Moontide Approaches (7/20/2026)

GM: Stras Acimovic
Players: April Walsh, Jeremiah Frye, Sean Nittner
System: Spell and Blade by Stras Acimovic

This session was two Town Phases and a Time Passes, reflecting the time we took attending our personal lives (or not) as Moontide approached.

Showing Off

We returned to Rul pulling a giant barb of jagged star metal through the streets. “Rulgara the Gladiator is coming, Rulgara is coming, everyone come see, Rulgara is here!” Skanya barked at the people with Rulgara pulling the sled weighed down by Rulhim behind her. She shouted to the people at the temple when we arrived “Behold. We have returned with the Gift of Maya!”

Skarrik the Star Forged, High priest of the temple greeted Rulgara and asked for her to speak with him in private. He was thankful of the gift and gave her 35 coin for the effort involved in retrieving (notably we also made 9 coin selling the Ice Wyrm bones we had recovered on the way). “If it is not obvious already, you are are welcome at the temple so long as I am tending the fires.” The subtext s that there may still be acolytes that hold a grudge against Gar, but she was good people in his mind.

“This journey felt like a portentous one in service of the gods. I want to use some of this rulhim to refine and make a circlet of protection for my sister.”

The high priest was not about to deny her, but he did have a warning “Not a lot of people know how to refine star metal. Are you sure you want to do it yourself?” When Rulgara confirmed she was up to the task he accented “I hope you make protects your sister.”

The shook hands and Gar made it clear he was good people to her as well.

The Arcanix Tower

Skanya spend a day walking through the snow, which became sleet, which became an entire storm as she got closer to the seven story tower made of all metal, where the Arcanix Zahrana (and Kormel) lived.

She was going to knock on the door, but the door itself moved and she realized it was an animated metal knight. It might have cut her down right then and there if Kormel had not called it off. He welcomed her into the tower and took her to the kitchen for a meal, but wasn’t sure talking to the Arcanix was a good idea. “It’s not that she doesn’t like people. She just likes books a lot more, and she sometimes forgets that people exist all together.”

When the sorcerer arrived she was less imposing that the legends of her would indicate. A mousey woman with big glasses. However, she had little patience for distractions and though Skanya had many questions, there were precious few she answered. Skanya learned that:

• If the skyship was leaking blaze, they would probably source replacement from a pillaged sky city. Only a few people could make it. Zahrana did not do it, and the other sorcerer she knew was unlikely to have done so either. In short, finding the source of blaze was not a means of finding them.
• The message, whether it was sent to her or not, was private. She spoke no more about it.
• Kormel was tasked with washing the dishes. Of which Skanya gladly helped.

Town Actions

• Skanya worked a project (seeing the Arcanix)
• Rulgara competed in the pre-Moontide games, gaining renown and coin. [Gladiator Class Town Action]
• Loddi worked on attuning to the symbiote suit, aided with more mushrooms from Sekkara.

Owl Hunter Tribe

Loddi lead Rulgara and Skanya to meet with his family once more. Grandmother Ulna, his mother and father, and even wild cousin Kryzan were there to receive the gifts.

Skanya thanked them all for allowing Loddi and his companions to borrow Azure Ice Sheer. After being corrected that all boat were a “she”, never “it”, Skanya thanked them again “She got us home safely.”

Rulgara could tell she was leaving out the part about the deadly battle with Rime Spiders so filled in the details, but Skanya for once didn’t want to boast. She knew what she had done, and in this adventure it was Loddi who saved her. She presented the wyrm call and the sensory bone as gifts, but was also ready to let that be all. She was so prepared for rejection that she said in advance “If that’s not enough for you, that’s okay. I know that Loddi loves me and I love him it’s enough for me that he’s my brother even if I’m not part of your family.”

Her protestations were unnecessary however, the Ulna and the other Owl Hunters welcomed her and gave her the Owl Hunter’s mark, making her a member of the family and the tribe. The scream of pain when the brand touched her skin could be heard through all of Rul!

More town actions

• Rulgara practices Study with Ruldan as she smelted the star metal. She learned two things. Her sword was less sharp than than Ruldan’s dagger because it was forged in anger while his small blade was forged to cut perfectly. Also, that the reason people today can’t understand the wonders of the ancients is because they exist half in dream.
• Loddi trained to Sneak with the small bone reindeer the Silence Bringer appointed him. He was set to hunt a living reindeer with a knife rather than a bow. When he completed the task the Silence Bringer at the bones and spit out a rabbit skeleton, his next instructor.

