Blossom Fall, Episode 6

Colonial Caerdia: Blossom Fall is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't already familiar with this series, you can find the beginning over here.

You can find the previous episode here.

5th-7th of Waxing Spring, 0 AL

I'Un and Vala have just returned from a nighttime excursion out the the Spring Blossom, where they discovered the corpses of nine extremely hairy orcs concealed in a compartment below the cargo hold. Vala swears I'Un to secrecy before they go to bed, saying that they don't know who they can trust, and that she'll get to the bottom of this - and hopefully have someone to blackmail at the end of it.

In the morning, Vala heads off searching for someone somewhat nefarious that she can rely upon for information relating to shady dealings, and is surprised to find a relatively friendly face. Silence is a light red tiefling who was something of a friendly rival back in New Drovinaar. Vala approaches them and asks them to replace Roach, an mutual friend of theirs who had connections to the larger criminal world. Silence is open to the idea, and is more than willing to accept payment to go searching for information about the dead orcs - with a promise for more to come if they find results.

I'Un sets out to spend his day crafting bear-tooth hand-wraps. He is soon approached by John looking to ask some questions, however the conversation is very quickly derailed when I'Un accidentally lets slip about his and Vala's trip to the ship. The monk tries to cover up his mistake, but John easily sees through his lies and presses him for more of the truth, with I'Un finally saying that John needs to ask Vala if he wants to know anything else.

John reports to Jojen about what he's learned from I'Un, then goes off on Jojen's request to see if there might be any horses available that they could use for exploration. When I'Un takes a break from his work to talk to Jojen about a plan he's been working on to impose some structure on their little society - consisting of a council formed by the five strongest people - as determined by a tournament. Jojen expresses that this could be a good idea, as there is currently no functioning leadership or organization and buildings are being constructed wherever people feel like building them, however he turns the conversation to the concerning matter of this expedition out to the Spring Blossom. I'Un once again displays his ineptitude for lying, and finally says that Vala must be asked for any other information before returning to his project.

Jojen decides it's time to pay Vala a visit, and finds her quite irritated that I'Un couldn't keep quiet about their venture. She reveals very little about what had happened, making up for I'Un's lack of lying skills - at least until John shows up, coming back with news that there are too few horses for them to acquire one, and catches the end of the conversation. I'Un had told John more, and from that information, Vala is persuaded to share with them the carpenters' kit that was found. Jojen convinces her to let him have the kit in the hopes of finding a carpenter to work for them.

John goes off to find Will so they can join a foraging party for the rest of the day. Jojen heads towards Glavel and the under-construction temple, however on the way he's examining the toolkit and he recognizes some of the kit's design as his own. Suddenly keenly aware of who the kit's proper owner is, he rushes back to talk to Vala, revealing that this kit belonged to a friend of his - part of a band of a band of roving, barbarian mostly-orcs called the H'rst'ut. Hearing this, Vala curses about pre-paying Silence for information that she just discovered on her own, then tells Jojen about the nine dead hairy forms below the cargo hold. Jojen makes her take him out to the ship, where they re-open the secret compartment and he becomes certain that these are some of his friends.

They return to shore and Jojen pays a visit to the captain, asking her what she knows about this situation. Captain Opal is taken completely by surprise, and agrees to investigate this matter, as well as to inform Jojen after it was done so he could perform funeral rites.

By evening, the investigation is done with no new information. Jojen recruits one of the sailors, Vala, and John to help him bring the bodies to land while I'Un takes a moment to propose his council-tournament to Lord Krandig. The nobleman likes the idea of a council, but he says it should be a council of nobles - not one made up of the strongest members of the settlement, as strength is no manner to determine leadership skills and nobles were born to lead. I'Un and Krandig part, none too happy with the others' opinions.

I'Un then joins Jojen, Vala, and John for the funeral ceremony, where eight of the nine H'rst'ut are set off in a boat to a funeral dirge, then set alight. The ninth of the group, Jojen removes the hairy disguise from, revealing her to be his elven love in disguise. Before she can be taken off for a proper burial, an attack comes in the form of strange creatures that seem to be a cross between bats and mosquitoes. The group defeats them fairly quickly, thanks to a sleep spell from Jojen (which also puts I'Un to sleep). They then take the final body to Glavel for a funeral more appropriate for her before heading to bed for the night.

The next day, Vala wakes to find she isn't where she went to sleep. The barrel she sleeps in has been moves out into the ocean, just far enough that her weight has it resting in the shallows and that the waves won't splash inside. From out on the beach, she is greeted by a laughing Silence. Vala tries to vent some of her rage at her predicament by shooting an arrow at Silence, but she misses. Hoping to maintain at least some of her dignity, Vala performs an admirable leap out of the barrel, managing to keep enough of her weight on the barrel to keep it touching the shallows until she clears it. The barrel leaps into the air behind her and lands with a splash.

Dragging the barrel in one hand and drawing her rapier with the other, Vala storms up onto the beach, waving her rapier at the unconcerned Silence, who chides her for having no sense of humor and informs her that they have acquired the information she wanted. Vala says she already has it, which surprises Silence, who asks what Vala knows in case they have more information than Vala has. Vala is unwilling to part with her information, and Silence won't say anything until paid. After dropping Jojen's name, and finding that Silence has a different name, Vala caves and pays Silence five more gold to learn that the smuggling operation was paid for by one of the hairy orc types, named Da-Beat, and that ten of them had been smuggled onto the ship. Vala presses for Silence's informant, but Silence won't give them up - until Vala offers enough gold. With fifteen more gold handed over, Silence reveals that they were their own informant - as they had performed the smuggling job. Silence swans off to the incoherent rage of Vala.

Vala makes her way back to her companions' campsite, where they ask about her soggy foul mood, to which she mutters something about Silence, then tells Jojen what she's learned about his friends. Jojen is happy to hear that his good friend Da-Beat wasn't on the ship, but he has some concerns about this Silence character - especially once he leans they are a tiefling. In fact, throughout the morning as he, John, and I'Un help Makkar, the dragonborn tanner, finish his house, Jojen's internal anger is coming to a boil. He goes to ask Vala if she's okay with Silence being taught a lesson, and Vala expresses that Silence will be quite useful to her, but she would be very happy to see them taken down a peg. Several pegs, at that. But she doesn't want Silence to know there's any connection to her.

