S1E1 summary

PCs: Sysilya, Echo, Rose Thorn, Andrella Stepyrev
Fair Wanderings setting: modeled after the Great Northern War, where Fins, Danes, Austro-Hungarians, and Russians were all trying to kill Sweden. Set in the Godspine Mountains, which divide the "civilized" world from the rest of existence on this convenient. Vosinland, a kingdom that's been at war with various of it's neighbors for 10 years now.

Game starts in the city of Iken, a bastion of learning set amoung the high mountains of Vosinland. The Ciadrien Confederation, a hyper imperialist, hyper capitalistic society has been overthrowing feudalistic states left and right, has come to Vosinland and invaded and now their armies are at the gates of Iken. Surrounding the city are siege equipment; catapults and siege towers and trenches have laced around the city like a noose and are slowly strangling it. The walls of Iken have defenders stationed along it although there are areas that have almost been breeched by sappers and trebuchets and all manner of horrible things. The once splendid University grounds are now desolate, everything that was not needed has been burned for firewood or used as impromptu fortifications.

A constable buidling is at the edge of the university district. Inside is a desk and three cells, a half-orc in one, and a yaun-ti and tiefling in a second. These are Kurkon, Sysilya, and Rose Thorn; they've been in here for several weeks. In walks a tall woman in plate armor, an aasimar named Raspin. She talks to Sysilya, offering to forgive her crimes in exchange for her services as a healer. Rose Thorn and Kurkon are negotiated into the deal for release. Raspin has them swear on her longsword to protect her charge with their life, and cuts their hand to seal the deal.

In a peasant's home, a little girl with mousy brown hair named Gwenith is tackling illusions that Andrella is casting around the room while the mother named Sonya, with her pregnant belly, is doing laundry. Echo is in the room, his knee getting tackled by the little girl, as he guards Andrella. Sonya asks if Andrella knows when Raspin will be back; she doesn't. Sonya hopes her wife Katherine will be okay on guard duty right before trumpets sound. Andrella doesn't freak out because that would be silly, but she doesn't understand the meaning of the trumpets. Gwenith starts crying and then a baby in the crib nearby starts crying so Andrella starts soothing them while Echo runs to the window to see what's happening.

Raspin is leading the trio from the prison through the streets. Kurkon has grabbed a weird looking orcish sorcery bow. There's a staticy-ness in the air then a loud pop coming from down the street that the group is on. A big, bearded dude peeks around the corner, startled, then the building behind him catches fire with a big boom.

First combat commences. Kurkon starts by firing two arrows at the dude while Raspin runs forward to get within range. Echo comes out from the door, right in front of Kurkon, startling him. Reassuring Kurkon that he is the calvary, Echo rushes forward and throws a javelin at the enemy, claiming first kill. Andrella looks out of the doorway as well, seeing an orc with a bow, a yaun-ti, and a succubus, she decides to cast Sleep on them. Rose Thorn and Sysilya both fall asleep, and as Kurkon yells incredulously "What are you doing!?" Andrella brandishes a dagger at him to make him stay back. Everyone hears magic words and a boom as the side of the building burst into flames. Several peasants run up from around the corner down the street and engage Raspin and Echo in combat while Kurkal rushes over to Sysilya, shaking her hard to wake her up. Andrella flails her sword at him as he turns his back but fails to make contact. Echo rages, his eyes turning from white to black, and he kills another peasant. Andrella runs down the street towards Raspin and Echo, reaching her hands out to cast Frostbite on one of the enemy peasants but they resist. There's another explosion of fire centered on Raspin as Sysilya wakes Rose. Another group of peasants move forward from around the corner, replacing the ones incinerated by the fireball, and a dude with a mustache appears. This mustachioed, clearly rich man wearing fine armor, looks directly at Andrella, pointing at her. He nods his head then with a snap of his fingers is gone. Andrella does not recognize him. Rose gives Sysilya some Bardic Inspiration with a kiss before walking forward and joining the fight, casting Vicious Mockery. "Your clothes look absolutely terrible." Kurkon hears screams from inside the house where Echo and Andrella came from. He rushes inside, followed by Sysilya. Meanwhile, Andrella uses Healing Hands on Raspin and tries to get an answer from her on where they should be going to but she is still a bit shell shocked from the blast. Echo continues to cut down enemies until the last woman drops her shield and spear, holding up her hands to surrender.

Inside the house, Sysilya find Sophia waving a knife at Kurkon, the 5 year old Gwenith in the corner holding her baby sister. Fire flickers can be seen between the cracks in the wood slates on the wall. Sysilya talks to Sophia, calming her down and getting Gwenith to trust her, and getting all of them out of the house. Echo, frustrated he can't kill the last person because they surrendered, jumps though a window into the burning building, where he finds a coin purse and some clothes that he picks up before jumping back out, right in front of Rose Thorn. Before being startled by Echo, Rose was casting Minor Image to first flip off Andrella then kiss her on the cheek, prompting Raspin to threaten to kill her again. As Sophia and Gwenith run up to Andrella, checking to make sure she is alright, Kurkon begin looting the bodies but Echo possessively claims them as his kills. Looking at the last remaining enemy, Kurkon turns towards Andrella because she looks like the source of authority, even though she also seems to be an idiot, and asks if they should kill the peasant woman. At Andrella's decision, Echo binds the prisoner, while Sysilya checks over the two children, pulling out a small rod with a bunch of silver snakes curled around it and casts Cure Wounds on the baby.

