freak out

I woke up at 2:00 a.m. after getting in bed by about 9:15. I didn't sleep all of that time but I slept some of it. And I've been up ever since, my mind racing. So many epic things float in my mind, but first and foremost is my son Rowan and how poor of a father I am because of how unresolved I am. I don't like my job. I got a new psychiatrist who didn't really listen to me and prescribed me a new medication that I clearly am not liking, but at least it has allowed this realization: I hate my life and where it has taken me.  I get vague flashbacks to a social, happy Cody, but I'm not even sure that I was happy then. I miss sociality, but I'm in such an unhappy geographical location for myself that I loathe any social interaction here. It's a brutal dichotomy. No path seems valid. 

It felt cathartic to have this outburst. I cried a tiny little bit, I wish I could cry more, maybe with more work on this.

first in a bit

I'm so overwhelmed lately.  I'm still dealing with my herniated disc on a daily basis. I haven't seen my son in over a year in person, and he just turned five. I've completely dropped the ball on him. We video chat three times a week. He's into wobbly life right now. I miss him so much. I miss feeling like I had support from my friends and family, most of which has disappeared. I'm not hopeless, but I feel it sometimes.

I'm going to just continue this post, originally started on the 1st of this month.  So all of that aside, I need to wax poetic about my physical body.  I've never had chronic pain.  I've pulled my calf muscle two separate times, once in each leg, and that lasted for a week before finally subsiding.  I still can't run for distance on it, and I'm determined to change that.  My lungs are fit enough to build up strength in.  I do use a salt nicotine vape pen, but I've been able to bike for miles (I just don't like it).  But the back is driving me insane.  It's everyday since February this year.  I'm about to go to my fifth (? I've canceled at least twice) physical therapy appointment and I just don't see it paying many dividends.  I'm wondering if the issue is something other than just the herniated disc.  It's very disconcerting and I'm already a very doubtful person, and it has created a lot of doubt in my abilities to have my very rambunctious little guy around.  I didn't play disc golf at all last week, and I haven't played through Tuesday today. I think I can work now.  I do think I can do that, but I'm very unsure about much else.  Even work will require adjustment and NSAIDS and blech.  I'm just over it.  I've never experienced something like this and it's driving me nuts.  That's all for now.   

don't know where to start

There you have it. Still struggling having my kiddo, started smoking a few days ago, what seemed like tooth fixing did not become that. It's been a struggle, I'm going to have to pay out of pocket for a complicated root canal, then get back to fillings, I don't know what's going on with cards, all of the progress gained under Lisa seems to have fallen away.

so much struggle

I'm really struggling right now. I feel super alone. I miss Lisa a lot.  I miss a sense of safety, like everything is going to be okay. Like I don't have to think about everything all the time. But I do, and I can't stop it. I don't feel hopeless, but I don't see a direct path from where I'm at to being really alive again. I know hard work and patience and dedication and habit building will get me somewhere, but I don't know who I'll be able to talk to about it with.  And that really hurts. For some reason, I need to talk to somebody besides myself about it. I miss my dad. I hated to see him become a shell almost instantaneously. I was so mad at my brother and my sisters for not listening to me for so long, but they probably just knew that there was nothing that could be done. Every week I sort cards that were a sick obsession of his. I'm making money off of it and setting myself up in some ways, but it's not like I'm set for life, and it's painful to do. It prolongs this isolation.

I've pondered writing poems about grave robbing quite a bit. I almost researched tomb robberies.

I miss Lisa.  I miss her warmth, the comfort of her home, sex with her. The hardest part is knowing that she eschewed me, barely ever talks to me, plays on this crazy obsession in my mind, in which I have broken boundaries and made mistakes over and over again.

I've gotten so irregular with my son as to not even know what it means to be regular, except for video chatting, which I don't even like doing. All connection with him feels severed. I'm sorry Rowan.  I'm so so sorry. I don't want it to be like this forever, but I don't know how to get back.

First in a while (Film #30)

My pharmacy manager is big into film.  Strangely, the last time I wrote a film entry on my blog, I had just gotten a job at Walmart in the pharmacy and in nearly 6 months there, there was very little talk of getting into the pharmacy tech program.  Flash forward nearly 5 years, and I'm a technician for Bartell Drugs with a 19.5 month old son.  

Game of Thrones ended some time ago, and some shows have held my attention, but few have been as great as Game of Thrones and what heartbreak at the end of that one.  Daenerys ruins everything.  

