In the cultural capital of Dormort, Greenest, a festival is to be held. It is in celebration of the turning of the millennium. The elfen ladies: Elia and Yuki Derindel seek adventure. The novice illusioner, Alcain Innsmouth, seeks mystery. The Blue Paladin, Sgt Saldon Lohic, seeks to help those in need. Jorey Zealotous, true to his clergy, wishes to document something spectacular. Oroe Merlot wants to watch the little people pretending not to be animals at heart. None know exactly what they'll find... at the festival of fire.
The Mithril Vault (1)
The Festival of Fire
Elia, Yuki, Saldon, Oroe, Jorey and Alcain meet beside the ghoul-haunted wreck of Leosin Erlanthors carriage. Inside they find a mithril vault containing missing relics from expected to be delivered to the festival of fire. The festival was enjoyed by the party for a while. A dwarf sang them an authentic song, Uildan relics were shown off and enjoyed by the masses and a halfling named Ousten Fry sold magic weapons before disapearing in a hurry. After the pleas of Mayor Binner, the party followed a scouts directions to find Leosin. Leosin was left crucified in an empty camp. Leosins captures had immersed themselves in the celebration and at that moment were raiding the town of Greenest. They were looking for the vault. The party signed a contract with him to save him and Greenest in return for the contents of the vault. The town was burned and after searching the manor, they found nought but a mimic, whom Elia befriended. A great shadow was cast over the town, parting the ash clouds. The party realised a dragon had come to Greenest. Cultists in the streets, wearing patch worked skin garbs, and wielding small stilettos killed those who didn't flee the celebration. The party managed to make a cultist talk who said he worked for the beast with ten eyes, Yuki concluded that this was Xanathar, Jorey concured . The vaults contents were distributed to the party. Inside was a deck of many things. This must have been what they were looking for. For now however, the party didnt know why.
The Mithril Vault (2)
Long Trails and Tall Tales
The deck robbed Oroe, then gave him lightspear. The deck took strength from Saldon and then he grew hot. The town was no longer alight and the people were encamped in Greenest walls, many still partying, but Saldon felt off. He asked the party to accompany him home as he felt wrong in the head. Elia set off to Uild to speak before court as Yuki and Oroe led the party south to Grazen. Jorey was reluctant due to his passion for documentation, but decided that it was his duty to represent Uild and go where the deck went. Outside the town, a mysterious basket-headed, witless, fur man named Carl joined the party. Carl seemed strange and out of place, but also wise. The party discovered the secret of Old God Grove after a brief sermon, a tomb guarded by trials of six virtues. Inside was the crypt of Abies Nobilis. His scripts were buried with him and the party took some scrolls and two tomes. The book of inevitable truths and the book of determined truths. Further down the road, a felled carriage contained the dwarf singer from the festival, Bars the Bard son of Tard the Bard, son of Lars the Bard. He had been robbed by a halfling who was looking for the mithril vault. It was Ousten Fry, the halfling who had sold Jorey a magical weapon named Whelm, a hammer. The party were bewitched and almost defeated by him, but Alcain and Yuki saved the day with his illusions and her angelic light. Oroe made the killing blow with his spear. Jorey just pulled through from having his throat slashed open. Saldon & Jorey, drew from the deck...
The Mithril Vault (3)
The Beast with Ten Eyes
Saldon was gifted a paranormal vizier and the power to alter the fate once. Jorey was promised a loyal fighter to stand by his side, though nothing happened immediately. Yuki ensured Jorey was safe, then conjured a magical hut to rest everyone in. In the morning, the party were awoken by the arrival of Elia and Palma Nobilis, the party stopping overnight had given them time to catch up with them. Elia brought a snowshoe Cat-ogre for Yuki that she called Tommen. Palma immediately sprung to Jorey and Alcain and began to mentor them. She came to join in the investigation into the attack on Greenest. On horse and carriage they began the pass around the ember hills. Their journey was interrupted by the arrival of Joreys summoned companion, Ho'ew, a snowy white owl-aarocockra. She was light-hearted but harsh, she claimed to be brought from the future by the deck, stuck by an eternal cycle and bound by blood oath to secrecy. The convoy moved onto Shallot where the party spent an afternoon enjoying a burlesque show. Afterwards the party were haunted by a figure that cut Alcains hand and caused him to bleed over his yellow prayer beads. The figure was a mask wearing a cape. Oroe began to sense a great amount of danger around them and feared the party were being followed. Alcain put on the mask and heard it whisper to him: 'Alcain, the yellow tides are washing over you'. When Yuki pulled the mask from him, Alcains blindfold was torn off too, revealing a creature with a hundred teeth (that had been sunken into Alcains face) on the underside of the blindfold. The mask then emitted an ungodly light that sent the consciences of Alcain and Jorey into a dark place (believed to be the far realm). The pair were roused and fled Shallot, fearing that they were being followed. The party then arrived in Grazen and Carl leaves wordlessly and ever cold to Saldon. where Saldon learned he was an adopted goblin and near the end of his lifespan. In primal desperation and curiosity, he drew ten times from deck, emerging from a void hole in the ground... the king of the east. Yuki realised that Xanathar can't be the beast with 10 eyes as he has 11 eyes and ten eye stalks. Jorey concludes it must refer to Tiamat. Palma says that geographically, it's only possible for them to be coming from west of Greenest, Berrins.
