Skyfell Campaign: Session 7 Supplemental



Skyfell Introduction

I started a once-per-month Dungeons and Dragons game in my Skyfell campaign setting. I wanted to provide my players with a log of their adventures and then realized that such a log might make for fun blog posts. See the Session Index for a complete listing.

The cast is:

Laura - Meribore Softwalker - female fitbolg, Druid (Circle of the Moon)
Jeff - Omagoshno - male rock gnome, Artificer (Artillerist)
Rodney - Tauffae Twofeather Topshelf - male orc, Fighter (Champion)
Dan - Drekzhar - male minotaur, Bard (College of Swords)
Pat - Frit Nimbly - female goblin, Monk (Way of Shadow)
Michelle - Bronte Whitewinter - male firbolg, Cleric (Tempest Domain)

What’s This?

Session 7 concluded of The Piruna Run story arc with the characters facing a ten-day trip back to Highwater on Doraku. Instead of using session time to hash out what was essentially down time, we all decided to discuss it over Discord. Because these discussions really are part of the game, I wanted to log their results. I also saw them as an opportunity to flesh out some more details of the Skyfell setting as well as provide interesting tidbits that might attract some player interest for later arcs. What follows is the results of those discussions organized by character. Enjoy!

Bronte (Michelle)

The vision that came to Bronte the night before the battle in the burrow left him with many questions. The flaming sphere was definitely a sign of an impending event. It was easy enough to tie this warning to The Glutton’s incursion into Moss Creek. But as the party returned to the ship, Bronte began to doubt this interpretation. It felt too obvious. Would Hiatea concern herself with gnomes when they had their own pantheon to look after their welfare? It didn’t feel right.

 Bronte spent each morning during the trip back to Highwater in prayer as was his routine. He augmented this ritual with appeals to Hiatea to once again bestow the vision upon him. His evenings concluded with meditation aimed at gaining some additional insight into its meaning. Neither yielded what he was after. Both did help refocus him so that he arrived at Highwater feeling confident and determined.

 Outside of these activities, Bronte counseled Meribore regarding her dreams, acting as both a close friend and spiritual adviser. He also took a keen interest in Omagoshno’s work on the replacement arm. Even with the limited progress Omagoshno could make with the resources on hand, Bronte was able to begin the work of spiritually and physically bonding with the replacement limb. There would be more of this bonding needed later. Perhaps that’s why Bronte’s meditations were filled with imagery both of doors opening and of gold coins tumbling through a dark void but were conspicuously bereft of suffering gnomes and gaping maws. Then again, maybe not. Visions were never so easily transparent.
Dreams of Doors
Source: Pixabay

 An idea occurred to him only after his frustration drove him to abandon his meditations the night before arriving back at Highwater. The town was filled with guilds, libraries, and temples. The Kalraka School of the Weave was also nearby. Any of these might turn out to be helpful in various ways.

Skyfell Cultural Note

Though Bahamut has the Tyrannosaur’s share of power in Skyfell, there are hundreds of other deities with just as a devout following. Some of these gods are tied to a specific geographic location, not in any small part, because of the races that live in those locales. The Firbolg god Hiatea, for example, is really only known in the Piruna Fields. She has no temples outside of those islands. Others have spread across multiple continents, brought to new lands as their adherents moved. This is especially true of the gnome, halfling, and dwarf pantheons because those races have settled on just about every continent.

 Doraku, and Highwater in particular, proves it’s uniqueness once again when it comes to religion. Just as its population is a mashup of races and socio-economic backgrounds, it’s spiritual awareness is a melange of beliefs. There are temples scattered across the continent to just about every god imaginable. Some are quite modest. Others enjoy great wealth and power. None, of course, approach the grandeur of the Wyrmking’s Sanctuary. (Check out my in-progress Wyrmking's Sanctuary playlist on Spotify.) With so many beliefs so close together, a little cross pollination is inevitable. Outsiders often deride this buffet-style approach to spirituality, complaining that it corrupts the naive, bends morality, and muddies the ultimate truth.
The Wyrmking's Sanctuary
Source: "Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica"

Drekzhar (Dan)