So, Jojen gathers John and a reluctant I'Un and track down Silence while Vala lurks off in the distance, watching with delight to see what will happen. It takes some time, but they eventually find Silence working on constructing one of the fancier buildings - the one for Atsnid, a tiefling Vala knows is looking to establish herself as a merchant. Not wanting a public scene, I'Un tries to lure Silence away from the work site by telling them that Vala has information for them - but Silence doesn't buy it.

Unwilling to let this thwart him, Jojen marches right up, calling out Silence as a smuggler and blaming them for the deaths of his friends. Silence, however, holds their own as a curious crowd gathers, providing Jojen with a contract that he can verify Da-Beat's signature on - one that acknowledges the dangers of the trip and does not include a safe arrival, as Silence wasn't meant to remain on the ship. However, this doesn't make Jojen feel any better, and he continues on with the crowd growing - heedless of the image he's painting himself, John, and I'Un, and the fact that he's publicly announcing that  Vala is a smuggler who snuck I'Un onto the ship. All he cares about is tearing down Silence - who deflects what damage they can to their own reputation by bringing the attention back to Jojen and his accomplices and what they are doing. Wanting to strike a solid blow, Silence asks Jojen why it is that he is here harassing them rather than out looking for his unaccounted for friend.



And that brought this game session to an end. Check back next week to find out what happens next in Episode 7.

Lark's Landing, Episode 56

Colonial Caerdia: Lark's Landing is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't familiar with this ongoing story, you can follow this link to Once Upon a Tabletop on YouTube to hear the start of it or read the brief summary I wrote when I switched from video to blog.

You can find the previous episode here.


4th of Waxing Fall, 1AL

It is the middle of the night, and Port Noble appears to be under attack. T'Zaric, leaving his own house to find that the outer of the two palisade walls has been breached, flies off to meet with the rest of the 3rd Watch, guessing that they'll be on the way to join the fray. En route, he spots a number of the blue-green finned creatures quietly rising out of the limestone pool that serves as the village's water source - inside the inner wall. He spots Extang, Fiaeorri, Quib, and Logan running down the hill and reports to them what he's seen. They decide to head to deal with the creatures in the pool first, then head for the breach in the outer wall. As they run, Extang begins sending out magical messages to Patrick, hoping to let him know where the rest of them are going.

Patrick, on the other, rushes out of his home to see armed people running towards a fire-lit night sky, and civilians running the other way. He tries to get his guardian to join him in rushing towards the trouble, but Saul insists he's too and and heads into town. Unarmored and clad in a nightie, Patrick charges towards the trouble - until he gets a message from Extang redirecting him to the limestone pools.

The 3rd Watch arrive at the at the pool from opposite directions, finding what looks like a stealthy incursion by eight of these blue-green, aquatic, trident-wielding creatures - led by a large one with four arms. Extang hops into a roof with his magic boots, casting haste on Fiaeorri and Logan, while T'Zaric flies into the air and pelts the big one with fire and Patrick weakens a few with a curse. Quib dazzles almost all of the creatures with a spell, then Logan runs in and releases a blast of fire from his axe that kills 3 of of the creatures, following up with a swing of the axe that finishes off the big one with a blast of smiting energy. With half the enemies dead, Fiaeorri and the others step in and finish off the rest.

The conversation turns to methods for preventing more enemies from entering this way - with Fiaeorri diving into the water to find out more. She swims down, feeling along the limestone walls, and emerges to report that there are multiple large passages down below - as well as a strong current deeper down. They decide they don't have time to deal with this problem, so since there don't appear to be any other forces coming this way, they make for the burning buildings and the breach in the wall.

Knowing that time is of the essence, they go over the inner wall rather than going all the way to the gate - using flight and jumping magic. Once everyone has been ferried over, T'Zaric takes to the air, lobbing fire bolts at any of the invading troops he sees inside the village and guiding the others towards the breach. Then he sees a pair of large somethings flying towards him. As they get closer, he recognizes them as sharks and makes a beeline for his friends on the ground - tossing a fireball at the flying sharks as he goes - but they still reach him before he hits the ground, sinking teeth into him.

Seeing dark shapes in the sky accosting T'Zaric, and knowing his companion's own methods, Extang also launches a fireball at the sharks - trusting in T'Zaric to be able to survive. The second fireball is enough to kill the sharks, which fall to the ground, followed by a heavily wounded T'Zaric who looks very shaken. He drinks a healing potion and Patrick heals him a little, then they continue on their way - keeping close to the ground now.

They easily fight their way through some smaller groups of the creatures before arriving at the breach, which is being held by Hargrom and the militia. The 3rd Watch quickly augment the defenses with some spells, while T'Zaric peeks over the wall. He sees, off on the beach, a group of the aquatic creatures around three of the large, four-armed ones, and sends a powerful fireball at them. This kills off many of the smaller ones, but it also draws a lot of attention to T'Zaric.

Seven sharks of varying sizes - one of them huge - come flying straight for the breach, two of them with riders. Two go straight for T'Zaric, while the others attack the group defending the breach. Extang polymorphs Logan and Quib into giant apes, uses the magical coin he received on his birthday to turn invisible, and jumps over the wall to try to support T'Zaric's assault on what they believe to be the generals of the invaders - however, he needs to get much closer to see them in the dark of night. His magical gem that provides him with enough light to see marks him for his enemies, but, looking like nothing more than a disembodied light, he is hard for those he runs past to hit.

At the breach, the sharks are slowly weakened, but so are the 3rd Watch and the militia. Then one of the sharks goes down when its rider is killed, flopping uselessly on the ground. Inspired, they kill the rider on the largest shark, which falls - and is caught by the two apes, then thrown to block the breach. The rest of the sharks are fended off as the charging army comes up against this latest barrier. Fiaeorri uses her magic whistle to fly up to the top of the wall and attempt to put a group of the invaders to sleep - however, only one is affected by the spell.

