Pen & Paper Bullshit

Let's go back, for a moment, to before the battle with the Gemini Prince to see how Blaze is doing following their encounter with the Lich Prince of the Second Circle of Hell. Blaze has made no secrets about his hatred for how Hell is run and wants nothing more than to tear it all down; thankfully, Hugh is around to teach him about diplomacy.

The Rebel Queen herself has come to Black Stag Vale, apparently on a HeroQuest that promises to remove the Lunars from Sartar once and for all; all she needs is the help of the four adventurers who have been to the Eye That Opens And Closes, a temple dating back to the Empire of Wyrm Friends. But things don't go exactly as the Starbrow plans, as the unseen forces of fate and destiny begin to weave a very different tale, one where the four Heroes of the Haraborn take a central role.

The party arrives in the Third Circle, ready to push for the Labyrinth and learn of its secrets. Unfortunately, the legions of Hell are quite literally arrayed before them, as the Queen's war effort continues to push onward.

The party finally encounters the lich prince of the Second Circle, a strange undead named Ugra. But Ugra is more of a philosopher and a scientist than a fighter and, perhaps, a deal can be made; but if so, what kind of deal? Find out in this week's episode of Wild Hunt!

This week, the group decides to hold a friendly spar, both to exchange technique pointers and to settle the matter of who really deserves the magical hammer. Their training continues when they meet a mysterious old woman, who promises to show them a special set of skills that will further enhance their shaping abilities; of course, there must be some reason a little old lady is hiding out in the woods.

The party sets off across the Second Circle, but find something wrong immediately: a cold mist covers everything in the circle, freezing any demon that calls the circle its home. Strangely, the city of Doncristana seems to be awake and unfrozen, a beacon that the party latches on to immediately. What secrets does the city hold?

The party continues their trek north, stopping in the once great city of Za Ming to rest following the events of the Wandering Forest. Things seem to be going well until Orb mysterious disappears to the west. Something is calling out the the strange spirit, something that they must respond to. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones interested in what lays to the west of Za Ming.

Dark Season has descended upon Black Stage Vale and the Haraborn, bringing with it blizzards, howling winds, and long, dark nights. With a shortage in crops and cattle to bring them through the season, and news of the Crimson Bat on the move to break the siege of Whitewall in the south, the atmosphere of the clan is grimmer than usual. Things are made worse when a woman from the Enjossi clan, sent to the Haraborn to find a spouse and secure a marital alliance between the two clans, goes missing following a three day long blizzard. Once again, the four adventurers that call the Vale their home are called upon to investigate the disappearance and, hopefully, bring the missing woman home.

While the Lunar Legion searches for the long departed Third Wind, the adventurers continue on with their lives; Handrol and Mosh decide what to do with their weird rock, while Stalebread and Scal try to solve some riddles.

The party is finally out of the Empire and into lands held by the Warka horse nomads; following the events of Gaiyan, the group has decided to take their journey off road, forging a rough path through the wilderness of the Disputed Territory. Unfortunately, in so doing they have stumbled into something far older than anything they've encountered before. Something that could change their lives forever.

Today's session is of dubious canon; run by Dijon, this session finds Teus, Blaze, and Dawn in the town of Tooleaf, a small pastoral village where something is almost certainly off about it and the people who live there. Perhaps this strangeness stems from the monster attacks that are plaguing it and causing villagers to disappear, or perhaps something darker lurks in the village's past...

The party arrives in Gaiyan, a city on the edge of the Empire and the Warka horse lords of the north; its unique position gives its governor a strange power, as he can easily side with the Phoenix Lord, the remnants of the Companions, or throw in his lot with the Warka. So, a strange truce between the guardians of the two empires exists in Gaiyan, enforced by an unspoken agreement. It is here that the party stops one final time, before they enter the lands of the horse lords.

Hugh has a talk with Teus and Blaze, as they venture deeper into Hell.

The Lunars are coming to Black Stag Vale; messengers from King Kangharl have informed the Haraborn that after Harvest Week, an Imperial Tax Accessor will be arriving to deal with a discrepancy with the clan's yearly taxes. Things become even more complicated when more unexpected (but not wholly unwelcome) guests arrive in the tula, with their own strange quest they must fulfill before the Lunars arrive...

On their way north, the group stops in Chiza, a small farming community in the fertile Fuzhou River Valley. But instead of finding a place to restock and rest, they find a community in transit, as the Fuzhou, famous for its timely and predictable flooding, has started flooding the entire valley. What's causing the flooding and can they stop it?

The crew continues to follow their compass, hoping to find the treasure before the British take it from them. Deep in the jungle they find something very worthwhile.

The party faces down a terrifying(ly alone) lich, with the hopes of passing into the Second Circle of Hell. Teus also discovers something that only further complicates his already strained relationship with his father.

The 4C Cabal takes a much needed break following their purchase of an artificial tree and the discover of magikoin; the exception is, one again, Nate, who has decided to be community minded all of a sudden, for literally no reason. Also, there's a dragon in this episode!

A storm of malevolent spirits forces the party to take shelter in a cave; while Rulon deals with his injuries, Nari and Aisuse have a heart to heart, before a strange whispering prompts them to explore deeper into the cave. What they find takes their breath away and changes their understanding of the world.

Things come to a head as the adventurers continue their investigation into the missing boys, as they finally confront the kidnapper and murderer; the results threaten to drive out one of the Haraborn's most important clansmen. After their investigation wraps up, the group also decides to explore the region around the Black Stag Vale, and uncover something very strange on their way to the Lizard Kicks Inn.