Brightwater Campaign/The Season 1 Story

The story so far for the Brightwater Campaign. Players, please feel free to fill this in. DM Kevin doesn't want to warp your perception of your story!

Session 0

Established boundaries, met our characters, and built Brendan Fraser!

Session 1

The town of Brightwater was introduced. The party visited the Brightbeer Saloon and got some mission details from Brendan Fraser and Barbara. They beat up on some local ne'er-do-wells known as the Redbrands in the saloon before stocking up at Bart's Provisions and Inn. The party also received a mysterious puzzle jar from Mr. Fraser which they were unable to open. Later, the party went down Ira's Bend in search of Rada's brother Ira and the mage Sildar. They reached an outpost where they killed a few Kreen and found signs of a struggle from over a week ago. Gene shared the first of his many wonderful ballads and ditties with the group before calling it a night.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Tina tried to barter for numerous items at Bart's before the party and external time constraints finally tore her away.
• It took exactly one hour for the players to have their first Brendan Fraser/Brendan mix-up in game. Perhaps longer than expected?
• Spiders walk on eight legs, not three.

Session 2

Talked to a tree, followed some tracks, found a note at a combination altar-archway-old campfire, kept following tracks. Saw something in the dust, dug into the side of a giant termite mound, threw a baddie into a pit and chucked rocks at them (technically a stoning?), entered an egg room, entered a not-quite-egg room.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Tina unlocked the jar of (salmon) lox. She also showed Gene how to do it.
• Tily can talk to plants.
• Gene, Tily, and Tina spent at least 15 mins walking all different types of ways through the old altar archway thinking it would unlock something.

Session 3

Stealthily passed a large monster, freed five humans (including Ira) and helped them escape, brought them and the body of Lewis back to Brightwater. Killed Kreen in a mess hall, returned some supplies to Bart, and made a giant centipede friend (named Fern). Returned to Brightwater, visited Bart and Brendan. Made a first impression and deal with Nezza, promised a show later that night, and followed warmachine-like tracks to ruins outside of town.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Gene introduced some of his lexicon to Tina -- "A-kerfuffle", "fuk-in-around", "Buffoonery", "Shenanigans", "chutz·pah." The list is ever growing and the point should be made that Gene has yet to define anyone these words to Tina. Gene just keeps using more words that Tina does not know to describe the words she did not know to begin with.
• Tily kicked a door down all bad-ass style.
• Players got a "Bronze Lamp" that can hold stuff if you rub the side of it while pointing it at an object. The DM has been made clear this is NOT a lamp of holding.
• Rada hit Ira.
• Gene ate a blue bug pill and immediately had to make a con save.
• When questioned by Nezza on wether or not the group had been successful in opening up the jar of lox, Gene and Tina partook in what would go down in history as the boldest of "bold face lies" in Brightwater.

The Tomb of Menet-Ka

This was a one-shot that occurred 4 years prior to the events of the Brightwater Campaign. No spoilers.

Session 4

Investigated a strange machine called Devil Tormentor, found a trapdoor into ruins, cleared out the hiding Redbrands and skeletons while pretending to be incompetent Trapper. Looted the rooms, took the cocooned and half-eaten body of Sheriff Ollie Barnett in a sarcophagus, saved Sildar, discussed his interrogation by Vern and a hooded figure who also had the teleportation sigil. Saw clouds in the sky above Brightwater spell "Return Sildar now, or else. -T" upon return.

Sildar Hallsummer translated the note in Kreen to say "Bring me the man with the pierced hat, the rest are yours." He also interpreted the teleportation sigil to say the following directions to Ta-Shedet:

Pylon start path / To city of sleeping

Ebullient waters not respite / Seek sunset

Upside-down tree / Follow way of Merit

Sky pierced and sand dances / Heed who speaks truthfully

Present contained sun-roller / And keen mind

Highly Important Happenings:

• The one time Tina forgot to check for traps, a trap goes off.
• Ira missed every attack except for the one that hit Gene.
• Rada still cannot hit anything with her quarterstaff.
• Tily passed out for a little bit.
• Gene turned into Trapper and convinced a Redbrand (that he stabbed!) it was just an accident.

