The Pervy and the Restless - July 31, 2026

 - Dino and turtle

 

- The Keepers wake up in beds in a room. They all feel extremely well rested. (They have 20 temp HP!)

- The room they are in seems more dormitory than barracks.

- Niniel looks out the window and sees a small village with well-kept little streets. Little houses with little gardens with human-people walking around. The trees seems mostly deciduous. 

- Niniel opens the window and a morning spring breeze blows in 

- After some chat, Soliana heads out the door, down the stairs, and comes into the common room of a tavern / hostel.

- Soliana tells the tavern keeper she was drunk and doesn't remember and asks where they are. They are at the Fiesty Fox in the village Ironmoor. 

- A woman runs in and asks Marlin (the tavern keeper) if he's seen Timothy (her 8-year old son) because he's missing.

- The mother says "they've taken him, I know it!" Marlin responds that he'll be back in a few days, but the mother responds that he'll be different.

- There may be hags or some other kind of creature kidnapping children.

- The changed children no longer sleep, and they seem to have lost all their joy. They just sort of sit and stare at you.

- They get some hasty rations from the tavern keeper, and they head through town toward the meadow west of town, keeping their eyes peeled for strangely calm children.

- There's an obelisk in the center of town that Niniel (who can cast Detect Magic at will these days) says is a mix of abjuration and enchantment magic. Very strong magic.

- Soliana examines the obelisk and finds that the magic is coming from an orb which is being amplified by the obelisk structure. The obelisk also has an inscription "Good sleep and pleasant dreams will protect us all." It looks like with a little bit of effort, the orb could be removed.

- Niniel walks up to an old codger (Lawrence) feeding birds and asks him about the obelisk. The obelisk is certainly older than he is, and the village might actual have grown around the obelisk.

- They walk on and get to the meadow and see some children playing a tag sort of game, and there's one child sitting off to the side just sort of staring.

- Niniel immediately wants to cast a minor illusion of a hag to see how the kids react, and Soliana asks if they can wait until they've at least talked to the kids to ask them about Timothy. She ties up her long skirts joins their game to try to earn their trust. They accept her immediately.

- Niniel summons her "cat" familiar and has to rub on the staring child. He notices its weird squid end on its tail, but just stares at it.

- After 15 or 20 minutes, the kids take a breather and Soliana asks about Timothy, and one kid says flippantly the hags musta got 'im. He says to go talk to Devon (the staring kid) who's now their best friend.

- Soliana tries to get the kids to not hold Devon's condition against him because he probably didn't ask for the hags to change him. They call her preachy and run off back to their game.

- Niniel casts Detect Magic through her familiar sitting in Devon's lap and sees that he has a faint bit of transmutation and necromantic magic about him.

- Soliana sends Stardust in her owl form to do a quick fly around of the nearby forest to see if there's anything obvious to be seen from above.

- Soliana sits next to Devon and asks him about the hags, but he just remembers the ladies who gave him beautiful dreams. He didn't walk there, he just was there.

- Niniel starts casting Minor Illusions of various hags, sirens, mermaids, but Devon doesn't react to any of them. 

- Soliana can't get any more of a read on the magical aura or essence, so she also casts Detect Magic so that she can see the aura. At that point she does see a tether, and it goes straight down into the earth.

- Soliana asks Devon if he remembers when he met the ladies, and it was two years ago when he was 8.   

- He thinks they had a cottage, and it was cozy with their fireplace. He doesn't remember going outside while he was visiting them.

- Stardust returns, but the loop she flew was short, so she didn't see anything abnormal in that space.

- Both the familiars get sent out to do some more exploring. A mile-radius loop for Stardust, and unnamed cat get told to explore the forest for an hour and then meet the Keepers in the town by the obelisk.

- They head back to town. Soliana and Caleb head for the general goods store, and he is a staring straight ahead, and has visited the Ladies several times. 

- Soliana gets permission to cast a quiet magical ritual (Detect Magic), and then she examines the tether coming from him, and it's thicker and more prominent than Devon's.

- Meanwhile Poetry, Niniel, and Zemma ask around and find the town's healer woman. The healer woman calls the people who have visited the Ladies, "The Restless". She reiterates that all the Restless insist that the Ladies are "out in the woods".

