The Patrons wrapped up their foray into Sarmbik’s Vault with an organized process for dividing the great treasure. This process featured several intra-party deals, including the sale of the first selection by Berouwvol and a tourmaline for the Wildward, from Nyx, in exchange for a promise of regular use of his new Wand of Wonder. C took custody of Sarmbik’s crystal ball, which is ostensibly linked to his madness. Before they left the Vault, Nyx performed a strange ritual to summon her new invisible friend, rousing C’s suspicion.

Outside the tomb, the leading Halflings awaited the Patrons. Several Halflings imposed the Patrons to make good on their promises, including the promise to provide information about the Pass of the Dragon to Everwin Peake, and the promise to help Robin’s Roost with its poisoned water supply. Hubbard K. Dewling translated Sarmbik’s map of the Pass of the Dragon, and the Wildward made a copy of the map for Mayor Adleberg.

After the Wildward provided the plans for Robin’s Roost to build its own water purification cistern, the Patrons hit the trail toward the Pass of the Dragon. They made their rendezvous with the party of Aerandir. Currently, the Patrons are within striking distance of Sky Mirror Lake, where Nyx’s invisible friend has espied a group of black-clad campers.

In venturing beyond the guardian room of Sarmbik’s Vault, the Patrons of Fairhaven came to a natural cavern deep within the hillside of The Roost. Replete with stalagmites, spikes, and scalding geysers, the cavern challenged the Patrons to find a way to traverse its natural and man-made obstacles. This was accomplished with an extremely well-constructed rope bridge and some spider-form reconnaissance by The Wildward.

Most of the party withstood the ill effects of the mad gnome shade’s appearance, but Cee’s courage was thwarted by Sarmbik’s horrifying visage. Pemming bolstered the party with inspiring music and glib banter. Amid the inane babbling of the ghost, many Patrons assailed the spirit while Nyx engaged it in a telepathic contest of wills. Nyx prevailed, and the ghost revealed that it was being controlled by “The Lady” through its crystal ball.

Soon after driving off the ghost, the Patrons advanced into the heart of Sarmbik’s Vault: his spare but well-stocked treasure room. Therein, Sarmbik’s ghost was at last defeated by the mighty hammer falls of Berouwvol. The Patrons then looted his treasure. Among many other useful boons, the hoard contained the one particular item for which the party had trespassed the ancient tomb: a detailed map of the Pass of the Dragon.

After eliminating the were-rat, and his badger and toad allies, the Patrons of Fairhaven resumed their journey with Wender Wilkins along the Royal River. For his part, Wilkins collected the bounty for the were-rat’s head, upgraded the Patrons’ treasure to more portable forms, and provided some useful information about his home town of Robin’s Roost. On board the ship, the Patrons discussed tactics for engaging the Brightmore party and potentially eliminating them as competition in the quest for the Pillar of Heaven.

Upon arriving in Robin’s Roost, the Patrons were greeted by Adia, who served as a guide and advisor in town. It was clear that the townspeople were erecting a fairgrounds to honor the impending arrival of native son and folk hero, Everwin Peake. She led them to a wood-built motte-and-bailey style keep called the Roost, wherein resided the noted halting sage Hubbard K. Dewling. The sage enjoyed beer with the Patrons at the Dragon Skull Inn, and he shared what he knew about the Pass of the Dragon (which was a fair amount).

Other troubles persist in Robin’s Roost, including the befouling of the water supply by a bizarre bluish-greenish-blackish algae. Upon parting company with Dewling, the Patrons were led by Adia to the home of Adelberg, the town mayor. Once they gained entry to the meeting, the Patrons agreed to help the town with its water supply in exchange for the key to Sarmbik’s Vault, which is said to contain vital information about the Pass of the Dragon. The Patrons also agreed that they would share any information that they found in the Vault that could be vital to Everwin Peake’s success in the Pass of the Dragon, including Sarmbik’s Journal and the map he was thought to have made of the Pass.