Session 5

Parsed some of the instructions to Ta-Shedet, staged a play in the street, snuck into the sheriff's office, took his clothes, coins, and badge. Had a kickass performance at the Brightbeer Saloon. Entered the abandoned lighthouse and fought enchanted armor and a rug. Upstairs, found the receiving end of a teleportation circle as well as a used spell scroll for Dominate Monster and a spell extender. Also discovered a secret tunnel most likely connecting to the ruins south of town.

The party decided to rest and recover their strength before pursuing the Redbrands further, holing up in Gene's room with Sildar and Ira. They woke up to the hanging corpses of the mayor and Brendan Fraser with a handwritten note affixed: "You didn't listen. -T".

Highly Important Happenings:

• Rada stole all of the fake Sheriff's clothes for good measure. The sheriff also has another bronze lamp that is definitely a real lamp, this time.
• Tina has untapped potential as a playwright and choreographer, while Tily unsurprisingly can't act her way out of a paper bag.
• Is Barb ok!?!
• Choices have consequences, apparently.

Session 6

Gave a rousing speech to the community, shut down Lester, trapped the tunnel to the hideout, talked to Sister Gamila about a faerie circle, left four citizens in charge, fought Vern on the Devil Grinder. Killed Vern, who turned blue, found a secret door, met Khnum, an ibis-headed priest of Djeheuti (goddess of magic and wisdom), got a coded note that said "Areanka is Lolth," and discussed Ta-Shedet.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Tina defaced the teleportation sigil with phallic imagery (and also had some townsfolk smash up the floorboards for good measure).
• Gene agreed to take charge of Brightwater as its interim Mayor. Hopefully the election happens before he leaves for his extended ancient city vacation.

Session 7

Defeated Elliot Teneithra and his Redbrands and saved the town of Brightwater in a harrowing battle! Three Orbs of Calamity dropped through the floor, and the heroes discovered teleportation sigils for Merca, Bellovik, and Lyth My'Athar. They received control of the lighthouse, and held a touching funeral for Brendan Fraser. They received an offer from Nezza to raise Brendan from the dead in return for the jar. They heard about a jackal-creature gang around Rada's Wrap.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Held Brendan Fraser's funeral
• Killed that no good Elliot Turner
• Found out that Vern had a baby (Devil Grinder)
• Party almost died
• We appeased "Da-Booty" er I mean Djeheuti.
• Tilly got violent revenge on Brendan's murderer.
• The team met and fought the real Trapper, bear-trapped leg and all.
• Nobody found any Beholders, but they did find one of the Redbrand's stash of honey stored historically accurately in a bee-holder (Thanks Kevin)

Session 8

Made deals with the satyr Tumi at a faerie circle. Gene cleverly traded the song of his favorite things (any attempts result in donkey braying) to clear the waters and restore Barb and the local flora. Tily traded the color of her hair to learn from Tumi that their mother had escaped to the Feywild with Arielle and started a new band of raiders, the Gueros, of which Tumi was a member. Received a scrying vision from Khnum of Nezza, the Black Spider, in some sort of ship (she had told the party to meet her at the Low Lantern in Crooks' Creek). She said via sending stone "Turner and one Swike dead. We have calamity orbs. Still need scarab or alternative. Sague's child and friends -problematic. Be prepared to lift anchor." Bart was elected the new sheriff, while Manuel Hernandez was elected the new mayor. Spent six days of downtime building a wand of greater levitation, interpreting "the way of Merit," and gearing up to head into the Kharmaja on The Laughing Lady!

Highly Important Happenings:

• Tilly has different colored hair
• Nezza = No Good. Muy mal in fact.
• Tina was robbed of the election for sheriff
• The group hit the motherlode with selling Turner's Shield Staff for 700gp!
• The group bought a whole ton of stuff from Bart!
• After receiving the vision from Kanoom, worshiper of "da booty", he magically disappeared along with Gene's only flask of alcohol.
• Tina drank some purple water that restored her health, cured any curses, and sprouted flowers from her head. #WorthIt #ReverseCursePotion

