Summary

Calendar: Rustday, 28th Denbreak, 748 -> Anvilday, 1st Wayseek, 748

Party Members

• Bam Bam

• Emilio

• Growth

• Maeve

• Monroe

Last Session

Synopsis

0. Session Zero

Party Goals

Goals

The majority of the party are aboard the Omen's Reach travelling towards Iskavell. Growth the lone party member is travelling across Iskavell towards the Stormbreak Settlers in hopes of improving relations.

At a Glance

Locations

• Omen's Reach - the ships that the party has been sailing on to get to Iskavell. Unfortunately got wrecked.

• Frost-Star Lighthouse - it suddenly went out as the Omen's Reach was coming into shore.

• Wreckage of the Omen's Reach - the shore where the poor ship crashed into the rocks.

People

• Captain Valerius "Salt Eye" Thorne - Entrusted Maeve with a chest that he had been keeping hidden in the Captain's Quarters of the ship. His chest then got punctured on the deck of the sinking ship and he was thrown overboard.

• Other Crew - they got thrown overboard, washed up on the shore, but then got dragged away by the Mutated Fish Folk.

Creatures / Monsters

• Deep Ones - Slippery little fellas with bulbous eyes; they used spears to attack and successfully kidnapped several crew members.

Loots / Important Items

• The Mystery Chest: A shoebox-sized container given to Maeve by the Captain. He claimed it was the only cargo that mattered.

Secret

• The Mystery Chest: A shoebox-sized container given to Maeve by the Captain. He claimed it was the only cargo that mattered.

• The Kidnapped Crew: Several sailors were dragged into the black water by the fish-men and are currently unaccounted for.

• The Light House Sabotage: The lighthouse was not extinguished by the storm, but blackened from the inside by sulphurous soot.

Story

Summary of Events

• The party, aboard the ship Omen's Reach, travels through a storm toward Iskavell.

• Captain Salt points out a lighthouse guide beacon, which suddenly goes dark.

• From the shore, Growth observes the ship and the lighthouse. They send a familiar (an owl formed of fungal matter) to investigate the lighthouse.

• The owl observes a large shadow at the top of the lighthouse and smells ozone and sulphur before succumbing to a constitution failure and disappearing.

• The Omen's Reach strikes ice and rocks, beginning to sink.

• On deck, Bam Bam secures Maeve and the anchor. Below deck, Monroe is pinned by cargo but frees himself, alerting Emilio.

• Both Emilio and Monroe are ripped out of the ship as the hull is broken. Monroe uses Gust of Wind to propel Emilio to the surface as the ship tears apart.

• Maeve follows Captain Salt to his quarters. The Captain gives Maeve a small chest, instructing her to save it rather than the ship. The Captain is subsequently swept over board by a large chunk of ice.

• Bam Bam jumps overboard holding the anchor and sinks to the bottom. He releases the anchor and swims upward, biting at bubbles created by Monroe to find the surface.

• Maeve dives to retrieve the chest after dropping it, then surfaces.

• Growth pulls unconscious crew members from the water on the shore.

• The party regroups in the water and on the wreckage near the shore, where they are attacked by fish-like creatures.

• Combat Encounter:

  • The party engages multiple fish creatures on the slippery beams of the wreckage and in the water.

  • Maeve uses her sword and a hand crossbow to dispatch enemies, despite slipping and falling into the water multiple times.

  • Monroe uses lightning spells (Crackle) and wind magic (Violent Updraft) to damage and disable enemies.

  • Bam Bam utilises rage and a greataxe to kill multiple targets.

  • Growth uses Shillelagh and spore abilities to damage enemies.

  • Several crew members are dragged away into the ocean by the creatures during the fight.

• The party defeats the remaining enemies and secures the chest and immediate area on the shore.

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DM Notes

Calendar - Rustday, 28th Denbreak, 748

Party Members

• Bam Bam
  Goliath Barbarian. Fiercely loyal to Maeve; has a "pet rock" and uses headbutts.

• Emilio
  Human Craftsman. Deaf master artisan; communicates via lip-reading; wants to craft legendary blades.