- They have this discussion over an herbal tea concoction. 

- Other people have gone out looking for the Ladies, and the ones who came back didn't find anything, but not all of them came back.

- Soliana examines the base of the obelisk, but doesn't find any mechanism by which it would move.

- Everyone sits in the square with the obelisk and waits for the familiars.

- Soliana ponders about the fact that she woke up this morning when she's never actually slept before, and she wonders if she would be charmed by the Ladies if they only Trance overnight and don't dream.

- The cat poked around in the woods for the hour and found lots of ground squirrels and other rodent dens.

- Stardust comes back a little while after that and while she saw lots of trees, she also saw some smoke rising from the forest to the west.

- The Keepers begin heading west into the forest.

 

- 3,000 XP ea for 76,200 XP total each.

Ope, Here It Comes Again - July 17, 2026

 - L3 / Major's Field 75th Anniversary Tee

 

- Everyone turns into their own beds, and a long rest is had.

- Bright and early the next morning, Soliana enters the Arcane Study / Library, her researchers are mostly asleep, except Sir Foxglove who is startled from his maps and books when she approaches him. He has the Teleportation Circle all queued up to take them directly to the anomaly they found.

- Everyone has a quick bit of breakfast, then they step through the Teleportation Circle that Foxglove dialed in, and they land on a hill under an overcast, angry sky.

- They are on a rocky, island with some grasses and scrubby trees. 

- Soliana pulls out the staff our of her Wristpocket and uses it a bit like a dowsing rod to find the source of the anomaly, and they find it a bit up the beach right on the water's edge.

- As they approach, the anomaly pulses and grow a bit and two large humanoid figures made of solid sand with . 

- As they get just a little bit closer, some medium-sized humanoid shapes of blowing sand pop out of the pulsing portal and run for the Keepers.

BEACH BATTLE

- Niniel casts Evard's Black Tentacles on all the medium guys and one of the large guys grappling all but one of the medium-sized sand storms and they take 9 bludgeoning dmg. She then summons her tentacle between Soliana and SandStormMan1 and it thwacks it for 4 cold dmg.

- SSM1 takes 14 bludgeoning dmg from the tentacles then melts down into the sand then pops up equidistant from Soliana and Niniel and pushes a small wave of sand over them. Soliana saves and takes 8 bludgeoning dmg and Niniel does not save and takes 16 bludgeoning dmg.

- The ocean rises up and a wave crashes over everyone.

- SSM2 melts into the sand and pops up next to Poetry and it swipes her twice for a 9 slashing and 5 cold then 12 slashing and 4 cold.

- SSM3 takes 9 bludgeoning dmg from the tentacles melts into the sand and pops up behind Soliana missing her on its first swipe but smacking her 12 slashing and 3 cold dmg.

- Zemma Rages and runs up to the only grappled guy left and claws him for 17 slashing dmg then again for 9 slashing dmg and she summons her Infectious Fury for 18 psychic dmg then one last time for 11 slashing dmg. 

- Soliana casts Gravity Sinkhole such that SSM1, SSM4, SandGolem1, and SG2 for 26 force dmg on the SSMs who are pulled to the center of the spell, and the big guys take 13 each and aren't pulled. She then Starlight Steps out of the fray.

- Caleb Disengages with SSM3 and moves to flank SSM2 with Poetry for stabbing it with his rapier for 28 (14) piercing dmg. 

- SG2 takes 10 bludgeoning dmg from the Grasping Tentacles then launches a barrage of sand, stones, bits of coral and whatnot at Soliana for 17 piercing dmg

- SG1 reaches out an arm to Zemma punching her from a distance for 19 (9) bludgeoning dmg 

- Poetry summon Ember in the tentacles next to two of the SSMs who then throws a Flame Seed at SSM4 for 6 fire dmg then steps out of the Tentacles, which did not affect her, and next to Soliana. 

- SSM4 is grabs by the Tentacles and they rip him into tiny breezes that can't carry a single grain of sand.

