Session 40: Riverside Blues (8/10/25)

Desnova 21

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rickardt

NPCs

Elka (human female): A petulant child with a mop of unkempt blond hair, dirt-stained clothing and a large gap between her teeth. Quite curious about the world beyond the borders of her Pa's plot, south of the village of Bolkyn. Manages to acquire 50gp off of Nebol'shoy.

Kozmo of the Kray (human male): A middle-aged man wearing a fur coat with its arms cut off to reveal muscular arms, and its buttons popped to allow a view of a chiseled, gray-haired chest. His knuckles and hands are heavily tattooed with strange markings, and he puffs at a cigar with a thick smell of clover and honeydew. His disheveled beard and coat are smeared with worm guts and other artifacts of his trade, his hair is greased back in a topknot and his gray eyes are full of wisdom and distrust.

Marhli (human male): A gaunt fisherman in his 60s, trawls the banks of the Skorbi for his catches, wears a drooping rain-hat and coat, practical but always willing to help out those in need.

Session 39: All Frogs Go to Heaven (7/20/25)

Desnova 20

The PCs decide to grab some rations and then take their own folding boat down the Skorbi to locate the stolen Slack Mallard, so they round up Captain Condor so as to eventually have him guide them to their destination. As they are leaving Zolovhny, they notice that Dr. Flargheist's circus is also wrapping up, his silent servants breaking it all down. They decide first to see if Condor's ship was scuttled over on the Jaggerhead Lake. When crossing the coast where they fought the winged creatures in the graveyard, Aldren notices a small primate hiding in the old cracked bell. He ties to communicate with it, to some response, then leaves some food behind for it, hoping it will still be there when he comes back.

They speak with some fishermen to no avail, including one they had met with in Zolovnhy earlier that morning, and then they come across a lone man in a boat who it turns out was dumping the recently slain body of his wife! Rucia makes quick work of the lout, sending him down into the drink. They head towards the Rowers' Point lighthouse to inquire with the Soverat about any sightings of their quarry, to no avail, but they do learn that there have been more sightings of Old Marrow...only smaller! They then decide to swing into Arkany to gather some goods. Nebol'shoy retrieves his spell component from the Silversmith, as well as a silvery, fancy pair of boots for Mockleg, whose process of regeneration has completed and is now whole again! Meanwhile, Aldren also gets Mockleg some more practical boots. Through the city, they notice a prevalence of the small, smoking mice that Bjork was given earlier by the old hag...when inquiring with the locals, there has indeed been an uptick.

They stop back by the graveyard en route to the Skorbi, and Aldren lures the strange animal, a lemure, back to their ship. Nebol'shoys peaks with it and learns that it was held as some sort of captain by pirates or traders and hails from a far-off land. Their initial journey Southwest down the Skorbi doesn't reveal too many clues, so they stop off at Borgaborsk for an evening, staying at the Inn. Bjork visits his minotaur contact at the Smeltworks to craft his piece of Old Marrow into some armor. They are largely undisturbed other than by a snooty dockmaster.

Desnova 21

The following morning they set off back down the Skorbi and eventually find a piece of rigging that is caught in some thorny reeds along the western bank, bobbing in the current. Nebol'shoy goes down to confirm that it is part of the Slack Mallard, and before long they find a little inlet cove where the ship has recently been scuttled into a stagnant pond. Several of the PCs dive into the wreck with Condor, where they are attacked by some sort of giant leeches! After putting the creatures out of their misery, they note that there are some small spears in the mast dripping a purplish ichor, and they hear some banging coming from an airtight barrel. Apparently the strange Mr. Hanz, escapee from Dr. Flargheist's Canvas of Curiosities, has stowed aboard, but hid out of fear of the powerful pirates that took the craft. When asked about Ekaterina, the amorphous individual claims she was taken by some native humanoids that dwell nearby in a swamp fed by the river inlet.