• Growth
  Mycelium Druid. Sentient fungus inhabiting the corpse of a dead Settler hunter; naive and friendly.

• Maeve
  Selkie Swashbuckler. Ship captain's daughter wanting to outshine her father; hates pollution.

• Monroe
  Triton Oracle. Frail pirate cook obsessed with surface flavors; casts Augury at will.

Last Session

Synopsis

0. Session Zero

Party Goals

Goals

The majority of the party are aboard the Omen's Reach travelling towards Iskavell. Growth the lone party member is travelling across Iskavell towards the Stormbreak Settlers in hopes of improving relations.

At a Glance

Locations

• Omen's Reach - Ship of the Captain Valerius "Salt Eye" Thorne.

• Frost-Star Lighthouse - A stone tower, currently dark. A sense or wrongness hangs over it. Something strange happened here.

• The Wreck of the Omen's Reach - After the ship crashes into the ice, there is little that remains but shattered timbers.

• Stormbreak Settlement - Walls made of ship hulls, smell or salt and smoke in the air.

Important NPCs

• Captain Valerius "Salt Eye" Thorne
  Smuggler captain terrified of the dark. Carrying a hidden package of Rift Shards.

• Garrick Baskborn
  Captain of the Guard; stern, hates magic, protective of Skorva.

• Skorva Ironstride
  Leader of Stormbreak; broad-shouldered Half-Orc, pragmatic, "First to the ropes."

• Edda Brinemont
  Water Genasi Healer; pristine robes, transactional personality.

Loot

• Crate of Rift Shards. Unstable magic source; radiates heat; dangerous to touch.

• Valerius's Spyglass. Non-magical, but high quality.

• Ship Salvage. 1d4 days of Rations (wet).

Monsters

Other Names

Available Quests

Quests

• Land in Iskavell

• Meet the Stormbreak Settlers

• Combine the Party

Encounters

Template

Stakes: What plot point does the battle advance? What question is answered by its conclusion?

Purpose: In a design sense, why is there a battle? Does it exist to challenge players or make them feel powerful? Do you want to introduce something new, like a mechanic or a foe?

Objective: What defines victory? There should almost always be a goal beyond simply killing all enemies.

Sides: Not all battles need to have more than two sides, but great ones often do.

Challenging Environment: Where is the battle located, and what must the participants contend with as they fight? What environmental factors can combatants use to their advantage?se

Statblocks:

The Grave of the Omen's Reach

Type: Complex Skill Challenge (Action Scene)

• Stakes: Survival and Resources. If they fail, they don't die (that ends the campaign too early), but they start the game with Exhaustion (a brutal penalty in 2024 rules) or lose the Rift Shard Crate (a key narrative asset).

• Purpose: Tutorial & Tone. To teach the players that the environment is just as deadly as monsters. It establishes the "Survival" pillar immediately.

• Objective: Evacuate. The party must achieve 4 Successes before 3 Failures. They need to get themselves, Valerius, and the Crate onto the ice.

• Sides: The Party vs. Entropy. The ship is the enemy here.

• Challenging Environment:

  • The Tilt: The deck is pitched at 45 degrees. It counts as Difficult Terrain (half speed) unless a PC succeeds on a DC 10 Acrobatics check.

  • The Freezing Dark: It is pitch black. Characters without Darkvision (Emilio) are effectively blinded unless someone holds a light.

  • The Water: Every round, the water rises. Touching the water requires a DC 12 Con save or the PC takes 1d4 Cold damage.

Phase 1: The Tilt (0 Successes)

The ship hasn't sunk yet; it has just hit the wall. The danger is gravity and debris.

Narrative: "The ship screams as it slams into the invisible ice shelf. The horizon spins 45 degrees. Cargo crates, barrels, and loose rigging slide violently across the deck toward the freezing black water."

• The Obstacle: Preventing the cargo (and crew) from sliding off.

• Suggested Skills:

  • Bam Bam (Athletics): Catching a sliding crate of rations.

  • Maeve (Acrobatics): Swinging from a rope to secure Valerius.

