# Campaign Recap ## After Bael’s Defeat [[Tormin Mascari]], [[Emmy Mascari]], and [[Carlo Mascari]] awoke in the hidden portal room beneath the church, the place where they had just fought Bael. The chamber was in ruin. Century-old rock formations had been shattered, an abhorrent amount of dust and particles hung in the air, and the smell of brimstone and burnt meat clung to everything. After a quick assessment, the crew discovered that the portal was no longer active. In its place remained a fiery circle suspended in the air, dripping molten plasma into the lava pool below. Tormin began looting Bael and recovered his unholy mace. Instead of a traditional ball and chain, the weapon ended in a steel lantern. Inside the lantern swirled a deep blue light. After inspecting it, the crew learned that the mace could absorb energy and increase its damage output. Emmy quickly found Kit and [[Mother Maggie]]. Both were incapacitated and in a coma-like state. While Emmy and Tormin handled that, Carlo was busy trying to solve the mystery of why his noodle was not noodling the way it should. His mind felt trapped in a heavy fog, as if he were pushing through molasses. And for some reason, the emerald green necklace around his neck now gave off a iridescent glow [[Smithy]] found Carlo wandering and, after a quick catch-up, helped the crew hoist Kit, [[Ensy Zollaro]] , and Mother Maggie back to the war room. Smithy informed the crew that there were many moving pieces and several new faces who wished to meet them. What Smithy failed to fully explain was that, because the kingdom of Delor had just undergone a change in rulers, it was customary to invite interested or potentially allied parties into the new rulers’ presence under hospitality. These meetings were meant to establish communication, intent, prior trades, and possible future relationships. Before the rich and powerful could be introduced, two new faces were already seated at the war table: an Autognome named [[AAA]] and a delightful elder named [[Dugby Bagel VII]]. AAA revealed that he had traveled to see Mother Maggie in order to ask her some questions. Dugby explained that he had been a patron of the Church of Selûne for the past ten years, attempting to piece his mind back together. The crew was hesitant to trust them at first, but the mark of Selûne on AAA’s chest and Dugby’s history with the church helped calm the tension in the room. Dugby also warned the group not to trust the liars known as the Ricattatore family. As the visitors prepared to enter the war room, Carlo used his keen sense of observation to take Mother Maggie’s journal with him. He knew she used the small leatherbound book as a storehouse for her vast knowledge and experience. --- ## [[Sebastian “bones” LaBeaux]] The first visitor to enter was a masked figure named [[Sebastian “bones” LaBeaux]]. He claimed to be a traveler who had come to wish good fortune upon the family and read the fortunes of anyone willing. Before beginning, Sebastian mentioned that it was a pleasure to see Dugby again. Carlo was also able to talk the lovely masked figure into drawing a card for himself. The readings were as follows: - **Emmy:** The Moon - **AAA:** Temperance in reversal - **Carlo:** The High Priestess - **Sebastian:** The Devil - - Dugby: The wheel of fortune At some point, someone attempted to touch the Devil. They succeeded in knocking a card from Sebastian’s hand, but missed his arm. The DM attempted to perform an awesome card trick and was immediately humbled by gravity. Sebastian bid everyone farewell and told them that he would see them soon. --- ## [[Oliver Glacier]] The second introduction was [[Oliver Glacier]], accompanied by a wrapped stump with eyes named [[Lonnie the Backpack]] and an elderly woman he called “[[Mum]].” Oliver himself was wrapped in bandages and clearly suffering from recent injuries. His body was bound from navel to chest, and his head and eye were wrapped as well. Additionally, his right eye appeared as if it was that of a cat, and colored of the deepest sapphire. He explained that his mother was nonverbal and nearing her end due to the natural deterioration of the human brain—dementia, in our world. Oliver had been working with Mother Maggie to uncover any information she could find about [[Constantine Mascari]]. In return, Mother was to give him the information she had discovered inside the Pyramid to the northeast, deep in the desert. Oliver failed to uncover anything about Constantine. On his way to the church, he decided to try invading the pyramid himself, but was stopped by a three—no, two-headed monstrosity. He admitted that Mother Maggie must have been insanely powerful to get in and out of the temple alive. Oliver asked the crew for help, but since they were in no position to offer information and were receiving none in return, he politely took his leave. Before departing, he asked AAA to join him on his adventures. In conclusion, Oliver explained