Our intrepid heroes learn some lore concerning the Downe family - namely that Raine's father knew that his youngest child would travel back to Essard, and possibly be lost. Not a matter of destiny (which may not even exist), but a matter of This Has Already Happened.
Akeno sleeps, recovering from the ordeal.
Construction begins on Casa Bayuul - new expanded library, guard barracks, a tower for Lady Raine, and more. More folks are hired.
Our surviving explorators comb through the remains of Ennialis. Stuff they find:
Suldara regained communication with the Arrix Kallorhir, and a support team arrived (including Warsmith Aloysius and Vremma). Florian discovered that he was able to detect fae influence. Also that they had returned later than intended, and had been MIA for more than a month.
Our explorators debriefed at Kallorhir before being transported back to Bayuul for mandatory rest.
Stone met with BaoShin, who offered a boon. Stone revealed that he had been keeping something to himself, and a dead Akeno appeared, having been preserved for 300 years. BaoShin resurrected Akeno.
Also Lord and Lady Downe showed up with a couple revelations.
Wherein a whole lotta things happen.
At the first sign of Moonfall, Our Intrepid Explorators fast-talk their way into the Essari Council building, guarded by both Essari soldiers and MaeNendrith. They end up fighting the local Essari Administrator and his MaeNendrith guards, and proceed to gather every scrap of local information they can get their hands on in the hope of using it to gain some clue as to what foul machine caused Esra to strike Ophir.
Malgrovandr returns in a frenzy, and begins destroying every Essari government structure he can. The MaeNendrith turn on the Essari, firing bolts from their warstaves to kill all they find.A figure is seen flying over the city, fighting The Great Dragon.
Our heroes learn that Hethtalos, The Do'Unde, is the child of Malgrovandr. And (therefore) is Raine's grandmother and the founder of the Downes. There is no chance to speak to Hethtalos or Quarric, for it's time to navigate The Labyrinth.
It's bad.
Our Intrepid Explorators awaken in the 300-year-dead city of Ennialis. Akeno is nowhere to be found; she failed to navigate The Labyrinth and didn't make it back.
Wherein our intrepid Explorators find themselves transported to pre-Moonfall Essard, and journey to the Essari city of Ennialis in the company of Quarric. He snuck them into the city, and the city was real bad. At least The Great Dragon Malgrovandr was away. Quarric led them through the streets to a small hovel in the slums, where they met The Do'Unde.
Things that were learned:
Together they hatch a plan to gather intel and try to make it home, knowing that in just a few days time this world will end.
Commonly Known History:
The Old Gods created Erde from the raw chaos of creation. They made the waters and the mountains and the sky, and the moons. They made the wildlife, and the elves, and the humans and the dwarves, etc, and then they assumed their stations. They were simple gods – of the Sea, of the Sun, of the Moons. These gods were worshipped by their creations, and let their creations govern themselves. The gods created children for themselves.
Naathshara grew to be the center of this world. The most beautiful, the most learned, the most peaceful.
But the God of Darkness (Maw) grew hungry. He desired for his darkness to fill the world. He bewitched the King of Essard, and sent a legion of his Empty Soldiers (“MaeNendrith” in Naathsharan) to aid him in destroying Naathshara, Naathshara that was devoted to bringing the bright light of knowledge to all corners of Erde. The Gods and their children banded together to defend their creation and gathered their champions, but were too late. The God of Darkness devoured Esra of the Moon, and cast down his body onto the surface of Erde. The Gods sacrificed themselves to save their children.
The Gods, their champions, and all of Naathshara were destroyed. This was Moonfall.
The Children of the Gods, all gods in their own right, captured the God of Darkness and locked him away, in a hidden place. Without him, his empty soldiers fell dormant where they stood
These new Gods took over the duties of their creators, and so far have taken a much more direct role in the stewardship of Erde. They’ve been known to speak directly to their worshippers, and imbue some of them with a fragment of their power.
General bits:
Most regions follow the calendar of Fallen Naathshara, current year 1292. 300-ish years after Moonfall.
The oldest of creatures top out at ~300 years, including elves and dwarves. No one living was around for Moonfall, although it’s still only a few generations past for the longer-lived species.
Many languages are spoken across the world, but they are specifically by region and culture (not species-specific). It’s rare to find a space occupied only by a single species, and people pick up the languages of their neighbors quickly enough. The generally recognized trade language is Emeric (‘common’, essentially)
This is a world of Spirits, both of nature and of the dead.
There exists a magical crystalline substance that is mined across the world, and drives both economies and magical power. The umbrella term is Krinitite, and comes in several flavors. Esranite, Viridinite, Jovanite, and many more. Can be processed into a powder than can be quickly ingested to aid in magical effects.
There’s a mythical precursor civilization known as Lemuria.
Erde had 3 moons – Lucia, Klarragh, and Esra. Some time after Esra was destroyed, a new heavenly body was discovered(or appeared) – Geist, the Ghost Moon. Plenty of people don’t believe it exists, as it only appears sporadically.