Vola’s efficient (and some might argue elegant) fighting style and cunning skills impressed Drekzhar. He wanted to learn what he could of her craft during the return trip. Fortunately, she too was impressed with the party. She was intrigued by Drekzhar specifically. She was willing to spend her days training him in two-weapon fighting with scimitars, sneaking, the tools of her roguish trade, and religious instruction regarding the orc god Shargraas and his role as the source of power for all rogues. She also gifted him with a set of Thieves Tools. 
Vola

 The time together also presented a perfect opportunity for the two to get to know each other. Drekzhar quietly nudged the teacher/student relationship toward something more passionate. This, for the most part, succeeded. By the end of the voyage, she let it be known she wanted more of him. It would take only a little effort to arrive at more intimate interactions.

In his free time, Drekzhar composed several songs recounting the events of Moss Creek. Of course, the party figured prominently in these tales as they faced epic dangers and performed heroic feats worthy of the grandest admiration. Perhaps he would perform those songs in The Groggy Hive (Check out my in-progress The Groggy Hive playlist on Spotify.) and other establishments around Highwater, cementing the player characters' reputations as brave adventurers.

 Here’s a sample as written by Dan (Drekzhar’s player). It’s called “Heroes of Moss Creek” and is sung to the tune of Hero of Canton - The Man They Call Jayne from the television show Firefly:

Heroes of Moss Creek, yes that is the call!
The Heroes of Moss Creek, the short and the tall.
The heroes of Moss Creek, you’ll soon know them all.
They went to there for a job but saved us from peril!
The heroes of Moss Creek, and I am their herald!

An evil prophet of The Glutton, Swiftwords aimed to devour.
The Glutton wanted to spread and to increase its POWER.
But for our heroes of Moss Creek, the team of the hour!
Our mighty heroes snatched success from the jaws of defeat
Our heroes of Moss Creek now walk among adventuring elite!

Meribore!
The firbolg called Meribore!
She becomes a raptor and gives out a ROAR!
She tracked down The Glutton and gave it what for.
Our love for her now, ain’t that hard to explain,
The hero of Moss Creek, this druid’s insane!

Omagosh!
The rock gnome called Oma!
He runs off alone and each time comes home.
He’s smart as a wizard and studied that tome.
His Slinky saved us all, but now he’s just parts,
The rock gnome named Oma, now he’ll tinker an arm!

Tauffee!
The orc they call Tauffee!
A sailor and fighter, Tauffee has flare
He overcame evil with just his hard stare
He’s very refined until he sees terrible crud
The hero of Moss Creek, Tauffee’s now a TRUE Blood!

Bronte!
The firbolg they call Bronte!
He called down the magic to save our poor souls.
Led the heroes through darkness and nightmares from old.
Lost an arm to the evil but continued to fight.
The hero of Moss Creek, Hiatea provides him LIGHT!

Frit!
The goblin called Frit!
She cooked up the portions that kept our heroes alive.
Moving like lightning, through the air she did glide.
Killed the prophet of evil, she was Swiftwords’ demise.
The hero of Moss Creek, Frit ensured we survived!

Heroes of Moss Creek, yes that is the call!
The Heroes of Moss Creek, the short and the tall.
The heroes of Moss Creek, now you now of them all.
My name is Drekzhar and I sing to honor my mates!
We are the heroes of Moss Creek and there is no debate!

Skyfell Cultural Note

The minotaur homeland is Teskos, a fairly sizable continent on the edge of the Known Skies. The homeland of the orcs and goblinoids is the Teskos Chain, a string of thirteen smaller land masses that curls around Teskos like a tail. The relationship between the minotaur and the orcs swings between the extreme brutality of all-out war and the unfettered co-mingling of intimate curiosity in the “exotic other.” Some believe this is due to the importance both races put on strength and heroic battle. In peacetime, the races admire that quality in each other. In war, they are driven to squash it out of each other. True to their passionate nature, the switch from war to peace (and from peace to war) flares up out of nowhere. Some scholars would say the switch occurs every hundred years or so. Regardless of the politics between the races, half-minotaur (or half-orc depending on one’s point of view) are common enough despite being generally frowned upon by both races. These mixed-race offspring often leave Teskos for friendlier skies, especially Doraku where that sort of thing is seen as an interesting but unimportant detail when judging someone’s value.
Minotaur Warrior
Source: "Monster Manual"