Ozark is good (finished season 3 recently), and watched Watchmen, Season 1, Witcher, Season 1, and The Shannara Chronicles.  The first three hover around the 9/10 mark, and TSC is probably closer to a 7.

I wonder what films Rowan will see in his life?  I've been without him for 6-7 weekends and it's tough.  On medical leave and trying to get that situated.  Hopefully back on Monday.  

6 Weeks (A Look at the Weekend #32) 9 April 2020

Whhhhhhoooooaaaa baby.  I haven't tried to follow A New Commitment in ages, and with a 1.5+ year old son, a new start, etc, it's really time for "A New New Commitment." 

What better way to do that then to at least re-commit to an old commitment?  I dunno.  Some stats.  Bankruptcy is filed.  Student loans will start to be taken out of default, and my transcripts will be released.  I've missed over a month of work on medical leave and aim to go back Monday, 4/14. 

Going to dad's, mom's, and Trey/Julia's this weekend for a few days.  :)
I'd love to play disc golf, but communication with my few friends has been really difficult, and let's be frank, disc golf is a largely social endeavor for me.  Rob is gonna hang out with his family, and Jesse won't answer today, for some reason.  This coronavirus thing has everyone being really strange, and to be perfectly frank, I feel kinda lost.  It's time to start finding?  :D

Campaign 2 Master Notes

Session 1:

Ambos is odd.  Your characters are smart enough to have noticed during reading and just by being more than a regular npc that the world seems to operate in cycles, or 1000 year (millennia) periods where things seem strange and parts of history seem to reset.  Sometimes it is a large war, where huge civilizations are brought to their knees or entirely eradicated.  Sometimes it is natural phenomena, like meteors, volcanoes or tidal waves, or a combination of several that seem strangely linked.  Other times, far enough back, no matter how wizened and studied the scholar that is pressed, that entire 20 year period (the turning of the cycle) is unknown to modern intelligentsia.


The free city
Free council
The Ordinate - High Elf, piercing gray eyes
Orville - Orc
Serrah - Human
Kalandria - Human


Etlohim, working with other abyssal types.  Attempting to turn the cycle. 
Lots of other aliens out there.  Some bigger than the Etlohim.  The builders (e.g., Rauko) might want the cycles to turn.  They might pick those that have an inkling of the turning and help them to their death or to the Etlohim to try and deflect attention. 

Session 2:

The party will fight 9 pirates (inc. Grimhook).  Andy's character will run into combat after the lodestone, he may regain his spells after if he gets it in his chest, which will take an action in combat. 


Derek's character will be freeing himself from his bonds and making his way onto the beach, toward the city.  He will grab his equipment and the pouch he has noticed a pirate leafing through on his way here. 


The party will hear the sound of battle and be transported to the front lines. 


"The months at sea have been long.  The only thing that helps pass the time is thinking of ways to disembowel the goblin who sits just outside of reach of your cage, counting coins and putting them back into a plain pouch at the table.  When you seem to fall into a deep sleep, he has prodded you with his dagger and scurried out of arm's reach more than once.  Seeing others has been rare but today you heard calls of being a couple of days out from Port. At a certain point a Bugbear opens the door at the top of stairs leading to the next deck and says, "the navigator took the wrong turn, or something," all hands on deck, and the goblin ran up top.  You hear a loud horn and there was silence for nearly an hour. You worked the bindings off of your wrists but the cage seems too complex.  A cannon sounds and you narrowly Dodge a ball aimed into the hull.  It tears into the cage and splinters it, leaving just enough room to walk out unscathed as the bottom deck begins hemorrhaging water. You grab your equipment the pouch that that price goblin was counting from, and make your way to the shore.  A regiment breaks off and makes it's way in your direction. 
"As the two of you sit in the rich interior of the Ordinate's antechamber, you take a look around notice a detailed, well-crafted, Gilt and platinum sourced globe, a fine leather world map on the wall, various liquors in ornate Crystal and metal worked decanters.  You see a Monk's sash framed, and a fine rapier on the wall.  You see piles of books and ledgers, cabinets of rich mahogany.  The fire feels nice as you remember that you're now past the halfway point of Maqua, the second to last month of the year, and it is going to get even colder, especially this far north, where the temperatures have already dropped below zero a few times since you've been in the Free City."
"The ordinate turns to you, and having spent some time with him now, you notice as the firelight of his interior fireplace flickers that there is an undertone of grey to his otherwise tanned, elven skin.  There is drow mixed with high elf in him, perhaps something else as well.  He cocks his head to the side as if in deep thought, and then says, "we will have to talk more of this later, whether your party decides to travel to Echil immediately or help us here with our lesser problems. For now I need you all at the beach."
You three all hear the distant tone of a horn.  A closer one.  Then even closer, inside the keep.  You're all escorted to a teleportation circle, in a small room off of the antechamber by the Ordinate, and he begins an incantation.
"Something flickers and a dim consciousness grows into a fully awake need to fill the emptiness. A thrumming from the east, and near, tells you that your hunger can only be satiated there.  You don't consciously remember grabbing your belongings, rather register it as a vague notion of necessity.  You don't remember the smell of lingering, months old death or clutter of baubles and riffraff  As you run from the third terrace to the second, you barely take notice of the large airship that passes overhead.  You pass beasts of burden in a cage, and narrowly sidestep one that looks like a mixture between... A large goat and a... rhinoceros...a caryx.  Yes, you remember now.  More is coming back.  You must feed your hunger.  You slide through the city gates just as they're closing and notice a regiment of soldiers dispatched to fight off what appears to be a ship.  A large black flag with an unevenly scrawled white, bloodshot eye looks over the hulking ship, as you see a cannonball tear through the side.  You turn south towards a group of these pirates that seems to have separated from the main group.  You see a human with a horned helmet, a large stone dangling from his neck as some sort of tacky necklace.  Your hunger intensifies."