T'Zaric peeks over the wall to see that the 'generals' have spread out, but he sees Extang's fireball hit two of them and their surrounding minions, and he sends another fireball of his own over to hit the same two. The one remaining of the three 'generals' retreats into the ocean - and, somehow, the rest of the invading force gets the message and begins to flee.

The two temporary giant apes vault the shark to pursue the fleeing enemies. Patrick summons up a storm, raining lightning down upon the beach. Fiaeorri flies down on the other side of the palisade and charms the sleeping blue-green creature, then wakes it up. Extang and T'Zaric make straight for the two dead 'generals', looting the treasures they have - and as the last of the sharks fly back down into the water where they belong, Patrick heads back to the limestone pool to find some treasure on the large creature defeated there.



And that brings an end to this week's game. Join us next week to find out what happens in Episode 57.

Blossom Fall, Episode 5

Colonial Caerdia: Blossom Fall is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't already familiar with this series, you can find the beginning over here.

You can find the previous episode here.

4th-5th of Waxing Spring, 0 AL

After resting for a while, out team of heroes is ready to continue on - though Conrad appears to have wandered off without anyone noticing. John takes some time to skin the bears - getting a good pelt from one, but completely mangling the other one beyond use. I'Un acquires the intestines of one of the bears for a project he has in mind, as well as some teeth, and Vala takes a look around - noticing what looks to be a vein of ore - possibly iron - in the cave wall, as well as some odd markings on the stone - occasional clusters of circles and ovals on the walls and floors. She points them out to the others, who can't make head nor tail of them, though they think that they may, perhaps, be some kind of language.

Ready to move on and explore the caves some more, John and Vala sneak off to scout the way. John continues up the growing tunnel where they found the bear, soon finding it to get steeper until it opens upwards with a tree's roots climbing down the side. He climbs up the claw-marked roots and finds himself in the woods with the sound of the river nearby. Vala lights a torch and continues down into the tapering tunnel, choosing to go straight at the intersection. It continues to taper as it twists, getting smaller and smaller until even short Vala has to crawl the last few feet to where the tunnel comes to a rounded end. She doesn't find anything other than more of those strange clustered markings.

Vala and John both return to the others, arriving at about the same time and reporting their findings. Moving as a group, they head off to investigate the final passage in the cave, with John sneaking ten feet ahead of the group to scout the way. This way also tapers, getting smaller as it twists and progresses. John reaches a point where it's too small for him to walk upright and signals back to the others to let them know before he bends down to see what's down there and hits his eye on a rock - letting out a yell that alarms the others until they figure out what happened.

Since they're paused, Jojen asks the others to wait for ten minutes while he casts a spell that allows him to understand any written language so he can take a closer look at the strange circle-and-oval clusters that are down here as well. While he's casting, I'Un announces that he thinks there's something organic in nature about the symbols, and the tunnels, but neither seem naturally forming or man-made. Jojen's spell also reveals that the markings don't translate as any kind of written language.

Concerned that they may be getting into something they aren't prepared for, they decide to return home - bringing what bear meat they can. After arriving, I'Un spends the rest of the evening tracking down a leather worker, finally finding a green dragonborn name Makkar who agrees to lend him his tools in exchange for help building his house.

John and Jojen visit Lord Krandig. Jojen suggests that he may be able to turn Krandig's money into jewelry to fund a house for them to live in - which Krandig agrees to as a possibility, as well as agreeing that he wouldn't mind having Jojen in his house as one of his vessels. John, on the other hand, offers membership in his tribe to Krandig and Jojen. Jojen doesn't outright accept, but shows some interest in the idea. Krandig, on the other hand, turns down the offer, as he has no interest in a tribal life - but he says he'll consider it in the future if the tribe grows larger than two people, and seems like it would be a worthwhile investment. After John leaves, Jojen convinces Krandig of the benefits of having two homes - one here at the settlement, and one perhaps further inland, in case of anything horrible happening to the settlement. Krandig likes the idea of having a country home, and Jojen goes off to share similar thoughts with John.

Vala decides to skulk around camp, keeping her eyes open for anything shady. She doesn't find anything amiss, but her attention is caught by a tiefling with gazelle horns who is making deals and arranging trades between people. After following her for a while, Vala approaches her and introduces herself, learning the tiefling's name is Atsnid and she's intending to set up some kind of shop. Vala lets her know she's good at acquiring things, and walks away confident they will have dealings in the future, and a possible future deal for a jewelers' kit for Jojen.

The next day, I'Un spends the day helping Makkar with his house and getting advice for the design of his project. Jojen looks around for carpenters to help work on Krandig's house, but only finds ones that are already occupied - working on a Temple of the Four with Glavel, the former high priest's assistant, working on a project for a gazelle-horned tiefling, and working on a tavern with Wyatt, a fellow bard. He also makes a deal with Makkar to help build his house in exchange for being permitted to build a small forge nearby Makkar's workshop that the dragonborn can keep an eye on for him.

In the evening, I'Un joins Vala in skulking around the camp, looking for any problems, but they're suddenly hit with the idea of going back to search the Spring Blossom. It's a bit of a hassle rowing out to the ship, as Vala's vain efforts set them spinning in circles, but they make it and they begin looking for any treasures left behind, or signs of people living on the ship. They find nothing until, down in the cargo hold, they notice a bad smell - something halfway between rot and wet dog. I'Un punches through a plank, revealing an open space below.

Lighting a torch, Vala drops down into the cramped, watery space below. She spots several hairy mounds. After poking and prodding at them, she determines that they are certainly not alive. I'Un joins her, and they discover that there are nine very hairy, very dead orcs in this hidden pocket that was entirely sealed - apart from the hole opening out into the ocean. The orcs are surprisingly well dressed for orcs, but the only item of value on them is a set of carpenters' tools.

Taking the tools, Vala and I'Un depart the cubby, replacing the broken plank with one from a deck above. They then set to rowing back to sure, determined to get some questions answered - but with no idea who they might be able to trust.



And that's where this game session comes to an end. Come back next week to (maybe) find out more about these mysterious hairy orcs in Episode 6.