Frit (Pat)

Though she came to Moss Creek quite by accident, Frit was grateful to have had a hand in freeing it and its survivors from The Glutton’s control. A part of her was even a little sad to leave. Ultimately, she knew it was time to move on and a ship bound for Highwater was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

During the ten days, Frit earned her passage by helping out in the galley and performing various other tasks around the ship. Her knack for preparing delicious home-cooking earned her some well deserved praise. She even swapped recipes with Fizzlestick who was both an eager teacher and eager student despite the frequent clashes that are inevitable when there are too many cooks stirring a single pot. This exchange helped to expand Frit’s culinary repertoire. 
Cooking with Frit
Source: Pixabay

 In her free time, she quizzed the gnomes about their gods, especially The Glutton. The stories they related were as dark as some of the tales that haunt the goblin pantheon. It was enough information to convince Frit to keep a close guard over the mask until the party could deal with it. 

 She used the rest of her time in contemplation and self improvement, paying close attention to a few areas that had proven to be insufficient for the events on Moss Creek. She was determined to be prepared for new encounters against The Glutton and his ilk. In this light, she considered visiting Gilengo’s Hovel in Highwater upon their return. A few days in quiet isolation would renew her and maybe even inspire insights into what she considered a new enemy to all of Skyfell.

Skyfell Cultural Note

Gilengo’s Hovel is an ancient motte-and-Bailey tucked away in a remote corner of the Encampment Green. It was the first permanent structure built by the earliest explorers out of Akima Prime who “discovered” Doraku and immediately began displacing the indigenous kenku populations to settle the continent. It originally served as a fortified colony during the Wars of Possession until a peace treaty was signed and The Aerie was built as part of the agreement. 
Gilengo's Hovel
Source: Pixabay

 As it’s importance waned, the motte-and-Bailey became an inn of sorts (called The Squawking Roost) until a cabal of local druid circles and ranger factions took over stewardship of the Encampment Green and declared it a protected area. The structure remained abandoned for a few centuries until Matreh Gilengo quietly started using it as a place of contemplation. Other monks soon heard about the idyllic locale. Monks have gone on pilgrimage there ever since, politely but closely monitored by the Encampment Green’s caretakers to keep the squatters in check. (Check out my in-progress Gilengo's Hovel playlist on Spotify.)

Meribore (Laura)

The discovery of The Glutton’s incursion into Piruna Fields tracked all too closely with the visions of cataclysm that had haunted Meribore for years. She spent each day on the trip back to Highwater in discussion and prayer with Bronte regarding all that had happened on the island and its relationship to her dreams. The mask was clearly a portal into some other world, probably the one that she had dreamed about that night in the burrow. It would have to be dealt with. And there were the coins that bore the same ancient script that marked many ruins throughout the Piruna Fields. Was it a coincidence that the old woman happened to have them or had they been part of The Glutton’s plans? It was all very unsettling. At least her dreams were peaceful. She thanked Hiatea for that small blessing.

 When she wasn’t thinking about The Glutton (and fighting the urge to check the Bag of Holding to make sure his mask was still inside), Meribore contemplated her own behavior over the past few days. She had always considered herself a pacifist, one more willing to talk rather than to fight. Her actions, however, pointed to an entirely different sort of person. She convinced herself that it was only a side effect of wild shaping into the same form repeatedly over such a short period of time. She had been warned that doing so might leave behind a residue of the form. It would dissipate if she refrained from taking that shape for a few days though. Fortunately, there would be no need to become a dinosaur aboard ship.
Wild Shaping into a Deinonychus

 Tauffae’s questions about the natural world were a refreshing distraction. They reminded her of her days as an initiate in her druidic circle. She spent much time in quiet observation to be sure. But she also pestered other members of her circle with questions that she knew now to have been rather simplistic but critical to her understanding of how nature worked. Now, she had a whole new set of questions and, just like Tauffae, she would have to seek out others more knowledgeable than she to find the answers.

Skyfell Cultural Note

Firbolgs rarely leave the island of their birth barring any pressing need. Traveling outside of the Piruna Fields is simply abhorrent. It means severing their bond to the land, turning their backs on the natural environment that they protect and that protects them. It’s a betrayal of one’s kith and kin. And for what? No. Everything a firbolg needs a firbolg can acquire from their homeland.