The Free City sits on 6 massive terraces, with a large keep on the top most terrace


Session 3:

Duxar and Chromo waited on the discussion between the Ordinate (the bomb) and Pavel.  Horns sounded and the ordinate asked the adventurers to help secure the beach, taking them to
Grimli, imprisoned on a Dreadeye pirate ship
The party headed south to the ruined lighthouse.
Starting in the lighthouse.
Rest? DC 10 investigation reveals a hatch underneath a rug on the floor near the chest which leads to a ladder that goes down to the ceiling of the ground floor (50ft) with a larder (salt sacks with as much jerky as they can carry, a 10lb mini-barrel of Oleme Mead, (worth about 10gp) , and large chunks (5lb) of quartz, about 10 of them. Each is probably worth 10gp.
DC 15 or investigation will reveal at the bottom 5 basic healing potions, and the shard of a mirror (when attuned will allow one to see through the eyes of a shard haver, once per long rest), each person using the shard taking 1d4 psychic, and opening themselves up to the same.
DC 20, secret compartment in a cupboard with an immoveable rod, and a bag of holding, which weighs 15lbs, but can carry up to 250lbs at that weight in extradimensional space.
DC 15 will reveal the floor and ladder without a rest.
If resting overnight, whoever takes watch will hear a group of amphiptere. They don't come near, .but a large pod flies overhead, about 40. DC 15 nature check reveals what they are, that they lay eggs and nest in the winter. DC 20 they nest along river beds and you followed the Oleme river to get here.


Lunar devil in the sky as well. 


The horses are gone, scattered.


Bearfolk and their chieftain
"They could never enslave us"
To Grimli, "One of the primordial, ruling his own clan. Glad to see it."
White Dragonleaf trees. 
Frilled Brontodons in the distance.  Mbielu (mossy stegosaurus) approach, allow for petting, dc13 con and scatter. 
Large dragon off in the foothills.  Perception 15+, it is attacking something in a tree line, to the north of Oleme.  Perception 20, it is a mithril dragon, good creatures, likely in some sort of deal with the Free Isles to keep evil at bay.
1-Amphiptere (tob) and babies in a nest of eggs.  Bracers of protection +1.  Can take an egg as well. 
You enter a clearing.  Huge snowfall begins
Survival 10 no issues, or 1d10 cold damage, dc 15 perception in the midst finds a cellar door near a large rock.  Relerium mine discovered, guarded by cauldron born trained to attack if anything is taken. 


You see the skull of a frilled Brontodons and what appears to be little skulls next to it. 
Black mushrooms grow.  You see a butterfly.  Death Butterfly.  Dc13 dex check or take 1d6 piercing damage.  Mephitic mushrooms, can work as a catalyst. 


Eventually snow clears up.


2-heads/tails, 20 perception check reveals the girl trapped in a bear trap, several days dead
Heads, Bouda, Bugbear thing, disguised as a girl, dancing around the trap in a copse of trees
Tails, dark father, in a small cemetary


After spending time in the town, if they venture towards the mine and the small homestead near it, they will fight the heads/tails opposite.