The Patrons gained entry into Sarmbik’s Vault, and they bypassed a room filled with summoned and illusory guardians. They defeated a poison dart trap. Now, the party stands at the mouth of a large cavern, which roils with steaming geysers, and includes a spiked floor and a precipitous path across slippery stalagmites.

The characters woke at Otis’ offices. They made their way back to the Porcelain Pussycat, where the Wildward befriended a dog. Berouwvol engaged in some strategic destruction of property by smashing the literal porcelain pussycat with his warhammer. The party fixed the pussycat with magic. Inside, newly minted squire Wilfric demonstrated sincerity and industriousness, while serving-maid Rosa was added to the party payroll.

Unfortunately, the party was unable to get deep inside the Royal Library of Fairhaven. The fees to speak with the sages and peruse materials were too high. Brynne Simons provided some aid to the party, in the form of maps and collaboration. Her group, led by Verred, priestess of Aerandir, eventually resolved to accompany the party over the Pass of the Dragon into Zarkandaria.

After receiving supplies from Otis, the party boarded the craft of Wender Wilkins, ferryman extraordinaire. A group of guards tried to ride off with information regarding the party’s departure. Swift-acting Berouwvol took the lead in cutting down the fleeing guards from long distance, ensuring that no message could be delivered to the guards’ commander, the despised Baron Thornicroft. The Wildward also caught a fish for his new Osprey-friend.

As Wilkins’ boat made its way up river, it was accosted by the “Guardian of the River,” a giant constrictor snake. The reptile threatened to grab C and carry him off into the water, but a fast-acting Wildward broke the snake’s hold with powerful magic. The entire party combined to rout the snake, the carcass of which is now being smoked and eaten aboard the deck of the ship.

The next stop for the party is the riverside town of Ashton, where the group will rejoin Wilfric. The young squire is guided captured horses to the town.

As the party wrangled the dead and unconscious bodies of their fallen foes upon the stone quay, several giant rats and rat swarms emerged and attacked. With some effort and ingenuity, the party fended off these beasts. Finally, the bodies (including that of their slumbering comrade Berouwvol) were dragged to a hidden spot behind a hut at the end of the quay.

Then, a platoon of soldiers led by Captain Trumlin marched down the quay toward the party. Trumlin identified himself as the leader of Duke Breakspear’s forces. The Wildward spoke to Captain Trumlin, as did Nyx, but neither was able to prevent him from ordering his troops to complete their sweeping search of the quay.

The Wildward tried to dissuade Captain Trumlin by attacking him and his troops with powerful offensive magic. Things looked bad for the party when the armed forces forced their surrender. However, Otis Shipman appeared with a ragtag group of armed militia to force a stalemate with Trumlin’s troops.

Otis cut a deal to trade the captive prisoners who had attacked the party for the freedom of the party itself. Trumlin and his troops then went on to complete their sweep of the docks. The party retired to Otis’ offices to rest up before their journey, which is set to begin the next day.

The evening at the Inn of the Porcelain Pussycat had reached its conclusion. The party finished its conversation and its business there. Both “Grizeldo” and Berouwvol continuing their binge drinking. Nyx wrote a private letter, which the party later learned was intended for her mystery patron, Otis Shipman.

Heading outside, five large, dangerous dogs confronted the group. These dogs had surrounded a frightened boy. With some small difficulty, the party fended them off. The boy revealed that his name was Wilfric. His slain older brother had been a sergeant in C’s platoon. Wilfric hardly escaped from the Battle of Trademeet with his life, and he now sought service as C’s squire. C ordered the boy to remain at the Porcelain Pussycat until the appointed meeting time the following day.

The group then moved onward to secure the sponsorship and payments from their three patrons. The party made contact with Nyx’s contact, Reglor. He’s a sly-looking fellow whom, it was later learned, is associated with the Guild of Crossed Daggers. She gave him her letter for delivery, and the group agreed to meet up with him following the first patronal encounter.

