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The Call of Atropus: Out of Time (Chapter 1)

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Campaign

Kingswell, Theodore, Sonia, Silial, and Xanthus experienced strange dreams in the days preceding the arrival of a messenger raven. In the dreams, a celestial figure stood, radiant light surrounding its visage. In the dream, it spoke to them each by name “My name is Viryn, I am a servant of The Lord of Justice, The Even Handed. I call for your aid now, as the forces of darkness have grown stronger in the cosmos. A Shadow rises, though few can see it.” The day after the final dream, a raven arrived in each of their homes, whether they found comfort beneath the boards of a ship, in the warmth of a hearth, or beneath the canopy of the hidden woods. The raven bore a message from Laruthias Starseeker, High Priest at the Halls of Justice in Waterdeep. He informed them that he has had prophetic dreams that involved each of them, and summoned them to an audience in the Halls of Justice. With that, each of them made their respective ways to Waterdeep, and as Kingswell came aboard an abandoned vessel, he found a coffin within its lower decks. He cast it overboard, thinking it not right that he should pilot a vessel with a corpse upon it. As Kingswell arrived among the sinking remnants of the vessel, he met with the other party members, and they entered into the private chambers of Laruthius. After hearing about their dreams, he explained that his were quite similar, and they were able to piece together a meaning: the angelic figure had requested an audience within the Divine Realm of Tyr, and there was only one such place that made sense: the House of the Triad, within the Celestial domains. Unlike many of the other Celestial planes, the House of the Triad cannot be accessed with portals, and as such, only the World Tree could deliver the party to such a destination. Since the World Tree is most directly connected to other parts of the upper planes, the easiest way to access it would be through Arvandor, the first layer of Arborea, and the divine domain of the Seldarine. With this information, the party determined that the best course of action would be to use a chartered Astral Brigate to pass through the Astral Sea, then seeking out the Sapphire Color Pool, which would grant them access to Arvandor. From there, they would travel to the reaching branches of the World Tree, and upon entering into it, they would be able to pass into the House of the Triad to meet with Viryn. The party made preparations, with Silial conjuring forth a grand feast, complete with the most nourishing food and drink. Laruthius prepared a doorway to the Astral Sea, and ushered the party inside. They all felt the weightlessness of the Astral Plane take them, as time itself seemed to stop. Spotting the brigate, Kingswell made his way over to the helm, which was quite a bit different than the normal mechanisms that he was used to operating at sea. Nonetheless, he realized that his arcane power would prove to be quite useful, and conjured forth a mote of energy, which the ship then absorbed, coming to life. Humanoid-shaped constructs began moving around the deck, preparing the sails and adjusting the ship’s navigational instruments. Theodore climbed above deck, to the Crow’s Nest, so that he might gain a more advantageous position to spot points of interest. While in the Crow’s Nest, Theodore spotted a rather dangerous looking section of grey clouds, from which arcing lightning seemed to crest. He informed Kingswell and the rest of the party of this development, and Kingswell attempted to chart a course around the storm. He managed to divert their path, avoiding the most vicious parts of the storm. However, the party still passed through the Psychic Winds of the Astral Sea, and caused great pain in the minds of Kingswell and Silial. As they passed through the winds, they came to the edge of a vast pool of Ruby, which seemed to emanate the sounds of hellfire and screaming. Sonia felt something enter her mind through the void, and began to grow suspicious of threats abroad. Finally, they came through the winds, passing that obstacle by. However, they were blown off course, delaying their trip even further. As they came closer to the part of the Astral Sea that would likely contain a pool of Sapphire, they encountered an enormous vessel, easily 10 times the size of their own. The dreadnought ship bore the flag of Bhaal, Lord of Murder, and the party quickly realized that their best bet was to hide. Kingswell ordered his butler and an elemental under his command to cause a distraction on board the enemy vessel. While Kingswell plotted a disruption, Theodore summoned a powerful illusion with Mirage Arcane, making the ship appear to be the floating skull of some long-dead deific power. The dread vessel grew nearer, a fire erupting on its lower deck, and it passed by the illusion. As it passed, the party discerned that the crew of the enemy ship were bearing masks made from human faces. Given the timeless nature of the plane, the skull remains even until now, or until someone comes along to dispel it. Finally, they passed through a Sapphire Color pool into Arvandor. They travelled through the high mountains and deep wods, through the bright meadows and the running rivers. In Arvandor, they learned, the lakes were the size of oceans, and a single mountain the size of an entire mountain range. Here, desires were heightened, regardless of whether or not they were desires or emotions of love or hatred. Kingswell found a commune of Celestial Elves, which caught his attention quite deeply. Theodore felt a powerful draw to the plane, as its powerful wildlands enhanced its natural abilities. He knew that here, he would never have to hide his appearance or his true form. He could be fully and truly free. Silial realized that she could live with her loved ones, without the fear of the encroaching darkness. Xanthus competed against a bestial spirit, racing to the top of an enchanted tree. He bested the creature handily, earning his right to drink from the blessed Elvish stew, Miravuria. He found his skin grow as hard as bark, and he found his connection to the plane enhance. During this time, Sonia and Kingswell played a drinking game. Sonia consumed the powerful berries of Arvandor, and by doing so, felt her resilience and lifeforce strengthen, her wants lingering at the forefront of her mind. The crimson and violet light of the forest combines with the golden light of the eternal sun that burned in the skies above. As the party made their way towards the World Tree, over the span of eight days, Silial and Theodore attempted to commune with the natural landscape. What they did not anticipate, however, was that their abilities might connect to the entirety of the plane itself. They felt not only the voices of the wildlands, but became a part of the infinite expanses themselves.They felt the move of every mountain, the touch of every leaf. With this, Silial gleaned the knowledge of an ancient tree, which bore leaves of Ichor. From the tree, she took of a single leaf, and summoning fire to her hand, melted down the gold she carried with her. The voices of the natural world guided her in forming the shape of a tuning fork, and Theodore’s ears of the beastlands helped to ensure it was of the right tone. With a way to return created, the party reached the grand might of the World Tree. They passed through its mighty branches, and into the realms beyond.