The group congregates and Rose gets confirmation from Raspin that "this fine young lady" is their charge. Sysilya extends a hand, introducing herself, "I'm Sysilya. Miss Raspin enlisted us to protect you." Dubiously, Andrella shakes her hand and introduces herself, "I am Princess Andrella Stepyrev." Everyone's eyes go wide and Raspin exclaims in exasperation that she wasn't supposed to say that; Echo offers to kill the witnesses. Rose then very politely introduces herself, taking Andrella's hand and kissing it, "Well you certainly have the look of royalty darling. Rose Thorn, bard spectacular! My reputation obviously proceeds me; I am sure you have heard of me."

Kurkal finds a sewer entrance inside a building that serves as an escape avenue. Raspin opens the covering and Echo immediately jumps down to make sure it's safe. It looks clear so Raspin tells the others to do their jobs, motioning to the sewer. "Kurkal is next because he is also an orc with no chill" -DM. Raspin gives Andrella her cloak so she might better disguise herself, and Echo tosses up one of the pairs of clothes he found earlier for her to change into. The enemy woman, speaking with a German/Swiss sounding accent, begs to go with, offering to do anything the princess needs, but Andrella's Insight check makes i clear that this woman will betray them all at the first opportunity. Raspin gives Andrella the Scepter of the True Queen, which her sister should have, telling her to get to safety; she'll find her when she can. Andrella goes down, followed by Rose, while Raspin stays behind to buy them time, and kills the prisoner. As the group begins traveling through the sewers, Andrella casts Message back to Raspin, telling her she better not leave her with these people. Sysilya and Echo hear yips and chirps as the group travels in the dark. There's a growl and a bark, and Echo and Kurkal reflexively shoot their arrows at the sound.

Combat number two commences. One arrow hits and in very bad common the enemy shouts "kill them." Demonically empowered hyenas sprint forward to the group, shooting arrows. Andrella screams as two arrows take out Sophia and her body slumps onto Andrella; the baby transferring from mother's dying arms into Andrella's as both women slump to the ground. Echo and Sysilya rush forward to engage the gnolls; Sysilya casting Word of Radiance. Rose casts Vicious Mockery, "I'd be laughing too if I had a face like that." She then pats Andrella on the shoulder, giving her Bardic Inspiration as she assures her that they will make them burn. Angry, Andrella speaks Draconic and casts Chaos Bolt, slamming psychic damage into one of the gnolls. The gnolls dart forward to get at their kill but Echo cuts down one and it falls to the ground next to Andrella. Sysilya Poison Sprays one while Rose moves Gwenith to the other side of her, away from the approaching gnoll, and casts Vicious Mockery, "Thanks for coming closer so it'll be easier to kill you." Andrella stands up and lunges an outstretched hand at the gnoll and altho she misses, Kurkal is then able to kill it with his shortsword. The last gnoll takes a blow from Echo as it rushes Gwenith to bite her, but Echo follows immediately on its heels and destroys it with his Great Axe.

Sysilya tells Echo to help carry Sophia's body as Kurkal speaks an orcish prayer over her, invoking the ancestral gods to give her a safe journey. The group exits the sewer outside of Iken on a hilltop overlooking the city as it falls. Ciander, a little white cat who is her angelic guide and not visible to anyone else, rubs against Andrella as she clutches the children and looks out over the scene. Speaking Celestial, she asks if things could have been better if she'd done something differently; she gets the feeling that horrible things were going to happen anyway. Rose shuffles over to Echo, "Does she usually talk ...round?" and he replies "No, she just needs some time." then he looks at Gwenith sitting next to her mother's body and thinks to himself "that could be some good eats." Sysilya comfort Gwenith, who is babbling about being sorry she didn't eat her apples. Rose casts Minor Illusion to make the chest wound look clean.

End session

Fun quotes
 * "Echo do not approve of this little girl. Stop it." -Echo
 * "It's okay little baby, conflicts make you stronger." -Echo
 * "Johnny AngryFace of the AngryFace clan"
 * "It's like I'm playing D&D with Machoman Randy Savage." -DM Michael
 * Sysilya- "We fell asleep, for some reason." Rose- "Perhaps we've been using too much energy." DM- "So that's six seconds"
 * "They're about to feel the wrath of the Serpent of Pleasure on their asses." -Lily
 * "I like that you're just like, the sass wizard." -DM
 * "Can we hurry this up, this is getting gnoll'd" -Lily