  • Emilio (Carpenter’s Tools/Investigation): Identifying which railing is about to snap.

Phase 2: The Breach (1-2 Successes)

The immediate shock is over. Now the water is the enemy. The environment changes from "Deck" to "Flood".

Narrative: "You stabilize for a second, but then—CRACK. The hull splinters directly beneath your feet. Icy water geysers up through the floorboards. It’s not just cold; it burns like acid. The ship groans, preparing to drop."

• The Obstacle: The water is rising fast. The path to the rail is blocked by freezing spray.

• Suggested Skills:

  • Monroe (Nature/Survival): Sensing the pressure change to find the air pocket.

  • Emilio (Constitution): Using his body to plug a leak temporarily so others can pass.

  • Valerius (NPC Interaction): He freezes in panic. Someone needs to snap him out of it (Intimidation/Persuasion).

Phase 3: The Leap (3 Successes)

The ship is lost. The only goal is the jump.

Narrative: "The bow points toward the sky. The stern is dragging you down. The ice shelf is ten feet away—a jagged, slippery ledge in the pitch dark. You have to jump now."

• The Obstacle: Crossing the gap with the heavy Rift Shard crate and the injured Captain.

• Suggested Skills:

  • Bam Bam (Athletics): Tossing the crate/Captain across the gap.

  • Maeve (Sleight of Hand/Use Rope): Tying a quick line to a rock on the shore.

  • Monroe (Athletics/Swim): Jumping into the water to push the others up from below.

Failing Forward (Making Failure Interesting)

If they fail a roll, do not say "nothing happens." Something bad happens, but the story continues.

• Failure 1: A crate of supplies smashes open. Everyone loses 1d4 Rations.

• Failure 2: Emilio (or whoever failed) gets pinned by debris. They are now Restrained. Another player must use their turn to free them (creating tension).

• Failure 3 (The Consequence): They make it to shore, but the water took its toll. Everyone starts the session with 1 Level of Exhaustion (-2 to d20 Tests).

The Monster in the Mist

Type: Social / Tension Encounter

• Stakes: Trust and Information. The party needs a guide. Growth needs allies. If this goes wrong, Garrick (the guard captain arriving later) will have a much easier time convincing the party that Growth is a monster to be killed.

• Purpose: Character Definition. This gives Growth a moment to be "scary" but prove their worth, and gives the party a chance to roleplay their fear/bravery.

• Objective: De-escalation. The party must lower their weapons, and Growth must convince them he isn't a threat (using actions like Goodberry, Druidcraft, or a Medicine check on Valerius).

• Sides: The Survivors (Armed & Scared) vs. Growth.

• Challenging Environment:

  • The Howling Wind: Verbal communication is difficult. Checks relying on speech have Disadvantage unless the characters are close (within 10ft).

  • The Silhouette: Narratively, Growth looks like a reanimated corpse. The "Fear" factor is high.

The Dragging Tide

Type: Full Combat

• Stakes: Protecting the Helpless. The Drowned Court scavengers aren't trying to kill the players; they are trying to drag the unconscious NPCs (Valerius and 2 random sailors) back into the sea. If the players fail, the NPCs drown/are kidnapped.

• Purpose: Make them feel Heroic. After being battered by the ship and the cold, the players get to physically defend the weak. It lets Bam Bam smash things and Maeve/Monroe use their aquatic nature.

• Objective: Hold the Line. Prevent the enemies from dragging the bodies off the map edge (into the deep water) for 3 Rounds, at which point the Settlers arrive to finish the fight.

• Sides:

  • The Party: Defending the bodies.

  • The Scavengers: 4x "Dredgers" (Reskinned Goblins or Kobolds). They have a Swim Speed of 40ft and Pack Tactics.

• Challenging Environment:

  • Slippery Ice: The battlefield is ice. If a character takes the Dash action, they must succeed on a DC 10 Dex save or fall Prone.

  • The Edge: The map has a "Deep Water" zone. If a player falls in (shoved by a Dredger), they are in immediate danger of drowning/freezing.