Regions and Nations (a sampler)
Wylun – collection of lots of small-to-medium size nations, most under the banner of The Wylun Alliance. Predominantly humans, with a large contingent of elves (most families originally refugees from Fallen Naathshara), plenty of dwarves and halflings, and a smattering of other species.
Auberveil: Decadent royalty and fading glory. It’s awfully ‘Crimson Peak’ up in here. More fae creatures than one would expect, and more unquiet dead as well. Have a cultural bias against spellcasters. Humans, elves, halflings, some goblins. Languages: Auber, Emeric, and Meskari
Yento: small nation famed for it’s enormous Rahkwood forests, with trees reaching hundreds of feet into the sky, and their largest cities perched atop the ancient wood. Humans, elves, goblins, halflings, gnomes. Languages: Emeric and Meskari
Meskaria: Green and rolling hills, and the ancestral home to halflings and many gnomes. Home of the Pagovian Institute (in the capital, Wellerbee). Famous for lil’ hobbit-hole houses. Languages: Meskari and Emeric
Rin: more classic fantasy kingdom, ruled by a mostly-benevolent monarch from the capital city of Elektis. Cities are famous for their rooftop gardens. Seat of power for the Alliance, and houses the High Council of Wylun, featuring representatives from all member nations. The most cosmopolitan of the nations of Wylun. Houses the Arrix Morrindae, primary citadel of the Ordinatus Scientia. Languages: Emeric, Meskari, some Thresh
Osmen: A land of mountain ranges and renowned for it’s exquisite craftsmanship. Originally a series of dwarven settlements, which then opened up to other groups. Humans, dwarves, some goblins and orcs, the occasional goliath. Languages: Thresh, Emeric, some Ghul
Reolus: More mountains and plains, and the last mostly-intact lands before hitting the Grey Wastes, formed by Moonfall. Suffered a giant-monster incursion some 40 years ago that leveled a few eastern landmarks and cities. The destroyed city of Novaru is the current home of the Arrix Tohvash of the Ordinatus Scientia, suspended over the dead body of a colossal NeThuligathi. Dwarves, humans, elves, gnomes, some earth genasi, orcs, and goblins. Languages: Emeric, Thresh, Naathsharan
Eryphien: Even more mountains and blasted plains, and the start of the Grey Wastes. Roughly half the lands of Eryphien were burned or otherwise destroyed during Moonfall, and the nation is still trying to recover. Humans, elves, genasi, goblins, orcs, more fae than one would expect. Languages: Naathsharan, Emeric, Thresh, Ghul
Therash – a huge continent, and the former ancestral home of elves and drow. Almost entirely destroyed with Moonfall – cities flattened, thousands of miles of terrain just burned away, and an inland sea left in its place.
Naathshara: ancestral home of elves, and the former seat of learning and knowledge in the world of Erde. All that ended with Moonfall. No one’s made it back to the former Naathsharan cities.
Essard: ancestral home to the Drow, and to dragons. Subterranean cities and roadways, mostly destroyed with Moonfall. A poisoned and dead place. What has survived has grown more dangerous.
Urthandria: coastal nation east of Essard and south of Naathshara. Suffered terribly after Moonfall, but managed to mostly recover. Known for its cultural values of hospitality, and veneration for Spirits. Famous (and feared) for its animated skeleton workforce, the Dhavoul. Goblins, elves, drow, halflings, humans, fae creatures, some genasi and hobgoblins. Languages: Urthandrian, Naathsharan, Essari, Sumi
[GAME BITS]
Using a few custom bits – Witch class, Warsmith(artificer variant), Spiritcaller(sorcerer subclass)
Elves don’t live for a thousand years.
No dragonborn (because I’m a jerk)
Wherein our Intrepid Explorators travel for days across the Essari desert, and discover a crashed Arkhounian Empire airship in the sands. Akeno steels herself and goes to investigate. Some things she and The Crew discover:
After recovering Stone, the group moved on. After settling in for the night, Raine heard a distant voice and upon investigation discovered a portal.
She met The Apprentice Quarric, a haggard man begging for her help. He had been instructed by a friend that he would meet Those Who Would Prevent Moonfall here, at this place, at this time. Unfortunately, 'this time' was mere days before Moonfall - 300-ish years in the past. He pulled Raine through the portal and the rest followed.
Wherein our Intrepid Explorators leave the safety of their new Yasara friends and move to explore a section of collapsed tunnels. They find the burned-over Essari city of Namarrakin. The following things were discovered:
The crew felt and heard tremors, and managed to jump into the Ordinatus Emergency Outpost in the nick of time as a Purple Worm of colossal size crashed through the ruined city, swallowing the outpost. Stone and Raine managed to get the beast to vomit up the outpost (and a good quarter of the city), but it took some time. No one knows how far they've travelled, nor in what direction. Truly, they are lost in Dead Essard.