 

- Niniel moves her tentacle and smacks it for 6 cold dmg. She then casts Cold Lance on SG1 for 27 cold dmg and it is incapacitated until the start of her next turn.

- SSM1 takes 10 bludgeoning dg from the from Grasping Tentacles then melts into the sand and pop up near Poetry and Caleb and pushes sand at them taking 20 and 10 bludgeoning dmg respectively.

- Another tidal wave crashes over the beach and Caleb and Niniel fall over.

- SSM2 smashes a prone Caleb for 8 slashing and 4 cold dmg then again for 17 slashing and 1 cold dmg.

- SSM3 moves to Niniel and smacks her for 13 slashing and 2 (1) cold dmg then again for 15 slashing and 1 cold dmg. Niniel reacts with Winter's Rebuke for 12 cold dmg.

- Zemma runs up to SG1 who is incapacitated so she claws him for 9 slashing dmg then again for 8 slashing dmg then again for 7 slashing and she calls forth her Infectious Fury for 13 psychic dmg.  

- Soliana moves 30' away from the center of the battle, casts Raulothim's Psychic Lance on SG2 for 20 psychic dmg then drinks her Healing Elixir for 11 HP regained.

- Caleb stabs SSM2 for 24 psychic dmg then moves away from the SSM2 and throws a psychic dagger at SSM3 for 6 psychic dmg.

- SG1 is incapacitated.

- SG2 is incapacitated.

- Poetry moves away from SSM2 now that Caleb doesn't need her to flank and she takes 13 slashing dmg from it then casts Fireball in the middle of everything getting all three of the SSMs. SSM1 and SSM3 take 19 fire dmg while SSM2 takes 38 fire dmg. SSM1 is incinerated. Ember then throws a Flame Seed at SSM3 for 8 fire dmg. 

 

- (SG1 is no longer incapacitated) Niniel runs away from SSM3 then casts Eldritch Blast at SG2 for 10 force dmg and again for 10 more force dmg.

- Another tidal wave crashes over the group and Caleb, Niniel, and Poetry are knocked prone.

- SSM2 moves up to Caleb misses then smacks him for 17 slashing and 7 cold dmg.

- SSM3 moves up to Niniel and smacks her for 9 slashing and 5 (1) cold dmg then again for 11 slashing and 8 (2) cold dmg.

- Zemma claws SG1 for 10 slashing dmg then again for 10 slashing and then again for 11 slashing dmg. SG1 crumbles into a pile of inanimate sand. She then darts around the open portal to the remaining SG.

- Soliana casts Raulothim's Psychic Lance on SG2 for 25 psychic dmg and it is incapacitated until the start of her next turn.

- Caleb stands up and stabs his psychic dagger into SSM2 for 11 psychic dmg. SSM2 explodes into a cloud of sand. He then run over to the spectral flame left by SSM1 (from Poetry) and heals 14 HP.

- SG2 is incapacitated.

- Poetry stands up and casts Fireball out over the ocean so that SG2 takes 31 fire dmg. Ember then throws a Flame Seed at SSM3 for 6 fire dmg.

 

- Niniel stands up. Her tentacle smacks SSM3 for 11 cold dmg. Niniel steps forward directly in the spectral flame that is summoned because of Poetry's proximity and gains 11 HP. She then Eldritch Blasts SG2 for 5 force dmg and then again for 13 force dmg. She then steps forward again next to her tentacle.

- A tidal wave comes through and knocks everyone except Poetry on their asses. 

- Zemma stands up and claws SG2 for 12 slashing dmg then again for 9 slashing dmg.

- Caleb runs into the spectral flame for 13 HP.

 END OF BATTLE

- Zemma moves away from the portal and Soliana moves to 30ft from the portal. 

- Soliana manipulates the energies attempting to create an energy siphon away from the Kraken, and as she is completing her manipulations, they are all whisked away into the portal.

 

- 4,500 XP ea for 73,200 XP total ea.

Revaloran Revelations #NotMuchBetterDownWhereIt'sWetter - July 10, 2026

 - Thrill2 from Cedar Point Amusement Park

 

- The Keepers are shown into a retiring room to sort themselves out after the fight in the gardens (short rest).

