That moment when you realize you've adopted a new son
In the days and weeks following an incident in which a group of celestials put a stop to a catastrophic ritual that could have threatened the Prime Material, Xanthanel was tasked with figuring out the details of what had occurred there. They had been slowly and gently interrogating Zerrias, one of the only survivors of the incident, a tiefling boy who they had rescued the day of after mistaking his aura for that of a true celestial. His family had played key roles in the ritual, before they were slain by Xanthanel themself. The act of performing the rituals themselves traumatized Zerrias, who eventually refused to participate in them. Feeling guilt for being the one who separated Zerrias from his family, Xan took it upon themself to work with the kid to not only pull what information they needed, but make sure he was settled in a safe space before he'd depart permanently.
Xan learned that Zerrias was a bright kid, liked to read, and had a good sense for right and wrong, but was shy and didn't talk much. Pulling information out of him without upsetting him took patience and care, but Xan had the time. He was guarded, and slow to trust, but once Xan proved that they were not a danger the kid was more willing to give up pieces of information in and amongst other conversation and activities. Over a period of time, Zerrias' personality began to shine through, and Xan found himself more and more invested with each trip they made.
Needless to say, there was no permanent departure.
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Boy some stuff has happened to Zeal.
We were very stupid and made camp next to an Ancient Green Dragon lair, to make a very long story short. Xanthanel came and saved our asses because it WAS going to be a TPK otherwise. Xan came in and casted Enlarge on themselves (putting them at 18ft tall) so they could go toe to toe with this 30ft tall dragon - it was full on a KAIJU BATTLE.
We teleported away with a scroll we found and managed to also teleport Xan to us, after Zeal realized his magic wasn't working. They were unconscious (and the DM had ME ROLL THEIR DEATH SAVES) so our paladin put one of his last Lay On Hands into him to wake him up. Sooooo Xan took a long rest with us after that sdjkgfdgd they were super weak and Z was very panicky the whole time.
This has created some problems because Xan is meant to not be seen, and their actions has basically given some other entities permission to cross boundaries that were not meant to be crossed. I don't know for sure but I don't imagine Io/Tiamat/Bahamut are very happy about what's occurred. Lathander has given Z and Xan an ultimatum that if Z doesn't bring them the big magic item we're looking for, they're going to cut off the connection they have. STAKES
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Aiben: The Great Hunt (Context)
HELLO and welcome to the segment where I summarize the D&D campaign I play in on Saturdays to the best of my ability. Actually, after this post, I plan on posting my PC Zeal's journal instead, since it's already written out and it'll be less work for me.
It's worth noting that the DM aims to create a sourcebook for the setting! Our campaign is heavily modified to suit our PCs needs and so the final sourcebook will be pretty different, but I've got his blessing to share a certain amount of info. Some information will be left vague our out entirely to keep the ~mystery~ of the campaign's "answers"
The wall of text is below the cut - this first one is gonna be mostly PC descriptions so we can get that context out of the way. Enjoy!
Also, if you'd like to see all content relating to this campaign/world, including art, be sure to look at my Aiben tag.
The adventure starts in the continent of Aiben in the capitol of Averias, where a hunt for an ancient and powerful metal known as Morphirium is being sponsored by the current king, Swesdon Wolfram. The Morphirium, once on display as an "art piece" 499 years ago, is the largest singular piece of the element currently known to humanoid kind, and is absolutely filled to the brim with arcane power and magical potential. The event is huge, requiring prior registration and paperwork, for a total of 100 teams participating in this hunt. The winners of this event take home 1 million gold pieces.
The last team to slip into registration, Team 100, consists of Eddisar of the Long Sight, his two grandchildren Makera Flintbreaker and Zeal Eddison, their friend Peanut, and two employees of some of Edd's old friends - Ursa Ironsand and Traverse. Later in the adventure, Atache, Slythe, and one other secret (for now) PC joins the party.
Player Characters
Eddisar of the Long Sight - Tiefling, M, ?? (Lore Bard)
A kind old man, an archeologist and historian. Long winded, gets lost in himself and his thoughts fairly often. Has seen most of the world and has an infinite number of stories to tell. He dresses plainly with no armor or weapons. His most peculiar feature is his right arm, which is clearly replaced by a branch he can control like a normal hand.