Session 4:

Dream sequences for each player while they're at the inn.
Each player gathers for breakfast at the Nook and Cranny
Dark father (cc71) in Harlingud Cemetary.  Normally the Dark Father appears on the first night of Morë, and stays until he is destroyed or the dawn of the next day.  He appears to the travelers and confronts them, along with an ahuizotl (cc, 10) and four chupacabra (cc, 63). 
Clear skies.
The path goes through a valley and the rock walls but up on either side of them, forcing them into a clearing, where broken walls and a small building sit behind a what appears to be a Cemetary in disuse.  The free city keeps it's Cemetary on the garden level, and it appears this was once a Cemetary for the people. 


Corrupted Aaxte in the quartz mine

Session 5:

The party came together in The Free City, on the isle of, in the free isles, a bustling, open trade port, Alliance of Nations friendly city.  They arrived in different ways.  Four had met previously, the day before, after having been in the city for about a week.  The Ordinate, Ramsey Overdark, and several members of the free council, noticed a gathering of strangers in one of the many public squares arranged around the city, and tasked them to investigate a lighthouse.  Witchlights had begun appearing, normally created by a powerful wizard out of magically infused quartz, and in large quantities.  Considering setting out the following day, the party was attacked overnight by a cultist carrying a strange infinity symbol, looking similar to the symbol of Mishakal, but with blood dripping from the loops like eyes.  Discussing things with the council, the Ordinate pulled Pavel aside, a worshiper of Mishakal, and discussed things in his inner chamber.  As this happened, a Dreadeye Skirmisher (ship) took a turn into the Oleme River instead of north along the coast towards Nabos and the Dreadeye's home.  The Free City sounded horns and descended the tiers of the city to the beach.  The ordinate transported the party with a teleportation circle to a small fishing hut, several hundred feet from the Skirmisher, already riddled with cannonball holes and ballistae bolts.  While the Freeguard of the city dealt with the brunt of the Skirmisher forces, a Dreadeye Cavalier and several pirate troops stalked the beach toward the fishing hut, either thinking to secure one of their captured, a tortle, that escaped through a massive hole in the bottom of the ship, or to simply run from what was clearly a hopeless endeavor.  The Free City generally hang anyone affiliated with the Dreadeyes that winds up on their shore, after hours or days of interrogation.  The party mostly came out of the hut to help with this, the tortle joining, and a warforged burst onto the beach as well.  After slaying the Dreadeyes, a very interesting looking sword was claimed from the Bugbear cavalier, and the warforged pulled a stone from a necklace around the hooked hand Bugbear's neck and placed it into his chest, the stone now emanating a glow and the eyes and some veins along his arms doing the same.  After somewhat congealing, they discussed again with The Free Council, deciding investigating the lighthouse was their best bet, and moved towards the southwest, to a long ago decommisioned lighthouse along the Oleme river.  The bottom floor had partially collapsed in, the basement exposed.  Exploring the basement , the party found a strange runic language that two of them could immediately identify as linked to undercommon and deep speech, but not exactly that.  No words were perfect translations or entirely translatable.  They started making rubbings to return to the Ordinate and discuss the similarities of language, they made their way up the winding, 60 foot spiral stairs to the top, taking notice out the window of the no longer functioning 4 foot thick, green tinged quartz pillar that followed the length of the tower and extended 80 feet beyond into the frosty air.  At the top, they encountered a group of witchlights and a lizardfolk caster, who, upon seeing the group, hastily teleported away, seemingly with dimension door.  Witchlights defeated, the party discovered various things, including a journal of a maddened mind.  Charcoal drawings of a little girl running from a huge, disembodied mouth with huge, sharp teeth, just the little girl, cowering, tear streaked face, one with her happy a balloon with lines along it, a picture of him stabbing a sword into the mouth, one of him during spells at it, the girl hiding behind him for protection, then him towering over and standing on top of the mouth, sword heroically in the air, one after, receiving a kiss on the cheek from the girl, his arm around her fatherly, proud.  The writings in the journal were very uneven, about protecting this girl from the mouth, how the mouth is going to consume Ambos.  Only he can save everyone, who it seems is embodied in this innocent girl.  Later, they find that a beholder might be involved, this is a warlock, and might have something to do with his pact. 