that Lonnie was a man who decided his own wants were more important than that of a child's life. --- ## Revik Thorne Next came [[Revik Thorne]], a lovely English gentleman with a bitchin’ mustache, a cane, and a cybernetic eye that glowed similarly to AAA. Revik asked to resume trade with the family regarding the gemstones they are able to harvest in Delor, as Pandorn is unable to mine effectively. Of note, Revik showed particular interest in AAA and asked where he was from. The crew said they would check back in a week to potentially reestablish trade. --- ## Pradu Bhanti Next to enter was the proud [[Pradu Bhanti]], the Rakshasa, accompanied by her two children: - **[[Indigo Bhanti]]:** a lion humanoid - **[[Bayla Bhanti]]:** a panther humanoid Pradu quickly recapped the War of Blood and Steel and the impact it had on the humanoid monsters of Miraneen. She asked for the family’s aid in dethroning [[Queen Coco Fixale]], or at least forcing some kind of agreement with her to stop the invasion of her forces deeper into the jungle, where they seek to eradicate the humanoid monsters. --- ## [[Clover Ricattatore]] Hooves sounded down the hall as Clover Ricattatore entered the war room. Clover was a centaur sent with a letter from Vigot Ricattatore, the matriarch of the Ricattatore family. The conversation was brief. She was simply checking in on the family and shared that their primary trade was produce and fish. The letter remained unopened. It was sealed in wax with an image of a skull with horns, a horseshoe, a bear’s claw, and wings hanging separately in a tree, all encircled with chains. --- ## The Calidora Siblings The final pair to enter were the brother and sister of the Calidora family: [[Valaros Calidora]] and [[Selithra Calidora]]. They claimed to each be half-siblings of Emmy and had apparently come to say hello while openly mocking the family. Valaros could hardly contain his humming, which Selithra explained he does when he is on the hunt. At that point, the family disbanded for the evening. They had just saved and taken over a kingdom. Half of the family members they started with were incapacitated, missing, or worse. The king they had declared was missing, unbeknownst to anyone but the family. The matriarch of their family was incapacitated. How would this family run without her? What would the crew do next? Explore the remainder of their kingdom? Shop in the Hub? Restore some semblance of structure to Delor? The world was, honestly, up for grabs at this point in their story. As the crew considered their options, they heard one last set of footsteps coming down the hall—and a peculiar bubbling from the portal room. --- # 4/1–4/8 Recap ## Krystal Sah-Shey and the Baraza Kuu The crew patiently waited for their final guest: Krystal Sah-Shey. Krystal was a beautiful, bald, dark-skinned woman who represented the Baraza Kuu, the reigning political power in the Hub. She promptly requested that the family reveal what was going on. The family obliged by showing her the “active volcano” hidden beneath the church. After Krystal confirmed that the “volcano” was, indeed, active, she high-tailed it out of there and dropped a letter on her way out. The letter revealed that the six leaders of the Baraza Kuu requested the family’s presence under hospitality within the month. If they failed to meet with them, Delor could be viewed as hostile and treated accordingly. --- ## The Ricattatore Letter The crew then opened the second letter, sent by the Ricattatore family. [[Vigot “Gjallarhorn” Ricattatore]] extended hospitality to one member of the family, though all direct members who wished to attend were invited to join him for dinner at his estate. The letter stated that the dinner was meant to be polite and formal, following the family’s recent rise to power. On his word, Vigot promised that he would not harm anyone who came, provided they extended the same courtesy. Clover had explained that Vigot does this to demonstrate that his word is as good as gold. --- ## [[Constantine Mascari]] Returns After the letter openings and the meeting with [[Krystal Sah-Shey]], the portal began bubbling furiously. A man crawled from the magma. The pit cooled, and the ring above dimmed until it was only a thread of light. Constantine emerged from the pit and was immediately whisked away to Mother Maggie, where he received medical and spiritual treatment. He was eventually able to sit beside Mother’s body as he grieved. There was much deliberation over who should be king. In the end, a council was formed to watch over Delor while the crew was away adventuring and gathering more knowledge about the land they now found themselves responsible for. Mother’s journal and Oliver Glacier’s words gave the crew a hint: there may be information to gather at the pyramid to the northeast. The family gathered their minds and supplies. After a brief yet horrifying “hands in,” they set off into the desert. Thanks to their amazing