> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxzqrMeD6Dk) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 18 | > Play Date | 2024-06-23 | > 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\|28th Water, 1st - 2507]] | > Location | [[Farhaven]]<br>[[Ancient Woods]] > Characters | -- | ## Summary The journey to [[Farhaven]] began with a chill wind and ominous signs, as the party discovered a farmhouse marked with a symbol of the rebellion. Upon reaching the outskirts of the city, the tension exploded into action when the group witnessed an imperial execution in progress. Acting quickly, [[Vaeleran]] and [[Ryo]] utilised a daring combination of magical disguise and commanding intimidation, posing as high-ranking members of [[The Valtorran Empire|The Empire]] to disperse the guards and rescue a woman named Juliana from the gallows. Grateful for her life, Juliana warned the party of a massive Imperial legion locking down the city and provided directions to ancient ruins north of the settlement where [[The Finegolds]] were assumed to be. The party paused only to offer a decent burial to the other victims of the execution before investigating a mysterious, ancient stone obelisk on the coast. Sensing faint, unrecognizable magic, they pushed inland into the dense, suffocating canopy of the forest, where ancient ruins lay arranged in strange concentric circles. As night fell, the forest felt alive with unseen threats; [[Kai]] spotted a massive shadowy form stalking the perimeter of their camp, while Ryo discovered large beast tracks and a patch of disturbed earth. When morning broke, the party returned to the suspicious mound. Kai manifested a spiritual shovel to exhume the earth, revealing a grim tragedy that shattered their hopes for a happy reunion: buried in the dirt, with his throat slit, was [[Harland Finegold]]. ## Details ### The Outskirts of Farhaven * **The Marked Farmhouse:** On the approach to [[Farhaven]], [[Kai]] spotted a symbol painted on an abandoned farmhouse. [[Dondar]] identified it as a sign that "Nails in the Coffin of the Empire have begun to fall." * **Breaking and Entering:** [[Lia]] demonstrated her lockpicking expertise, quickly opening the farmhouse for [[Eryndor]] and Kai to investigate. The house was empty and packed away for winter. * **The Execution:** At a crossroads near the city, the party encountered a small crowd watching a hanging. Two men were already dead, and a woman, Juliana, was being hoisted up. Another woman attempted to intervene and was struck down by guards. ### The Rescue Operation * **Deception:** [[Vaeleran]] rushed the guards while [[Ryo]] cast *Disguise Self* to appear as a "Hand of the Empire" (an elite soldier). Vaeleran posed as his superior officer. * **Intimidation:** Through a powerful display of authority, Vaeleran dressed down the guards for their incompetence, forcing them to release Juliana and disperse the crowd. * **Retrieval:** The party commandeered the bodies of the "criminals" (including the living Juliana) under the guise of taking them away for evidence, loading them into their cart and leaving the area. ### Intel and The Obelisk * **Juliana's Report:** After being healed by [[Kai]], Juliana revealed that an Imperial Legion had arrived a week prior, locking down the city and arresting citizens at random. She directed the party to an obelisk on the coast that marked a path inland to the ruins. * **Burial:** The party stopped near the coast to bury the two executed men. * **The Obelisk:** They investigated a 100-foot tall stone obelisk. [[Dondar]] and Kai utilised *Identify* and *Detect Magic*, determining the structure emitted a faint trace of ancient, unfamiliar magic, though its specific purpose remained a mystery. ### The Forest Ruins * **Into the Woods:** Following a faint track inland, the party entered a dense forest where the trees grew over ancient stone structures arranged in concentric circles. * **Ryo's Hunt:** While scouting for food, [[Ryo]] found large, clawed footprints (days old) and a patch of freshly disturbed earth. He probed the earth with his sword, finding old, dark blood. * **Camp Defense:** The party established a fortified camp. [[Kai]] used a *Decanter of Endless Water* to blast trenches, while others sharpened stakes to deter the large beast Ryo had tracked. * **Night Watch:** During the watch, Kai spotted a massive shadowy form passing between the ruins several hundred feet away. [[Lia]] showed [[Eryndor]] a locket containing a sketch of her parents. ### A Grim Discovery * **The Exhumation:** At dawn, the party returned to the patch of disturbed earth [[Ryo]] had found. [[Kai]] cast *Spiritual Weapon* in the form of a shovel to dig up the site. * **The Reveal:** After clearing away a foot of dirt, they uncovered a body. It was identified as [[Harland Finegold]], the former leader of [[The Finegolds]]. He had been buried recently, and his throat had been neatly sliced.