Blossom Fall, Episode 4

Colonial Caerdia: Blossom Fall is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't already familiar with this series, you can find the beginning over here.

You can find the previous episode here.

3rd-4th of Waxing Spring, 0 AL

Our band of heroes return home after their venture up the river, and are greeted by the sound of axes cutting into trees, echoing in the newly-fallen night. They decide two things - that the noise needs to stop, and that they need some sort of watch set up for the night. They have no idea what might be out in the woods, and they don't want anything dangerous drawn in.

I'Un and John head off to find Captain Opal to see if they can get permission to arrange a militia, while Jojen goes to talk the woodcutters into holding off until morning. Vala, on the other hand, seeks out their roommate, Lord Krandig, who is off in the woods failing at starting a campfire for himself. Vala moves him closer to the beach, where she feels it is safer, and speaks with him a bit - learning that he's unhappy that people wouldn't accept money to build a house for him, and that he's disappointed they haven't found a city he can integrate himself into. He muses that perhaps he could fund expeditions to find such cities.

Jojen's attempts to get people to stop chopping trees is unsuccessful, but with the same message relayed to Captain Opal, at least some of the people are stopped from making so much noise. Opal agrees that it's a good idea to get a perimeter set up, but says it's up to them to make it happen. She was in command aboard the ship, but they aren't on a ship any longer. I'Un also notices that he's getting dirty looks from some of the sailors, and he sees one deliberately burning a scrap of paper the right size for one of the autographs he'd sold.

I'Un goes to the beach to set up a base of operations where recruits can be sent while John sets out searching for people with military experience and other recruits to send to I'Un. He finds a number of recruits, and a human woman named Kalrie who claims military experience, and sends them to I'Un.

I'Un welcomes in his recruits, promising them extra food rations in exchange for standing watch for the night. However, some of them - sailors - turn away when they see who is in charge. I'Un calls out to them, calling them cowards, which sparks them to say he's the coward - he, who claimed to be a great hero for the people, then his in a barrel during the storm while good people were washed overboard. I'Un tried to argue with them to no avail, and when they left, some of his other recruits departed as well.

John arrives with Kalrie and they set up their sparse perimeter-watch. Then everyone heads off to bed.

John and I'Un wake up early to go hunting, bringing back enough food for their group, as well as those who stood watch for the night. After distributing their food, they reconvene with Jojen, Conrad, and Vala. They've decided to head out to explore the cave they found, but they have a few errands to run first.

They arrange a meeting between Sillo and Lord Kranding, arranging for her to be his new cook for when he builds his new house. I'Un and Vala try to recruit some extra help for their journey, hoping to get High Priest Grumlock or his young attendant to come along for providing healing services. They find the attendant and learn that the High Priest died during the storm, and that the young man doesn't share his clerical powers. They almost convince him to come along, but he decides to stay back and perform last rites. Meanwhile, John and Jojen talk to the captain about getting one of the longboats for making their journey up the river - and perhaps an easier one on the way back down, should they find any treasure there. The captain has no problem with this, and says the boats are currently available to whoever needs them. They acquire one that has just returned from the ship and meet the others at the mouth of the river.

With Conrad and Jojen rowing, it takes them about two and a half hours to reach the cave, where they pull the boat up on the bank. John sneaks a little way ahead to scout the way while the others follow with a lantern. The cave tapers and twists as it delves down into the ground. Around one corner, John sees that there is another passage intersecting theirs, angling down from the right and getting smaller as it continues to the left. Just then, they hear a skittering, and out of the stones all around them come giant centipedes, rushing in to attack them. The group deals with them quickly, with only Vala getting hurt, though Jojen heals her with a quick spell.

They take some time for I'Un to claim the centipedes' mandibles and to debate which way to go next. They want to go deeper, but they're worried about being attacked from behind, so John first scouts up the larger tunnel. Around the corner, he finds a pair of sleeping black bears. He reports back to the others and, after considerable debate, they decide to sneak up on the bears and kill them. Unfortunately, they make too much noise as they approach and find themselves facing fully awake bears.

Vala rushes in to stab one while Jojen attempts to put the bears to sleep - but the spell doesn't have any impact, and one of the bears takes Vala to the ground, unconscious, with a swipe of its claws and a bite. The other bear charges in, landing a heavy hit on John. They're beginning to worry that they may have gotten in a little over their heads, but they aren't willing to leave Vala behind - though John retreats out of harm's way. They manage to take down one of the bears, but at the cost of I'Un landing unconscious on the floor beside Vala, bleeding out like the halfling he was trying to protect. At long last, the second bear falls, and Jojen, John, and Conrad rush in to stabilize the wounds of their two friends. With their friends out of danger, but not yet conscious, they take a rest to treat the wounds recieved in battle.



And that brings an end to this week's game session. Check back next week for Episode 5.

Lark's Landing, Episode 55

Colonial Caerdia: Lark's Landing is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't familiar with this ongoing story, you can follow this link to Once Upon a Tabletop on YouTube to hear the start of it or read the brief summary I wrote when I switched from video to blog.

You can find the previous episode here.


26th of Waning Summer - 4th of Waxing Fall, 1AL

Though Patrick died, Extang was able to revive him thanks to a deal he made with the Negotiator. Everyone is very happy that Patrick is alive and relatively well, but it's the middle of the night, so they go back to sleep without asking Extang how he performed this miracle - much to Extang's relief.

In the morning, Quib gives Fiaeorri a magical ring he acquired from Zotzillaha's corpse which will allow her to speak with animals periodically - she immediately puts it to use with Ruby, her giant fire beetle. Logan and Extang decide they're going back into the depths of the temple to retrieve Zotzillaha's axe - Patrick and Fiaeorri think they're crazy, but Logan wants the axe for himself, and Extang wants to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Most of the group waits above with the freed prisoners while they delve in. They wait as the hours tick by. Almost four hours later, the delvers emerge, axe in hand. Everyone agrees to wait another day before heading home - Patrick, in particular, could use the rest.

During their resting, Logan learns what he can about the axe, and is impressed with what it is capable of. He tells the others, but Patrick warns him not to form the magical bond needed to use the axe until someone magically identifies it. He's worried that such a magical item may be cursed. Logan agrees to wait.

