This page is the campaign synopsis as told by the DMs, to read a more detailed, fun, and lengthy synopsis of the campaign, see Within the Wicked Wilds/Player Recaps
Chapter 1
Session 1a: Kickoff Megagame - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bog
Session Tags: Warden of the Wilds, Oblex
Characters: Tassa (First Session), Wiggler (First Session), Kamakuras (First Session), Cinder Ashtalon (First Session), Joylee (First Session)
DM: Dave (4/29/2023)
Important NPCs: Warden of the Wilds
XP Gained: 4300 (990 at Level 3, 861 at Level 4, 732 at Level 5)
Important Things that Happened:
- Players left base camp and set out into a swampy region west of the base camp. No known threats were identified so it was assumed that this excursion would most likely result in an uneventful stroll through the area.
- Adrian Tempest led the group into the swamp.
- The travel was uneventful until they saw a large 15' tall figure standing in an open swamp area.
- As three of the party approached to investigate, two were attacked by large green tentacle-like creatures. The whole group engaged and began fighting the "tentacles" back. A third "tentacle" appeared as one of the first two was cut away. As the second "tentacle" was cut down a massive "head" like structure appeared and engaged the party.
- It was about this time that a cloaked figure was seen observing the party while perched on top of a toppled tree 30 feet above the swamp.
- The figure did nothing but observe as the group fought bitterly to gain the upper hand against the creature(s).
- When victory was had and the battle finished, the group looked over to see the figure now standing on the far shore of the swamp. The figure raised their hands and magical fire ignited, lighting a path out and away from the swamp. The figure then disappeared.
- Three of the group followed the lights while three stayed behind to rest and recover from the fight.
- The lights led to a small round stone cottage that looked as though it had been around for decades. It was simple, sturdy and serviceable. Light and smoke from a fire escaped from the chimney and the windows. The first group approached and knocked. They were invited in to find the individual sitting, still hooded, in front of the lit fire.
- After pleasantries were shared the individual introduced themselves as a Warden of the Wilds. They were blessed of a nature deity that had tasked them with caring for the natural order of things in this wild place. The Warden had forsaken a life among the mortal races and embraced the task given to them by their god.
- Soon enough the other three of the party made their way to the cottage. The Warden then informed the group that what they had encountered was an Oblex. These creatures are ooze like but have a special affinity of feeding on creatures memories and, if given enough time, can consume enough of a creatures memories to develop a sort of mimic of that creature. The Oblex the group defeated was one that the Warden had been battling for some time. The first sightings of Oblex in the Wardens space was some 20 years prior.
- After discussion, the group took their leave of the Warden but asked how they could contact them if need be. Though the Warden did not have an answer they said they would give it some thought. Some days later, individually wrapped gifts arrived at base camp for the group the Warden met.
Session 1b: Kickoff Megagame - Ruins of Maddening Dreams
Session Tags: The Green Knight, Perseus Company, Gnolls
Characters: Lysvan (First Session), Obsidian (First Session), Amaris Luanach (First Session), Chrysaor Purosis (First Session), Deralickt Dadwarf (First Session)
DM: Keller (4/29/2023)
Important NPCs: Lucinda Grimfold, Lyowyn Mossbringer, Cookie, The Green Knight, Bulio
XP Gained: 4015 (803 at Level 4, 923 at Level 3)
Important Things that Happened:
- The players depart with fellow Tempest Brother Expeditionary employees to visit the basecamp of another expeditionary group, Perseus Company.
- The players soon discover a destroyed Perseus Company watchtower and deduce that the site was attack by Gnolls. They also discover a body in the tower seller full of mysterious black feathers which suddenly bursts into flames.
- When camping for the night the players on watch encounter some strange occurrences, such as the trees around them appearing to move, and strange entities watching them from beyond the tree line.
- The players arrive at the Perseus Basecamp to find it had been raided by Gnolls the day before. They discover that the camp was plagued with madness and find some of the bodies deceased due to strange unnatural causes.
- The players encounter Bulio who had concealed his cart and shop, "Bulio's Bobbles and Boons," under a large tarp. In exchange for informing Bulio of the location of the Tempest Brother's basecamp, he gifts the players with some magic items before taking his leave.
- Investigating the camp center inside a large temple, they discover survivors being held at the mercy of a band of Gnolls, all being overseen by a strange Green Knight
- The players defeat the Gnolls while the Green Knight is able to escape. The players also come into possession of the Zephyr Blade, the strange and magical weapon of Perseus Camp's now deceased leader
Session 1c: Kickoff Megagame - Spiders and Ichor and Ruins....oh my!
Session Tags: Paul Fletcher, Lolth, Spiders
Characters: Reedy (First Session), Therrin Flare (First Session), Sabbaticle (First Session), Paris Hilton (First Session), Sir Yewvane Eedryll (First Session)
DM: Julia (4/29/2023)
Important NPCs: Paul Fletcher
XP Gained: 4250 (Lvl 3- 978, Lvl 4- 850, Lvl 5- 723)
Important Things that Happened:
- Paul greets all the adventurers who arrived at basecamp, and acquires the team assigned to him to clear out the southern area of the wilds near camp and to explore some proposed ruins that were claimed to be there.