They camp, Duxar and Pavel too excited to sleep, leaving around 2am for the free city.  They wake up and discover interesting things in a sleeping room/larder/command center that runs the center of the lighthouse.  Moving toward the free city, they encounter a friendly mithril dragon, a clan of bearfolk barbarians, a group of mossy Stegasauruses,  an amphiptere protecting her fallen nest, interesting plants, and finally, nearing the city, a Bouda, dancing around a dead girl in the jaws of a bear trap.  They swiftly deal with it, put the girl in the bag of holding, and make their way back to the city, seeing farmer's and those too poor for a dwelling in the city making their way in, preparing for the wintering of More in the safety of the city walls.  Talking to the ordinate again, the party is rewarded, and asked about another task before they too winter or leave (prior to the deep ice setting in around the port and Tirian at large).  Investigate the quartz mine, the workers not home for the winter, and the sentient ox, the Aatxe not reporting in.  First, they spend the day in the city, taking in the accomodations of The Nook and Cranny, the warforged performing a couple of times, and drawing the interest of many, including a third who heads or is close to heading a local guild.  They shop as well, Duxar selling what was a clan sword to Stilts', Gutonn Thresk, a Bugbear who runs a well made but mundane weapon and armor shop.   They make their way north to the mine and enter a large, sprawling Cemetary, rounding a grave to see a large black cloak and begin hearing skittering and combat.  Four chupacabras, an ahuizotl, and the dark father of the Cemetary (Duxar having heard in passing that it wouldn't appear for over 10 days).  The party emerged victorious and the cloak appeared to be magical, a cloak of the bat.  They also found a fist sized piece of clear crystal (not quartz) that seemed to fall from the grim reaper like
Creature. 
We begin on Midday on Tala, day 16 of 25.


The party travels towards the quartz mine to figure out what happened to the miners who haven't returned for the winter and the Aatxe that had previously communicated with the Free City via long range telepathic communication. 


Encounter 1: Corrupted Aatxe and four corrupted miners.  Crystal will fall out of them as well.
Battle map, oxen, four baddies, one devourer



Encounter 2:


Session 6:

Time in the free city grows short, it seems, as the days follow suit.  An ally has been found in the free council, especially the more open minded elements of it, and you have helped them in several ways, as the month of Maqua nears its final week and pushes into More, the final period of the year.  This far north, that means nearly 20 days of almost complete darkness. 


On their way to clear the quartz mine of it's corruption, which seemed to be the Aatxe, or sentient oxen, itself, somehow severed from it's ages-long purpose, replaced by a black hole of wrath, the party came across miners who had been similarly, though to a lesser degree, corrupted.  They whispered of a continent of lizards and mermen (Kresp) receding into the sea, of dragons and other monsters joining forces in hostile country (Angoluce) to threaten the civilizations there, of entire cities on Mindador being abandoned, or leaders being replaced by vile rulers;  Rumors of Old Gwaylen (Echil) rising, a city collapsed by joint Elven and Dwarven forces when a Conclave of 13 chromatic dragons were discovered and converged there (now the seat of Hanar, the foremost city of scholars on the planet); the army of eyes focused around Tekneklok (Ingamarre) prison in the north marching south to enslave humanoids.  The reapers (Echil) and the dreadeye pirates bringing back the Forlorn Guild and leaving no port safe, the lost sky continents used as their new airships.  The uncontacted tribes (Lombandor) uniting and corrupting Rao's Respite.  The continent of Kalavente crashing into the sea, causing tidal waves and destruction.   The neutral nations and their Aasimar protectors (Sennaler) misreading it and bringing destruction in it's wake, angering the Free Orcs and the races they protect (Utumno).  The Ice Tower collapsing, and freeing the prince of undeath, unleashing wave after wave of Ice Giants, elementals, and frozen zombies (Anyas).  Tigers of the icy waste (Irath) stalking their prey, even venturing into sweltering jungles desert.  And finally Mind Flayers and other extraplanar beings in huge space/airships sending their slave armies of Gith to the planet to destroy it.  An unknown word was heard as well. "Etlohim."
Returning to the free city and arriving early in the morning, shuffling past Bugbears and Goliaths, they heard further rumors.  The Elven head of the Tarhonwa has been assassinated. 
This is the body politic of the Kelusindi, four large cities on Echil and their satellite towns, considered the seat of power for high elves and the spiritual home of all elves since contact was lost with Kalavente, the floating continent, nearly 1000 years ago.
The party shopped at Hoighty's Toighties and bedded down for the night in the Nook and Cranny. 