preparations, the team made it through the first leg of the journey to the pyramid with only Emmy suffering a splash of dehydration and exhaustion. --- ## The Desert Oasis The Mascari family and crew hunkered down for the afternoon in a small oasis. Two standing buildings remained in what had once been a small town used to house people traveling to see the king’s pyramid. The crew searched the larger of the two buildings first. Dugby sensed a large amount of magic coming from the basement. Upon entering, the crew began searching the building—only for Carlo to plummet through the floor and end up in the basement. Dust and sand clouded the air, obscuring Carlo’s view. A large, cone-shaped object appeared and disappeared through the wall of the basement, causing tremendous tremors. Carlo and the crew, understandably concerned, exited the building. Outside, they discovered that an island had risen to the surface in the middle of the small oasis pond, bringing an old bridge with it. The island appeared medium-sized, but it was oddly shaped and covered in mud that seemed to be moving. Then the oasis was stormed by three scorpions—one much larger than the other two. The team noticed an old friend on the island and decided it would be best to intercept the scorpions and reach the island themselves. As the scorpions approached, the tremors continued, causing the island to shift. Then two massive worm heads erupted from the shores of the oasis. It did not take long for the group to realize the scorpions were after their goose friend in the middle. Once the scorpions made their way onto the island, the team shifted gears, fighting the worm heads—and then all hell broke loose. A humongous Sand Hydra burst from the water, attacking both the team and the scorpions. ![[Pasted image 20260526204440.png|300]] One scorpion met a grim fate. Another grabbed the goose and began heading back toward the safety of its cave system. The larger scorpion stayed behind and attempted to, somehow, not drown. This became significantly more difficult after Dugby turned the small oasis into a whirlpool. Tormin, carrying the gunpowder keg he had found in the first building, attempted to save the scorpion from being pulled into the sandy depths and crushed by the water. He was thwarted by the massive worm heads, which slammed down onto the scorpion in an attempt to eat it. Enraged by the Sand Hydra’s actions, Tormin leapt onto the hydra’s back and dropped the massive keg directly onto its midsection. He instructed Dugby to detonate it with a firebolt. The resulting explosion caused only minor wounds to Tormin, who narrowly made it to shore after dropping from the hydra. The hydra, however, suffered grievous wounds. After a rousing team effort, the Sand Hydra was defeated. At the same time, Carlo and Emmy headed west and successfully stopped the scorpion from escaping with the goose and the barrel attached to it. Carlo and Emmy also aided in the assault on the hydra. The session ended with Carlo grinning from ear to ear with his goose friend—and barrel—in tow. Emmy threw herself into the chest of the hydra and extracted three sections of its heart, each thrumming with magical potential, before emerging covered in black ichor. Dugby chuckled and puffed on his pipe as the young ones reveled in their victory and loot. Tormin did the same, though with a touch of melancholy over the loss of the scorpions. The crew now had time to explore the oasis further, continue north to the pyramid, or do whatever else they wished. In the distance to the north, two distinct bellows could be heard. One was full of wrath, malice, and power. The other was despaired, sorrowful, and full of grief. Where were they coming from? And what was large enough to be heard from this far away? Somewhere in the world, monarchs continued to reign. One prepared for war. One prepared for a slaughter. One lay about. And another continued on the journey they had walked for hundreds of years. --- # 4/29 Recap ## Grayson Frill After the hydra battle, the crew heard commotion from AAA coming from the adjacent building. AAA had found a desert traveler named Grayson Frill, who claimed he was trying to reach the pyramid with his compatriots. Unfortunately, they had been ambushed by the hydra when they stopped to rest. Grayson answered some questions about his now-deceased friends and stated that he planned to return to Eitne to inform the families of those who had lost loved ones on what should have been a harmless trek. --- ## The Inn and the Mimic The Mascari family then inspected the inn, which had been ravaged by time and sandstorms. In the basement, they found a mimic. The mimic—and Tormin—managed to subdue AAA, leaving him with an amazing black scorch mark on his arm from a misguided exploding axe. The mimic also punctured a hole in Dugby’s chest, seemingly finishing the delightful old coot off. As they cleaned up the 25,000 gold in loot and Carlo pocketed a ring, the