The PCs set out in pursuit after Aldren goes high to scan the area. Captain Condor notes to Nebol'shoy that in order to reach his Lost Isle on time, he will need three components for a ritual: a specific water lily, a river serpent's egg, and blood from a creature whose blood is water. They follow some tributaries to a village of humanoid frogs. Rucia and a few other PCs approach directly by boat, and are led off to a cabin to greet with an elder, while the rest of the party uses stealth to enter on foot. It turns out that the creatures disemboweled the girl and then smoked her in a ritual hookah...causing Rucia and the others to instantly engage! A mass of frog warriors attacks them, led by several spellcasters, and a pair of enormous aberrations they kept in the lake...while the PCs' initial onslaught of magic fells a large number of the native warriors, the fast-leaping adversaries manage to 'catch up' to them...

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia/Richardt

Session 38: One Last Suck (5/25/25)

Desnova 18

The PCs break down the folding boat to cross the narrow entrance to the Skorbi river, investigating the purple vortex of light in the small coastal cemetery. They find a trio of winged undead heads that can stun with their shrieks, one of which has oddly human eyes and can also cast dangerous spells, and that creature summons several horrifying spirits from the area, which can also cause great damage or even death with their gaze! Our heroes fight off the bat-creatures, who seem to be searching for something in the graveyard. Amidst a grueling battle, Mockleg manages to dispel the vortex itself, before some larger creature appears to be stepping through. Once defeated, the PCs search the trio of sepulchers at the heart of the small cemetery, and find a green-glowing tiara efirrny that causes their censer to glow!

They put back to river and head and steer back towards nearby Zolovny, arriving to find a strange craft sparking with electricity moored up on the docks, called the Golemeter, but NO signs of the Slack Mallard itself! After investigating, it turns out that their boat, after completion, was hijacked by some flashy rogues (the Lay Blades) who took it downriver and then scuttled it, with Ekaterina on board. Several of the PCs visit the new circus tents that have popped up in Zolovny, something to do with the strange boat, and find more of the large, silent men that crewed it, and an eccentric ringleader named Dr. Flargheist. Nebol'shoy makes a 'friend' after covering the entrance fees of all standing in line, and then the PCs visit the 'oddities' section of the circus tent, where they discover a bunch of strange creatures including a mutated humanoid, a goblin-like being which has been silenced, a magma-dripping bat, among others, one of which (a 'Mr. Hanz') is vacant from its cage, the torch in its tent extinguished.

After watching the impressive electric show in the main tent, the PCs have the opportunity to speak with Flargheist, who lets them know that Mr. Hanz is a dear component of his attraction and he'd love any information about where he might be, and also that he's searching a place called the Lost Isle of Skorbi! A strange coincidence. The PCs head back to sleep at the tents near the river.

Desnova 19

The PCs perform other local activities while they figure out what to do next. Aldren fetches his packages that have arrived from Borgaborsk at the Flapping Salmon, speaking briefly with the dwarf Smoker, and then he also visits the Sallowmoon family to report on the death of Sludd. They don't seem to mind much, but the matron is unavailable. Nebol'shoy visits Old Shard at the Tabernacle, sharing mushrooms in a field. After this bonding experience, Shard asks if Nebol'shoy would one day like to take over the shrine as its tender and become the 'go-to' druid in these parts. Rucia and Bjork visit the remains of the House of Drawn Vails only to find its become the House of Drawn Zippers, a male brothel which has been cleaned up, staffed and run by a leather-clad man named Budi. The PCs later reconnect and decide they will probably take Condor and head south to find whatever happened to the Mallard now that several dangerous parties are after the same Lost Isle.

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia

NPCS:

Bolgok (human male): Slovenly drunkard with a disheveled beard and unkempt, curling brown hair around a balding head. Takes to Nebol'shoy after the gnome pays for him to enter the electric show at Dr. Flargheist's Canvas of Curiosities in Zolovny.

Budi (human male): Bald, built man wearing scandalous leather vest and shorts, has taken over the House of Drawn Veils from its previous (deceased) owners and turned it into a male brothel instead, now dubbing it the House of Drawn Zippers.