As they set out for home the next day, Saifon, the half-elven cartographer speaks up, pointing out that they're taking the long route by going straight through the jungle to the settlement. He explains that when the vampire captured him, he was brought along the beach for most of the way before pressing into the dense jungle. The 3rd Watch decide to follow his advice, cutting their journey almost in half. En route, T'Zaric talks to Dilmi, his halfling jewelry teacher, and gets her to agree to work with him on a necklace he's designing to store the liquid light he has a vial of.

On the night that they arrive home, Patrick returns home to Saul and throws his arms around his guardian, then tells him about how he died and was brought back to life. Saul is glad that Patrick is alive, but more concerned about how he was brought back than that he died - which Patrick questions him about, and he reveals the he'd also died on occasion while out adventuring with Patrick's parents.

Fiaeorri goes to report the death of the foul, undead vampire to Gregor, the head of the cult she was brought up in. Gregor congratulates her and accepts the treasure she gives him as a contribution to rebuilding their order. Then he notices the necklace she is wearing - the one like she was holding onto for him, and that she found a duplicate of. He asks to see it, and looks at it for a moment before commenting that it's slightly different, and attaching it to his necklace. He says it looks like it's designed to have one more, and lets it drop to his chest. Fiaeorri is a little disappointed that her necklace wasn't returned to her, but she rallies and says she'll seek out the third piece.

Logan takes his axe to Feryon for identification, and doesn't learn anything new about it - so he takes it home and attunes to it.

Extang gathers together everyone except Patrick (who is home with Saul) and brings up how some of them have been taking treasure for themselves, rather than splitting it with the group. He suggests all of them pooling their resources into the bag of holding, from which they can all draw funds as needed for their various enterprises and expenses. He gets reluctant agreement, and some new treasures and money are added to the bag of holding - though some secretly hold some back.

Much happens over the next few days. Quib begins working on a song relating the tale of their battle with Zotzillaha. Fiaeorri starts putting up posters for her necklace. Patrick and Logan visit Gorbosh the blacksmith to make some commissions - Patrick, a rapier with Epesta's symbol on it, and Logan to get work started on a suit of full plate. Patrick then goes searching for a diamond that is valuable enough to use in a spell to bring people back from the dead - in case of another fatality in the group. Meanwhile, a string of people go looking for him at Saul's house.

T'Zaric, having had encounters with Saul's paranoia before, decides to play a trick on the old man. Just after the door has closed from Extang asking after Patrick, he uses a spell to turn himself into a clone of Saul, and dimension-doors into the house behind him. This leads to a bickering argument with him imitating Saul, until Saul punches him - hard - and Extang, hearing the commotion, teleports into the house. He has trouble telling which Saul is real - one is beating up the other, while the other is calling his accouter a fraud, but then T'Zaric teleports out and up into the sky, where he resumes his own appearance and begins flying around.

Saul tells Extang that the impostor was a Somvidian spy, here to kill Patrick, and Extang rushes outside, polymorphing himself into a giant eagle and taking to the skies to look around. He sees no sign of the fake Saul, but he does see his friend T'Zaric flying around. He heads over to recruit him to help, forgetting that he can't speak while in this form. T'Zaric sees a giant eagle bearing down on him and begins casting spells at it. Extant attempts to mime his identity to T'Zaric, conveying, at least, that he isn't a normal bird, since no real bird would act like that.

The display is seen by others of the group on the ground. Quib, seeing a fellow bird in danger, borrows Fiaeorri's ring, teleports himself up onto the eagle's back, casts speak with animals, and is surprised to find the bird he is talking to is Extang - information he conveys to T'Zaric. Eventually they rally together and meet on the ground - with Extang spreading the word about the potential spy.

Fiaeorri heads home, as does T'Zaric - but T'Zaric gets approached en route by someone who's heard his rumor that he's the person who will get things done - anything - for a price. It is a familiar dragonborn lady, with a small child in tow, who tells him that she believes there's a secret cult who has her missing husband - a blue dragonborn - held hostage. She says they approached her in the night and threatened her unhatched child. T'Zaric promises to let her know if he discovers anything about her husband or this cult, then goes home. Finding Fiaeorri there, he tells her of the crazy dragonborn lady who is still searching for her dead husband, and has a laugh with her about how someone could think there was a cult in this tiny town. However, something about Fiaeorri's responses - and her request that he keep her informed if he does find out anything about a cult - strike him as a bit off. He decides that, unlikely as it is, he should still keep his eyes open for any unusual activity.

Patrick, Extang, Quib, and Logan all end up at Saul's house, having tea, with Extang communicating his treasure plan to Patrick. However, the conversation turns to Patrick's death, and how Extang managed to resurrect him. Extang refuses to say anything beyond that it was magic, and teleports away when they continue to pressure him for more information. He heads to Wyatt's Tavern and waits until closing time so he can talk to Stor as the goblin closes up the Explorers' Guild. He tells Stor about what happened, and his very uncertain deal with the Negotiator, revealing how concerned he is about it - and that he doesn't want to tell the rest of the 3rd Watch about it. Stor understands, and tells Extang that he's been making some very reckless decisions. He also points out that a deal Akta made with the Negotiator has resulted in her and Kordak having been gone for over a year - and that Kordak wasn't even part of the deal. It's possible that the deal he made may draw in the rest of the group as well, so it may be a good idea to warn them first. Nodding, but still undecided, Extang goes home.

T'Zaric also has a mission that evening. Knowing that Patrick is wanting a valuable diamond for a spell, he asks around and finds that Naldor has acquired one. He wakes up the grumpy shopkeeper and buys it with money he neglected to add to the party treasury. He manages to deflect at least some of the suspicion over why he has money - when all his profits are supposed to be going to Port Noble as part of his punishment for murdering Balasar - by saying he's on an errand for someone else. He then delivers the diamond to Patrick.

Time passes, with T'Zaric continuing his indentured learning of jewelry, Fiaeorri learning draconic, Quib learning to cook, Logan training Lykos, Patrick working as town healer, and Extang beginning work on making barrels - intending to start a trade caravan with the lizardfolk they met several months ago. On the 1st of Waxing Fall, they celebrate the Festival of Change.