crew decided to investigate Dugby to see whether he could be saved or should simply be looted. To the crew’s amazement, Feathers, the African grey parrot, flew about the room after being harassed by AAA and landed on Dugby’s corpse. AAA used his vast arcane knowledge to surmise that Dugby had a supernatural way of healing and bringing himself back. This led AAA to a conclusion that shocked the family into disarray. Should they trust Dugby? Kill him? Leave him? After discussion, they decided that Dugby had been loyal to the family for the past ten years and deserved a chance to explain himself and prove his worth. --- ## Emmy and Dugby Emmy and Dugby then shared a beautiful heart-to-heart, speaking about Dugby’s past and his intentions for the future. While that happened, Carlo went to the first floor and decided it was time to open the box from the goose. Inside, he found: - A scroll - A pink glittery potion - A curled-up white animal he could not properly identify, though it resembled a weasel The scroll suggested giving the potion to the weasel, which would enhance her growth. After this, Carlo stowed the small creature in the vest pocket of his cloak or jacket. The crew rested and soon set off toward the pyramid. --- ## Arrival at the Pyramid After an exhaustion-free journey, the family arrived at a most depressing scene. A pair of sphinxes lay before the massive pyramid. One was female, broken, and turning back into the earth from which she had been formed. Her partner wept heavily over the loss of his love. Beside the massive form stood a cloaked figure, silent and solemn, offering his presence in solidarity with the grieving creature. As the family made their way toward the pyramid entrance, Carlo spurred his horse forward to speak with the cloaked figure. From a distance, Carlo could make out a skeletal hand and chin—or rather, chins—beneath the figure’s hood. Unsure of Carlo’s intentions, the figure summoned an impenetrable blue anti-magic field and began making his way inside. Carlo, however, convinced him to pause for a brief conversation. That conversation revealed Oliver Glacier as the perpetrator behind the recent attack on the pyramid. The team went above and beyond trying to reconcile with the sphinx and the cloaked figure, but for now, they wanted nothing to do with the human race. They simply wished to return to the inner confines of the pyramid. The figure warned the crew to stay away, knowing the secrets within were his to guard. Then the pair disengaged, entered the pyramid, and dismissed the blue anti-magic field behind them. --- ## The Pyramid Entrance The crew began investigating the outside of the pyramid. Most notably, they discovered the prism above the door. It seemed designed to funnel light into a dangerous beam that shot deep into the pyramid. Before this discovery, AAA was surprised to find an old woman standing beside him, claiming to be lost. After a cute exchange of pleasantries, the woman offered the family a poem to help them in their adventure. At this point, the DM was berated for hours for reading too quickly and not giving the poem to his friends so they could follow along. The DM gave himself thirty-six lashes and pulled a hangnail in a way that peeled down to his second knuckle to pay for his transgressions. The crew managed to flip the prism, opening the doors, and ventured inside. --- ## Inside the Pyramid The family followed corridors illuminated by a concentrated ray of light. The beam bounced through the halls using magically enhanced mirrors. The first room they entered was lit by the blazing beam and a few torches. Inside, they found a large mirror set on a movable pedestal. The beam struck the mirror and was being directed straight into the ceiling, burning a hole through it and dripping plasma as the light continued to eat its way upward. The crew quickly found the singular door in the room, which held a massive gem. They deduced that directing the beam into the door would crack it open and grant them access. This was, notably, the only time they chose to use the beam in such a way. After discovering two stone walls that differed from the rest and could possibly be hiding secrets, the family then spent a total of nine uninterrupted hours melting a hole through the stone large enough for them to pass through. Dugby then flexed his wizarding powers, using Stone Shape to mold the remaining walls into doors and allow the family to move forward into the next room. Amid all this, while Carlo—probably—was playing with the mirror angles, he discovered a mirror on the ceiling. This mirror directed the beam into an unknown room, unlocking a secret chamber. Inside, the family found the **Scarab of the Captured Soul**: a weapon-enhancing item with three gems, used to empower strikes. The family then moved quickly through the next two rooms, beaming and shaping their way forward while ignoring any gems that may have simply opened the rooms without the use