companion Torren grew animated as he explained its history: once the path of immense machines that breathed fire and steam, capable of carrying hundreds of passengers and thousands of pounds of cargo across vast distances before the collapse. The strange, precise layout of the road suddenly made more sense.

At last, they turned east, following the Copper Road on the final stretch to Genth.

Upon arrival, bureaucracy quickly blocked their path. Their carriage and Nibbles were undocumented—an unlawful oversight in the eyes of the city guard. To proceed, they needed papers. The party made their way toward Old Town, hunting down the correct civic offices.

On the way, they were stopped by an excitable gnome who recognized the carriage—he had been its original builder. Overjoyed to see it in use, he upgraded the vehicle on the spot and gifted them a medallion of travel, allowing free movement within the city. All that remained was to register Nibbles.

This led them to Orsen Vosk, Genth’s Beastmaster Registrar. A seasoned ranger and animal handler, he was visibly impressed by the wyvern pup and issued the necessary permits, with the caveat that Nibbles was barred from residential districts.

With the legalities settled, the party escorted Torren to his bank. Their charge safely delivered, they received their payment and parted ways with him. That evening, they secured a suite in the Grounded Tulip, one of Genth’s reputable inns.

But while the others settled in, Jack wandered off into the Sailors’ Quarter. There, swept up in drink and camaraderie with a crew of goliaths and half-orcs, he made a decision. He joined them as a sailor, turning his back on the road and the party, setting sail into a new life of his own.

Session 15 - The Problemed Politician

Mayor Vol Burstein continued to prove himself insufferable. The morning after Connie’s arrest, he sent a courier to the party’s camp with a letter insisting they move on and leave Velmil behind. That afternoon, he paid Connie a visit in her cell. She had spent her morning harassing the guards, but the mayor arrived only to officially read out her charges before leaving her where she was.

Back at camp, Alaric and Maren passed the time trying to play with _Nibbles_. Connie, meanwhile, debated using magic to escape, but ultimately decided against it—choosing instead to wait for events to play out.

The following morning, the mayor returned, this time with two constables. Stopping just shy of the camp, they announced that the party was still within Velmil’s jurisdiction. The March, they warned, would be informed of this infraction. Negotiation was attempted, but Burstein remained obstinate and unyielding. The party finally decided to ride south, leaving Velmil behind.

Half a day down the road, however, their journey was halted by a column of two dozen riders clad in the gold and blue of the March. At their head was Adjudicator Rellan Voss, who showed little interest in the party’s protests or explanations. Instead, he simply told them they could accompany him back to Velmil.

As the March rode, it became clear this was not the first time Voss had dealt with Burstein. He spoke the mayor’s name with open distaste. By the time they reached the edge of town, the party was asked to wait with most of the March while Aelar continued on with the adjudicator.

Inside the town, Aelar and Voss discussed the situation. The adjudicator made no secret of his frustration with Mayor Burstein. He then left Aelar in the square and set out to speak with the mayor. Connie caught a glimpse of him entering the mayor’s house. A fine was arranged, and Connie was released. Voss escorting her back to Aelar and party.

The March then escorted the party out of Velmil, spending one final night on the road together before leaving them on their own near the fort. From there, the party continued their southern journey, eventually veering off the road to investigate the lakes that sustained the local villages’ economy.

During the ride to one of the lakes, Aelar studied the ritual pages retrieved from the forgotten druid enclave—laying the groundwork for planting the recovered heartwood cores in the woods surrounding one of the lakes. The goal to unleash the Trolls on the town to hopefully cost Burstein his seat.

Session 14 - Trouble in Velmil

With the spider slain, the party finished their search of the massive underground chamber, collecting a few more valuables before making their way back to the surface.

Returning to their carriage, they discovered one of the horses missing. Hoofprints led them to a peculiar gnome who had taken the animal, claiming his own donkey had been stolen during the night. Seeing the party had more than one horse, he’d decided to “borrow” one. After some negotiation, they struck a deal—the horse would be returned in exchange for the gnome’s knowledge of the fractured era’s timeline.