Doctor Flargheist (human? male): 

Session 37: Parks and Recreation (3/16/25)

Desnova 17 

The PCs finish up their trades with Orglo, securing the ring of regeneration for Mockleg. They head out into the park where they meet a poet who is trying to impress students. Instead, Bjork performs and gets a better reaction from a student, local gardener and the poet. They head back out into the city, visiting the Silversmith whom Nebol'shoy needs to hire for a job creating a component for his spell. Zmierv warns the party that their (former) friend Sludd had stolen from him, but they claim not to really know the guy. Bjork sings a tune that is noticed by an unusual old lady, who gifts him a seemingly dead mouse (which turns out to still move). He departs with Aldren to check out a few shops while Rucia and Nebol'shoy head into Ptarmigan Park after the lady.

Rucia wanders deeper into the park, and is then confronted by some sort of mime or jester, who is partnered with some shady individual in the bushes that attempts to pick the paladin's pockets. The mime hurls some juggling balls at the dragonkin and then flees to the park exit while Rucia tries to find whoever was in the bushes. The mime confronts Nebol'shoy at a park exit, and a battle is initiated. A spiked ball is stuck into the gnome's face, but then he retaliates with a blight spell that insta-gibs the street performer. He searches the mime's basket and finds more balls, juggling knives, coin and some candles that are evidence he might have worked for the Brothers Dimm! Rucia is unsuccessful at tracking the accomplice, and the two cover the mime's body in the bushes and head deeper into the park to find the old lady Agba...



Aldren and Bjork visit a local pet shop where the ranger purchases a number of woodland animals, a raven and a magpie, all of which he is presumed to want to free outside the city. They notice there is also a large crayfish painted white in honor of the local legend of Old Marrow (RIP). They arrange to pick up the animals the following morning. Afterwards they head over to the Blade and Bulwark to inquire about some armor and any 'special items' they might have around.

Rucia and Nebol'shoy find Agba after sharing soup with another local hobo, there's a philosophical difference of opinion which turns into a brawl, despite the gnome's attempts to separate them. Agba summons the man outside (Griefv) to come to her aid, and unleashes deadly magics upon the paladin, who begins to clobber and smite the strangely resilient crone. As they fight, the tent animates and sprouts a quartet of deer legs, and begins to escape the park, causing much of a stir among the populace in the south of the city. Bjork notices his mouse is fidgeting strangely even at a great distance. After several rounds of combat, Griefv and Agba and their tent manage to shake off Rucia and the gnome, and they choose not to pursue. In the commotion, the guard and most locals don't notice they were involved.

The party members converge back on the Gravers' Guild for a discussion with Ser Arkimedes who tells them he'd be interested in their ideas for a next 'dig' or expedition. Smite-Eyes' Tower is named as a possibility, which the PCs say they might eventually be headed towards anyway. 

Desnova 18

After a troubled night for Rucia, who has a vision of glowing-eyed undead mice stalking the Guild, the PCs wake up and have breakfast with the halfling. A wagon has been arranged to pick up the PCs, their cache and purchased goods and bring them back to the docks. They grab their animals. Rucia visits the Libellum Sanctos and speaks with Father Feydruun, who attempts to convert him to a paladin of Sanctos, as he has heard of the paladin's exploits and is an avowed enemy of Boriya Mikhailovic. He knows that Boriya's family does spend some time at the esteemed Halfwynter Lodge, a favored ski resort for the nobility of Brazoskov, highly exclusive and protected by mercenaries.

They return to the docks, let loose the folding boat and then travel north to the mouth of the Jaggerhead Lake, as the skies begin to storm and rain heavily. They notice a strange disturbance in a cemetery on the shore as they prepare to down-size the boat and cross to the Skorbi River.

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia

NPCs:

Agba (d'vryn female): A hunched, heavily wrinkled old lady with greasy, cropped white hair that is tied back into a topknot. Shuffles along with some assistance from a stick, seems to appreciate good songs, and offers Bjork an undead mouse for one of his performances. This offends Rucia, who tracks the old lady down and realizes that she is some sort of homeless, powerful, necromantic witch hiding out in Ptarmigan park. He confronts her and Griefv but they escape in their ambulatory tent! 

Griefv (??? male): Lanky, tall old man with a grim face and long, straw-colored hair. He wears the straw hat of a local farmer and is short of speech, unless really needed. Seems immensely strong for someone of his frame, and quite possibly undead or 'other'.

