**Sessions 1 - 3 Recapped** In the 58th year of the New Age, on the continent of [[Location - Auken|Auken]], a new era of global trade was dawning. [[Location - Treston|Treston]], the nation of [[Location - Prosperia|Prosperia]]'s capital, stood as a testament to this change; a modern melting pot ruled not by a king, but by a council of guilds, where personal wealth and ambition overshadowed ancient customs. Yet, beneath this veneer of progress, crime festered, and in the low-income districts known as the [[Location - Mud Shores|Mud Shores]], strange tales began to whisper through the rain-slicked streets. Our story begins as a storm raged over [[Location - Tarragon's Way|Tarragon's Way]], an old shopping street in the [[Location - Mud Shores|Mud Shores]]. Seeking refuge, our heroes found themselves in [[Location - The Wonky Jib|The Wonky Jib]], a tavern beloved by sailors and tradesmen, its air thick with the scent of oak cinders and pipe smoke. It was here they first crossed paths. [[PC - Trinxis Staciadour|Trinxis Staciadour]], an elf of striking appearance with golden markings on his face and armour that seemed to hold the night sky within its plates, approached the bar, his greatsword at his side. He had arrived at the Wonky Jib seeking a meeting with [[NPC - Thomas Callan|Thomas Callan]], who might have information he needed. He was soon joined in the inn by [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar Thaelond]], a tall, broad-shouldered High Elf in finely crafted armour, over which he wore a simple, travel-worn cloak. [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]], seeking a man named [[NPC - Algarth Hemel ☠️|Algarth Hemel]], had been told by the kindly barman, [[NPC - Elias|Elias]], that a certain Thomas might have information for him. At Cullen's table, they were both met by a third figure already sat: [[PC - Balok Feth|Balok Feth]], a quiet and reserved elvish man. His deep purple skin was marked with black tattoos, his eyes were grey and stern, and he moved with a steady purpose, a shadowy rapier at his hip. He too had sought out Thomas under the influence of rumours. As they gathered, another entered the conversation: [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred Huem]], the inn's resident bard, a slender human male with a travel-worn cloak and kind, mischievous eyes, whose fiddle had been filling the tavern with shanties moments before. Callan, a man working for the Adventurers Guild, spun a tale of a missing man, [[NPC - Algarth Hemel ☠️|Algarth Hemel]], last seen being dragged into an alley by a gaunt, clawed beast. [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]]'s residency in [[Location - Treston|Treston]] handily allowed the newly-formed party to bypass the exorbitant guild fees [[NPC - Thomas Callan|Thomas Callan]] tried to levy upon them, though they were still scammed out of ten gold for the information. With the location of the alleyway— just off [[Location - Tarragon's Way|Tarragon's Way]], behind the [[Location - Ample Bakehouse|Ample Bakehouse]]– the adventurers set out into the storm. The city's underbelly greeted them with a chilling tale from a beggar girl, who spoke of five disappearances in two days and described the monster as pale, sickly, seven foot tall, thin, gangly, with black veins across its skin, slimy like a snail, and large eyes like a fish. Her own friend, Ben, who begged outside the bakery, had started vomiting before he too was taken. At the foot of a stairwell, they found discarded remains, skin and hair, surrounded and immersed in a thick mucus slimeIn a different alley, the party found the very man they sought, [[NPC - Algarth Hemel ☠️|Algarth Hemel]], bruised and lying amongst rubbish. Claiming he was merely attacked by vagrants, they helped him to his feet and escorted him back to the [[Location - The Wonky Jib|Wonky Jib]] for a drink. But as he drank and recounted his story, a horror unfolded. He began to vomit the same thick mucus they'd found in another alley, his body convulsing violently. Before their eyes, he transformed, a seven-foot skeletal figure bursting from his flesh. [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]], reacting with blinding speed, sent a bolt of witch-fire through its head, and the creature collapsed into a steaming pile of warm goo, leaving behind