That night they camped, and Nibbles returned to their side. Morning saw them on the road once more, heading back to Cindermere. There, they received payment for clearing the grove and rested another night before setting off south.

A few days’ travel brought them across paths with a heavily laden trade caravan heading north. Pleasantries were exchanged, but neither party lingered. That evening, Nibbles again wandered off, and by morning, he was nowhere to be found.

Continuing south, they arrived in the rest town of Velmil, a place catering mostly to traveling mercenaries. The night was lively. Maren, still carrying the orcish longsword, was approached by an elven woman who saw through her story about the blade’s origin. The woman gave a simple warning: put it back—and offered no further explanation.

At dawn, shouts of alarm rang through the streets. Stepping outside, the party found Nibbles trying to reach them, only to be driven back by the town guards. Eventually, he slipped past to rejoin them—but the moment was cut short when the mayor himself arrived, politely asking them to leave with their beast.

Before the party could respond, Connie threatened to kill the mayor. Guards immediately moved in, arresting her on the spot. The mayor sent word for the march and ordered the rest of the party escorted out of town without her.

They set up camp just beyond Velmil, Nibbles lying beside them, the air heavy with the absence of one of their own.

Session 13 - The Root of the Problem

The party’s rest in the underground hallway was uneasy. During the night, something massive stirred in the dark—a spider, but not an ordinary one. Its body was covered in a stony carapace, nearly blending into the tunnel walls. It crept past the Tiny Hut, ignoring the occupants inside, and continued down the corridor.

Later, it returned, looming in silence. The party member on watch held their nerve, choosing not to engage. They watched as the spider reached the end of the hallway, placed its legs on the stone, and melted through it—shaping the rock like clay—before vanishing into the wall, which sealed shut behind it.

The rest of the night passed without incident.

In the morning, the party resumed their exploration of the vast chamber. Two additional passages—northwest and northeast—led to smaller offshoots. The northwest passage opened into a room carved with built-in shelving along the far wall. Resting on these shelves were dozens of heartwood cores, each pulsing faintly with hidden magic. Along the opposite wall stood several wooden sarcophagi—most empty.

One, however, held the missing foreman, his body tangled in tendrils sprouting from a single heartwood core embedded in his chest.

They set the coffin ablaze. The flames consumed the foreman’s body, but the coffin and the core were untouched. Carefully, the party recovered the remaining cores from the shelves—over twenty in total.

The northeast passage led to a chamber in ruin. It had been ravaged—walls cracked, furniture splintered, shelves shattered. Scattered among the debris were pages from a tome. The content detailed the creation of something called the “Wild Borne” and instructions for activating a teleportation circle in the room. However, the notes were written entirely in idiom-laced code, making interpretation difficult.

At the center of the room stood the modified teleportation circle—its runes unfamiliar and twisted. With careful study, they determined it could serve as both a destination for teleportation and as a violent method of banishment to another plane.

On a nearby pedestal, they uncovered a final item: a Scroll of Preservation, a rare and potent tool capable of freezing something—or someone—in perfect stasis forever.

Their search complete, the party began their ascent back to the surface. Along the way, they discovered a hidden compartment in the wall containing a sealed box, which they retrieved.

But before they could climb farther, they noticed more of the strange, discolored stone—signs of the spider’s presence. Rather than let it stalk them again, they turned around to confront it.

The battle was fierce. The creature’s webs were laced with razor-edged stone, like barbed wire, cutting deep with every entanglement. But through coordination and firepower, they brought the spider down.

With the path cleared once more, the party took a moment to breathe—bloodied, burned, and victorious—before continuing toward the light above.

Session 12 - A Forgotten Place

Following the brutal ambush, the party continued west through the deepening grove. After hours of travel beneath the forest canopy, they came upon a massive stone formation rising out of the earth. Despite its towering size, the dense trees had hidden it from above.