 Except for those rare moments when an even rarer individual ventures out into the Known Skies. A conspiracy of cartography and shipping lanes almost always lands these travelers on Doraku, leaving them to wander the streets of Highwater. Confused, overwhelmed, and not just a little afraid, any trinket from home becomes an irreplaceable treasure that holds off utter loneliness...or worse. A traveling companion, especially from the same island, is a boon beyond measure. Eventually, such a foreigner will find their way to the Encampment Green, an area on the east side of Mount Doraku that is under the stewardship of a cabal of druids, rangers, and other like minded folks. (Check out my in-progress Encampment Green playlist on Spotify.) While the locale is more manicured than a firbolg might be used to it is certainly a closer analog to home than the dark allies of Garrison Market or the underground passages of the kobold Hideaway. 

Omagoshno (Jeff)

The excitement of two artificer projects (Bronte's arm and Drekzhar's bagpipes) begging for attention kept Omagoshno in an animated state for the entire return trip to Highwater. Whenever he needed a diversion from this work, he loitered around the engine room interrogating engineer Sa Phraa about the mechanical intricacies of airship propulsion (see my post about airships in Skyfell). While Sa Phraa initially welcomed the chance to talk shop with a fellow artificer, Omagoshno’s inquisitive nature and energy level (a gnome issue that is well documented and oft lamented) proved too much for her. Eventually she set him to little tasks that kept him busy...and quiet.
The Stout Crow
Mid-deck

Aside from the these diurnal activities, Omagoshno was plagued by dreams starting on the third night out. On that night, he dreamed of banquets and of eating so much that his entire body bloated up impossibly large. He woke up a little amused but otherwise ignored the dream.

 On the fourth night he dreamed of finding a huge pile of gems. He dove into them and swam about thoroughly enjoying himself. When he woke up, he was a little disappointed to find there were no gems to be found, let alone swim in.

 On the fifth night, he dreamed of a massive workshop filled with every possible tinker tool and oddity. He was busy working on a construct, a replacement for Slinky. When he activated his invention, it hurried down the hall to a room. Inside, Bronte, Tauffae, and the others were bent over a table talking very seriously in hushed tones. It occurred to Omagoshno that they were talking about him. When they noticed him, they quickly hid away something and frowned. He woke up a little perplexed and for a moment feeling his friends were really up to something. But then, he realized he had only been dreaming.

 On the sixth night, he dreamed he was back in the workshop working on Slinky again. This time, when he turned on the construct, it ran off down the hall destroying everything it passed. For a moment, Omagoshno took some enjoyment in seeing bits of the burrow being destroyed. But then he thought otherwise and chased off after Slinky 2.0 to shut it down. He ended up in a room where the entire party was huddled around a table plotting in low voices. Omagoshno woke up before he could hear what they were saying but he was certain they had been talking about him. 

Bagpipes of the Woodland Sprites

At the end of Session 7, the party found plans for a set of magical bagpipes. We worked out that they were an uncommon Instrument of the Bard as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide (on page 176). I called them Bagpipes of the Woodland Sprites.

Bagpipes of the Woodland Sprites
Source: Pixabay

In addition to the base spells that all Instruments of the Bard have, these bagpipes included:
  • Shillelagh
  • Resistance
  • Barkskin
To build them, it would take four weeks and cost 600 GP. Omagoshno would need the following materials to make them:

  • Ebony
  • Soft Grick skin
  • Silk cords
  • Platinum fittings
  • Bark of a dryad’s tree
  • 1 pound silver powder
  • Archaeopteryx feathers

We decided that since they would have known about these materials prior to leaving Moss Creek that the party would have asked Sil-tsinia for some bark from her tree. Being grateful, she would have happily complied.

Skyfell Cultural Note

Clockwork and steam powered constructs are common place, especially anywhere near a Gearmount Foundry campus. (Check out my in-progress Gearmount Foundry playlist on Spotify.) These creatures perform any number of routine tasks for their creators, including deliveries, transport, heavy labor, and even combat. In fact, there are a number of clockwork fighting units deployed on patrols. There are also pit fighting leagues that draw as much fervor from their fans as any other sport. 
Clockwork Construct
Source: "Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes"

Clockwork limbs are less common but certainly not unheard of. Unlike a regular construct, which follows simple instructions from whomever is bonded with it, a limb requires a personal connection more akin to the attunement of a magic item. This is an intellectual and spiritual bond that meshes the limb with its user so that it feels like a real limb. It becomes part of the person.

