User blog:BigZGamer27/Story

Session 1: As per usual, this beginning starts with an ending. Your months of training under Hector Greenslave had come to and end, and you all embarked upon your final test, your Test of Autumn.

With no knowledge of what was to come, Hector led you to the village of Quaken, where he explained that a group of unusualy brave and violent Xvarts were ransacking the village. After speaking to the mayor, Freila Wickham, the group split to learn more on Xvarts at the library and to investigate the attack sites.

At the library the group learned from the librarian, Darken Hall, that while the Xvarts have been living around the village for years, they never had shown such bravery. Not only that but the fact that some of the Xvarts exhibited magic meant they made a valuable offering to their demigord, Raxivort. Hall called this odd as nothing of such value could be found in the area.

The group then convened and set a trap for the oncoming Xvarts. After fending off a horde of rats and Xvarts, the coorperation of the party led to the Xvart warlock being slain. Hector congratulated the party on passing their Test of Autumn, and the group set off back to the city of Cinder Keep for Arming Day, when the party will become real wardens.

Session 2:

After making a quick stop at Aldi's Apothecary for supplies, the party headed east towards Silver along the main road. In two days time the party arrived at Silvry, where they scoured the surrounding Riverside for stink grass to use as bait for the Wyvern. Upon finding the stink grass, the party was assaulted by a group of drowners. After defeating the monsters Lucious discovered the mutilated corpse of the drowner's most recent victim.

After an impromptu buriel, the party continued into Silver proper and met with the eccentric Mayor Olivier Portsmouth. Mayor Portsmouth explained the problem with the Wyvern and informed the party that he had sent a group of guards to try and play the Wyvern but their bodies were discovered a few days ago by a hunter by the name of Ingred. Ever since then the Wyvern had been extremely aggressive.

The party found Ingred to learn what they could about the attack scene, however Ingred requested the parties aid in hunting a pack of dire wolves in the area. Along the way Ingred explained he used to live in Silver proper, but after being discovered of having intimate relationship with the mayor's son Fredrick, was baniches to the town's edge. The party found the pack of wolves and dispatched them quickly. Ingred told the party where he found the bodies, and the party returned to the Mayor's home for a meal and rest for the evening.

The next day the party departed to where Ingred said the bodies of the guards were found. There, signs of premature celebration, followed by deadly combat. Being discovered tracks which led to a clear hill a few feet away, atop which was a desecrated nest, and the body of a female Wyvern, slain in her nest atop her own eggs.

After venturing into the mountains to the South, a shallow cave was found in which the party set their trap for the Wyvern. After hours of stake out, the Wyvern was eventually attracted to the scent of the stink grass. Viscious combat ensued which almost led to the untimely end of severely party members. But in the end, the party came out the victor.

Session 3:

After beheading the fallen Wyvern and taking what claws and hide could be salvaged, the party returned to Silvry to claim their reward from the mayor. Kadie shared some heartening words with the mayor's son Fredrick and the party went to bed, ready to depart the next morning for Cinder Keep.

Upon arriving to the Autumn Enclave, the party we're welcomed by Ferrick and Holly who introduced the party to Macro, a Warden who found himself without a pack. After some discussion the party decided to take Macro into their pack. After returning rented equipemt and turning in the Enclaves due from the reward of the contract, each party member learned that the following day their respective branch leaders would be holding training sessions for sparrows.

That evening and the party decided to celebrate the success of their first contract by going out drinking at a quiet tavern called the Dove's Rest. While their evening was almost interrupted by a group of rowdy dock workers, the party managed to enjoy their evening without incident.

The next day consisted of each party member meeting with their branch leaders for important training. While all consisted of lectures and exercises, Samien was granted a gift by the Grand Strix in the form of a dwarven puzzle box. She bode Samien to try and solve the cube and bring her what was inside.

The next day the party ventured to the contract room to pick out their next contract. The job that was settled on was to investigate strange sounds and sightings in the lower levels of the wizarding accademy in New Fellbury. After learning what they could about the academy from the grand strix, the party rented their equipment, mounted their steeds, and departed for New Fellbury.

Session 4:

The party departed from the Autumn Enclave and made their way towards New Fellbury to complete their contract. On the first night the party convened with another traveling band of eccentric Amnissian's. One of their band was a tiefling named Arush who claimed to be able to scry into ones future for a small price. While Kadie paid without problem, Luscious detected a ruse and responded as such with violence which was not met kindly by the rest of the Amnissians. Despite Kadie's attempts to apologize during the night, the other group departed before the party awoke the next morning.