At the first meeting, the party agreed to a contract with Father Bilwill Gildshine, a cleric of Gwalto. Bilwill informed the party, through his oftentimes unintelligible high-pitched glee, that a group of Gwalto’s cleric had discovered that the leaders of the faith had made a secret bargain with the followers of an evil god, Morkano. Now, Gildshine and his fellows sought secret allegiances with other powerful groups within Fairhaven. Toward that end, Bilwill thought that both Berouwvol and C made excellent additions to the party. Bilwill also confided that he felt like Li Peng’s vision had been misunderstood, and that the Pillar of Heaven was really to be found within the great Stone Spire of Etala, upon which the Weirdrangle was constructed.

During this meeting, it was revealed that Grizeldo Croon was, in fact, an elaborate disguise cooked up by none other than the son of Bilwill Gildshine, the gnome Pemming Gildshine. Pemming had distinguished himself of late by making a mess of a plateful of table scraps, and by failing to lift Nyx’s letter from her hand. Later in the evening, fatigue would cause Pemming to retire at a safe location within the Sea-Vault of Aearmo.

Next, the group met with Otis Shipman, Nyx’s patron and the guild master of the powerful League of Shipwrights and Sail Makers. Ship proved an affable fellow. He stated that the guild leaders did not want the Pillar of Heaven to fall into the hands of the ruling Aristocracy, because it would perpetuate the iniquitous status quo. Otis assigned Reglor to be a “fixer” for the group, to take care of administrative needs prior to the departure on the road to the Weirdrangle. Also, Otis professed his belief that the Pillar of Heaven was to be found in a churning, roiling, magical sea somewhere off to the north of far Dykumo. Only one of Otis’ ships could survive such waters without foundering, he said.

At this point, the party headed down to the nearby docks to catch a ferry to the Sea Vault of Aearmo. At the ferry, Wilfric revealed that he had followed the group and gained the valuable information that Reglor had been using their names in discussions with several other individuals. C was notably upset that Wilfric had disobeyed his orders. So, Wilfric was sent back to the Porcelain Pussycat and given the task of proving to C that he could be trusted.

Within the majestic Sea-Vault of Aearmo, the cleric Beranleod became the third patron to contract the party’s services in search of the Pillar of Heaven. His contract bore the same terms as the other two patrons. Beranleod asserted that the clerics of Aearmo are interested in the Pillar of Heaven as a means to purify the poisoned fresh water sources that are impacting drinking water supplies and crop irrigation across Fairhaven. Beranleod also professed his ignorance of the final resting place of the Pillar of Heaven. He strongly believed that Li Peng’s vision had significance and that the Weirdrangle should be investigated. In addition, Beranleod explained that he had been contacted by Otis Shipman who, having received Nyx’s letter, wanted to ensure that the mutual patrons could cooperate in their sponsorship of the party.

It was at this point that Pemming retired due to the fatigued of a long a stressful day. The rest of the party returned via ferry to the docks. They were greeted by three guard who claimed to serve under the command of Baron Cruikshank. These guards demanded the surrender of the party, and a general melee ensued. Wildward knocked one of the guards into the harbor, and two other guards were knocked unconscious. Two thugs, issuing order to the guards, moved in to thwart the party, but they were quickly overcome by the combined efforts of the group.

Currently, the party has apprehended three guards and one of the thugs. The other thug died as a result of his wounds.

Wondering how to get started? Here are a few tips:

1. Invite your players

Invite them with either their email address or their Obsidian Portal username.

2. Edit your home page

Make a few changes to the home page and give people an idea of what your campaign is about. That will let people know you’re serious and not just playing with the system.

3. Choose a theme

If you want to set a specific mood for your campaign, we have several backgrounds to choose from. Accentuate it by creating a top banner image.

4. Create some NPCs

Characters form the core of every campaign, so take a few minutes to list out the major NPCs in your campaign.

A quick tip: The “+” icon in the top right of every section is how to add a new item, whether it’s a new character or adventure log post, or anything else.

5. Write your first Adventure Log post

The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light “story so far” post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night’s adventures.

One final tip: Don’t stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you’re using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn’t always up to date or your characters don’t all have portrait pictures.

That’s it! The rest is up to your and your players.