  • Bodies as Obstacles: The unconscious NPCs are "Heavy Objects." Players can pick them up (half speed) to move them away from the water.

Strong Start

Think of the awesome climax that would happen at the end of the session if everything went right - then start with it! Start with a bang and get the party into the thick of it from the very beginning.

The Ship

The journey has been weeks of gray water and biting wind, but tonight is the worst of it. The Omen’s Reach groans under the assault of the frozen sea, the hull vibrating with every impact of the ice floes. The spray freezes before it hits the deck, turning the rigging into glass.

Maeve, you stand at the rail, eyes squinting against the stinging snow, trying to spot the leads in the ice. Bam Bam, the deck is slick; your strength is the only thing keeping the supply crates from sliding into the sea. Monroe, the air tastes wrong here—metallic and stale, like water that has sat too long in the dark. And Emilio, you cannot hear the howling wind, but you feel the terrified thrum of the ship's timber through your boots. It’s pushing too hard.

At the wheel, Captain Salt-Eye looks manic. His glass eye pulses with a violet rhythm, syncing with the lantern swinging above him. He points a shaking hand forward. 'There! Do you see it? As long as we have that light, the rocks can't touch us! We are almost—'

Snuff.

No flicker. No fade. The lighthouse simply ceases to exist. The world vanishes into a wall of absolute, suffocating black. Valerius screams—and then the crunch of timber drowns him out."

The Shore

Growth, you were just about to settle for the night, the cold a familiar comfort to the meat you wear. You are days away from the Emerald Dawn, seeking the 'Settlers' you were told about.

Out on the black water, you saw it—a curious wooden husk, dancing on the waves. It reminded you of the stories: how the First Ones arrived in Iskavell. To your left, the Frost-Star Beacon shone bright, a false sun protecting the husk.

But then, darkness swallowed the world. The light didn't just die; it was choked.

Squinting through the blizzard, you saw something up there at the tower's peak. A shadow darker than the night, vast and coiling around the glass. Something ancient. Something too big for one hunter to fight.

Then came the sound. Crunch.

You don't need to be a sailor to know that a leaf on a wild stream will eventually hit a rock. The wooden husk has broken. The people inside are spilling into the freezing dark."

Other Potential Scenes

What other things are happening that the party may get involved with. These are simple potentials rather than strict railroad. These events may happen regardless of whether the players get involved or not.

The Crash

The ship lists 45 degrees and the party must evacuate. Valerius wants to make sure he gets the Rift Shard crate before the ship slides into the deep.

The Missing Crew

Once on the shore, a head count reveals that there are several people missing.

The Fungal Saviour

Growth descends to the ice shelf. The party see the silhouette of Growth. But do they trust them?

The Standoff

Garrick Baskborn and a bunch of the Settlers arrive. They came to investigate the Lighthouse, but find the newcomers, Growth wearing the face of a friend. Are these people responsible for the lighthouse?

Secrets & Clues

What secrets or clues could the party learn in this session?

Light House Secrets

• The Modified Socket: A DC 13 Investigation of the lighthouse lamp reveals the brass housing wasn't smashed—it was carefully retooled. The oil feeds were capped off, and a containment bracket (the size of a fist) was installed.

• The Forbidden Fuel: The lighthouse smells of ozone and sulfur, not oil. A DC 12 Arcana/Nature check reveals the residue is Rift Energy, which is strictly banned by Skorva.

• The Scapegoat: Karavelle has been seen arguing with Skorva about "modernising" defenses. Garrick Baskborn will immediately blame "Magic-users meddling with things they don't understand."

• The Visual Clue: If Growth or the players investigate the lantern room, they find the housing is scorched from the inside out, as if the fuel burned too hot.

Salt Eye Secrets

• Valerius's Connection: Valerius is smuggling more Rift Shards. If the Settlers find his cargo, they will not look favourably on his cargo implicating the party in a conspiracy they know nothing about.

Events

What else is happening in the world? What might come back to haunt or help the players in future sessions? What distant adventure hooks can they investigate?

Event 1

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Scratch Notes

• Look at crit