Upon arriving in New Fellbury, the party followed a sweet smell in the air to a small bakery by the name of Lysander's where they relieved them of their supply of cinnamon bread. The party rested for the evening at a inn named the Crystal Egg, and in the morning left town towards the Fellbury Wizarding Academy. They met with Groundskeeper Grindhelm who explained that in a long abandoned basement along the side of the cliff which the Academy was built upon, strange sights and sounds were being heard. Grindhelm also emphasized the fact that the dealings of this contract were to be kept quite from those in the academy.

Grindhelm led the party to the basement, and unlocked the door to let them in. The catacombs themselves were lit with torches yet seemed abandoned. After investigating a fountain which turned water into a reddish liquid that was not further examined, the party continued down a long corridor, all the while sounds of chattering echoed through the halls. Upon entering a room, the party discovered a grotesque creature of spiny leathery skin, with a single giant eye. It attacked, awakening several animated objects to fight alongside it. Luscious relieved the corpse of the creature of its eye, and the party continued.

Session 5:

The party continued through the abandoned tunnels under the wizarding academy. Brin managed to recognize the creature that the party had slain as a nothic, a creature that was once a mortal humanoid, who was twisted by undergoing a failed transformation. The party found another room consisting of a long hall, and a rubbish pile. Rummaging through the pile was another nothic, which the party attacked immediately. After it became clear that this nothic meant no harm and was merely scared of the party, the group ceased their attack and tended to the nothic's wound. The nothic explained that it was called The Timid One, and that it was placed here by a being called The Knowing One to protect a key in a chest at the end of the hall. The party deemed the nothic Timmy, and Timmy said that he would help the party navigate the tunnels, if they slew a monster that was at the end of the hall.

At the end of the hall, from a chest emerged an oozing beast which was quickly dispatched by the group. Inside the shallow chest the group found a key, and a wand, which Samien managed to identify as a Wand of Magic Detection. During this time Timmy surprised Kadie with the knowledge of her true name. Timmy led the group out of the room, though his directions seemed uncertain. They made their way into a new corridor where another nothic stood, one which called itself The Watching One. It revealed it's knowledge of Kadie's name as well, in addition to knowing some information about Brin. It peered at Samien and exclaimed knowledge of his past, as it scampered away to write it down. The party continued and found the Watching One's chamber, on one side of which was a door that The Watching One forbade the party from entering. After the party did not relent, The Watching One attacked, and during this combat, Timmy ran away from the party, not to be seen again.

After the Watching One was defeated, the group entered the forbidden door, inside of which was a chamber, covered in scrapped papers and notes. After some investigation, Luscious managed to discover a secret door, locked with two key holes. Since one key was already in their possession, the party moved on to find the second. After making their way through a room filled with barrels and a foul-mouthed nothic which was quickly defeated, the party continued to a room that resembled a library. At the far end, a nothic sat worshiping a statue of a many armed warrior woman, with the lower body of a gigantic spider. Once the nothic noticed the party, it threatened them, insisting the wrath of the "spider-lady" will befall them if they advance.

Session 6:

By confusing the nothic, the party managed to cause the nothic to use a spell scroll to vanish from the room. Upon the alter the party found both the second key, as well as a ceremonial dagger. Once Luscious picked up the dagger, he received an ominous message from a voice claiming to be Lolth herself.

The party returned to the locked door, and upon inserting both of the keys they had found, the door opened, revealing a large chamber. Inside the chamber they saw signs of torture and captivity; blood dried on the floor, torturous tables and implements lying in front of various cages. Among this scene the party saw 3 nothics, two of which were familiar. One spoke to the party, in a much more civilized fashion than nothics  previously encountered. This nothic explained that they and the nothics had resided in these tunnels for as long as they can remember, which is not very long. While the other nothics have no memory or resemblance of whoever they were before, this nothic still held loose fragments of their past self, claiming to have been called Amon, a magic user who was in the middle of some project before his transformation. Nothic also explained that shortly upon their transformation, the nothics were captured and tortured by groundskeeper Grindhelm, as he was seeking knowledge of their failed project.

While the party was skeptical at first (some more so than others), investigation of a room that the knowing nothic called "Grindhelm's office", revealed supple evidence in the form of a half destroyed journal. The party discussed what action they would take, and decided to tell the headmaster of the academy everything they had learned, and in doing so hoped to bring Grindhelm to justice, and protect the nothics. As they departed The Knowing One left them with an ominous farewell, that if the nothics were harmed, they would be next.

While Kadie, Brin, and Macro surveyed Grindhelm's hut to be sure he did not discover their plot, Luscious and Samien ventured into the academy and found Headmaster Juno and explained the situation. While she seemed clearly disturbed by the news, she thanked the party for their service and insisted on the situation being taken into the academy's hands. She promised the party their due payment, and with that sent the party off. WIth cautious optimism the party returned to New Fellbury to spend the night at the Crystal Egg.