Session 9

Tina accepted Bart's offer to be deputy of Brightwater. The party set sail into the Kharmaja. They found the pylon, where the teleportation sigil had been originally found carved on a wall by Brendan Fraser. Tina recognized that it had been defaced by Mercan tools, and they found some sand of disappearance hidden in the structure. Heading northwest, Gene's climate-controlled tiny hut became a smash hit with the crew and Rada suggested Ira focus on light. Rada saw a shooting star crash into the dunes, yet Voss was indifferent. The party investigated the glassy crater with a 9-foot diameter moon crystal, Tina received visions of Selune and a mysterious male figure, and they brought the crystal on deck and covered it. The next day, Tily talked with Fang on their quest to uncover any doppelgangers among the Laughing Lady's crew. The ship reached an oasis, where the party fought some water elementals and made the acquaintance of a serpopard (or slerpant). Tily talked to a tree by the oasis and uncovered an airtight entrance, Rada spied empty tents and 2 gravestones ("RIP Porkmorkdorkmorkdorkmorkpork" and "RIP Xelsei Rose"), and the group swam into tunnels below the oasis. They found a sarcophagus and removed the lid. A mummified corpse and a ghost floated out of the vessel.

Session 10

The horrific visage of the pharaoh ghost aged Tily 40 years (half-dryads still got it at 58), and the frightened party ran off. Gene scooped a handful of gems on the way out. Tina snatched an emerald from his stash before he tossed what he believed to be cursed gems back into the oasis. The boat, cloaked by Rada's sand-warping, let a tremor-sensing sandworm pass by in the distance. Tina spotted a silver lamp in the dunes, and upon rubbing it the party were special guests on Malachite Perjurer's DefunctGenie podcast. The party tried sparkling water and poppadoms, learned about genie-making experiments in Ta-Shedet, sussed out the Gene's father is on Pteris (not dead, not in Crooks' Creek, and not in Ta-Shedet). Gene won the game show portion, receiving a plastic mini of tarrasque summoning. Tina wanted to detour to find desert dolphins for her serpopard acquaintance, and some drama ensued. Ultimately, the party did not detour and reconciled differences after working together to deafen an approaching sandworm with a silenced arrow. Tily had a disturbing dream, where Nezza told her story about Ta-Shedet and Areanka. After Tily still refused to trust Nezza, the drow threatened the party and Tily's family. The next day, the Laughing Lady reached the Spirit Tree (aka "Reaching Towards the Skies"). They received some fruits (beneficial but with a cost), planted an instantaneous baobab nearby, and headed south. As the sun began to set, the spotted the obelisk on the horizon.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Wow... Tily AGED. Let the record show it was Gene who opened the tomb.
• Tina, without anyone else seeing, was able to grab a single emerald before Gene threw all the gems back into the water. It was later discovered by the part who chastised her for this, but was never forced to get rid of it. It remains in her safe keeping.
• We dodged Sandworm #1 by being a sneaky quiet ship.
• Tily had a bad dream.
• Tina and Rada clashed heads over dessert dolphins resulting into a bit of a spoiled brat meets scorpion tantrum on the ship.
• Sandworm #2 was defeated by Rada's quick thinking, Tina's marksmanship, Gene's encouragement, and Tily's

Session 11

The adventure picks up still on the Laughing Lady as the crew and party remain on the path to Ta-Shedet. The team is first encountered with an Obelisk with various images and messages. Gene was able to discern that there was abjuration magic on the obelisk just before Tina was going to touch it and try to comprehend the hieroglyphics using Sildar's hat. Instead, with the help of Rada, Tina and Rada drew the hieroglyphics in the sand. After much deliberation, and the ruse of the Anubis face being uncovered, the team decided to follow the face of the one and only "Da Booty" (a.k.a Djehuti).

Back on the sand again, a very homesick Gene exposes himself while his party is away in a cabin where he sing his original song "You'll be my Horse Cart". Unbeknownst Tily, who pops in at the end to give Gene a compliment on his wonderful music, Gene was for possibly the first time ever in his true form. Tina, while also with Tily outside the cabin, was not seen only heard sniffling from the beauty that is Gene's music. Meanwhile, Tily and Tina go back to the main deck where Tily is approached by Fang. After previous conversations, Fang gives Tily his bug notebook to give to Tina. Tily approaches Tina with the notebook to which Tina is fascinated by all the known and unknown critters Fang has been able to draw. Tina immediately begins to sync journals, making sure to add sticky notes into Fang's with entomology on whatever creatures she has encountered. She also notices that on the last few pages, Fang has drawn pictures of the party with small labels for names underneath. Seeing a opportunity for mischief, Tina labels "Party Pooper" under Rada's image.

