> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvhSnUr_NOI) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 15 | > Play Date | 2024-04-14 | > Players | Deathmouse<br>JC<br>Kiwi<br>Lacer<br>Vael | > Party Level | 5 | > # Session Details > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Date | [[Campaigns/The Bloody Nails/Calendar/Year - 2507/01 - Water, 1st.png\|18th Water, 1st - 2507]] | > Location | [[Skyreach]] > Characters | [[Barak Stormrider]]<br>[[Ari]]<br>[[The Mawbreakers]] | ## Summary The session began with a sombre moment of reflection aboard [[The Albatross]], where Captain [[Barak Stormrider]] revealed the tragic loss of his son to [[The Valtorran Empire|The Crimson Empire]], prompting the party members to share their own driving forces—from [[Vaeleran]]’s targeted amnesia and [[Kai]]’s orphaned past to [[Ryo]]’s persecution as a rare full-blooded elf. Steeled by shared trauma and purpose, the group finalised a high-stakes plan: while the [[The Mawbreakers]] launched a loud frontal assault to distract the garrison and liberate the labour camp, the party would infiltrate [[Skyreach]] stealthily to plant explosives and sever the massive bridge overhead. Under the biting chill of a winter night, the party navigated the frozen riverbanks. [[Ryo]]’s *Pass Without Trace* proved invaluable, shrouding the group in supernatural silence as they ambushed Imperial scouts and scaled the formidable perimeter wall using magical rope. They executed a ruthless, coordinated takedown of the wall patrol, with [[Vaeleran]] grappling the guard for a silent execution, allowing the team to traverse the battlements undetected toward the central gatehouse. The infiltration turned violent as they breached the guardroom, slaughtering the relaxing soldiers in a blur of arrows and spells before [[Vaeleran]] winched the great iron gate open to allow the [[The Mawbreakers]] entry. However, their stealth was broken when a patrol from the opposite tower spotted the breach. Despite a desperate, acrobatic chase by [[Ryo]] to intercept a fleeing soldier, the guard managed to reach the alarm mechanism. As the session concluded, the gate stood open and the rebellion charged, but the ominous clang of the alarm bell echoed through the gorge, signaling that the element of surprise was gone. ## Details ### Housekeeping & Crafting * **Loot Distribution:** The party distributed items found on the destroyed Imperial ship. [[Dondar]] equipped the Mariner's Armor (Leather Armor), increasing his AC to 13 and granting normal movement speed in water. [[Vaeleran]] claimed the +1 Longsword. * **Crafting:** * [[Kai]] successfully crafted a rough-cut Obsidian Dagger with a rosewood handle (Rolled 19). * [[Ryo]] crafted a high-quality Smoke Powder Arrow capable of dealing an extra 4d6 fire and force damage (Rolled well with advantage). * **Level Up:** The party completed a Long Rest and advanced to Level 5. ### The Captain's Table * **Barak's Motivation:** [[Barak Stormrider]] gathered the party in his cabin to explain his true drive: his son, a young captain, was murdered by the [[The Valtorran Empire|Empire]] for refusing to abuse his crew. Barak is not in this for money, but to burn the Empire down. * **Party Motivations:** Barak asked the party why they fight: * **[[Vaeleran]]:** Suffers from amnesia but knows the Empire is specifically hunting him via wanted posters. He fights because they won't let him be. * **[[Kai]]:** An orphan whose parents and village were destroyed by the Empire. He seeks vengeance. * **[[Ryo]]:** A full-blooded Elf (a rarity). The Empire hunts him for his race alone. * **[[Eryndor]]:** A half-blood who rejects authority and keeps to the shadows. * **[[Dondar]]:** Fights for the oppression faced by the Dwarves. ### The Plan & Arrival * **Strategy:** The party realised the bridge is 400ft high, making climbing difficult. They devised a split plan: * **Team A (Mawbreakers):** Attack the camp loud and fast to draw reinforcements and free slaves. * **Team B (The Party):** Infiltrate quietly, open the gates for the army, and then move to the bridge supports to plant gunpowder kegs. * **Barak's Speech:** Before docking, [[Barak Stormrider|Barak]] delivered a rousing speech to the crew, declaring this the night they "shatter the bonds" of the [[The Valtorran Empire|Empire]]. * **The Scouts:** Upon docking at the river mouth, [[Kai]] spotted two Imperial scouts. [[Ryo]] unleashed a *Dread Ambush*, killing one instantly. The second was turned into a "pincushion" by the [[The Mawbreakers|Mawbreaker]] crew's crossbows. * **Farewells:** [[Gromdal]] shared a dwarven salute with [[Dondar]], wishing him strength of stone. [[Ari]] was ordered by Barak to stay behind and guard the ships, much to her dismay. ### The Infiltration * **The Approach:** The party moved up the western bank while the [[The Mawbreakers|Mawbreaker]] army moved up the east. The weather was freezing, with snow on the cliffs and a dark, moonless sky. * **The Fortress:** They arrived to find [[Skyreach]] was not just a camp, but a fortress with a massive wall blocking the river. * **Scaling the Wall:** * [[Ryo]] cast *Pass Without Trace*, granting the party a massive stealth bonus (+10). * They avoided a torch-bearing guard on the wall and used the *Rope of Climbing* to scale the fortifications. * **Taking the Wall:** * The party set up an ambush at the top of the stairs for the returning guard. * **Surprise Round:** [[Vaeleran]] grappled the guard and threw him down; [[Ryo]] followed up with a sword strike, and Vaeleran finished him off. The body was dumped over the wall. ### The Gatehouse Skirmish * **Breaching the Room:** The party moved along the wall to the western gatehouse. [[Vaeleran]] smashed the locked door open. * **Clearing the Guards:** Inside, four guards were caught by surprise: * [[Ryo]] killed two guards instantly with his longbow. * [[Dondar]] incinerated one with *Witch Bolt*. * [[Eryndor]] landed a sneak attack with his bow. * [[Kai]] finished the final guard with a *Guiding Bolt*. * **Opening the Gate:** Vaeleran used the mechanism to winch the main gate open. Kai used *Shape Water* to freeze the gears in place, ensuring the gate could not be easily dropped. ### The Alarm * **The Runner:** Guards from the opposing tower saw the gate opening and rushed to intervene. One guard sprinted back toward a bell room to raise the alarm. * **The Chase:** * [[Ryo]] performed a daring acrobatic leap over the railing to bypass the combat and chase the runner. * Despite Ryo's speed, he could not block the doorway in time. * The guard reached the bell and rang it, signalling the entire fortress. * **Aftermath:** * Ryo killed the bell-ringer shortly after. * [[Vaeleran]] killed the remaining guard on the walkway. * The party looted a key from the bodies. * With the element of surprise lost, the party fled toward the western bank as the [[The Mawbreakers|Mawbreakers]] began their charge through the open gate and alarm bells began ringing in the distance. ## Art ### Skyreach Labour Camp Sketch ![[Skyreach - Labour Camp Sketch.jpg]] ### Skyreach Blueprint ![[Skyreach - Blueprint.png]]