Session 2 Summary
1. Session Overview
Prose Summary:
Nothing says "heroic escape" quite like fleeing a burning city on a ship crewed by cannibals who consider you an all-you-can-eat buffet. The Fellowship, in their infinite wisdom, trades one hopeless situation for another aboard the Everlast, where the gray-clad sailors smile a bit too warmly and the captain disappears for five days after performing impossible feats of maritime engineering.
Destination: a northern outpost that probably doesn't exist, carrying an old man with a song he can't finish and a dwarf hauling enough paperwork to supply a small bureaucracy. Naturally, their "safe haven" turns out to be an orc settlement in the throes of an existential crisis—because apparently, when the world's ending, the logical response is to argue about the metaphysics of reincarnation rather than, say, doing something about it.
The Memory Circle, those paragons of orcish wisdom, have decided that eternal rebirth is overrated and preservation of current corpses is the height of theological innovation. Meanwhile, evidence mounts that some enterprising dwarves have been moonlighting as consultants for the Entropy Shepherd, proving once again that even in apocalyptic times, there's always someone willing to sell out their own for the right price.
The Fellowship finds itself aboard the Everlast, a vessel crewed by mysterious gray-clad sailors with an appetite for more than just the sea air. Having barely escaped the burning wreckage of the City of Bells with Master Carillon and his precious unwritten song, our heroes sail toward an uncertain sanctuary while the Entropy Shepherd's influence spreads like frost across the land. What should have been a simple delivery mission to a northern outpost becomes a journey into the heart of orcish politics, where ancient beliefs about reincarnation clash with apocalyptic desperation. The Fellowship discovers that even among allies, trust is a luxury they can ill afford.
Detailed Lists
Characters/Entities Mentioned:
- Master Carillon (The Bellmaster)
- Captain Allen of the Everlast
- Gray-clad sailors/Gray Men
- Tommy (blacksmith apprentice)
- Old Man Rivers (crotchety blacksmith)
- The Ash Dancer
- Gil (young orc tribal leader of Kovat)
- The Memory Circle (8 orc elders in dark green robes)
- Grox and Tiny (Kurg's companions)
- Various Kovat tribe members
- The Stillness Choir members
- Multiple Void Titans
- Fire Giants
- Unknown orc leader from plains encampment
Items:
- The Unwritten Song (scroll with embedded mystical power)
- Master tuning forks (stolen from original dwarven forge masters)
- 5,000 sheets of bell construction documents
- Dynamite barrels
- Textile armor/hats (Kovat specialty)
- Dwarven tobacco pipe
Locations:
- The Everlast (gray men's ship)
- Gray Men stronghold (northwestern coast)
- Northern river delta outpost
- Kovat settlement (nomadic orc encampment with wooden fort)
- Khaz-Dorahn - Dwarven city with Eternal Hearth (eastern mountains)
- The Dust Bowl
- Various rivers and mountain passes
- Ancient vault/library in former City of Bells
Encounters:
- Journey aboard the Everlast with suspicious crew
- Sandbar obstacle requiring mystical ship-lifting
- Bell-making instruction and practice sessions
- Confrontation with Memory Circle philosophy
- Tense tribal politics and veiled threats
- Document analysis revealing missing bell components
2. Narrative Progression
Plot Development:
Key Events:
- Fellowship establishes destination as northern outpost per original orders
- Extended sea voyage with revelations about crew's cannibalistic rituals
- Arrival at Kovat settlement and warm initial reception
- Discovery of heretical Memory Circle philosophy about ending reincarnation
- Growing tension as tribal leadership becomes hostile to Fellowship's mission
- Unresolved cliffhanger: Fellowship dismissed but uncertain of tribal support
Quests Began:
- Bell Reconstruction Project: Initiated by discovery of master tuning forks and construction documents, goal is to forge new bells capable of defending against Entropy Shepherd's sonic attacks
- Investigation of Dwarven Collaboration: Ale-ore discovers evidence that dwarves assisted the Entropy Shepherd in neutralizing the City of Bells' defenses
Quests Continued:
- Safe Passage Mission: Originally tasked with delivering Master Carillon to northern outpost, now complicated by tribal politics and philosophical conflicts
- Understanding the Unwritten Song: Ongoing effort to unlock the mystical power contained within Carillon's scroll
Information, Lore, Secrets, Hints:
- "The reincarnation cycle is almost over" - Memory Circle elder's ominous declaration suggesting apocalyptic beliefs have taken root among orcs
- Captain's lustful gaze toward homeland - Gray Men captain spoke a name in their native tongue with longing, hinting at darker purposes for their destination
- "We just keep the vessels forever" - Memory Circle's plan to prevent souls from moving to next cycle by preserving current bodies indefinitely
- Dwarven documents reveal missing component - Bell construction requires unknown element for supernatural properties
- Entropy Shepherd had inside help - Analysis suggests dwarven collaboration was necessary for the City of Bells attack
- "He has guaranteed us he will not leave us alone" - Gil's revelation that the tribe has made some arrangement with the Entropy Shepherd
3. Player and NPC Interactions
Player Characters:
Mortimer Montgomery (The Squire):
- Actions and Development: Showed diplomatic initiative by attempting to negotiate with cannibalistic ship captain, later advocated for keeping promises to city council, began intensive bell-making training under Master Carillon's demanding tutelage
- Important Inventory & Equipment: Continues carrying dynamite barrels as ongoing joke/bond with Ale-ore
