DND Blog

A place to keep DND session recaps, from various campaigns.

The Hundred and Third Session

June 8, 2024, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

We travel to the South Haven, to Vurguron's home. Vurguron's family has been usurped; they no longer control the Third House.

Table of Contents

  1. Last session
  2. The West Haven
    1. Shopping
    2. Vurguron's Vision
  3. Off to the South Haven
  4. To South Haven
    1. The Mistvale Carnival
    2. Outside the City
    3. Entering the city
  5. Next Session

Last session

Percival met up with his sister, and then his father. He took the family heirloom sword from his father, and broke with him.

The West Haven

We exit the Byron house into the street. Percival swishes his new gleaming sword about; the guards escort us out of the estate's gates and onto the street.

Ryltar asks how Percival is doing; is he alright? "That was kind of heavy." Percival says he's fine. Alistair says they need to talk, privately.

So we go off to talk to the Magister, Andraste Netoyn. It's morning, in the early fall; we walk through town.

It seems peaceful and quiet. They're setting up for a solstice festival at the arena; we don't go in.

The church of Corellon Larethian is as it was. We check in at the front desk and ask after the Magister. It turns out that he's off on other stuff and will be back in a fortnight. We ask the secretary to tell the Magister that the Knights of the Summer Court came by. She perks up; she recognizes us. She tells us that we'll be needed at the spring equinox. She confides that he's off at the Woven Council, doing diplomacy about the relationship between the Woven Council and the West Haven. There's nothing big changing there.

We let her know that we'll be heading to the South Haven tomorrow, and that we can ferry letters and other stuff there if the Church wishes. We'll be staying at the Forest Floor Inn.

Shopping

Goals: potions, potion accessories

We run across Sir Bertram Bell, who we had saved from the were-rats. He's doing well; we're doing well, and he's selling potions. He's got an influx of cold resistance potions! But we need cold resistance.

Other potions:

We check in at Cato's Forest Floor Inn, and reserve our rooms for the night. Apparently we have a standing reservation for one room. It's 2 gold for a night; Ryltar tips 50.

We go wander the town. We've been to other big cities before; bigger big cities. Returning now, without the overwhelming size and crowds, and it feels slower. There aren't as many people interacting; people are more standoffish.

We see a clothing store, and go in to browse. We already have desert clothes. Ryltar buys some clothes that make him look more like Wint, to intimidate Belladonna.

We go back to the inn and have an excellent dinner.

Percival and Alistair return. The sword is called "Mythcarver" and gave Percival some memories from its previous wielders when he attuned to it. It's killed many dragons, a fiend.

We discuss whether to tell Alistair about the Belladonna stuff; we decide not to read him in on the full thing. Instead, we tell him that "there's a storm coming", so that he can at least prepare. Percival says that Alistair was sort-of testing Percival, to see if anyone in the family can "pick up the torch."

"Do any adventurers really retire?" asks Ryltar. It doesn't look like Alistair had.

Vurguron's Vision

Since Vurguron attuned to "Honor's Last Stand", his shield, he's been having dreams of grandeur and the majesty of Dragonkind. This night is different.

The shield has a crest of a platinum dragon. A jewel at the center of its chest, and the vision zooms out to show Bahamut. The original shield goes dark and missing; a spear pierces the hole in the dragon, into the void. A roar of pain. He gazes into the eye of a dead and decaying dragon, a green one: Kerjes. The crowd cheers, but now someone stands across from him, with a green scale for shield.

Off to the South Haven

Alistair decides to return to Maymoor; he doesn't want to leave Bugfood in charge of the town's recovery. We thank the staff and head out. And then-and-there, Ryltar Teleports us all back to Maymoor.

It is cold and clear and bright.

Alistair says he's proud of Percival as a grandson. "Don't take the words of your father to heart. He does not know the greater calling that we must hold ourselves to. Anyways, bye!" And then he just walks off.

Ryltar asks Bugfood if he's "had any crazy dreams that need us to solve them, or that involve the stars." We tell him what we've done with Kerjes and the pharaoh, what we're going to do, and that we're going to be out of reach. "And I thought I was the crazy one," he says.

We promise to stay out of the palace from time to time.

And then Ryltar casts Teleport, without an item, to take us to South Haven. 1d100 = 33

To South Haven

The spell spits us out in the swamps, in a cold area, near stone walls. We take 8 points Force damage and are yanked back into the Teleport again. 1d100 = 68

We are off target by ways.

The ice shatters and we fall to our feet in the middle of a big tent. A big-top circus tent. There's no one there. It's morning.

The Mistvale Carnival

We peek out the flap, and see a carnival setting up. Most of them are performers. A random performer, covered in piercings, welcomes us to the Mistvale Carnival, who are entertaining the residents of South Haven.

Jerry asks if they've seen the Pink Jester, which we last saw in Renewal, where the pyramid sprang up. They don't. We jest with the performer.