Mighty Svatsky (human male): A poet with long, curled hair that is possibly some sort of fancy wig. Hangs out among the nobility of Brazoskov, including stings at Halfwynter Lodge and the Skolareum at Arkany. Possibly interested in hiring Bjork for a collaboration, putting music to his prose, since he thinks the youth of the area are more interested in magic and gossip than the arts proper.

Sven (human male): Stocky and square-shouldered, square-jawed oaf who steers a cart for rent in the city of Arkany.

Session 36: The Claw is the Law (2/23/25)

Desnova 15 

The PCs examine the empty clearing now that the vampiric castle Bloodwalls has withered, recovering their Gravers' Guild cache and checking out the old, broken architecture that lies about the place. They decide to travel a bit west into the Tzarswald before resting to regain the health that they lost to the castle's curse. Several of them notice a rush of breeze or wind across the canopy of the woods, leading back to where they came, and this seems to persist for miles. They set up camp in a secured copse of trees with a leomund's shelter and notice some animals rooting around.

Desnova 16

They return to the Flailing Marsh and decide to recover Old Marrow's claw from the Crumblemoor, since Aldren wants to solve the riddle of the huntress's shrine. A cloud of giant flies has taken residence, feasting on the corpses of the disfigured giants and the crayfish itself. They are 'surprised' by a bumpkin local hunter intent on catching and eating one of the flies, but he is frightened off by Bjork's magic. The PCs carefully approach around the south of the keep, not wanting to provoke the flies, and they make it to the moldering corpse of the colossal crayfish. While they saw away to get the claw, Nebol'shoy communicates with the flies, who are protecting the maggots that are now growing in the corpses of the fallen fomori! They have a rather limited vocabulary...

The PCs next decide to return to Omutny where they can pick up Condor at the Herring House, and cross the Jaggerhead Lake. They have some difficulty getting to shore, but as they do, they meet up with Brother Beandip and decide to leave Marrow's claw on display for the time being (while Aldren tracks down the other two legendary quarry for the riddle). After their business, they decide to head out to Arkany where they can sell or trade off items and report back to the Guild. En route, while Aldren is steering Rucia's folding boat, the ship is attacked by some tentacled monstrosity that resembles an octopus with a human face. It is quickly dispatched by magic once the other PCs awaken and come out to assist the ranger.

They arrive late at night and 'parking' is limited in the Arkany harbor until they transform the folding boat, surprising the guards on duty. They trek back to the Gravers' Guild, using the flickering lantern combo to give the right password and enter. Here they spend the evening after reporting to Sir Arkimedes Oldwater. 

Desnova 17

In the morning, they head out into the city to use the money exchange, where they set up an account that can be accessed through the various city banks throughout Brazoskov, and they swap a bunch of the more valuable magic items with the goblin Orglo in the Skolareum. Aldren has a run in with Rembolt Fuddlemuzz, one of the rogues that had kidnapped him in their last stint within the city walls, and they return the burnt out 'candle' they found in the cellar prison at Bloodwalls, though the gnome still tries to deny that he has anything to do with the Brothers Dimm. After settling their business, the PCs decide their next move.

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia

Session 35: Family Feud (12/28/24)

Desnova 15, 1423.

The PCs continue to struggle against Csunori, who armors her new corpse up with magic and proceeds to engage them in melee whilst Boriya's skeletal naga hurl spells and create chaos. Aldren runs into an adjoining chamber only to confront the young villain himself, who approaches calmly and asks the elf to hand over what he's carrying. Thanking him for handing it directly over! The gargoyles spray blood into the melee above, greasing up the area and making it more difficult to move, but our heroes have by this point whittled down most of their opposition with whatever desperate strength and magic they have left to them. Boriya magically paralyzes Aldren and then claims the lantern, transporting himself away, much to the dismay of his 'lover' Csunori, who is defeated and then beaten to a pulp (and then some) by Rucia, who has exacted vengeance for his clan at last! He even removes her magical undead heart and then ruptures that, putting to rest another of the unusual relics which seem to have given the Naturalists their strange and effective powers...