On the night of the 3rd of Waxing Fall - so late that it's the early morning of the 4th, the 3rd Watch are awakened by the sound of screams and the ringing of the bell on the town hall. They all rush outside. Most of the group are staying in their Skull Hall home up on the hill, and they look out towards the beach where they can see a number of houses burning. Armed people are running in that direction, while others are fleeing it.

Patrick leaves Saul's house, and can only see the flow of running people, while T'Zaric steps out of his own home to find himself a handful of feet away from five spear and trident-wielding blue-green creatures with big black eyes and fins on their heads. He rises into the air, seeing the burning houses closer to the beach - some inside the second palisade wall surrounding Port Noble - and figures rushing between the buildings. He flies towards the hill, hoping to lure the blue-green creatures behind him until he can find and regroup with the rest of the 3rd Watch.



And that brings an end to this game session. Who is attacking Port Noble? Find out next week in Episode 56.

Humanity of Humanity

            There are times when I look at humanity and find myself amazed at how backwards some people’s views are, and I find myself wondering how anyone can still think that way in this day and age. Then I look back over the timeline of events, and suddenly it seems remarkable that we’ve made as much progress as we have. I would be much happier if the humanity of humanity developed faster, but I can’t deny that things have changed faster than it feels like.

            Keep in mind that the average human lifespan is around 80 years. This means that within 80 years of a major change in societal views, there is someone alive who was brought up with the ideals prior to that time as the norm. Within 160 years, there is someone alive who was raised by or with contact with someone who grew up with the prior ideals being the norm – someone who may or may not agree with them.

            So, let’s look at what was going on 160 years ago. That was around the time slavery was being abolished in most parts of the world. That means that right now there are people alive who were alive at the same time as people who saw slavery as a normal thing – which means some of that culture (if not all of it) was passed on to them. Which is kind of mind-boggling to someone like me, to whom mainstream slavery was events of the distant past. Yet, within the scope of cultural evolution, that’s hardly any time at all – especially when there are people pushing cultural change in both directions at once.

            So, what about 80 years ago? That was World War II, when not only was it acceptable to discriminate against people based on their nationality, it was normal. Not surprising, with slavery so recent in the past. And, today, there are still people who were alive then – and the world is largely controlled by people who were raised by people from that time.

            In between those two time periods, women transitioned from essentially being property to actual human beings. Amazing, I know. Yet, in spite of that change, here we are, still fighting to make the equality of men and woman normal. It seems like an awful long time for things to not have fallen into place by now, but, at the same time, it makes sense that the fight is still going, considering how slowly culture changes and the fact that we’re still dealing with even older issues.

            Now, I’m not saying it’s right. Right is that a human is a human, no matter what they look like, where they came from, or what they believe. I’m definitely not saying we should stop fighting for what’s right. But I think that sometimes we need to step back and congratulate ourselves on how much progress we’ve made in so little time, with the odds stacked against us. Then we can get back to the fight and shape the world into all that it can be.

Check out my YouTube channel where I tell the stories of my D&D campaigns.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Blossom Fall, Episode 3

Colonial Caerdia: Blossom Fall is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't already familiar with this series, you can find the beginning over here.

You can find the previous episode here.

7th of Waning Winter, 2158 AE - 3rd of Waxing Spring, 0 AL

Having just driven off a sea monster from the Spring Blossom, our heroes - or, at least some of them - decide it is the perfect time to make some money. Vala and Jojen quickly hatch a plan to sell I'Un's autographs, pitching the monk as Punch Drunk, the champion of the fighting ring, the amazing man who survived a 100ft fall from the mast, and the warrior who had kicked the sea serpent from the side of the ship. I'Un hesitantly agrees - not really wanting the attention, but knowing he's running short on money. Besides, Vala makes a wonderful argument that these people could use a hero to look up to.

So John climbs up on a barrel and shouts out to the crowd, drawing them in. Conrad steps up to act as bodyguard, while Jojen prepares the paper, then begins playing a some music, and Vala collects the eight copper pieces per signature. By the time they run out of paper, they've made a little coin, and I'Un is starting to like the idea of being a hero. He offers an open challenge to a game of darts with his portion of the take as a bet, but instantly regrets it when a young noblewoman comes forward to accept his challenge - not looking like the type to win at darts, and making him instantly suspicious that she's some sort of hustler. However, he wins - barely - and she accepts the defeat graciously. What's more, the crowd loves it.

With their money made, the group settles back down to continue their journey. Days turn into tendays, and there's still no sign of land. Rations are growing thin, and everyone is growing tired of the unending sway of the ship. When the first of Waxing Spring arrives, there's hardly any celebration of the New Year.

On the night of the 2nd of Waxing spring - so late that it would be more appropriate to call it the morning of the 3rd, Jojen wakes up. He's spent some time on a ship before, and he can tell something is wrong - though he doesn't know what. He quickly wakes the others, wishing to ensure that whatever is happening, they are prepared.

Conrad immediately heads out into the hall, where a couple sailors are moving with a quiet urgency. He accosts one, trying to discover what is happening, but she assures him there's nothing for him to worry about and continues waking up all the off-duty sailors.

Jojen makes his way up to the deck and finds his eyes drawn to roiling clouds on the horizon, dead ahead of the ship. Captain Opal is at the helm with the half-orc sailor, Skaal, and he makes his way up to them. The captain confirms his fear that they're headed into a really bad storm, and there's no way to avoid it - he offers to be on hand to help, and she says she welcomes anyone who is willing to lend a hand to help the ship make it through the storm. He rejoins his companions, who are just arriving on deck - I'Un and Vala with their escape-barrels in tow.

After hearing Jojen describe the storm as a ship killer, Vala ties the two escape barrels together, then to the mast, and climbs in while the others brace for the storm. It hits them, with rain and waves washing over the deck, making it hard to keep their feet. Jojen, John, I'Un, and Conrad begin running around, solving what problems they can quickly. Conrad is nearly swept from the deck, but I'Un catches him. When a huge gust of wind blows the ship off course, John rushes to the helm to help the captain and Skall, earning a nod of respect from Opal.