of spell slots or nine hours of labor. But they did it. They also found the **Ring of Thbthbhtbhtb**. Now the crew stands before a staircase leading downward, once again guided by the light deeper into the pyramid. For their conversations, ingenuity, and good-heartedness—especially Emmy’s nice thought of trying to bring the sphinx back—the crew gains **3,500 XP**. --- Descending the staircase to the second floor, the crew found themselves in a room with 6 levers and 10 doors. Using the riddle they found at the top of the stairs, the crew was able to solve the puzzle in no time flat. Although, at one point the family got a tiny bit greedy, and decided to open 1/3 doors that could collapse the pyramid, drowning them in sand. Upon opening the door, an alarming amount of sand and old women flowed in to the room. There was only one old woman, but thats still an alarming amount of women to come out of a sealed room that was filled entirely with sand. [[Tim]] made her way to the crew once again and delivered her wisdom to the family, which they happily took. The family made their way to one of two ways down. Carlo flexed his lock picking skills, and made short work of an incredibly difficult lock. Making their way down the tunnel into the secret chamber of the temple, the family Mascari and Dugby (lol) discovered a massive chamber with the fruit recipes guardians-- A mummy lord with wicked elemntal hands, and Sphragon. After hours of fighting, the family defeated the pair of guardians, and successfully recovered the fruit preparation recipe... thus unlocking the potential to find and prepare the Strength fruit. With this, the fam made their way down the final tunnel, and were able to take in the final piece of the mural. >[!danger] The Story of the First King >The murals begin with the first King adventuring with his wife. He had built a small city with her at his side, the city that is now known as Tankan. The mural mainly depicts the king and his wife in constant motion, ruling and learning and adventuring all at once. > The mural shows the king and his wife exploring the pyramids that you now stand in. A large explosion is shown, with a single line leading back to the city that they had built and loved. It shows them returning to devastation and ruin... but still they persisted. They rebuilt... but the king found himself obsessed with the contents and secrets it held. > > The Second mural begins with the king and his wife growing more and more. The wife is depicted as becoming pregnant, while the king becomes lost in his studies. At the end of this mural, the king and wife are shown having their child, and a cloaked group of people arrive to talk to the King. > > The final mural begins with the city growing to a massive size. The king and his family are shown at the peak, atop the city. They truly loved and cared for their country and were doing such an amazing job creating a fair and just community. The king is shown working with the figures you now know as [[The Cult of the Bound Flame]]. Together, they combine their knowledge in a panel that shows the king standing in the center of the ritual circle they finally came up with. The next panel shows the betrayal, of the wife and child sacrificed into the King... their flesh and organs depart, leaving only a massive bodied skeleton with 3 heads... one for each of the family. The family enters the final chamber of the temple Pyramid. ![[Pasted image 20260526211746.png|300]] The First King sat at the end of a long chamber. A large pool of water in front of him, and a large Sphinx behind. The family engaged in the skeleton lord in a way he didn't think would be as engaging. The King revealed the purpose of the ritual was to extend his life. Instead, it Captured his families souls, and Bound them to the pyramid. To forever guard the knowledge that was hidden behind the King. He confessed he wished not to fight. His wife had been struck and killed by Oliver Glacier as he tried to invade the temple. His toddler son on his other shoulder, forever stuck with the mind of a child. The King... had so little left. His only option... to die defending the Pyramids secrets... his only future... captured in the pits of hell... sharing the same fate as the sphinx and his wife. The family Mascari took pity on the First King, and left without further confrontation, with intent to return some day to release the First King from his prison one way... or another. During this time, AAA (Or Carlo I can't remember) had uncovered a secret map in mothers book, leading to a place called "The Market". The team made their way back to Savahaa, regrouped, and went spelunking. After a grueling 20 some hour spulunk fest, the group exited into an extremely large cavern... containing The Market. Thier first visit? [[Annie’s A.R.C.A.N.E]] , Meeting Annabelle, and a funky little Gnome enjoying his tattoo a little too much. The session concluded. ![[Pasted image 20260526213025.png|300]]