the distinct scent of almonds. The arrival of the city guard and their swift, secretive clean-up of the scene confirmed the party's suspicions of a cover-up. The following day, after attempting to visit [[NPC - Algarth Hemel ☠️|Algarth]]'s now-quarantined family, the party regrouped at the [[Location - Ample Bakehouse|Ample Bakehouse]]. Posing as a "special investigator," [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]] used his magic to probe the mind of the simple, ogre-like baker, [[NPC - Grom|Grom]], learning the combination to the bakery's magically locked bins: 2, 10, 8, 10, 2. That evening, they watched as the bakery's staff discarded large sacks into the bins, and then they followed [[NPC - Grom|Grom]] to a clandestine back-alley bar. There, a disguised [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]] convinced the agitated ogre that their "sensitive stuff" was in danger, causing [[NPC - Grom|Grom]] to rush back to the bakery. He revealed a secret hatch in the kitchen, and the party descended into the darkness below. They found themselves in a hidden laboratory, filled with bubbling tubes and the overpowering stench of sulphur, rot, and death. They were immediately set upon by ghouls. In the ensuing battle, [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]] was paralyzed by a ghoul's foul touch, but the party fought on, eventually felling the creatures. In the aftermath, they discovered a runic symbol scraped into the floor, which [[PC - Trinxis Staciadour|Trinxis]] identified as being from the infernal realms of devils and demons, and a letter confirming one of the Thrissel's had been expelled from the Legendarium. They alerted [[NPC - Lieutenant Eddaman|Lieutenant Eddaman]] of the City Guard, who, recognizing them from the [[Location - The Wonky Jib|Wonky Jib]], acknowledged their good work. He directed them to Guild Row, advising them to join a guild to gain the legal right to adventure in [[Location - Prosperia|Prosperia]]. On Guild Row, the party was courted by many factions. After weighing the offers of powerful but demanding groups like Everreach and Aurora Exotics, and more niche outfits like the Dark Band and the Grey Hunters, they found a home with the dilapidated [[Faction - Treston Adventurers Guild|Treston Adventurers Guild]], run by the unassuming but honest [[NPC - Oliver|Oliver]]. He offered them a simple contract: a 10% cut of profits from guild jobs and no joining fee. Here, they found their place, christening their new party "[[Faction - Elvensong|Elvensong]]". Their first official quest led them to the [[Location - Redstone Market|Redstone market]], where they were hired by the market head, [[NPC - Joseph (Market Head)|Joseph]], to deal with thugs demanding protection fees. In a clever ambush, [[PC - Mannfred Huem|Mannfred]] used a suggestion spell to make the brutish leader, Eric, climb a massive, 70-foot-tall red tree, which ended in tragedy when Eric fell to his death. Following a lead from his intimidated underlings, [[Faction - Elvensong|Elvensong]] found a derelict warehouse, battled a foul witch in the cellar, and recovered the gang's stolen gold. Their reputation growing, [[Faction - Elvensong|Elvensong]] then accepted a more prestigious job from [[NPC - Oliver|Oliver]]: delivering sacred oil to the temples atop the [[Location - Alder Rock|Alder Rock]]. For this task, [[PC - Aelar Thaelond|Aelar]] arranged for a horse-drawn trade cart from his residence in the [[Location - Gold Leaf Inn|Gold Leaf Inn]], which arrived driven by a grizzled elven man who recognized him as Lord Thaelon. On the way to pick up the oil, the group received an invitation to a formal dinner and dance at the end of the week, a rare event hosted by the Treston Council itself in their chambers upon the [[Location - Alder Rock|Alder Rock]]. Their journey took them to three distinct houses of faith: the eccentric [[Location - Church of Many Mouths|Church of Many Mouths]], the sombre [[Location - Dying House|Dying House]], and the grand [[Location - Ashen Temple|Ashen Temple]]. Their efficiency earned them a handsome reward and the notice of the city's elite. And so, their first adventures concluded. They had faced monstrous transformations, uncovered demonic plots, and were on the road to becoming true heroes in the city of [[Location - Treston|Treston]].