A line snaps, and Conrad deftly snatches it before it whips away. Things have been going as well as they can, but they see a massive tidal wave rearing and bearing down on the ship. John braces himself at the helm, hoping to keep the captain safe. I'Un, worried about what this wave might do, knocks the line out of Conrad's hands and drags the big man over to the mast, telling him to hold onto the barrels while climbing into his escape barrel. Knowing that the line was important, Jojen grabs it as the wave crashes down on the ship. Unfortunately, he's unable to keep hold of it and he's swept away towards the side of the ship. With Conrad also knocked from his feet, John at the helm and too far away, and Vala and I'Un huddling in their barrels, there is no one to save Jojen from being swept overboard.

The situation begins turning worse. I'Un does get out of his barrel, but only long enough to get to the side of the ship and see that Jojen is nowhere in sight before returning to his barrel. Conrad continues trying to put out fires - sometimes literally, after lightning strikes the deck. John stays at the helm, helping keep the ship on course and hoping to make an impression on the captain by helping to keep her safe - even though it means no one is able to respond to the report of animals breaking free of their pens below decks, likely to stampede. In spite of his best efforts, however, he isn't able to save her when a wave washes her overboard. He considers abandoning the helm for long enough to tie himself to a mast, but another gust of wind sweeps in and he decides it's more important to stay at the helm and keep the ship on course.

The Spring Blossom is in rough shape when it breaks free of the storm, but it's still afloat - if barely. With the captain missing, Skaal takes command, though John stays to help him with the helm. Reports start floating in - the hold is taking on water at a rapid pace, and the ship is barely limping along. Even with repairs underway, it seems like only a matter of time before the ship sinks. Then, in the afternoon, a cry comes down from the crow's nest: Land ho! People flood to the deck to get their first look at land in over three months. I'Un, in particular, is looking for a city on the horizon, but they're still too far to see anything - and nothing shows up as they draw nearer.

Skall leaves the helm long enough to climb up to the nest, and returns with a decision on where they are going. He steers them towards a small bay, making straight for land - the ship is riding low in the water and it has been decided that the best course of action is to run aground. However, before they reach the beach, the Spring Bottom grinds to a halt on a sand bar.

Everyone is eager to make for the longboats, and our remaining heroes are at the forefront. As soon as they hit land, they split into groups - with John taking Will out to hunt in the woods beyond the narrow beach - and perhaps find some sign of civilization - while I'Un searches the beach to the south, and Conrad and Vala search the beach to the north. How close they were to shore when the storm hit has given them hope that maybe - just maybe - Jojen survived.

John finds some food, but nothing denoting anything but animals in the area. He does come across a river emptying out into the bay, and decides that this source of fresh water is as good a place as any to build a new home. He plants his staff, tying a make-shift banner to it, and claims the land in the name of his tribe, White Wolf - of which he and his cousin will are the only remaining survivors. It is debatable how much sway his claim will hold, as others also start gathering around the river.

To the north, Vala and Conrad come across Captain Opal, limping her way down the beach. They help her back to the growing gathering at the river. Vala says that if they end up building a settlement here, they should name it Spring Blossom. Opal thinks it is a vary fitting name.

To the south, I'Un comes across Jojen lying on the beach. He is in very poor condition, but at least he's alive. They also make their way back to the river, and reunite with the others - who are all delighted to find that their friend has survived. However, they also want to learn more about this new land, and contact any civilization there may be.

Though it is late in the day, they follow the river into the forest - rich with new growth. They travel for about an hour, keeping an eye on the sun so they can head home before dark. Having still seen no signs of anything other than animal life, John climbs a tree to see if the height can tell them anything. All he can see is trees in every direction.

Still, they continue on a little further. After another half hour of walking, they spot a cave opening not fat from the river - however, it's getting close to dusk. They mark its location, and turn back for the shore - but Conrad and I'Un stay behind, curious to explore just a little. They promise to leave at the first sign of trouble.

They light a torch and throw it into the cave - and catch a very brief glimpse of a large form moving away from the light with a skittering sound. Conrad throws a second torch, but his nerves cause him to fumble it and it doesn't even make it as far as the first. The two decide they've pushed their luck far enough and run to catch up with the others before it's dark enough for the whatever-it-is that's avoiding the light to come out after them.



And that's where this week's game session comes to an end. Come back later to find out what happens next week in Episode 4.

Lark's Landing, Episode 54

Colonial Caerdia: Lark's Landing is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't familiar with this ongoing story, you can follow this link to Once Upon a Tabletop on YouTube to hear the start of it or read the brief summary I wrote when I switched from video to blog.

You can find the previous episode here.


26th of Waning Summer, 1AL

Though Zotzillaha appears to have been defeated, the 3rd Watch aren't certain, as the vampire has become a cloud of mist. Logan quickly casts a spell on the mist that will let him track its location, just as it disappears down into the cracks of the floor, then takes a moment to heal some of Extang's wounds. Patrick, in giant ape form, breaks down the doors with punches from his massive hands, while Quib casts a spell that will force shapechangers to revert to their true form, as well as dealing damage in that area, over the door - inadvertently hurting the ape forms of both Patrick and Fiaeorri.

T'Zaric casts a spell turning himself to mist and tries to follow Zotzillaha, but the vampire-mist is moving twice as fast as he is and manages to lose him in the twists and turns of the stones in the wall, so he eventually turns back.

Extang releases the spell that has turned Fiaeorri and Patrick into apes, then - with Patrick's help - begins seeing to the prisoners of Zotzillaha - Dilmi, Saifon, and Lykos. They are in passable health, considering having been kept as vampire juiceboxes, but they clearly aren't themselves, and have no desire to leave.

Logan reaches for the vampire's fallen axe, but draws his hand back before touching it as the area around it appears to be radiating cold - not to mention, it's casting a shadow that looks like a withered arm. Seeing this, but less concerned, Extang grabs the axe - and discovers that he can't pick it up.