Our heroes proceed on through the cellars, exploring a nearby ossuary as well as the library/shrine in which Boriya was waiting. They find a tome called the Codex Nefarium which details the Palace of Splendorous Agonies, supposed otherworldly home to the devil whose very shrine this is. They also come across several crypt chambers, one with the heavily sealed tombs of soldiers, another for what must have been servants or such, in which they find a prosthetic finger wearing a magic ring, and an opaque, cobwebbed bottle of 'endwine.' Other features of the cellars are a distillery for blood-infused wines and liquors, a torture chamber, and several areas with stocks and prison cells for the mortals that the Vilensky family and their kin must have drained through the centuries. They notice there are some emaciated, vampiric humanoids still crawling about the place, but they seem rather skittish, begging the PCs only to not 'take their blood'. They even follow one to to the Well where it is lapping at the deadly contents...but no sign of Sludd down there.

After finding a puzzle contraption in some of the blood stockades, they activate it and gain access to a previously blocked off corridor, leading them into the Vilensky Vault, heart of the riches of the family that last reined over the vampiric castle. In addition to an iron key covered in swirling vines, the object of their search here, they come across a heap of ancient coins, valuables, and a magical medallion and instrument. There are also floor plans which allow the PCs to see how they can shut off the circulation of vitae throughout Old Bloodwalls. Rucia and Bjork do so in the distillery, putting out the flames that activate the steam circulator pipes which pump all the blood being drained from the castles victims and the surrounding Tzarswald. They dimension door outside to the rest of the party, and the castle seems to collapse as if deflating...into a mere stain of blood in the center of a depressed hill, sitting in the forest. The veil has been lifted about the clearing, only the surrounding ruins remain, and the curse that was draining the PCs seems to disappear. Our heroes prepare to rest and do some bookkeeping at a nearby settlement while they determine their next moves.

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia

Session 34: Blood is Thicker Than Slaughter (11/17/24)

Desnova 15, 1423.

The PCs search the remainder of the rooms that Razakhel was using, and then decide, due to their ever sickening conditions, to move quickly to find the lower level of the Castle. They return through the servants quarters to the first floor, and then search some of the northern side of the castle, finding a large, covered garden terrace. In addition to being overgrown, it contains some strange nests that look like they are built from nettles, feathers and blood. Soon they are assaulted by vampiric winged creatures that can summon up clouds of stirges that will attach themselves to our heroes and drain them. However, the enemies are soon dispatched as they cannot compete with the PCs' power. They search through the terrace and find the remains of the forest gnome green thumb 'VV' whose cart must lie out in the courtyard.



They proceed to find a pair of towers and another battlement terrace, and in each of the towers is a daunting statue, one named 'Prvoslav Kral' and the other 'Dragi of the Stepped', who wields a skeletal longbow. Kral's statue hides a pressure plate which Nebol'shoy and Bjork uncover, that leads down into the cellars. They gather up the party and proceed down, combining and reading the two pieces of the rune to remove the death-rune that Csunori has left behind as a trap. Beyond this is a pair of store-rooms, the first of which is relatively empty other than a black widow spider which bites Aldren as he places his hand into the old vase it calls his home. In the second, more elaborate stores closet, they find an unusual crate wrapped in chains, which is accessed by the copper keys from the ring in the second floor Smoke-Room. It contains a two-headed skeleton with eyes of blazing fire crystal, which seems to animate and follow the PC who frees it. This unnatural creature is quickly dispatched by the others, to the dismay of some.

The next area is a deep, octagonal well of blood that is fed by several gargoyles on the walls that spray bloody mist from other areas in the castle, perhaps as it drains the very lifeblood of the Tzarswald and all who enter. Csunori and a group of undead dragonborn await them, and deadly battle is joined. Mockleg and Rucia dimension door straight behind her, putting the silvery necromancer at a disadvantage as she attempts to mock her attackers. The dead dragonborn put up more of a resistance than the PCs expect, made worse when a trio of skeletal nagas arrive from the nearby entrances to enforce Csunori. In addition, after the dragonborn zombies are felled, the whisper of an incantation arrives through the cellars, and they rise once more!!! The PCs finally cut down Csunori, but she transmogrifies into one of her undead minions and re-enters the fight!

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia