The Pillars of Sypetia Campaign

Day 1

Gwyneira in the city, getting the lay of the land and finding ways out as well as where the slave areas are. Felix and Xander are looking for the capital building, looking to start some trade routes. Idham is just wandering the streets, looking for interesting things, like stonework. He heads to a building made of stone, while watching people. He notices Felix and Xander, heading the same direction as him. Felix plays his harmonica. Idham walks along near them. Hawthorn is looking around the town for a tavern. It’s pretty obvious right in front of him. So, he heads into the tavern. He walks up to the bar, seeing a goblin cleaning a cup. He asks after Sophia. The barkeep absolutely has no idea where she is and insults Hawthorn for wearing armor. Hawthorn calls him a short little shit. The goblin climbs on the counter, and they argue. The goblin pulls out weapons and they fight. Hawthorn goes first, attacking with both of his blades, trying to be nonlethal. Bringing the blades down, he pulls back a bit, so he scores the chest just barely. The goblin screams as he drops his dagger and falls over. Hawthorn takes the dagger. People stand up and rush over to the goblin, yelling at Hawthorn. They tend to the goblin. He tells them to take the booze and leaves. 

About 40% of the people on the street are slaves, and Gwyneira takes note. They look to be well cared for. She looks for a whore house and finds it near the tavern. The tavern, there’s a commotion and Hawthorn comes out. He heads to the inn. So, she chooses to follow him. Hawthorn goes to the counter and sees a human woman who says hi. He asks after Sophia, and the woman doesn’t know. He asks how much a night would cost, 1 silver with food and a pint of ale. Hawthorn turns around to leave and sees Gwyneira. He asks to get by, and she moves to open the door and let him past, and he heads out. 

Felix, Xander, and Idham arrive at the capital building. The person they’re looking for would either be in that building, somewhere nearby, or at home. Xander and Felix argue. Idham looks to see if there are guards nearby. Felix has stopped playing his harmonica. Idham sees three archers stationed on the capital building, but no other guards. There are multiple other stations, but they unmanned. Felix decides to enhance a thunder boom. It’s quite loud, making everyone stop and look up before continuing on their way, saying, “Heil Sypet.” Xander decides he's hungry and goes to get food. Felix casts a big fireball to toss at his brother, but it fizzles before hitting him. They look for a tavern. When they turn around, they see Idham studying them. And they study him back. Felix nudges Xander toward Idham, telling him to say hello. Xander will not, so Felix says so as well. More thunder sounds and Felix enhances it again. It is notably louder. The people start to move away from the edge of the platform, appearing nervous. Xander and Felix introduce themselves to Idham, deciding to go eat food with him. 

Hawthorn goes into a magic shop while Gwyneira stands outside studying the area. The shop is full of smoke, and Hawthorn goes up to the shop keep. He looks down to see a dwarf sitting on a pillow. Hawthorn insults the shop keeper, and the dwarf seems not to care, trying to get him to buy a carving/tattoo. He asks after Sophia Everglade and wants info on an artifact he has, so Hawthorn shows him a piece of the orb. He pops it in his mouth and says it’s very magic. Hawthorn wants to know what the purpose of the orb is or why it shattered. It shattered because the spell was infused in the something else. Hawthorn wants to know where, so the dwarf asks for his hand. The shard is still in the dwarf’s mouth, and Hawthorn wants it back, but wants the hand first. So, Hawthorn gives in, and the dwarf licks it. Hawthorn is pissed but the dwarf tells him that Hawthorn has the enchantment that was on the shard. He also says it’s a death spell. Hawthorn asks for the shard back and the dwarf sticks out his tongue with the shard on it. Sighing, Hawthorn just takes it back, and walks out the door. 

Gwyneira stands in the square, watching people. After the thunder, most people move towards the buildings, away from the gate and docks. Bored with waiting, I see the commotion at the tavern, so I head toward the whore house. Hawthorn decides to follow Gwyneira. We both go toward the whorehouse, and head in, looking for the woman that runs the place. I ask after Tamako. She isn’t sure, so I ask after any other person who might know. If she resided within the city, the city records would have that information. She places a hand on my shoulder and convinces me to stay. She turns to Hawthorn to convince him to stay as well. She takes us to the back. An ice primal comes in for Hawthorn and a Shade Elf comes out for Gwyneira. The Shade Elf has manacles, but no chains. Gwyneira starts to fight the seduction at the sign of the manacles.

Felix, Xander, and Idham are going to the food, heading to the second place with food. They head into a food market and heads to a dumpling stand, but Felix stands back and waits to show Xander that he’s on a time crunch. They chat and the guy running the cart gets sassy. So, they get the food and give the guy a tip. 