- Niniel immediately asks wtf Soliana did shutting down the portal instead of using it as previously discussed, but Soliana wasn't comfortable experimenting at that level in such a populated area. Some slightly heated talk later, and they agree to attempt at a different source of power in a less populated area.

- Soliana ritually casts Detect Magic and then examines Niniel, but Niniel seems completely mundane, so there are no lingering Widogast's Transmogrification or True Polymorph lingering about her.

- They decide to head back to the shops to find another cap of water breathing, which they do for 350 GP. (No more party fund.)

- They head back to the Moon Veil Academy stables and make their way back to Lamara.

- Soliana heads straight for the Arcane Study. They have found an anomaly in the vicinity of the barrier islands about halfway between Port Carling and Caledonia. They also remind him about how the anomalies change the past.

- Sir Foxglove agrees to stay for a few more days to search out other location of power in unpopulated areas where they might be able to manufacture an anomaly like Niniel did here at the Twilit Grove that Soliana can then manipulate to try to siphon power away from the Kraken.

- Soliana then excuses herself to retire for the evening as they fought giant lightning bugs this afternoon in Arrandale.

- The next morning, after the last minute check-ins with Emmyth, Foxglove, Tanalia, Ailas, and Nym, Soliana casts Teleportation Circle with a destination to Revelora. 

- They appear in a temple to the Kraken, but there aren't any acolytes or anything around when they arrive. Niniel knows exactly where they are, near the center of town.

- While it is pretty cold down here, it's not pitch black because there are bioluminescent algae lining the walls and floors and ceiling, though not uniformly.  

- The exit the temple into a town square sort of area with tiers of buildings all around with a high point of opalescence that is clearly where the important people in charge live and work.

- They all agree to head to the Helix bar since Niniel's friends are expecting the Keepers.

- Gin is so excited to see Niniel they immediately hug and start gushing.

- Other patrons in the bar are not happy to see the surface dwellers in their city.

- Soliana attempt to make nice by asking the nearest table what they should see in the city while they are visiting. They just call her surface scum and leave the bar.

- They chat with Gin for a bit, and then head up to the storehouse. Soliana uses Silent Image to show Gin an example of the 

- Around the time they are entering the storehouse, Niniel gets a sense of pressure that she knows means the Kraken knows she's here in Revalora. 

- Soliana is fairly certain the city itself won't collapse and kill everyone if the Kraken (Sea Lord) dies, so that's the biggest worry off her checklist. Also, the city won't starve without supplies from the surface, and the people are really rude and xenophobic, so Soliana is also not worried about cutting them off there either.

- They head to the library and Niniel convinces the librarian to let them look at a book on the history of Revalora.   

- Somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 years ago the transformed triton people started showing up and the city grew to the point where the newcomers became the dominant population over the merfolk and sirens who founded the city, but the city did exist before that.

- From there, they thank the librarian who tries to convince them to let the Sea Lord "make them whole"

- Soliana makes her best excuses and they head to the apartment Gin and Niniel share. Poetry waits there while everyone else tries to head out of town to see if there is any sort of barrier. They swim for a long time, leave the city and swim far enough that the city is a glow in the distance. There does not seem to be any sort of barrier. 

- Once that is completed, Niniel drops everyone else off at her apartment and heads to the city government building and she talks with Theedin Nightcrown (former high elf transformed into a triton). He doesn't know what the Kraken's endgame is for Niniel, but the priests say that if he gains enough power he would be able to walk the lands with the same ease that he swims in the oceans.

- Niniel also asks him if she can get a small supply of the small beaks so that she can make more the anomalies, but he doesn't have access to that sort of thing.

- After that less than fruitful meeting, Niniel stops and gets her favorite sushi roll type snack and goes back to the temple to ask for the beaks, but the priest confirms that only the Kraken can make the totems.  

- She convinces the priest to give her a totem that has been blessed by the Sea Lord so that she can try to make another anomaly. It is contained in a clam shell, so it's not visible.

- From there they head back to the Helix to say their goodbyes to Gin and then Soliana uses the little stage space to draw a Teleportation Circle back to the Twilit Grove. 

 

- 3,000 XP ea for 68,700 XP total ea.