As night draws near and Rada takes first watch, a giant bug creature 20ft tall begins to assault the Laughing Lady. Rada, Gene, and Voss do their best to alert the sleeping ship and party while fending off this giant monstrosity. After much effort from the group and many missed shots by Tina, Tily was able to smash the pinchers of the creature off the ship as it fell to the sandy floor below. Tina then casted web to entrap it while the crew fired the fatal blows from cannons. The creature was no more. Tina and Tily went down to inspect the body and salvage whatever could be taken. In the end, they got enough exoskeleton for a regular shield and a new hat for Tily. Tina spent the next 2hrs crafting a hat while Tily explained what "melee" combat was.

That evening, while Gene stays up on deck to keep Tiny Hut up for Voss, he is awoken by what appeared to be our dear and departed friend, Brendan Fraser. Soon the figure changed form into Voss, then back into Ollie Barnet, and then once more into a new form that claimed to be Gene's father. It was soon learned that Voss this whole time was Gene's doppelganger father. After an exchange of passionate words, and a warning for the party, Gene's father hopped of the stern of the ship, along with the only known spyglass. Before departing, however, Gene's father did seem to come to a point of realization that his son is not like his father, and that Gene was of sound mind with determination to see the party's quest fulfilled. Gene's father departed with a warning "Nezza's eyes are red." That same night, Tily inquires after Ira to Rada. Tily also asks if Ira would be in a position to look into Tily's father, being that Nezza threatened their lives in a dream. Rada later tried to contact Ira who was drunk as a skunk in Brightbeer Saloon. Ira responded with what would be known as a drunk butt text. The message perplexed Rada greatly.

The next day, after more surfing of the sand, far off in the distance a giant wall of sand was approaching the ship. With only seconds to think, Gene put up a Tiny hut for the party while the remaining crew of the Laughing Lady found refuge below deck. Tina put on Sildar's hat while Gene took a bite of the blue fruit, giving him the ability to communicate telepathically. Tina was able to identify that the incoming creature was a Sphinx (currently without name). The Sphinx aburptly stopped only feet from the ship as it questioned the party's business in this part of Pteris. After showing the Sphinx the jewel encrusted scarab, the Sphinx erupted a major sand storm transporting the party to the "Sphinx's domain", leaving the Laughing Lady and her crew behind.

While in the Sphinx's domain, stars filled the sky above them while gold flooring stood beneath their feet. The Sphinx told the group only those worthy may access the secrets of Ta-Shedet and that they most prove themselves in their domain first before continuing on in their quest. The Sphinx informed the group there are many ways to travel, the first of being that of stepping stones backwards, while two horseless chariots stand forwards. The group chose forwards and were presented with a riddle:

Three lives have I,

Gentle enough to sooth the skin,

Light enough to caress the sky,

Hard enough to crack rocks.

[Water - Tily]

With the correct answer supplied, two bronze horses materialized to pull the chariots. The party named them Jeff and Connor, naturally. They then inquired after the Sphinx and what name it goes by. They were saddend to learn that the Sphinx was not fortunate enough to be given one. The party then bestowed the most proper of names to the Sphinx: Sandrew (Sandy for short) Dustin the Sphinx. The pulled chariots then took the party to a fork in the golden road, one leading right to an impassable wall, left to a large gap in the road. The party first thought to attempt the wall, however unable of the answer to the riddle, the party turned back and tried the riddle for the gap:

An iron horse with flaxen tail.

The farther the horse runs,

the shorter his tail becomes.

What is it?

[Needle and thread - Gene]

After giving the correct answer, Jeff and Connor sprouted beautiful golden wings and flew the team over the giant gap. The last stop they were taken was atop a pyramid where they were given one last riddle:

I can be cracked, I can be made.

I can be told, I can be played.

What am I?

[Joke -Tina & Tily]

With the final riddle solved them team was transported back to the dunes of Pteris. A solar eclipse caused the sands to part in a similar fashion to Merca's great openings, revealing a hard floor with 4 staircases leading downwards. The Laughing Lady could be seen off in the distance. Each staircase had a pillar similar to the four faces found on the obelisk. After agreeing they should continue to follow "Da Booty" (Ibis statue), the players truly have made it to Ta-Shedet. But what secrets lie below? Will they prevent Nezza and her evil plot? Will Tina EVER GET THE SERPOPARD? Only time will tell.

