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.
1st-5th of Waning Spring, 0 AL
Eventually, a large gathering grows at the Spring Festival as the survivors of the Spring Blossom gather to determine the future of their settlement's leadership. There are many presentations made, and a number of arguments, and our heroes actively engaged - bringing up the importance of establishing some sort of defensive system as well, though they don't particularly like the idea of tax system being needed to pay for it as many of the presenters seem eager to establish a monetary system.
Throughout the presentation, Jojen uses small illusions to emphasize or ridicule what a speaker is saying. This causes a bit of trouble when I'Un is up presenting the need for the strong to be in charge of the settlement, as the monk has noticed Jojen is the source of the trouble and rats him out because he won't stop. Jojen responds to this by casting a charm spell on I'Un, and suggesting that he perform the drunken dance that he's been practicing - which I'Un does very badly.
After the presentations are done, people begin discussing which options they like best and preparing for a proper vote. Our group of heroes, exhausted by all the politics, head off home for a bit of a rest - except for Jojen and I'Un. As the charm spell wears off, I'Un becomes aware of what Jojen did and lures him out into the woods, where he punches him and warns him to never mess with his head again. It may have ended there, but Jojen strikes back with his spells, and an all-out fight begins. I'Un ends up leaving Jojen in the woods, unconscious, and informs the priest Glavel that he's there before heading home.
After he wakes up, Jojen spreads the word about how I'Un attacked him and is extremely dangerous, unpredictable, and completely unsuited for leadership. He emphasizes this point more subtly when he puts on his festival performance that evening, which everyone in the group has returned for. After that, the vote takes place for what their political system will become, and they all head off to bed.
The next day, Jojen storms off early in the morning, wanting to avoid I'Un. Vala also heads out to seek the results of the vote, and discovers that a suggestion she made won - a system that, instead of using a council of one type of person or a monarch, has an adviser from each of the suggested councils to support a single leader. In this case, that leader is the young priest, Glavel, who doesn't particularly want to lead, but he is willing to accept the responsibility since a lot of people seem to want him to.
Back at their home, Luna urgently informs the others that she needs to get away from the settlement. When questioned, she explains that her 24th birthday is coming up on the 5th of this month, and in the temple she grew up in dragons always come to lick people on their 24th birthday. I'Un and John decide that it would be a very good idea to not have a dragon come to their settlement, so the three pack up and head inland for the grasslands where a dragon might have an easier time landing.
Seeing the three leaving the settlement, Vala, who has caught up with Jojen, suggests going after them. Jojen grudgingly agrees, but only so long as they are sneaking and not officially "with" them. They travel up the river for two days, Jojen and Vala keeping out of sight. At the edge of the woods, they come to the plains and see a couple of creatures that look like a cross between birds and deer eating a bear.
Jojen casts faerie fire on John and I'Un over by Luna, lighting them up with non-magical flames in an attempt to draw the creatures' attention to them - which succeeds. They battle the vicious creatures and take them down, though Jojen has to revive I'Un when he falls unconscious to the claws of one of them. After a brief feud between John and Jojen over the faerie fire, the group settles down for the night.
The next day, they make their plans for the potential arrival of a dragon coming to lick Luna. They settle on Luna staying here by the edge of the woods, with Vala electing to stay with her to deal with whatever comes, while the others choose to hide some distance into the woods - close enough to help if needed. They wait out the day and the night...
The next morning, Luna finds a gold coin with a platinum sickle imprinted on it balanced on top of the egg she carries everywhere with her. She pockets it and settles down to wait for dragons to come. After a while, she notices the egg beginning to rock a little. Then she hears a cracking sound.
And that's where this week's game session ends. Find out what's inside the egg next week in Episode 15.
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