Ad Elementis
From Dreams of Hope
Real Dates: Started January 2023, ongoing.
In-universe Timeframe: Early winter/late fall 251, current time is early spring 252.
People:
Events:
- Late fall 251 AC:
- Party met at Rampant Gryphon Inn, at Crossroads, a merchant town ~ 5 mi outside of Rauviz City. Hired to guard 3 Mountains, Inc. caravan to Fuar Uulan.
- Passed through Folsom Village, which had committed murder-suicide in an attempted (although botched) blood magic ritual to "bring things back to normal".
- Rescued Naimanzuunnadin Tsetseg from kidnappers, recovered a Rune Anvil (the one formerly in Kaelthia), and helped him become Smith Exemplar of the Uulani dwarves.
- Early winter 251 AC:
- Participated in the Festival of Virtues. Lotsa drinking.
- Caught rumors of a place called Grimhold, a lost dwarven city, and decided to investigate.
- On the road, encountered a number of interesting and hostile creatures. Rescued some deep gnomes of the Plane of Coal, servants of the Gnoman.
- Reached Grimhold, encountered plant/fungus monsters and strange singing.
- Learned the sad and terrible secret of the clanhold's death.
- Defeated a Daughter Tree, offspring in despair of the Mother Tree, mother of hags, reclaiming the town.
- From there, headed south through Harmony, and then west to Guildtown. Discovered military buildup in the Holy Kaelthian Republic but avoided detection.
- Mid and Late Winter 251 AC:
- At Guildtown, found the city under siege and snuck in.
- Participated in a raid on Kaelthia, entering the Granite-Flame Academy. Found it to be under siege from celestial forces, with a few survivors holding out in the library. Assisted Katheryn Archmagus (or her spirit, anyway) in restoring the Lost Stacks and evacuating the people. Library now hidden away in a demiplane, out of reach of anyone.
- Guildtown evacuated.
- Headed to Crisial City for a concert by Dilligas Husty.
- Got news of an impending attack by the Horse Clans against Vaeltaa and the eastern edge of Safehold. Went with Crisial Rangers and adventurers to assist. Note: Holy Winter Crusade occurs at this time.
- Were sent on scouting mission into the Lupaus Plains. Discovered true goal of the invasion--to wipe out the clans in a furious blaze of blood magic so their "god" Vetel could Ascend as a demon prince.
- Visited several "Taboo" sites along the way, including making friends with a nice pond nymph. Defeated a Green Knight who had been imprisoned by the old Vetel for centuries who wanted to wipe all humanoid life from the plains.
- With some help from Wylda (incurring a debt), they freed the last Vessel from Vetel's control.
- Penetrated into the holy city of Pyhin and defeated Vetel herself. Discovered gnomes.
- Gifted fine horses. Also 3/4 (not Eskel) had liquor-enhanced omen dreams (relevant later).
- Began overland travel down back to Fort Hope and on to the Blood-thirst Wildlands.
- Early spring 251 AC.
- Traveled into the wildlands. Encountered harpies, took an egg. Left one alive (that won't come back to bite anyone, certainly not).
- Traveled via Moonpath into the north-central wildlands. Took on a quest (to pay Wylda's debt) to "fix" other moonpaths.
- Reached the Place of All Gods, an ancient holy site with many temples.
- Faced a shadow dragon in the temple of flame, delved into an unholy vampiric/Twisted nest and destroyed some. Were only saved from the influence of Dark of the Moons by influence of stone elementals guarding a shrine to elemental earth. Destroyed that ancient corruptor.
- Visited the Temple of the Wanderer, learned about the 16-fold Great Cycle.
- Fled west (to avoid the local forces' anger at destroying their "patron"), encountered the People, a cult-like group of shifters and goblins expanding in the area. Led by Basarab, a darkly-charismatic shifter and brother to Perra, high priestess of the Carmine Path.
- Cleaned a Moonpath south of Freeport by removing necrite shards from a fey tree.
- After exiting, the harpy egg hatched into a female fey-aspected harpy chick. Kuo named her Wan Tian Cho. After Wylda's intervention, she was delivered to the keeping of a pair of gnomes native to the Isle of Beasts.
- From Freeport, headed into Southmount to investigate both the supposed Tomb mentioned in a dream of Yonas's, as well as the increasing earthquakes from one of the Three Crones, the great mountains there.
- Discovered that the Skydragon, an ancient (like...early 2nd age) dragon who had bonded with the central Crone's spirit, was dying, running the risk of making a real mess of the area if it fell. Encountered kobolds. Nice/cute fellows. Took up a quest to prevent the mountain from crumbling.
- Entered the Plane of Stone to seek aid (and go shopping).