Finish shopping
Rendezvous with party.  Meet new player.  Elven Ranger who travels between the Free Isles and tracks game and outside threats.  Looking for adventure before the long wintering.  A fight breaks out in the streets.  5 ogres smash the chains that bind them and


Ingotbreaker Hall.
Well furnished, wealth.  Parchments, business ledgers, nothing seems untoward. 
Dc20 investigation, hidden door. Or detect magic.
Dc15, something is off. 
Stone staircase descends into darkness.  The first step sets off a slapping boom that resonates down the stairway and echoes back to you.  40 ft to a finely worked stone landing, five pillars, four on the edges of the room with torches on them and one in the center with a fine suit of armor, jet black with platinum stripes and intricate relirium worked into it, giving it a chrome and green striping.  The Torchlight plays off of it, making it look like it moves.  You can hear voices echoing through the chamber.  From the opposite side, but there is no apparent door, or the pillar breaks it. 
Combat. 

Session 7:

The party gathered en masse for the first time in quite some time at the comfortable working class inn known as the Nook and Cranny, with comfortable but sparse bedrooms upstairs.  A hearty breakfast was served and a few of the group gathered downstairs and the party took notice of a wood elf new into town.  Groups of snow-plowing orgres were shuffled by, escorted by the Free City Guard (Freeguard).  There was a scuffle elsewhere, and most of the guard left and the two remaining were quickly destroyed as this particular group broke free of their chains and a fight ensued.  The party dispatched the ogres and were rewarded by the Free Council. 


After helping the city stave off some of the indentured servants in the form of Ogres, the party investigated the unguarded Ingotbreaker Manor, with a clue from Shikasta that they could use detect magic to find the entrance.  They found an entrance to a  finely hewn cellar holding a helmed horror and five cultists.  Dispatching them, the cleric put the armor in his bag and they moved into what appeared to be an office lined with filing cabinets of names.


The group finds:
-24 bars of gold bullion, each worth 500gp
-an unsigned deed to a ship, the Bingo Crepuscule, a treasure seeking shipped moored in the docks, one of two remaining that have massive ice breakers built on them
-various sealed documents with names on them, Kalandria Vauss, a council member, and Mishakal's Reflection, many names you don't recognize
-magic items: a mirror shard like the one Grimli has; a robe with six big stars placed haphazardly along the back of it, along with small stars all over it; an ornately carved mithril ring with a carved cloud running it's surface; finely made, old boots, that are brown leather but have a sparkly shimmer when you move and are looking at them; and a bright red belt line with red fur, that seems quite well made.  All of them are enchantment magic. 
-diagrams and schematics to odd devices you've never seen before
-an odd brick of metal that only Alif would recognize, gives off faint magical traces of transmutation


They meet the captain of the Bingo Crepuscule, a treasure hunters.


Night before
When they reach The Locker's Chain/Keyhole:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sekolah

Session 8:

The party left the Free City, boarding the Bingo Crepuscule, captained by Elion Yarrow, an obvious relative to city hero, Messer Yarrow, whose statue the party had encountered while defending/arriving on the beach of the Free City.  They broke ice surrounding the port, and started a slow voyage southeasterly.  As the sea ice got thinner and eventually became floes, the Bingo picked up speed and the temperature rose ever so slightly.  Eventually they approached _ chain, with various keyholes placed along the side, as the evening grew dark.  Passing through a keyhole, large spikes rising out of the Andune ocean, a group of Sahaugin dropped from above, while two barons climbed up from below.  They fought off the group, noticed 8 sailors were killed, and began the process of healing, and continue southward, now 3 days into their journey.  The next port of call, no matter which southern nation or continent or city the party lands upon first, is the city of Hathelmar in the Rusta Sampa archipelago.


Backstory, engineer encounter.  Stops to talk to Chromo, sends msg. "Your brother is beholden to a being on the hanging, darkened shoresummononer.  It is known to our tongue as The Untouchable.  He feeds the beasts and will ultimately lead their incursion, unless you can appeal to whatever humanity he has left, to his sense of brotherhood. He speaks with the powers in Nuldabardh and The Kelusindi and has seen the Incipient Eye, and the necklace of eyes.  Chromatic dragons.  He rallies them together and binds the darkness to Ambos.  Hell will be led the raven haired daughter, and the time of the Ethring is upon us. The Ethring is now.  The Ethring."


The waters grow frigid, the grinding of ice heard in the breaker.  A fog appears.  1d6 dmg.  1d6 cold dmg on initiative 20. 


Encounter 1: Young White Dragon/3 White Dragon Wyrmlings


Encounter 2: Grey Slaad, Red Slaad, 4 dwarves, 20hp, +4, 1d6 piercing +3, each turn into 2 slaad wyrmlings. 

