GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Lucian Smith, Amy Sundberg, Morgan Stinson, John Powell
System: Spell and Blade by Stras Acimovic
Your oathbound adventurers defeated Nor’Razki Blackpool, leader of the Cult of Storms, and cast him into shark-infested waters—offering him as a sacrifice just as he had done to so many innocent Mkeshi children. Lighting struck and thunder rumbled as he died, and the God of Sharks and Storms levied a curse against the hero who vanquished his mortal servant…which one of you was it?
Since that day, you cannot pass an hour without vomiting up foul sea water, your skin has taken the sallow color of sharks, and you hunger for blood. But there is hope yet! Your band met a Seasinger who told you of the Blue Quay, an island temple where your curse might be removed. You journey there even now aboard the Candlelight, a ship in the Stardancer fleet!
These were the most prepare players I’ve ever had. Besides John who joined last minute, they all requested the characters in advance to review.
Morgan elected to to have Drowning Curse so he picked characters first and took….. the Apprentice Wizard Yamina Gud Phail. At some point I should make a chart of how many people who have the curse pick the apprentice!
Lucian played our syndicate escapee chef named Saviel of Zodia who revered a shunned ancestor Kodia, that lost a fortune for the family and didn’t care!
Amy played our stoneform guardian named Mizra Whistle, who was atoning for her many sins. She lost the tin whistle her mentor gave her during the adventure and I think finding it again will be their next adventure!
John played our Ozhen bodyguard Kadin, who was raised by a wheelwright whose father was a wheelwright before him. Kadin was a huge disappointment to his father, first for signing on to be a caravan guard and then and adventurer!
Highlights of travel on the Candlelight
Saviel traded with the gardeners to get ingredients for Spiced Rum Hotcakes. He was able to acquire everything but the scorpion venom, which was needed to give them kick! He attempted (and failed) to avoid Liko the merchant, who was sending missives back to the family as quick as he could!
Mizra, upon request, stood at the bow of the boat for good luck. She talked to Trinia the first mate and learned the secret mission of the Candlelight, to the the Aurora before it was too late. She shared her greatest fear…that it had been captured by pirates!
Yamina studied Yaka Lanaforge from a distance. While Saviel kept her distracted (by holding bronzite and telling her how electrocuted he felt) Yamina climbed in the rigging to watch. She wanted to see if the Sorcerer had an Aetheric Suspension she could steal. And she spotted one, but then something happened. An Aetheric current built up between them and out of no where, lightning struck the deck of the Candlelight, and an storm was instantly upon them. Kadin leapt to action and rescued a young sailor who was caught in the rigging.
Later Kadin spent time with the hunters who bore harpoons. They all told him they were worried because the Candlelight was without it’s Watcher. He learned about the role Watchers have on Tkat ships and how they are usually paired with the Chosen. While they had harpoons for larger hunts, they truly hoped no sea monster was waiting for them! Kadin go a harpoon from them.
When they made it to Shipbreaker Reef and a second storm approached, Yamina’s mistic sight showed her that it was summoned by a place to the south (the Southern Fangs) and she convinced captain Nor’Fari Stardancer to sing the wind that she amplified with her Sparksong Generator and beat back the storm! The might of their powers combined!
Events on the Blue Quay
Crabs! The found the rock crabs and ate a yummy dinner of their sweet meats. But when the slept on the beach the crabs made off with Mizra’s whistle…her only connection to her childhood! She didn’t know where the crabs would secret it off to, but used a coin as bait to track one back up a rivulet into the jungle. She got cut off from the rest of the party and the crab escaped, but as she was searching for it, something landed on her back…a venomous scorpion. Thankfully as a stoneform guardian she was immune the venom (it merely discolored her rock skin).
When Mizra returned to the beach, Saviel was able to extract enough venom to make an order of Scorpion Rum Hotcakes. Spicy!
Later, when the party came upon the lookout hut, Aia, daughter of Mirima and Aya, daughter of Verr had overheard their approach and assumed they were here to do them harm. [Note to Sean. I still need a better explanation for why the Fearsome Three would have a negative disposition to approaching adventurers].
Saviel offered to make a meal for them but Aia, daughter of Mirima, who was spark cursed and crackling with flames burning inside her said that everything tasted like ash in her mouth. Saviel thought the Scorpion Rum Hotcakes might have enough kick that Aia could taste them, and it was right. She loved them. Her ember eyes burned like furnaces, the cracks in her coppery skin opened as the flames within expanded, the metal wards that contained her fire began to fail, and with only a moment of notice she erupted into an inferno that destroyed the lookout tower and would have immolated everyone nearby had they not dived for cover behind the trees or been tackled by giant stone guardians and rhino beastmen to protect them. So many oaths fulfilled right there!
Aia, daughter of Mirima lay unconscious from the blast and Yamina saw an opportunity. She took the syringe from her empty Aetheric Suspension and drew fiery blood from the spark cursed Aia. Should this have worked? Absolutely not. It’s just a syringe. Aia’s blood isn’t what’s on fire, it’s a curse of her whole self (on a genetic level). The syringe itself is not a magical device, it just held the Aetheric Suspension? But did it work? Yamina got a crit so the dice said it did! I retroactively reasoned that after the explosion Aia’s body was in a state where the spark of true flame coalesced in her blood and a small portion of it could be removed, offering Aia a moment of reprieve.
Corum Caraseen charged Yamina as the sign of the syringe approaching Aia, but he was tackled out of the way by Kadin.
Sharing during camp
Yamina asked Mizra about her curse. Could she still feel a touch? Was she still the same person she used to be? Yamina was looking for answers about her own curse. Should she just give into it? Was it any worse that what can happen when apotheosis fails?
Meanwhile Saviel and Kadin talked about their disapproving parents who each wanted them to take other paths in their lives.
Under the waves
Kadin speared Stonebreaker and injected it with the syringe for Aia’s blood, giving it a burning migraine.
Mizra Whistle’s skin was carved by the coral reefs, granting her the mark of Kahainu, and allowing her to create a miracle.
Saviel, the former scholar read the ruins inside the temple and learned to speak with the guardians, who taught him how to exorcise the curse.
Yamina found a coffin that held the Silver Lion, Prince of Verr, opened it up (with her companions) and told him all the remorse she felt about what was about to happen….just before Mizra performed the exorcism. She expelled the curse into the lamenting prince and almost closed the coffin again. The rage in him blossomed and the twice-cursed monster broke free and began walking out of the temple, through the sea, to return home.
Another adventure in their future!