Family Time

Skanya told her father all the things they found on their adventures. Or she would have if he wasn’t so busy taking care of the huge influx of patrons (people spending the winter in Rul as the coldest and darkest nights passed). He took in most of what she said (Skanya talks very fast) and nodded thoughtfully. “We don’t need Wight Bark now, but we might need it soon. Let set it to dry and prepare it for brewing.” He also suggested that the Rime Spider fluid cold be used for lots of things, not all of them safe. He sent her into the back to get to work, mostly so that he could get back to work as well.

The next day Skanya brought the alchemical from the Ancient tower to Draxo to ask if he could tell her what they do. “This may take some time. Come back in a few days.”

Training

Skanya snuck into the Palace from the caves, which turned out to be scarier and slower than she thought it might be. Thankfully Sekkara pointed her in the right direction.

Late a night while she was practicing a task Ydra had set her to the door to the library opened. A short woman with brilliant red hair and gold eyes entered. There was only on person this could be. She had black lines on her face and arms, wore a huge carapace as armor, and was barefoot. “You would not believe it. That titan was such a pain in the ass. It kicked me right into a mountain. I’m going to need help prying my armor off. One of my guard lost his arm in the battle, and I ended up sleeping with the bears so he had my bed—Ydra, what is that small child doing here?” It was only after a few moments that she noticed Skanya’s presence. The little moonshadow was uncharacteristically quiet.

Ydra tried to usher her out of the library. She smelled like bear and she was interrupting the lesson. “My queen. If you could excuse us while we finish a lesson…”, but there was no deterring the Red Queen.

She turned to Skanya “Who are you little red head?”

“Well I’m you. I mean, I was named after you. I’m Skanya.”

It was as if the idea that after 200 years of being a queen, Skana never imagined someone would be named after her. “You’re Skanya? I’m Skana. That’s great. You’re my little sister now!” She grappled Skanya in a big hug and told her to stop studying at the temple and go on adventures with her. Wow did she smell like bear, but also, maybe she was right? Maybe the temple of Akta wasn’t the right place for her and she could do more good as an Agent of the Queen. [I lovingly cursed Stras for giving me this offer. I had all of my time passes planned out, and now I was considering changing career].

Skanya very much did not want to take Ydra for granted or disappoint her. Her mentor told her that she walked many paths before becoming a chosen. And that was all it took. So long mother superior, I’ve got a queen to serve!

The Moontide Tournament

The big tournament was announced for the 200th anniversary of Rul. Yakur the Sunbutcher had lost his arm while battling alongside his queen and was no offering up his great shield The Eclipse as a prize. It was rumored to have been used to absorb the fire of a pyroclast until the ember of true flame was extinguished! His great ship was also added as a prize!

Another week in town

We weren’t quite ready to go to time passes so we took a second town phase. For those counting, this is our 5th.

• Rulgara trained further with Ruldan and learned the skill Study.
• Rulgara completed in the arena as well and met a man who had found a nail in his field that sung a strange song. It was not made of star mental, but ghost iron. Akta’s gift!
• Loddi continued training and learned to Sneak.
• Loddi also worked on is project to attune to the Ancient symbiotic suit. He go closer but it still evades him.
• Skanya visited Draxo and he excused himself so his much more serious and less gegarious wife could interrogate Skanya about what she found. The woman wanted a part of the machine that was extracting metal from the core. In exchange for a map to it she told Skanya that of the four vials:
  • One will turn solid when poured out onto a surface.
  • One will numb you or anything it is placed on.
  • The last two are very rare and valuable. They will stop someone who is bleeding out, even if they are dying.

Time Passes

The Time Passes phase reflects a longer period of time passing in the characters lives. Imminent danger and adventure ends for the moment, and the characters pursue their lives and careers until a new threat, quest, Oath, or the like reignites the promise of adventure and pulls the characters back together again a few years down the road. In our case we did a short Time Passes, only a few months long.

During that time all the undead attacks Skanya said were going to happen…happened! When we returned to adventure, it was because the Wise One Racana Ice Root came to Rulgara’s forge, barely alive and in need. She was the one who guarded over the city of the dead beneath the frozen lake!

Rulgara mastered her craft. She gained more Gladiator traits.

Loddi had life events. He went north to battle the undead, gaining a suit of armor, and the traveler trait.

Skanya changed careers. She became an Agent of the Red Queen. She was bestowed a brazu as a mount (changed the animal companion to be her Brazu, Ice Wind). She learned the ride skill, acquired the Diplomat trait, and a Patron’s Crest.

Excited to tell everyone “I told you so!” next session!