In the morning a courier arrived with both the party's payment, and a message for Macro. Macro read the message and informed the party that his old commanding officer from the Evaliann Empire requested his presence and he needed to be off. Once goodbyes were said the party ventured on the road back to Cinder Keep.

Session 7:

The party departed from New Fellbury at a good pace, heading towards Cinder Keep. As they approached Cinder Keep, they were stopped on the road by an apparently blind man who called himself Bill Patch. Bill said his horse was leading him to Cinder Keep from Silvry but was run off the road, and his cart was stuck in a ditch just off the road. The party agreed to help him and found his cart just a little ways off the road, along with his horse. After struggling to pull the cart out with the aid of their own horses, Lucius quickened the pace when he realized brakes were stopping the cart's wheels from turning. After getting the cart onto the road, Bill asked the party if they could help guide him towards his brothers house. The party agreed and they entered Cinder Keep.

Though Bill's confusing directions caused the trip to take longer than it should have, the party eventually found Bill's house, though at this point it was approaching dusk. After they dropped off Bill, the party made their way back to the Autumn Enclave, where an Amber warden informed them that the Great Bear wanted to speak with them. The Great Bear informed the party that he had an Amber warden who he wanted to join them. She was a skilled combatant who preferred to complete contracts on her own, but after her last contract went sour, the Great Bear insisted her to join a pack. The party agreed and went up to their quarters to meet their new teammate, Tenyri.

Tenyri immediately showed herself to be plenty a fighter, when she insisted that her and Lucius have a sparring match in the training ground. Lucius agreed, and the rest of the party joined to spectate. The match was delayed however when Lucius heard a message spoken directly into his mind. The voice claimed it had important warden business, and that it needed Lucius and the rest of his group to meet the speaker in the warden graveyard. Lucius guided the party there where they saw a robed figure who revealed himself to be a man who looked eerily similar to Bill Patch. He apologized, but claimed the party new things that someone didn't want them to know, and attacked, throwing a gem to the ground which collected the earth around it into an Earth Elemental.

The party sprung into action. Tenyri charged the elemental while Lucius dove to the side to attack the assassin. The rest of the party gave aid, while the elemental proved to be a significant opponent for Tenyri. Lucius quickly shot down the assassin, however as he fell, another elemental spawned around him, rising from the earth. The party narrowly managed to defeat the elemental's, and after searching the corpse of the would-be assassin, found nothing more than a key. The rest of the party made their way back to their sleeping quarters to get some rest, while Lucius decided to meet with the Dusk Father to ask him for advice. The Dusk Father told him that he would look into it, but in the mean time Lucius and his pack should just continue on with warden business.

The next morning during breakfast, the party met with Ferrick and co., who now called themselves The Ferocious Four. The told the party of the contract they had just completed, while also informing the party of a sort of competition that was being held in the coming days, called the Sparrow Hunt. The Sparrow Hunt was described as a sort of test for packs of Sparrows to have a chance of proving themselves to the Enclave, and that to sign up they merely had to report to the job room. The party decided to do so, that is after Tenyri insisted on her promised sparring match with Lucius. Lucius obliged and they met in the training grounds, where Lucius was quickly dispatched by Tenyri. The rest of the party each decided to have a go, all of which fell to Tenyri's fists. All except Samien who decided it was best not to challenge her. After the party tended to their wounds, they made their way to the job room where they returned their due payment for their most recently completed contract, and signed up for the Sparrow Hunt.

Session 8:

The party wakes and gets ready for the upcoming Sparrow Hunt, as they go to the training grounds  many obstacles are awaiting them. First round is a challenge of quick wits and agility, Samien and Brin are up first. Samien using spells to fly through the challenge and Brin using his knowledge to turn into the fastest animal he could think of, the form of a panther but slowed down by his former teacher (whose name i can't remember at the moment.) First Round was won by Samien and Brin. Party then has lunch and gets ready for round 2 of the 3 challenges, Brin makes a lovely cup of cinnamon tea for the party. Second Round Katie and Tenri's turn as it is a challenge of Strength and Strategy. They fight a elemental construct golem thing, they fought a rough battle but ultimately they were pushed out of the ring. Second round was a graceful defeat. They eat dinner and get ready for the third round. Third Round is a challenge of resourcefulness and perceptiveness, Lucious and Brin just 2 step ahead of the other challengers. Winning the third round. After winning the sparrow hunt the party returns to their quarters and find a nice reward awaiting them.