Careful investigation revealed a concealed doorway. As the party approached, the stone seemed to melt away, opening into a tunnel that spiraled downward. They descended—and continued descending for what felt like hours.

Midway through, a narrow side passage appeared, partially blocked by rubble. A familiar was sent ahead to scout the interior chambers, but nothing of significance was found. The party continued deeper.

Eventually, they reached a 50-foot corridor that opened into a massive chamber. Their darkvision couldn’t pierce its full breadth, but scouting revealed a colossal space—200 feet wide, 100 feet tall, shaped like a perfect hemisphere. Two other passages branched from the chamber beyond the one they entered.

Exploring the perimeter, they discovered three corpses—druids, long dead—pinned to the stone wall. One still carried a magical dagger.

At the center of the chamber stood something stranger still: a tree—or what remained of one. A colossal root system, 50 feet across and 30 feet tall, rose from the stone floor. At its apex, a glint of metal marked the point where it merged with a massive trunk that continued upward—connecting seamlessly into an inverted root system of equal size clinging to the ceiling above.

Climbing to the top of the structure, the party retrieved the metallic glint—a magical glaive, clearly forged with the intent to fight the forest itself.

Night settled quickly in the depths. The party withdrew to the hallway outside the main chamber and made camp. The roots above and below remained still… for now.

Session 11 - Into the Grove

At first light, the party prepares to leave town but is stopped by a grateful lumberjack. He hands them a crude map—directions to the grove they’d agreed to investigate. With a nod of thanks, they set off. The chaos wyvern pup, Nibbles, follows briefly before turning back, disappearing into the woods.

Several days of travel pass without incident. Eventually, they arrive at the edge of the grove, choosing to make camp just outside. That night, a troll attacks their camp. It’s a swift and violent encounter, but the party prevails.

In the morning, they enter the grove.

Inside, they find the lumberjack encampment torn apart—ruined, bloodied, and abandoned. No survivors. They track a set of heavy footprints, almost certainly troll, leading westward into denser forest. As they press on, the trees grow closer, darker, and more oppressive.

Then—an ambush.

The trolls strike with surprising coordination, far more tactical than the last. The battle is long and grueling, but the party emerges victorious.

Breathless and bloodied, they take a moment to recover.

Session 10 - Into the Woods

The party finds themselves stranded atop a stone rise in the middle of a massive, waterlogged mountain basin. The floodwaters are slowly receding, but not enough to move. They spend a full day waiting for the water level to drop, and once it’s safe to travel, they press on—crossing the last stretch of the range and descending into a lush, vibrant forest.

Not far down the road, they encounter an elven trader. Quiet, disinterested, and clearly in no mood to chat, he passes by with barely a nod. The party continues along the main road, spotting signs of tree harvesting as they travel. A second path branches off at one point, but they ignore it and keep going.

Then: screams.

A group of terrified lumberjacks come sprinting down the road, hotly pursued by a strange, twisted troll. The party springs into action and drops the creature quickly. Problem solved—for now.

Roughly two hours later, their travel is interrupted—not by danger, but by Nibbles, the chaos wyvern pup. It stands in the middle of the road, blocking their way with a strange insistence. When they choose to follow, it leads them off the path and back to the site of their earlier battle with the troll.

Something is off. The troll's corpse is still there—but after investigation it's discovered it's fusing with the ground, roots growing unnaturally from it. The party doesn’t waste time. They burn the body, and in the ashes discover a dense piece of heartwood, faintly pulsing with magical energy.

With the matter handled they return to the road and continue on, reaching a small lumber town by early evening. The town is a company settlement, built around a large-scale logging operation, with blacksmiths, carpenters, and administrators holding things together. The leadership comprises three figures: Pennis, an elf; Grella, a dwarf; and Jorin, a halfling.

