> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0-4GvzsYU) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 12 | > Play Date | 2024-01-21 | > Players | JC<br>Kiwi<br>Lacer<br>Vael | > Party Level | 4 | > # Session Details > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Date | [[Campaigns/The Bloody Nails/Calendar/Year - 2507/01 - Water, 1st.png\|10th Water, 1st - 2507]]<br>to<br>[[Campaigns/The Bloody Nails/Calendar/Year - 2507/01 - Water, 1st.png\|11th Water, 1st - 2507]] | > Location | [[Faelon]]<br>[[Camaar]] > Characters | [[Teresa]]<br>[[Tara]]<br>[[Thane]]<br>[[Barak Stormrider]]<br>[[Gromdal]] | ## Summary The session opens in the claustrophobic darkness of the cave beneath [[Tumbler's Crag]]. As the dust settles from the battle with the spirits, the party attempts to tend to their wounds, but the necrotic [[Riftshard|Rift]] pulses with malice. [[Ryo]]’s attempt to heal [[Vaeleran]] is corrupted by the rift, nearly killing the fighter and sending him into a hallucination-fuelled rage where he views his allies as executioners. Through quick thinking, [[Dondar]] hypnotises him and [[Kai]] casts *Sleep*, allowing the party to restrain him and rescue the captive alchemist’s wife, [[Teresa]]. After escaping the cave and resting in [[Faelon]], Kai brings closure to the village’s tragic history by returning the bones and locket of [[Salla the Brave]] to her grieving twin sister, [[Tara]]. Upon returning to [[Camaar]], the tension in the city is palpable with increased guard patrols. The group successfully reunites [[Teresa]] with her husband, [[Thane]], who rewards them handsomely with rare potions and an alchemy tome. However, the celebration is short-lived. At the inn, [[Kai]] receives a covert letter from [[The Finegolds]], warning of a "Lady in a deep black cloak" before they fled town. The danger manifests later that night when the party is jolted awake by the *Dagger of Warning*, catching black-clad assassins in their rooms who immediately flee into the night. Compromised and hunted, the party retreats through the pre-dawn shadows to [[The Mawbreakers]] compound at the docks. There, [[Barak Stormrider]] introduces them to the engineer [[Gromdal]] and reveals their endgame: the destruction of [[Skyreach]]. In a secret war room, the party studies blueprints of the massive imperial supply line. They are tasked with a complex demolition mission involving stealth, climbing gear, and carefully placed gunpowder kegs to bring the colossus down before winter arrives. ## Details ### The Rift's Corruption * **Healing Gone Wrong:** [[Ryo]] attempts to cast *Cure Wounds* on the unconscious [[Vaeleran]], but the nearby necromantic [[Riftshard|Rift]] corrupts the spell, stripping away the healing energy and dealing damage instead. * **Vaeleran's Madness:** Vaeleran wakes up hallucinating, believing the party are [[The Valtorran Empire|Empire]] soldiers trying to kill him. He attempts to attack [[Kai]] but misses due to his injuries. * **Restraining the Fighter:** [[Dondar]] uses *Hypnotic Gaze* to pause Vaeleran, allowing Kai to cast *Sleep*. They bind him for safety. * **Rescue:** The party stabilises [[Teresa]], who is weak but alive. Kai collects the Silver Amulet and the bones of the ghost girl, [[Salla the Brave]]. Kai also harvests poisonous mushrooms for [[Eryndor]]. * **Escape:** The party uses the *Rope of Climbing* to exit the cave. [[Kai]] Wild Shapes into a panther to carry [[Teresa]] back to [[Faelon]]. ### Closure in Phaelon * **Tara's Peace:** [[Kai]] and [[Ryo]] visit [[Tara]] ([[Salla the Brave|Sela]]’s twin). They return the locket and Sela's bones. Tara is overwhelmed with emotion, finally finding closure, and considers leaving the village to travel. * **Shopping:** At the local exchange, Kai purchases a chunk of Obsidian and silver dust for spell components. * **Recovery:** The party takes a short rest at the Redleaf Inn to recover before heading back to the city. ### Return to Camaar * **High Alert:** The guards at the gates of [[Camaar]] are conducting searches, but the party passes through (with [[Ryo]] disguised as a human). * **The Alchemist's Reward:** [[Teresa]] is reunited with [[Thane]]. Overjoyed, Thane rewards the party with: * 1x Potion of Hill Giant Strength (Given to [[Vaeleran]]). * 1x Book of Basic Alchemy (Given to [[Kai]]). * 4x Potion of Healing (Discounted purchase). * 1x Potion of Invisibility (Available for purchase later). * **Dondar's Study:** [[Dondar]] spends the evening scribing *Misty Step* into his spellbook. ### Shadows in the Night * **The Letter:** At the inn, [[Mistress Serin]] gives [[Kai]] a sealed letter left by [[The Finegolds]]. It reveals they fled town abruptly and warns of a dangerous woman in a black cloak. * **Nightmare & Ambush:** During the long rest, [[Kai]] has a vision of a moon goddess that turns into a warning. Simultaneously, [[Eryndor]]'s *Dagger of Warning* wakes the party. * **Assassins:** Black-hooded figures are discovered in the party's rooms. Realising the element of surprise is lost, the assassins dive out the windows and escape despite [[Kai]]'s attempt to cast *Sleep* and [[Dondar]]'s *Firebolt*. * **Relocation:** Realising their location is compromised, the party packs up immediately and sneaks through the city to [[The Mawbreakers]] compound. ### Operation Skyreach * **The War Room:** [[Barak Stormrider]] welcomes them and leads them to a hidden basement war room. They meet [[Gromdal]], a dwarven engineer. * **The Objective:** Destroy the imperial bridge, [[Skyreach]], before it is completed (within a few weeks/before winter). * **The Target:** The bridge is hundreds of feet tall. [[Gromdal]] identifies three structural weak points: 1. **West Pillar:** Hollow with internal stairs. 2. **East Pillar:** Hollow with internal stairs. 3. **Central Pillar:** Solid stone in the river; must be destroyed from *underneath*. * **The Plan:** * [[The Mawbreakers]] have stockpiled gunpowder kegs. It requires three kegs per weak point. * **Logistics:** The party brainstorms how to affix kegs to the underside of the central pillar (Plan: use the *Rope of Climbing* to create a hold, or [[Kai]] using Spider Climb to transport kegs). * **Tactics:** They discuss a split assault: [[The Mawbreakers]] create a distraction/assault the prison camps to free slaves, while the party infiltrates the bridge to plant charges.