Gwyneira enjoys herself, but Hawthorn thinks back to Sophia and decides to leave. Hawthorn is back outside and hears a rumble of thunder, twice as loud as the last one. Everyone freezes and looks around, frightened. Felix goes to enhance it and does a big gesture and Xander finally realizes that it was him. So, Hawthorn heads to the city records. Gwyneira asks the Shade Elf is she wants to be there. She is confused. When I ask about Tamako, she pales and says no but she’s lying. I leave, paying for the services and head toward the records.

Xander, Felix, and Idham head back to the main central building, wanting to go for the minister of commerce. They invite Idham to join them. It starts raining and everyone stops, a large crack of thunder sounding. A storm has never hit Sypet before. Hawthorn and Gwyneira notice the people stop and staring upwards. Another flash of lightning. We both continue to the records. Xander heads inside, but Felix pauses for a second. The time between the flashes and the thunder is getting shorter. The storm is getting very close. Gwyneira is rushing forward. Hawthorn is not, until Gwyneira runs past, and he runs along with her. Felix sits down outside, taking his hat off. Xander looks back at him, wanting to know if he’s okay. Felix ignores him. The people outside are still frozen, staring at the sky. Idham heads up the stairs to get cover but stays outside to watch the sky. Another crack of lightning, one second, and panic breaks out. They all begin running to buildings. 

Hawthorn and Gwyneira reach the central area, many people not out anymore. Gwyneira and Hawthorn book it toward the capital building. Another flash of lightning hits the capital building, and a crack begins to form. Felix’s staff is giggling. Idham heads inside the capital building. He opens the door, waiting for Xander and Felix. Xander calls out for Felix to come inside. Hawthorn and Gwyneira are running up the stairs. Idham holds the door open. Felix walks in slowly. We all enter the capital building. The door closes and we’re inside the large rotunda. Felix dries us off. Felix and Xander start talking about the capybara, saying they had one come through their company. 

Everyone inside is rushing around, paying us no mind. Idham heads up the stairs and Felix stares at Hawthorn. They introduce themselves. Another crack of thunder and the building shakes. Priests are running around everywhere. One tells us to move it to the center rotunda. It is Azazel. Hawthorn and Gwyneira start to go up the stairs, and Idham is already halfway there. Xander and Felix also head up as well. We talk with him and do introductions. Ask about the storm and he says the priests are there for the goddess who controls the storms. He says he’s a foreign dignitary. We all step inside the rotunda, and look around as priests come flooding in. Someone is currently in the throne, a gnome, only dressed in a loincloth, her body covered in jewels. She is just sitting there, arms and legs crossed, watching the priests walking around. Azazel grabs a seat. Gwyneira and Xander take a seat. The priests are moving to the outside of the room, creating a circle around the room. Felix just leans on his quarterstaff, not sitting down. Ringo sits in a seat as well. A few dignitaries come out, but the seats are mostly unfilled. Azazel is smirking, twiddling his thumbs likely out of excitement and not boredom. 

The whole outside of the room is full of priests, about 160 or more of them. Another priest walks in, this one in gilded robes, likely a high priest. He quickly walks down the center isle and prostrates himself in front of the throne. There is silence. He asks the queen if he may speak. She stares at him, drawing it out before she says, “Only if you’re going to tell me why this happening to my city.” He says he can’t speak. She wants to know how to fix it as another boom of thunder. He doesn’t know. She tells him to be gone, to remove his clothes and to the water with him. He rises, removes his robe, lays down his staff, and leaves the room. Felix follows him, calling out to him, and getting ignored. Felix catches up to him and grabs his shoulder, but the priest shrugs it off and continues. Felix asks for info, wanting to know what’s up with the storm. He doesn’t know. Felix whacks him with his staff and the priest falls. He skins himself and bruises and he stands back up and continues limping forward. Felix wants to know why the god would be angry, and the priest doesn’t know. The priest has reached the bottom of the stares and is heading to the door. Felix tries to intimidate him, but the priest keeps going, saying his queen decrees it and so he must die. Felix jumps in front of him and holds out the staff asking if it has something to do with it. He doesn’t know, but he tells the priest to touch it, so he does. But the priest doesn’t know. He steps around Felix and continues walking. Felix steps in front of him again. Felix tries to persuade him. The priest says he is the high priest, so if he doesn’t know, then he doesn’t know who would. So, Felix lets him go and heads back inside, hearing a splash behind him. Felix comes back up. The queen hasn’t said anything since the priest left. She leans forward and addresses the rest of the room, asking us if we know how to stop it and save the kingdom. Azazel stands up, saying he might have an idea about that.