Session 9-10 - No Notes




Session 11:



After fighting for the Chameleon, discovering whoever was Aren Ingotbreaker was actually a salad, and selling the Bingo Crepuscule, the party began to depart Hathelmar and sail southeasterly toward ____.


With the port city on the horizon, they were attacked by a Vrock, a demonic bird-like creature.  The clouds swirled with powerful ice that seemed to permeate the islands since their sailing past Qyrsicrimar and confrontation with the young White Dragon.


Betrug.

Session 12 - No Notes


Session 13 -

Demonic underworld.  Party pulled into a rift.  In the air.  Silent bob comes up on deck, freaking out.


Party finished off the Elohim sergeant,


Session 14-15:

Backstory session/Session 14
Grimli is on the continent of ____


Regular session/Session 15
They arrive in the city of Brangridoth, a massive city


Session 16:

Brangridoth


Afriel finds the party housing, Chromo and Chromo reunite. Bjorn joins. 
Battle ensues against a Gargoctopus Lord


The party starts in the demon city, bed down for the night with Afriel at the Crooked Nymph.


Duxar - Orcus
Elion -
Chromo -
Grimli - Zuggtmoy
Baulder -
Alif -


Fraz-Urb'luu, Graz'zt, Juiblex, Yeenoghu
Demonic party council, feed something to a massive mouth in the ground. 
Orcus XIVCCLXIX tasks the party with venturing into the titan, which is a giant turtle.  The party hears the phrase, "Turtles All the Way Down." 

Session 17:

The party find themselves in a room with once inch water on the floor creeping into their boots with a single locked door on the far, northern end. 


Disable trap, dc 15 or dex save.  10d6 lightning damage, 2d6 to the friends standing closest


Inside the following room is a defunct forge with statues lining the room, most of which


Session 18:

The party cleans up after the Death Tyrant fight. 
- DC 25 investigation, nature, or perception - another mirror shard fragment
- 20 investigation on room - small chest, partially engorged in death tyrant - 700 platinum, deed to a house in Hanar.
- Nat 1 - you find a shimmery bag with sequins that gives off a magical aura -
upon opening - bag of devouring - dc 15 check or you take 3d6 piercing/slashing damage


As they move on, similar halls as before.  Long 20ft wide, worked stone corridors, where the lights magically light up as the party moves past them
DC20 perception, notice the floor has a slight downward angle, almost imperceptible
DC20 survival, nat 1, find aggressive one Xorn
DC20 investigation, find a weird button on an otherwise smooth stone group
DC20


Ash Golem - https://www.dndtomb.com/homebrew/monsters/ash-golem/ -- 1st time

+ 2 intellect devourers the second time --
The party enters into a large 60’ circular room with a high ceiling. The walls are constructed with stone bricks and there are torches in between various weapons that are on the wall. They are all lit. In the middle is a statue of a knight wearing plate armor, a helmet and holding his arms out with his palms facing upward. There is an engraving on a plaque at his feet that says “Bring to me the greatest weapon, that kings covet, puts warriors to ruin, and ends all battles.”
•Deathbringer - Warhammer, Bright yellow with leather handle, 1d6 bludgeoning, 770gp

•Oath Shatterer - Great Sword, Blood red with Elvish inscriptions, 1d8 slashing, 3000gp

•Mercy Climber - Glaive, Bright blue blade with black leather braided handle, 1d8 slashing, 1100gp

•Giant Toe - Maul, Giant’s skull with mouth open and maul protruding, 1d8 bludgeoning, 5000gp

•Quicksilver - Pike, Dark green Jade blade with bamboo handle, 1d6 piercing, 1200gp

•Bad Samaritan - Trident, Dark golden highly reflective with Abyssal inscription, "Forlorn, like life, he stalks the streets" 1d4 piercing, 1000gp

•Midnight Sun - Quarterstaff, Braided dark and light wood with teal crystal inlays, 1d4 bludgeoning, 2000gp

•Peacemaker - Longsword, Rusted with olive branch wrapped around it, 1d6, 900gp

•Kingslayer - Morningstar, Black handle with milk white head sculpted with face, 1d6 piercing, 9000gp

•Widowmaker - Longbow, Cherry wood with yellow crystal inlays, 1d6 piercing, 2500gp

Putting any weapon in the hand of the statue causes it to become an animated weapon that attacks. Among the weapons is a sword called “Peacemaker” with an olive branch wrapped around the rusted blade. Placing the olive branch in the hand of the statue solves the puzzle.