This is the same Carnival that we met in Leen, back in session 22, where Ryltar and Vurguron got their fortunes told. That was where Vurguron paid with his family's signet ring, and got a platinum sword hilt that he traded to Kerjes, and won back with a blade reattached.

Ryltar asks after the fortuneteller, Meggora, and is directed to her tent. We go over to see her, and Ryltar enters her tent. The tent flap falls shut behind him. He looks around; she's not in evidence. But a voice asks behind him why he's here; he says to look for a new fortune.

She thinks he's kind of asking for more. She asks if he has something to offer; he pulls out the Pipe of Remembrance and offers it.

Meggora would be taller if she were not so hunched over. She appears at the table, and asks him what he wants to know. He says it's about the Red Wastes, and the trip to the library.

  1. The Moon: "You will find there is more darkness than sun in that desert. The Moon is your friend, but also your enemy."
  2. The Sun: "There is more to be found than you seek. The endless sands hold so many secrets."
  3. Death: "As you say, when it comes, it comes. But will you be ready? What happens after?"

Ryltar looks up a little thoughtfully. "Are any of us, really? Thank you," he says.

"Don't thank me. Your friends may want you now."

He stands and exits; knowing that if he looked back, she wouldn't be there.

Percival goes in to get his reading.

We'll do that next session.

We exit the carnival, to see the spectacle of South Haven.

Outside the City

South Haven is towers, at least on first impression. It's like spines rising into the sky, dozens on dozens of spires, like a frilled back. The Haven's circular city is dwarfed by the upwards expansion of the towers. Wyvern riders fly through the city, on recon patrol flights. South Haven is under the domain of the Scaled Legion, and is its home. Popular races are Dragonborn, Lizardborn, Tortles, and passerby Humans. A moat around the city itself, with a canal system going into the city. South Haven is bigger than West Haven, smaller than Quadroads, like if the Scaled Legion saw a Haven and turned it into their fortification with a vast marble architecture. Spires and onion domes. Outside the city, buildings line the canals.

The Scaled Legion is ruled by a senate of 20 houses, each with their own responsibility. Vurguron's house was the Third House, with control of religion. The Senate and Houses are governed by two Praetors, who were chosen from among the Twenty Houses. They are the face of government.

Vurguron has two legendary artifacts of houses: the Shield, and also the Orb.

Percival has a big shiny magical sword, and also a big chunk of tree growing out of his arm.

Ryltar is a Drow.

Jerry is carrying two halberds and is wearing a spider cloak.

We're not going to enter subtly.

Entering the city

Vurguron leads the Party, with the shield on his back, and his cloak draped nicely under it.

The guards stop everyone and ask intent before allowing them entry.

They're very bored; ask Vurguron his intent. "I intend to visit my family." "Family?" "The Third House." The guard looks closer. "Third House?" He looks to the other guard.

"My company and I have been away for some time, and I have wanted to visit them again."

The guards have some hushed whispers. "That's interesting. Step over here, please."

So we do. They ask who the rest of the Party are; we say "traveling companions."

"You're of the Third House?" "That is correct." More conversations between the guards, trying to figure out what to do.

Ryltar asks: "Is there a problem?"

"It may be best if you follow us."

The guards wear the crests of the 19th House, crossed spears. We overheard them say 'torlekin', which Vurguron knows is a Draconic word meaning someone who is houseless, fallen, and shunned. The guards are unsure of his provenance, unsure that he is actually of that house. He pulls out his Scroll of Noble Pedigree. The guards take it and read it.

The guard says, "Let me lead you to your house," and Vurguron thanks him for the escort.

Three guards lead us inside the city.

The spires tower overhead. It's like Rome at its height, bustling with Half-orcs, Goliaths, Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, Tabaxi. It hasn't changed much since Vurguron was last here. Dragon tykes chase each other with wooden swords. It's a lively town, bustling with industry. The Dragonborn and the Scaled Legion are a driven people; pushing to self-improve for the benefit of society. The Houses want to do better for themselves, so that they do better for society. They are expanding. They will become an industrial revolution. They run the Water Line in the Red Wastes now.

Through winding streets, we walk past markets and all kinds of trade goods. Music and performers and street preachers and philosophers. A coliseum. More guards fall in around us, picking up extras as we go. But Vurguron knows that we're headed in the general direction of his home. We come to the rich district, with its own wall, and the guard lets us through.

In Draconic, the escort guards relay a message to the gate guards: "Alert Sergith of our arrival." Not a name that Vurguron recognizes.

Ten guards, now.

We are led through the quiet streets of the rich district, where there are schools, bathhouses, churches. We arrive at a tall marble manor, with stained-glass windows depicting Bahamut, like a home made into a church. A majestic and imposing structure, but welcoming.

The doors open. Where you would expect it to be Vurguron's father, in exuberance, it's instead a green Dragonborn man, flanked by servants, who introduces himself as The Venerated Sergith, head of the Third House.

Next Session

Percival's fortune reading.