[Session:: True]
[Recorded:: true]
DM - [Butter:: True]
Aerendyl - [Dragon:: True]
Cyras - [Nate:: True]
Lucian - [Fluxy:: True]
Lyssandra - [Glo:: True]
Rick “Ricky” Stone - [Andrew:: True]
Session begins Moondreak 8th 801av retconned to Skyfire 8th 802av.
- The session begins with the DM welcoming the players back to the world of Crystalis, marking the start of a new season.
- The previous season’s travels are briefly recapped: starting in Luminevia and journeying through Bontrant, Lovant, and Thalassiril.
- There has been a time skip of
seven to eight months, starting in Moon Dream 8, which is described as a fall to wintry time.to Skyfire 8th 802av, in the summer. - The group is starting in the nation of Amerihya, the home of Dragonborns and their free markets, located north of the Elven nation of the Last Real. Amerihya is characterized by economic struggle for most, with luxury only for the few.
- The immediate setting is focused on a new coffee shop, Dawn’s First Brew, which has been operating for about a week.
- Aerendyl arrives at 8 a.m. to Dawn’s First Brew to find people leaving in anger and disappointment, and the shop interior is ruined, with chairs turned over, broken wood, strange bottles, and the main counter clearly damaged by a sharp object.
- Lucian, the owner, is introduced as a human male, around 27, who looks “perfect.” He is wearing professional casual attire, including a sweater with diamond patterns, a white tee, and a black tie.
- Aerendyl asks what happened, and Lucian explains that he “accidentally” opened the coffee shop after a man gave him the keys; “here take this free building”.
- Aerendyl asks what coffee is, and Lucian describes it as a “being” filtered into water, heated up, and people love it.
- Lucian mentions that his wallet is lighter since arriving and he is unprepared to run a business, not even knowing what taxes are, also mentioning the price for a coffee is a couple of silver pieces.
- Aerendyl rolls a Perception check (9) to check if anyone is watching them, but finds nothing… he thinks.
- Lucian realizes that Aerendyl is the famous Elven Noble / Adventurer who recently got married, which was briefly mentioned in the news.
- Lucian asks Aerendyl to help him find out who robbed him, offering the contents of the register in return, except for a small, sentimental charm.
- Lucian rolls a Perception check (16 total, passive check triggered) and notices that Aerendyl is purposely hiding his right hand.
- Aerendyl rolls an Investigation check with a natural 20 (25 total) and finds that the theft was an amateur job.
- He discovers odd glassware (coffee mugs), broken tools in the kitchen, and a trail where crates were scraped to the back entrance.
- He also finds scattered small glass bottles (about three ounces of liquid), one with a torn blue label, similar in size to a healing potion flask.
- Aerendyl checks a piece of wood left behind, determining it is Oakwood stained with something, likely from a cart.
- Lucian casts Guidance on Aerendyl.
- Aerendyl decides to ask a nearby shopkeeper if they heard any noise, he knocks on the door across the way to be answered by a Dragonborn, who identifies himself as the landlord (unnamed). He begins demanding 235 gold for six months rent, as Lucian has stayed for more than seven days, and as such, the laws of the land claim that Lucian is now an official tenant. This is an absurdly good rent deal for Amerihya and makes Aerendyl suspicious.
- Aerendyl deflects the rent conversation, asking the landlord about a carriage yesterday night. He is informed that “quiet time” starts at 11, and “his squeeky cart was moving around at 3 am”. Aerendyl and Lucian thank the man and decide that they should follow the tracks the cart left.
- As they follow, it leads to a busy street.
- Aerendyl notices two figures in dark cloaks running through the crowd, one shooting something like an arrow at the other, causing a little bit of blood, before the injured figure darts into an Alleyway.
- Aerendyl decides they should help, even though Lucian claims he cannot fight
- Lucian hides behind Aerendyl when they enter the alleyway.
- lyssandra (the hooded figure getting attacked) uses a Ki point to make an attack, splitting her finger open and ejecting a small bone piece.
- lyssandra uses her movement to climb up onto a two-story roof (20-ish feet up), landing prone.
- The larger cloaked figure is hit and attacks lyssandra by flicking their blood at her as an attack.
- The larger cloaked figure fails to jump onto the roof and moves to a better position.