Quib heads out into the hall, moving his spell along with him, hoping to catch the vampire in the wall. Fiaeorri soon joins him - after pocketing some treasure from one of the alcoves - with the intent to go check on Ruby. The charmed panther-man follows. Logan soon joins them as well so he can help point the way to Zotzillaha. Suddenly, Quib sees some mist pouring out of the wall and moves his spell over it - accidentally injuring the returning T'Zaric.

T'Zaric returns to his corporeal form and joins with Logan, Fiaeorri, the panther-man, and Quib as they follow the hall and Logan's spell back to the room where Ruby was left - finding the giant firebeetle alive and chewing on a rat. The stone monolith they had previously opened is closed again, and Quib enters the pattern that slides the top open. Inside, resting peacefully, is Zotzillaha. Logan immediately drives a wooden stake through his heart. Quib goes out to the antechamber and grabs one of the urns of oil, but T'Zaric stops him before he pours it into the coffin. First, they strip the treasure from the vampire - finding a number of magical items.

Now they fill the coffin with oil and set it alight. While Zotzillaha burns, Fiaeorri takes Ruby and - followed by the panther-man - makes her way back to Patrick, Extang, and the freed prisoners. Patrick immediately rushes off to join those at the coffin, arriving to find the fire burning out and Logan saying that he can still sense the vampire's presence in the ashes - which he wouldn't be able to do if it was dead. Patrick reminds them that they need direct sunlight to kill the vampire.

T'Zaric pulls out a vial and fills it with Zotzillaha's ashes, and announces that he's going to dimension-door straight up to the surface with them. Since T'Zaric can take someone with him, Patrick insists on going along, needing to see this done. T'Zaric casts the spell, and they step through - only to be spat out again as the portal opens into something solid. The force of the backfiring spell is enough to knock Patrick unconscious, and T'Zaric doesn't take it so well either. Logan revives Patrick, and they decide to head up to the room they know has a tiny hole up to the surface, from which T'Zaric can turn into mist and go the rest of the way.

As they head out, they meet up with Extang who was on his way to find them. Extang decides to go along, but Quib goes back to inform Fiaeorri of the plan. The two of them decide to stay behind to take care of the former prisoners. During their wait, Fiaeorri's charm wears off of the panther-man, who immediately attacks. Luckily it is still wounded from the earlier battle and they are able to kill it - and they watch, astounded, as it turns into stone. Fiaeorri is barely holding on to consciousness, and sets to tending her wounds.

The other four continue making their way up, but as the reach the lozenge-shaped room where T'Zaric briefly had the mysterious ability to read some of the carvings on the walls, they find their way blocked by two more of the red goblinoids and a human, who attack - turning out to be more vampires. Logan is blocking the doorway, but one of them grabs him and drags him into the room, making for the next person in line - Patrick. Extang and T'Zaric fire spells at it, but it still manages to grab on to Patrick - who panics and bursts into radiant light, dealing damage to everyone in the hallway. However, he falls limp as the vampire sinks its teeth into him, drinking his blood and throwing him to the floor.

Logan breaks away from his fight with the other two vampires in the room and cuts down the vampire between him and Patrick just as Patrick's final breath escapes his lips. Extang grabs Patrick and pours a healing potion into his mouth, to no effect. Still not accepting this, he leans his friend up against the wall and rejoins the battle, even as the others redouble their attacks. The final two vampires are slain, but it is too late - Patrick is dead.

In a sullen silence, with Extang carrying Patrick's limp body, they continue onwards and upwards until they arrive at the rubble-filled room. T'Zaric expends the last of his power reserves to turn into mist, carrying the vial of vampire up to the surface, emerging in a clearing with a fallen tree where he remembers fighting a t-rex a year earlier. He finds a patch of sunlight, and sprinkles the ashes into it, watching with a morose pleasure as most of them dissipate into nothing. He then takes to the air and finds his way back to the temple's entrance to await the rest of his friends.

Extang and Logan make their way back down into the temple, meeting up with Fiaeorri and Quib - on their way out with the prisoners, who have restored to their senses. They learn the hard news of Patrick's death, and make their way up and out of the temple, emerging after dark. With talk of returning Patrick's body to Port Noble and holding a funeral service, they make camp and set up watches for the night.

On his watch, Extang is surprised to find he has a visitor - a fox-like humanoid woman known as the Negotiator whom he knows had something to do with Akts's source of power. She presents him with a contract for such power from Styx, an arch-fey he'd had a chance meeting with. He reads over the contract, finding it reasonable - if vague - but he suddenly finds he no longer wants to make such a deal. But he hesitates, glancing at Patrick's body, and asks the Negotiator if making this deal will open him to more deals with his patron. The Negotiator tilts her head to the side, and asks what sort of deal - informing him that she specializes in deals.

Extang asks about bringing someone back from the dead. The Negotiator grins and digs around in her pouch, pulling out a scroll that can do just that. She asks what he would be willing to trade for it. Extang thinks for a time, and offers her his happiness. The Negotiator is delighted by this, but it doesn't suit her needs. She makes a counteroffer of him owing her an unconditional favor. Extang isn't sure about this, as he knows Kordak and Akta have been gone for over a year on a favor for the Negotiator. He tries to put stipulations on the favor, but the Negotiator will have nothing of it.

Unhappy with the deal, but desperate to bring his young friend back to life, Extang agrees, and takes the scroll. He also turns down Styx's deal, asking that the Negotiator inform him that he will try to find a good home for the magical rod that had introduced them. He also asks after Akta and Kordak. The Negotiatior tells them that they are well, or at least well enough. In fact, the last she checked, they were in Styx's dungeon. Apparently they were caught in Styx's mansion, murdering one of his aides. She doesn't seem worried about this situation, but Extang is quite alarmed. He tries to find out more, but the grinning Negotiator isn't forthcoming, and she departs through one of her magical doors.

Extang pauses to breathe, then slowly wakes up the 3rd Watch. Not giving them any explanations, he gathers them by Patrick's body and reads the scroll that came at such an uncertain cost. The scroll crumbles over Patrick's body as he casts the spell. Patrick's body suddenly spasms, and he gasps in fresh air, sitting bolt upright.



And, with that, this game session comes to an end. Join us next week to find out what happens in Episode 55.