Edd is the de facto leader of the group, having signed everyone up for the contest, but takes a very relaxed approach to directing the group. He's keen on being more a resource to the party than being a hard and fast leader.
Makera Flintbreaker - Tiefling, F, 22 (Champion Fighter)
A tough young woman who's hard to impress. She is blunt and doesn't like to get caught up in details, opting for simpler solutions to complex problems. She is a boxer in a local league, and is hoping to go nationally pro someday like her mother, Bulana, was. She has an insane sweet tooth, an addiction to puzzles, and is inseparable from her cousin, Zeal.
Zeal Eddison - Tiefling, M, 23 (Celestial Warlock)
A bright-eyed enthusiastic young man with a headlong, heart-first sort of personality. He's a school teacher, but wants to go to university to study Planar Physics. In the absence of money to go to school, he consumes just about every book he can get his hands on. He endured an intense tragedy as a child where he met Xanthanel, a Solar that looks after him like a son. He's inseparable from his cousin, Makera.
Peanut - Tabaxi, M, 50s (Open Sea Paladin)
A HUGE, gruff, well built Tabaxi sailor. He is a gentle soul trapped in a war tank of a body. Spent a lot of his life in the Collesian Islands working as a boatswain, where some of the best sailors in the world exist. He's a tank and a force to be reckoned with, but also gives the best big kitty hugs. He has a taste for cheese, and collects/consumes wheels at an alarming rate. He is looking for his uncle, Sherbert, who went missing recently and left behind a puzzle box Peanut believes will lead them to him.
Ursa Ironsand - Desert Stormfolk, F, 16 (Sanity Cleric)
A short, kind and mellow elemental. Always stressed, but wears it well, keeps a level head and exudes "mom energy." She comes from a long family line of smiths, but isn't a very skilled one herself. She used to work at the "Forbidden Pit" in the middle of the desert, where nothing really happened, until one day she started having crazy dreams. Her boss suggested going on this this trip as a 'working vacation.' She is, well and truly, a disaster lesbian.
*Stormfolk are a custom race and Sanity Clerics are a custom class, making Ursa 100% homebrew material. Stormfolk commonly only live to be about 35, maxing out at about 45, making Ursa well and firmly an adult.
Traverse - Half Elf, M, 30s (Battle Master Fighter)
A slightly unkempt half elf, with chains around his wrist dressed in ratted armor. Once a guard for Agaras, became disenchanted with the world and realized he really only liked being a guard for the thrill of the fight. He's since gotten himself in a myriad of trouble and was sentenced to prison, but on his mentor's good word he's been given one last chance to redeem himself - help Eddisar on this quest, and he can go free on good behavior.
Atache - Warforged, NB/M, ??? (Eloquence Bard)
A flamboyant as FUCK warforged, a bit thin and gangly, absolutely not built for battle. Always ready to meet with the upper crust even though they've been long removed from their previous station. Enjoys fashion, but cant afford the newest things, so he makes do and calls it ~vintage~. They enjoy the finer things in life, and is a phenomenal cook. The party met up with them when they first visit the Wintering Isles.
Slythe - Yuan-Ti, M, 20s?? (Armorer Artificer)
Sassy as hell and not one for niceties, Slythe is a no-nonsense fashion designer. He aims to create articles of clothing that are both highly fashionable and highly functional for adventurers. He takes incredible pride in his work and is always looking for new sources of inspiration, and new people to model his designs. An NPC named Elana stole a dress he was working on with her, and in a fit of rage joined our party to get it back, take revenge, and also field test some fashionable armor he made for the party.
Mystery Character - COMING SOON
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Thoughts are milling about and I know I promised I'd do campaign summaries for the game I'm playing in on Saturdays but honestly, I'm thinking about just sharing Zeal's journal? He's a Tome warlock who's writing in a book he got from Xanthanel - it's got all his spells and a campaign log. I may just post that instead - it's already written. Writing campaign summaries is a lot otherwise.
Unrelated, but yhanks yall for well wishes regarding Sandi, I'll be okay. She had a really good day yesterday of being fairly active and curious (I think the heavy LA rains piqued her curiosity). Unless something big changes I probably wont post updates about it all too frequently. I spend my whole day around her, my time online is a tactical distraction.
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