Session 1, 2025-04-16

PCs

• Joe_Too/Joe, Xoris, Sea Wolf, Human
• PichulRixth/Miguel, Dorc Bobo, Pit Fighter, Halfling
• Thanatis/Paul, Cevir, Wizard, Human
• LazyLich/Craig, Meram, Priest, Dwarf

Background

• PCs have recently banded together as an adventuring party from large coastal city Trala
• They have traveled east towards the town of Riverbend in search of treasure and glory
• They heard the following rumors at the Copper Crown Inn and Tavern:
  • Bessylou Gosling:
    • There is a faerie at Swordmaiden's Lake who guards a magical sword
  • Hornsby Auflen:
    • Had a good day working at the Brackenstone Mine, found a tin nugget
    • The mine's owner Mr. Halsey might make Hornsby the new foreman
• PCs begin session en route to the lake to learn more about the faerie and sword

Session Notes

Heading to the Lake

• PCs discover a torn, high quality leather satchel (20 gp)
• Evidence of a mugging and potential kidnapping
• Debate whether to investigate or continue on to the lake, elect to investigate
• Follow tracks north into woods, where they are accosted by bandits
• PCs kill leader of bandits (Jenny) and henchman Pinkie, rest of bandits flee
• Find 24 gp, 50 gp ruby, copper cockatrice head pin, 2 longswords, 1 crossbow (3 bolts)
• Follow fleeing bandits' tracks to the camp

Exploring the Bandit Camp

• Discover palisade camp hidden in the woods, about 25 people (families), Sherwood forest vibe
• Notice tobacco curing operation, presumably stolen crops from Riverbend
• Trick a young worker out gathering firewood (Reagan) into providing info and 2 torches
• Info learned from Regan:
  • The bandit gang is called the Unchained Cockatrices
  • There have been deaths at the Brackenstone Mine, and working conditions are poor
  • Bandits are potentially seeking to overthrow Mr. Halsey, whom they see as corrupt
  • They kidnapped his son (owner of the nice satchel)
  • Unclear what their plans are for the young man, but Reagan hopes they don't go "too far"
  • Reagan invites party to his house for dinner (party pretended to be affiliated w/ bandits, coming in from Trala)
  • The Swordmaiden's Lake is indeed inhabited by a faerie
    • Her name is Ellandrial
    • The bandits supplement their income by shaking down adventurer's on their way to the lake
    • Reagan mentions that there is an entrance to her lair inside the lake through a magical portal of some kind
• Decide to continue on to Swordmaiden's Lake

Ellandrial

• PCs make camp in a camp near the lake
• Discover that the cave potentially leads underneath the lake
• During night watch, Cevir witness a beautiful female faerie fly out of the cave and then back in after making eye contact
• PCs follow the cave rather than looking for portal, as its clear this is another entrance to Ellandrial's lair
• PCs almost fall into water while traversing a ledge, where a croc is waiting hungrily to eat them
• After navigating the ledge, the croc speaks and identifies himself as Jarvis, a friend of Ellandrial
• PCs continue on to a branch: Stingbats one way, faerie light the other way. They choose the faerie light
• Ellandrial tells the PCs that spiders have infested the area where she guards a magical sword
  • If the PCs kill the spiders, they can have the sword, in addition to treasure from previous adventurers who have failed
• PCs continue down the cave on natural stairs into the spider's lair
• They defeat a big matriarch spider and her spiderlings with no deaths (really bad monster rolls)
• They are awarded the following loot:
  • 1 Crystal Ball: (Usable by wizard only, allows casting scrying spell. Requires succesful casting check. If you fail the check, the orb goes opaque and does not function for a day
  • Magic +1 Sword, named Shimmer: +1 Longsword, soft blue/teal glow, has a sapphire set below the hand guard, etched with iconography evocative of the moon, has a sentient presence that is emotive but doesn't speak... you can sense its feelings though
  • A set of chainmail set with semiprecious crystals
  • 252 gp
  • Favor from Ellandrial... you can communicate to her through the sword (she added that enchantment to it). She can refuse the favor but will honor it if within her ability