Aelar strikes a deal with the trio to investigate a grove of interest, and the party unloads some gear, selling valuable items to the town’s craftsmen.

Later, some of the group heads to the local taverns, quickly finding themselves hailed as heroes by the lumberjacks. Drinks come freely, and stories flow. By nightfall, the party is offered rooms above the company’s headquarters. Some stay in the tavern to keep drinking. Others drift off to the carriage to rest.

Night settles in. The forest waits.

Session 09 – On The Road Again

After a night of rest, the party resumed their exploration, intending to finish the upper terrace of the city. There, they cleared what appeared to be the homes of the city’s wealthier residents—more refined structures, but empty and uneventful. With nothing else of interest in the ruins, they turned back to the road and continued their journey through the mountains.

Over the following weeks, the road wound through shifting terrain—sharp inclines, rocky paths, and forested stretches. Eventually, it forked again. Choosing the right-hand path led the party into a region of rolling hills, where the trees thinned out and wildflowers dotted the ground. They made camp in a clearing filled with a dozen of stone markers—simple rock cairns arranged like grave markers, but with no names or markings. The field was wild, but untouched.

Each cairn radiated a faint aura of abjuration magic, with a second, smaller magical signature below the ground. When one of the graves was disturbed, the remains of an orc were found—and buried with it, a longsword of moonlight. Which the party took.

The next fork in the road brought them left into a beautiful valley. At its center stood a structure unlike anything they’d seen before. Its guardian referred to it as an Infinity Structure, and explained its purpose—though the details remained vague. The party stayed the night under its protection and set off again the next morning.

The final stretch of the journey was uphill, culminating in a high mountain basin—the edge of the range. But crossing the basin didn’t go as planned. On the way across, the party encountered an old curiosity: the chaos wyvern pup, still inexplicably fond of them. Jack scared it off during the first night.

On the second night, heavy rain began to fall. The party sought higher ground, only to find the wyvern waiting for them. Aelar coaxed it into joining them inside the Tiny Hut for the night.

By morning, the heavy rain hadn’t stopped—and the basin had flooded with nearly 20 inches of standing water. The party pushed forward through the rising flood, wading slowly as the terrain vanished beneath the waterline. By nightfall, they found another high point to rest on. The rain finally eased during the night.

Now, with dawn breaking, the party stands on a small stone hill in the middle of a drowned basin—surrounded by over three feet of water. The ground beneath their feet is dry.

Session 08 – The Third Terrace

The party began by exploring the strange tavern that, now, looked just as weathered and ruined as every other building in the city. On the upper floors, they found a magically sealed room. Attempts to dig through the walls revealed the chamber was encased in iron. After casting Dispel Magic, the door unlocked, revealing a small room containing a magical hourglass.

It turned out to be a time-viewing device—some kind of chronomantic lens that showed glimpses of the past, though with very limited control over what moment you were actually seeing. Interesting, but not exactly precise.

From there, the party made their way to the third terrace. This level featured a large church, an administrative building, and a couple of granaries. In the church, they found a strange mirror that, when touched, revealed forgotten memories. No obvious signs of danger, but clearly magical and tied to the city's past.

The administration building had several hidden compartments—one filled with scrolls, another with a set of wands. The rest of the loot was mostly coin and other valuables. Useful, but not particularly revealing.

Aelar took time to attune to the hourglass and used it to peer into the past of a large archive room. The room had once been filled with ledgers and documentation, but by the time visible through the hourglass, it was seen to be cleared out long ago.

Continuing their sweep, the party investigated two large granary buildings. More booze was discovered, stashed and long forgotten. No surprise at this point—consistent with the town’s long-standing commitment to hiding alcohol in increasingly obscure places.

While scouting the area, they noticed smoke rising to the south. A familiar was sent to investigate and spotted a sizable goblin camp—about 40 to 50 individuals—gathered around a large pit fire near a cave entrance. It appeared to be a settlement, not a mobile group.

Rather than engage, the party chose to fall back north to the second terrace, where their horses and carriage had been left. They made camp there for the night.

Session 07 – Same Old, Same Old

The party ventured forth into the ruined city. First, we followed Connie on her ventures through a couple of buildings on the second terrace—her great and noble quest to find more alcohol. She rummaged around, eventually turning up a bottle of very orange drink that was definitely not old, spoiled rum that had been watered down and then refermented into something vaguely drinkable. Whatever it was, she drank some and promptly passed out on a bench outside.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party was exploring the old forge structure and a nearby administration building. With nothing dangerous or noteworthy found there, they regrouped and started heading further into the city. On their way back toward the second terrace, they discovered an old cold storage tunnel. It gave them a decent shortcut but popped them out farther away than expected. The tunnel led them into a dormitory building—small internal kitchen, lots of sleeping space. They swept the place (no threats), regrouped, and moved on.

Connie was still napping at this point. The rest of the group started making their way toward a building near the edge of the terrace. But along the way, something caught their eye—a structure that didn’t match the look of everything else around it. This one wasn’t decayed or ruined. It looked...new. Intact. Suspiciously clean.

Naturally, they investigated. No signs of magic. No traps. Inside they found a chest, and inside the chest? More booze.

But the really strange part was the condition of the place. The chest, the furniture, the whole interior—it all looked brand new, like it had just been constructed. Spotless. Unsettling.

Eventually, they reconnected with Connie and set up for a long rest.

That night, during third watch, Maren spotted something. A big... something. Too far away to see clearly in the dark, but it was definitely there. She woke Aleric and went to check it out alone. She found nothing. No creature, no noise, no evidence—just empty ground under a very quiet sky. The rest of the night passed without incident.

In the morning, the full party went to investigate the area where the silhouette had been seen. There, they discovered large, widely spaced depressions in the ground—like something massive had been through there.

They made their way back to the strange pristine tavern-like building… only to find it changed. Now it looked like the rest of the city— weathered and abandoned. But Aelar, out of curiosity, checked the same cabinet as before and found a similar chest. Same size. Same booze. Same layout.

Session 06 – The Ruins of Gresmarc

The party spent half a day traveling to the ruined city of Gresmarc. Initial exploration began at a large barracks structure near the edge of the ruins. Inside, they found a stash of old alcohol. Connie, after taking a large drink, got very drunk and shortly wandered off alone. It was around this time that the group realized Gresmarc was far more than a few ruined buildings—it was a full urban settlement.

From aerial surveillance, the layout showed the majority of the city was made up of barracks and apartment-style structures. The party decided to investigate the most distinct buildings first.

While Connie moved off on her own, the rest of the group explored a large foundry. One section held the remains of eight blast furnaces. Another featured a massive capstan over an even larger flywheel, connected through a network of large iron axles, gears, and power hammers. The entire complex appeared to have been part of a single, interconnected industrial system.

Afterward, the party moved north and entered another large building. Exploration revealed various secrets and hidden spaces. The building contained mostly unassuming loot and a number of minor mysteries.

Session 05 – A Brush with Chaos

The party’s rest was interrupted by Slick seeing strange movement near camp. Slick roused everyone just before sunrise. Jack investigated, but the trail vanished—only to reappear near camp. Meanwhile, the rest of the group spotted a young chaos wyvern—kin to the alpha they had slain before. Smaller, it was drawn past the camp but didn’t attack. It locked eyes with Aelar, who carried the elder wyvern’s scales, through the opaque nature of the Tiny Hut. Then it wandered off.

The creature began shadowing them at a distance—watching but never engaging. On the first night, Aelar tried to lure it closer with food. It observed but didn’t approach. On the second night, it ventured closer. When Aelar revealed one of the elder’s scales, the young wyvern reacted—drawn to the scale. It nudged Aelar, then presented him with a rabbit, its own offering, before vanishing again.

The third night brought wolves. The party handled them easily, but the wyvern was spotted again afterward, silent and possibly protective. As the terrain shifted to a narrow crag-path and opened into a new valley, the wyvern became bolder. It dragged a deer into view of the camp—a clear gift—but remained skittish when approached.

Near distant, ancient ruins, it returned again. Alaric fed it. Aelar, sensing an opportunity, invited it within the space where Leomund’s Tiny Hut would be cast. When he activated the spell, the wyvern was trapped inside but didn’t panic—only paced the dome’s edges. Eventually, it curled around the chaos scale and lay still, humming with energy.

During fourth watch, Jack offered it whiskey. The wyvern was not amused—hissing, sneezing, and knocking the bowl aside. The noise startled it. When the spell was dismissed, it fled at terrifying speed.

The next day, the ruins loomed. The wyvern didn’t return—but its absence felt temporary.

Session 04 – Bird Eater Tower

The mountain path split at a fork—one road curved east around the range, the other climbed westward. Neither route offered an obvious advantage, and the party chose the western ascent. The trail narrowed as it wound upward along the edge of the mountain, eventually revealing a ruined watchtower perched above the pass. Its walls were cracked, the first floor was opened and found to be quiet.

The party explored cautiously. The lower level was empty. Stairs to the second floor had collapsed, but the group improvised a way up. They cleared the second floor and pressed on. At the top, inside a crumbling turret, they encountered a mimic—unusual, even among its kind. It spoke and offered no threat. Its manner was calm but alien. It claimed to be born of chaos, but stable. When asked its name, it asked for the meaning of the word “name.” When explained that it’s what defines someone, it proudly called itself “Bird-Eater.”

Conversation was brief and odd. As a gesture of goodwill, Bird-Eater gave the party three ancient coins from the Kingdom of Caldarra. Each one was in perfect condition, untouched by time. The coins raised more questions than answers, but the party accepted them. They made camp in the tower.

That night, Bird-Eater attempted to steal rations and was caught by Jack. A mild confrontation followed. The mimic backed off, only to return again and again throughout the night, pestering each watch. By the final shift, Slick took a different approach. He spotted an owl in the woods and fired from the turret window. He couldn’t descend normally, so he leapt from the second story and crossed the clearing.

The owl was gone. In its place was a chaos scale—iridescent, glassy, and near identical to the wyvern’s, but smaller. There was no blood, no feathers, no trace of the owl’s body. Slick returned with the scale and finished his watch. Bird-Eater retreated to its turret and did not return.

The next day, travel resumed. The new scale was added to the collection. When held near the originals, both began to vibrate at an unnatural frequency—high, invisible, and sustained.

The road narrowed again before spilling into a dead basin—flat miles of brittle grass and skeletal brush. The only break in the horizon was a shadowed cut between two mountain shoulders. The party made camp. During final watch, Slick spotted a figure in the dark—too far to make out clearly, but unnaturally large. It moved with erratic pacing: leaps, twitches, bursts of motion with no clear direction. As dawn neared, a group of rabbits tore through the camp, sprinting from the same direction.

Slick roused the others. Weapons were drawn. The shape was still distant, but closing.

Session 03 – Carriages and Mountains

The party returned to Kolderfall to acquire a carriage. Initial inquiries with the local carpenter revealed a six-month backlog on orders. The request was dismissed without deference—no exceptions made for adventurers or mission-critical needs. The party was directed to Balen, an old half-elf stablemaster operating on the outskirts.

Negotiations with Balen began at five hundred gold and escalated quickly. He was openly distrustful of adventurers and unwilling to haggle. Failed persuasion attempts hardened his stance. Final price landed at eight hundred and fifty gold. The party paid in full and secured the carriage.

With the new carriage tied to their travel plans, the party made preparations for scroll crafting during downtime. Travel began immediately along a lesser-known southern route through the mountains, chosen specifically to shorten the journey.

Two weeks passed without incident. By then, the party had crossed roughly 490 miles—an average of thirty-five miles per day. Genth remained over 1,600 miles away.

Approaching the mountain edge, the party encountered a skirmish between local rangers and a creature identified as a Chaos Wyvern. The wyvern’s body was translucent, rainbow-scaled, and hollow—its interior a dark, starless void. The rangers shouted warnings before being cut down mid-sentence. Three were killed instantly. Two remained alive when the party engaged.

Despite the creature already being bloodied, the fight was difficult. The remaining rangers were killed in the process. The party managed to bring the creature down.

Upon death, the wyvern’s body unraveled—folding inward like fabric pulled loose. It collapsed into nothing, leaving behind seven scales. Most shattered during looting. A few brittle fragments were recovered—glasslike and likely valueless, though arcane energy was faintly present.

The ranger corpses were stripped of useful gear, but no identification, notes, or satchels were found. No sign of a nearby camp. Their presence, uniforms aside, was entirely contextless. No one knows who sent them or what they were doing there.

Session 02 – Bandits, Barns, and Brutes

The party's engagement with the bandits outside the village was loud—loud enough to draw attention, though it didn’t quite reach the manor. One of the fleeing bandits eventually informed those inside that a fight had broken out, prompting Lockjaw and his companion to head out and engage. The party slew them, and the remaining bandits fled in fear.

Hesel, captured during the previous encounter, remained alive and under guard. No further interrogation had been conducted.

During the fight, Aelar’s group located the three individuals they were tasked with rescuing. They were hiding in a nearby smokehouse—an elven druid, a dwarven barbarian, and a halfling sorcerer. None were injured. They were freed without resistance. Their initial behavior was cautious but cooperative. Their background and intentions remained unclear.

The surviving villagers fled south under Talon’s escort.

Once the village was cleared of bandits, the party buried the corpses. Lockjaw, his guard, and all the fallen bandits were interred in shallow graves outside town, in the woods. The effort was methodical—meant to prevent complications with locals and erase signs of the battle.

Talon commended the party on a job well done. He gave them a Bag of Holding containing basic provisions and offered them a new job: travel to Genth, retrieve a package, and deliver it to Redlin. Payment was promised at five thousand gold upon delivery. Hesel was taken by Talon and his associates. Levi’s interest in the prisoner, if any, was not disclosed.

Session 01 – The Beginning of the Rabbit Hole

Each member of the party was summoned by a curious letter. They traveled to the city of Kolderfall, where they were directed to the tavern known as The Broken Dagger. Inside, they were ushered into a back room to meet the individual responsible for the letters—an elf named Levi Lexington.

He informed them of a problem he needed resolved: bandits had waylaid his friends in the nearby village of Ardenshire. He offered 500 gold up front for the task. The party agreed, collected their payment, and retired for the evening.

The next morning’s departure was delayed slightly when Aelar and Faye went shopping for additional supplies, pushing back Talon’s intended early start.

The party was provided with horses, saddles, and basic travel gear. They departed alongside Talon, Talia, and Varenthil. Talia scouted ahead. Travel to the village was uneventful and aligned with Levi’s timeline.

Upon reaching the outskirts, the party used Aelar’s crow familiar to scout ahead. Patrol routes and bandit numbers near the perimeter were loosely confirmed. Entry through the main road went unchallenged, with only scattered patrols visible in the open.

The party spent the night outside the village, planning to infiltrate and create a distraction the following morning.

Combat began almost immediately. The first encounter was a group of eight bandits—standard gear, poorly coordinated. A second group of four followed shortly after. The staggered fights allowed the party’s frontliners to avoid being overwhelmed. Both groups were neutralized. All party members remained standing.

One brute surrendered during the skirmish. He identified himself as Hesel and was taken prisoner. Several other bandits fled in every direction.

With most of the town assumed cleared, the party took stock of the remaining threats. The barn, thought to house contain the villagers, now stood unguarded. There had been no contact from the manor.