The far end has a small, Dwarven sized door that the golem can't fit through. 


Session 19:

After defeating the lich in the Brangridoth Titanheart dungeon, the party search and rest. 
Investigation
1
5
20


Baulder

•Deathbringer - Warhammer, Bright yellow with leather handle, 1d6 bludgeoning, 770gp

From a group of barbarians on the continent that Baulder is from.  He must face two enemies alone.  An Aasimar Paladin and an Aasimar Barbarian.  3 x berserkers


Alif

•Oath Shatterer - Great Sword, Blood red with Elvish inscriptions, 1d8 slashing, 3000gp
A weapon spoken of in Elven lore, discussed in great detail on Kalavente and a quest sought out for yearly in the Kelusindi.  Alif must resist the charms of someone and charm them in turn.  4x Faerie Dragons,  mm133


Grimli

•Bad Samaritan - Trident, Dark golden highly reflective with Abyssal inscription, "Forlorn, like life, he stalks the streets" 1d4 piercing, 1000gp
The weapon of the sister tribe to your Tortle clan, you immediately recognized this weapon.  Perhaps you spoke up about it, perhaps you didn't.  5x spy, mm 349

Kaero
Widowmaker - Longbow, Cherry wood with yellow crystal inlays, 1d6 piercing, 2500gp
A weapon of lore among bounty hunters, wielded by the founder of your bounty hunting clan in the city of mages, stolen from the dark half of the clan, run by tiefling blood hunters and skinchangers. 
1 x werewolf, 1x weretiger mm 210, 211


Dak

Mercy Climber - Glaive, Bright blue blade with black leather braided handle, 1d8 slashing, 1100gp
IT's a strange type of glaive, with a detachable blade that opened into a chain.  It reminds you of two criminal brothers you once caught on. Grim sea pirates imgur
•Giant Toe - Maul, Giant’s skull with mouth open and maul protruding, 1d8 bludgeoning, 5000gp

•Quicksilver - Pike, Dark green Jade blade with bamboo handle, 1d6 piercing, 1200gp

•Midnight Sun - Quarterstaff, Braided dark and light wood with teal crystal inlays, 1d4 bludgeoning, 2000gp

•Peacemaker - Longsword, Rusted with olive branch wrapped around it, 1d6, 900gp

•Kingslayer - Morningstar, Black handle with milk white head sculpted with face, 1d6 piercing, 9000gp

The party goes through a series of dreams, individually, then a collective one.  They must fight a group of demons, the final realized masterpiece of an unseen Beholder, who leaves behind the Death Tyrant the party fought, along with two spectators the party fought.
If things don't go realy go really badly, we'll have them fight a pit fiend.  After they die
Session 20:

The death tyrant closes in. 
Party defeats death tyrant.
Two platinum rods with an obsidian tip. No discernible reason.


Entering the previously trapped room in the direction in which the party had traveled for several days they find a large sized room with bonfires set in three areas, a pit of rocks with a cut out large stack of stones, the "elder Xorn"


The only other room beyond is the throne room of the Dwarven lich.  Behind the throne is the titantheart.  An ornate cage holds what appears to be a tiefling.





Grimli found out that Grim


They find this note as well --
"The sinta hanu nears Gwaylen --
He will kill the mind flayers and resurrect
Ilweran - the Neltil Eyes will discuss with
the etlohim.  Sinta hanu's poica serce will
lead their return.


Hrangwe aquet lintie lta vera tertaith."


Sinta Hanu - "short man," reference to Ingotbreaker
Ilwaren - an ancient conclave of Chromatic dragons, which disappeared when Gwaylen was collapsed inward in the Great War of Dwarves and elves
Neltil Eyes - triangle eyes?  The name the three beholders have given themselves
poica serce - "pure blood" - Ingotbreaker
Hrangwe aquet lintie lta vera tertaith - "the problem solvers hasten their own demise"


Wrenfrey/Bluferg


The party receives a message from the Ordinate.
Message 1:"The Free City is under attack from within.  One of the council is attempting a quiet insurrection.  Dimby needs you in Hanar. There is more."
Message 2:"If you choose to undertake the mission, Enhoe is on the verge of adopting certain AON rules, influenced heavily by Forges & Galleys."
Message 3:"AON wants to investigate what happened here, but airships can't arrive during the month of storms, and the ice has not thawed."


If we don't land here, the next stop is Echil.



Party can land in Enhoe or continue moving toward an archipelago to the east, at the edge of the Broken Lands, at the north of Mindador.