 More ambitious tinkers, with perhaps less-than-lawful intentions, have made attempts to take this bonding even further by fusing a person’s soul with a clockwork body. All of these have ended in spectacularly dismal tragedies. At best, the soul-fused goes insane and ends its own life. At worst, that insanity drives the soul-fused to horrific violence until it can be destroyed. Tescalain has outlawed the research. The Gearmount Foundry officially condemns it. Of course, if the rumors are to be believed, that ban has only forced the determined underground where their experiments go unchecked.
The Butcher Colonel, Last Known Soul-fused
Source: D&D Beyond

Tauffae (Rodney)

The party’s acceptance of Tauffae during the adventures on Moss Creek showed him that there were people who would not judge him for not conforming to typical orc standards. Vola’s welcoming of him into her tribe (the Bloodied Tusk) as adopted kin was proof that he was indeed worthy of that acceptance. So it was a bit of a re-adjustment to return to his “regular” life aboard the Stout Crow, a life of grueling manual labor and constant bullying from the half-orcs on the crew. Recall, Tauffae was a member of the crew and not part of the original adventuring party until Session 2. His new sense of belonging helped him to turn down Vola’s offer to slit their throats while they slept; he did, however, opt for a far less fatal sort of retaliation that took advantage of the skill sets of his new friends and sister. Bullying and shame is a two-way street.

 When he wasn’t on duty, Tauffae spent a lot of time asking Meribore about the wilds of Piruna Fields, the importance of nature, and the danger that The Glutton’s invasion posed to the stability of the natural order. It became self-evident to him that his calling was not that of a deckhand aboard an airship but rather to help “make things right.” He vowed to quit is contract upon returning to Highwater and join the party to continue in their fight against this threat.
Forest of Moss Creek
Source: Pixabay

Vola spent some time teaching Tauffae about the Bloodied Tusk tribe, including its history of conquest, its glorious battles, its victorious wars, its important rites, and its powerful gods. She also explained her position within the tribal hierarchy. Despite being somewhat of an outcast herself (orcs didn't really trust Red Fangs of Shagraas), she had earned a reputation that could be called upon for help if it was ever needed. A little more effort might allow for a boon but she did not want to test that theory unless it was really necessary.

During this instruction, Tauffae decided to mark his new membership in the Bloodied Tusk tribe by carving its symbol, a twisting spiral that also acted as a blood groove, on his tusks. The scrimshaw from his own tribe had been purposefully marred when he was kicked out. This was very quickly turned into a major event with food, song, and story that everyone joined in on.

Skyfell Cultural Note

The Teskos Chain, the orc homeland, is composed of 13 land masses each much larger than Doraku but smaller than the Teskos continent itself. Each is dominated by an orc tribe that rules the land. These tribes are as likely to fight among themselves as they are to wage war against the minotaur. They tend to put aside their differences when war with the minotaur does break out though. Vola’s tribe, the Bloodied Tusk tribe, occupies the sixth island in the chain. While any tribe must be powerful to rule one of these lands, within the overall orc hierarchy Bloodied Tusk tribe is pretty much middle of the road as far as political and military power.
Orc
Source: Neverwinter Online

All orcs use tusk scrimshaw and body scarring to declare their tribal membership, indicate their role within their tribe, and record feats of strength. Each tribe has its own marking. The Bloodied Tusk marking is a twisting spiral that represents blood oozing from the mouth of dead foes. The tusk is an important symbol of strength to the orcs in general and Vola’s tribe in particular. The taking of a tusk (or any teeth for that matter) is seen as an insult to the fallen. The wearing of such trophies is a display of strength over hated enemies and warns other orcs to remain on the good side of the one who wears them. In times of war this is quite an effective strategy. In times of peace, this becomes more problematic as a cause of numerous blood feuds.



I leave my players with this final thought. Just sayin'.

Source: Pixabay


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