- Rick uses Misty Step and Action Dash to move near the cloaked figure. He is described as a seven-foot tall armored human male with tree branch and moss decorations, wearing a moss and leaf cape, wielding a cyan/blue Warhammer, a shield, and a stag head helmet.
- Aerendyl reveals his full metal arm and a large katana-like sword and uses Blessing of the Raven Queen to teleport in front of the cloaked figure.
- Cyrus (unnamed at this time) is introduced as a Tiefling in nice, noble-style clothes, carrying a short walking stick, with bright silver eyes.
- Working together, the party was able to incapacitate the attacking man in the cloak, Rick stabilizes the unconscious man with Cure Wounds.
- lyssandra uses a handful of the man’s crushed blood and bones from his wounds and puts them into her bag.
- Rick takes the man to four nearby guards.
- After a Persuasion check (26 total) from Lucian, the guards advise Rick to take the prisoner directly to the prison and leave them out of it.
- The new party, made up of Rick, Cyrus, Aerendyl, Lyssandra, and Lucian head towards the prison.
- They arrive at the privately owned prison where a Dragonborn guard is sitting at the entrance.
- The guard informs them of a one gold fee for conversation.
- After some conversation, the guard agrees to waive some of Lucian’s fees to talk, lowering it to a single silver. After some conversation the dragonborn twists the events to make it seem that the cloaked man was attacking Lucian. He does this so he can claim that attempted murder on a shopkeeper is a serious crime. He offers a reward of 200 gold for the capture.
- The guard puts a simple leather collar on the prisoner, magically compelling him to walk into the prison.
- The group overhears the guard tell the prisoner that he has been fined 25,000 gold for violating the independent shopkeepers act, and he will settle his account in 287 years, he will not die (somehow) due to a partnership with Healthy Brews and Goods. They also learn that the guard gets paid in commission, so the more things they put on the prisoner, the more money the guard gets.
- Aerendyl notices an advertisement for Healthy Brews and Goods showing bottles of Emergency Energy for Your Pleasure with blue labels, which are the same size and color as the bottles found in the coffee shop.
- Aerendyl gets a pamphlet from the guard by asking nicely. The guard adds 100 gold to the prisoner’s sentence in exchange for the pamphlet.
- The pamphlet is a catalog with a direct address to the store.
- Cyrus and Rick discuss the need to track down the thieves, and the group agrees to form a party.
- The party goes to a high-class tavern, The Adamantine Crow for food and drinks to talk more privately.
- The group orders food and drink, including:
- Rick: Fishers Catch of the Day (roasted, not boiled, slightly juicy), and three pints of beer.
- Lucian: Shepherd’s Pie, two shots of whiskey.
- Aerendyl: Dwarf Mead and the Bread and Butter Platter.
- lyssandra: Apple and Black Burnt Crumble, an Elven Moonshine Ale, and two shots of whiskey.
- Cyrus: Ruby Read (bottled ale) and Blacksmith’s Grill (extra onions, cooked rare), and a bread and butter platter for the table.
- The waitress explains that Elven moonshine is magically infused and extremely potent; non-Elven people can be immediately knocked out by it.
- lyssandra quickly drinks the Elven Moonshine Ale and, despite being prone to sickness, is only extremely nauseous.
- The group engages in “Icebreaker” introductions.
- Cyrus introduces himself as a scholar and diplomat from Lumin who dropped off the face of the earth and is now looking for a new start as an adventurer.
- Lucian introduces himself as Lucian Leandor Ravenshade, a person of nobody with a recently ransacked coffee business, brought here by circumstance.
- Aerendyl introduces himself as a High Elf from Thalassiril, a veteran of a war against Dark Elves, who lost and rebuilt his own arm and leg as a craftsman. He is married to a Tiefling.
- Rick introduces himself as a Paladin of the Ancients, a nomad who travels and protects small villages, with a nature focus.
- The cost of the meal is revealed to be 2 gold for the food, but with various fees (gratuity, taxes, transaction, processing, verification) totaling 24 gold, bringing the total per person to 26 gold.
- Lucian’s total is reduced to 14 gold after the waitress waives some fees for him as a shop owner/victim.
- lyssandra, unable to function due to the Elven drink, is helped by Cyrus and Rick.
- Lucian shows Rick his herbalism book that contains the proprietary coffee beans and also notes that the edges of the book have a growing moss and an aroma of burnt ash.
- The session ends as the party is leaving the tavern.
Session ends on Skyfire 8th 802av at 1:00 p.m.