- Companions: Maintains close relationship with Tiny, serving as information conduit between Kurg and the Fellowship
Kurg "Breaktooth" Randalar (The Orc):
- Actions and Development: Discovered disturbing shift in tribal religious beliefs, navigated complex political situation with characteristic focus on profit opportunities, ultimately negotiated neutral stance from tribal leadership
- Important Inventory & Equipment: Revealed possession of master tuning forks stolen from dwarven forge masters, crucial for bell reconstruction
- Companions: Grox and Tiny serve as intermediaries and preparation for potential quick escape
- Their People's Lore: Extensive development of orcish reincarnation beliefs and Memory Circle traditions, revelation of cultural crisis regarding end-times philosophy
Nyx (The Harbinger):
- Actions and Development: Connected Fellowship with gray-clad sailors from his past, suffered mystical damage while investigating the unwritten song, displayed commanding presence when confronting tribal hostility
- Important Inventory & Equipment: Tasked Ale-ore with retrieving specific plant seeds (unclear if accomplished)
- Companions: Gray Men sailors serve as transportation and potential allies
- Their People's Lore: Confirmed existence of others who defected from Entropy Shepherd's service
Ale-ore Bridge (The Dwarf):
- Actions and Development: Retrieved massive collection of bell construction documents, conducted detailed analysis revealing missing components and evidence of dwarven collaboration with the enemy
- Important Inventory & Equipment: 5,000 sheets of technical documentation, dwarven tobacco pipe for contemplative moments
- Companions: No new companion interactions
- Their People's Lore: Discovery of dwarven involvement in City of Bells attack creates personal crisis of trust within his own people
NPCs and Entities:
Interaction Summary:
- Master Carillon: Revealed as demanding but caring teacher, possesses crucial knowledge but faces limitations in completing his work
- Captain Allen: Gruff sea captain with uncomfortable secrets about crew's dietary habits and mysterious homeland connections
- Gil: Young tribal leader caught between traditional beliefs and survival pragmatism, ultimately negotiated neutral stance
- Memory Circle Elder: Represents fundamental shift in orcish philosophy from reincarnation to permanent preservation
List of Minor/Mentioned NPCs:
- Tommy: Blacksmith apprentice left behind at castle, weighs on Mortimer's conscience
- Old Man Rivers: Crotchety blacksmith presumably safe at castle
- Gray Men sailors: Crew of the Everlast, practice ritualistic cannibalism, possess mystical ship-moving abilities
- Kovat tribal members: Mix of supporters and fearful individuals living on settlement outskirts
- City of Bells officials: Outpost representatives who knew Fellowship was coming but lack detailed information
List of Factions Mentioned:
- Gray Men: Sea-faring people with cannibalistic traditions, formerly allied with Entropy Shepherd but now opposed, maintain stronghold in northwest, possess mystical abilities
- Kovat Tribe: Nomadic orcs specializing in textile armor, currently influenced by Memory Circle philosophy, negotiated neutrality with Entropy Shepherd
- Memory Circle: Religious order of 8 orc elders promoting heretical end-times beliefs, training disciples across multiple tribes
- The Stillness Choir: Entropy Shepherd's forces capable of freezing people in amber, responsible for neutralizing City of Bells defenses
4. World Dynamics & Campaign Setting
World Changes:
- Orcish society experiencing fundamental religious upheaval as reincarnation beliefs shift toward preservation philosophy
- Tribal networks spreading new end-times ideology through Memory Circle influence
- Northern territories showing mixed responses to Entropy Shepherd's advancing influence
Faction Movements:
- Memory Circle actively recruiting and training disciples across orc tribes
- The Entropy Shepherd negotiating alliances rather than relying solely on conquest
- Gray Men returning to homeland after assisting Fellowship escape
Location Descriptions:
- Kovat Settlement: Large nomadic encampment with impressive fabric tents and wooden fort structures, specializing in textile armor production, currently hosting Memory Circle training
- Khaz-Dorahn: Major dwarven city in the eastern mountains housing the Eternal Hearth forge, currently threatened by approaching army (seen in vision)
History & Lore About the World:
- Dwarven bells were gifted to City of Bells as protective devices
- Orcish reincarnation cycle traditionally viewed as eternal, now feared to be ending
- Bell neutralization requires specific sonic techniques, followed by physical destruction
- Entropy Shepherd's influence extends through negotiation and ideological conversion, not just military conquest
The Overlord
Generals:
- The Ash Dancer: Physically destroyed bells after The Stillness Choir neutralized them, appeared as massive threat capable of toppling bell towers
Army:
- Void Titans: Multiple entities serving as guards
- Fire Giants: Accompanied Entropy Shepherd to plains meeting with orc leaders
- The Stillness Choir: Specialists in sonic/freezing attacks, responsible for amber crystallization of civilians
Plans and Actions:
- Negotiated alliance or non-aggression pact with at least one orc tribe (Kovat)
- Systematic approach to bell neutralization suggests broader strategy for removing magical defenses
- Expanding influence through ideological conversion rather than pure conquest
Lore:
- Originally from northern regions according to rumors
- Possesses knowledge of bell construction that required dwarven collaboration to obtain
- Represents entropy/silence in opposition to creativity/sound represented by the bells
- Influence causes philosophical crises in established belief systems (orcish reincarnation, dwarven craftsmanship traditions)