Highly Important Happenings:

• Voss = Gene's Father = Team Nezza. They promptly left the Laughing Lady with the ONLY spyglass.
• Nezza wants complete Lolth's ancient plan, bringing the cocooned population of Ta-Shedet into the Underdark using the orbs of calamity. There, Lolth can finally devour her meal. Essentially, Nezza works for evil Grub Hub.
• Tina made Tily a top notch hat out of the carcass of a slain bug. The hard exoskeleton creates a great helm to conceal the cranium while the altered pincher form the slain bug was attached to the back, giving Tily a turning radius for quick turns in close combat situations. This is indeed an upgrade from the rushed Kreen made cap from their earlier adventures.
• The party spent 20 minutes solving the obelisk puzzle (despite James' claims that it would be easy).
• Ira sent a drunken butt dial to Rada on the walkie talkie.
• Gene let down his guard and played "You are my Horse Cart" in a lower cabin, while Tily and Tina eavsdropped from the other side.
• Fang has a really lovely bug journal which Tina made sure to label under Rada's picture "Party Pooper"
• A Sphinx (later to be named by the party Sandrew Dustin) appeared at the very edge of Tasha debt and tested the party.
• In Sandrew's test, the team answered several riddles and got to ride two bronze horses with wings (named Jeff and Connor)
• oh yeah, we made it to Ta-Shedet.

Session 12

In the Atheneum of Djeheuti, the party uncovered a dangerous, ancient ritual to create a genie by bonding a soul to a portion of the elemental chaos. There was a failed attempt to use a soul coin, a black cowboy hat, and the watery chaos that ended in the destruction of that soul. They befriended and named the flying carpet Aladdin, and then beheaded the minotaur in the labyrinthine Narthex of the Moon (no hashish for it). They used reflective shields to activate a brilliantly white portal, but did not pass through. Tily talked with an unsettling necromantic plant titled "Drinker of Lifewater." The gang purchased the Ven Ship, an elixir of Corellon, and the Hunger of Anubis at the temple bazaar. Tina felt chills whenever the party mentioned "Menet-Ka," and some of the party scolded her about an emerald from the tomb she may or may not have. Rada earned the nickname "Rada the Reckless." They entered Garl's Stroll, activating a complex series of traps.

Session 13

• Garl's Stroll traps, 1148gp and Eye of Garl Tattoo
• Tina still has the dang cursed emerald?!
• Areanka's Chambers. Ballooning spiders, letter to Merit, transmutation vials, the secret court-to-dinner table pipeline
• Trial of Anubis. Blood, scales, the Lurker swallowing Rada, the Breath of Anubis on Gene
• Narthex of the Moon Portal to....the Moon?

Session 14

• The Moon, Corellon and Selune, boons, a bow, a "long" rest
• I dream of Brendan Fraser the sand genie
• Anubis' trap - mummies, a little brain surgery, an illusionary scroll of true resurrection
• Ta-Shedet proper
  • Rada - clairvoyance shadow-stepping, running across rooftops to save Gene, awakening Queen Meritamen
  • Gene - commanding the other Swike to "plummet," downed by 3 drider bites, a clutch dissonant whispers
  • Brendan Fraser - helping where he could with mold earth, stone skin, wall of sand
  • Tina - using all her magic arrows and magic bow to deal massive damage (2 crits on bursting shots), finished Nezza (if I remember correctly?)
  • Tily - the doppelganger Sague, the finishing blow on the aspect of Lolth travelling towards the palace
• where we left off
  • Nezza, aspect of Lolth, spiders, other Swike defeated
  • Meritamen and Rada in palace (wall of sand protection)
  • Gene's father miserably failing to hide

Session 15

• Queen Meritamen, Ta-Shedet awakening, wishing for a river
• Ira and Rada, Sague and Tily, Doris and Gene reunited
• Tina bringing giant moon crystal to Merca
• the trial of Gene's father
• offerings, tattoos, and singing at the Great Opening

Turmoil at Granny Turpentine's

This was a one-shot using the Deadlands system, taking place ~40 years after the events of the Brightwater campaign. In person, PA. Antelope Allen, Terri, Annie, Mrs Strax, Sir Jonathan Quinn. Granny Turpentine's, Walker General Store (John Walker, Jimbo), Cow Tipping Dance Hall (Jebediah, Nitro), Graveyard (mysterious ghost woman in black), Hunting Grounds (cow altar possession, saving the day, altar markings of 4 figures, grabbing the infernal lasso).