- Once there, they began clearing out the rooms. The first room was fairly empty, aside from a handful of normal wolf spiders. The second room was the main chamber of the temple, with a large statue of Lolth. The statue was dusty and run down, save for her outstretched palm, which was distinctly un-dusty. Paul informs them that typically sculptures like this has a gem or tribute in her hand.
- The hallways leading off of this room was covered in webs and a dark ichor. Magical sentinel goopey spider legs manifested from the ichor and hit the players if they ran past. After fighting through, they arrive to a small room, still with the ichor, and a large nest. The party then fought the patriarch spider that resided there, the Haunter of the Night.
- After disposing of the spider, the party cut open the nest to find various dead bodies of adventurers past. The party also found a large deep red gem, which Paul took back and placed in the hand of Lolth, which causes a secret door to open, revealing a steep staircase going down. When the gem is removed, the door closes. The party took the gem, and left the temple otherwise alone.
Session 1d: Kickoff Megagame -
Session Tags:
Characters:
DM: Aaron (4/29/2023)
Important NPCs:
XP Gained:
Important Things that Happened: [TBD]
Session 2: Curious Company
Session Tags: The Collector, Jack of Hearts
Characters: Black Jack (First Session), Nester Spitemore (First Session), Kompi (First Session), Dragonett (First Session), Marion Ette (First Session), Juno (First Session), Dothand Raki (First Session),
DM: Keller (5/1/2023)
Important NPCs: Cookie, Velemar Decrye, The Collector, Jack of Hearts
XP Gained: 5040 (911 at Level 3, 792 at Level 4, 673 at Level 5)
Important Things that Happened:
- The Tempest Brother's Expeditionary Company is contacted by a powerful and mysterious aristocrat by the name of the Collector to recover a specific tome for him out in the wilds, a First Edition copy of A Cosmos Compendium: An Academic's Guide to Quelmar Starcharting. He meets with the players and provides them with a map and a key to the cavern where it is held.
- The players depart into the jungle and continue their trek into the night, where they spot a small campfire in the distance. While some players remaining in hiding, the rest of the party meet the charismatic Jack of Hearts and his band of adventurers. Jack of Hearts' crew included the individuals going by the names of Malakar, Theta, Yellana Eedryll, Titan, Tini, and Wren, along with two of the Pentulven Brothers.
- After the players leave, they discover that some of them were dosed with a sleeping poison and that Jack of Hearts had stolen the map and the key. Rushing to the cavern where the book is said to be, the player's find that Jack of Hearts and his team had already completed most of the dungeon themselves.
- The party pursues the thieves to the final room where the book is held and engage them in combat, only for the tome's guardian, a massive blue Behir by the name of Grimlight, to attack. The beast entered combat by consuming one of the Penulven Brothers and casting Greater Invisibility on themselves.
- The players came to a soft truce with Jack of Hearts and his team to defeat the Behir, and eventually came to the deal that the players could take the book as long as Jack of Hearts got to keep the treasure from the cave.
- On their way back to camp the player's discovered that the book had strange vertigo indusing effects before handing it over to the Collector. Before he left the Collector revealed that he had also been responsible for hiring Jack of Hearts to retrive the book.
Session 3: All That Glitters...
Session Tags: Dinosaurs, Magic, Arc
Characters: Helli, Sabbatical, Marion, Hermes, Neru, p'Rahp
DM: Julia (5/10/23)
Important NPCs: Arc
XP Gained: 4,370 (lvl 3- 838, lvl 4- 728, lvl 5- 619)
Important Things that Happened:
- Arc summoned several of the hired adventurers to discuss their current mission. They previously sent three teams of their personal research assistants also employed by the Tempest Brothers over the last few weeks. They have not returned, thus they're now sending more capable adventurers.
- Their research showed that the base came and surrounding areas are on a prominent area of a layline. The local wildlife and animals can be affected by it. Arc wanted to note the effects that this could have.
- The party started exploring the jungle, looking for any sign of the teams, or anything that may be useful to Arc's research. Eventually the party splits in two, with Sabbatical, Helli, and p'Rahp started looking for bodies in the general area, while Hermes, Neru, and Marion investigated a clearing up ahead.
- The group looking for (non) survivors found several bodies, some of which had interesting damage marks on them, such as branching fractal patterns and burn marks. they looted the bodies for money, notebooks, and took the partial plate armor off of one of them.
- The other group entered a clearing with quartz crystalline gravel. In the middle of the clearing was a strange glowing tree, with unknown flowers and fruit. The group decided to harvest some of the flowers and fruit. Marion decided to saw off a branch of the tree, causing the glowing to pulsate.
- The pulsing summoned an arcane dinosaur who could shoot poison quills. The other half of the party came back and decided to fight. As the fighting went on, another arcane creature appeared, this one being able to summon and call lightning. Once they killed the poison dinosaur, a flying fire engulfed one came to the fight, and started attacking both the party and the remaining lightning dinosaur.
- Hermes decided to run back to camp. Eventually, the party fled away from the clearing, waited for the fire dinosaur to fly away, and then went back to the clearing to harvest the dinosaur parts. they took a short rest before making it back to camp.
Session 4:
Session Tags:
Characters:
DM: Julia (5/20/23)
Important NPCs: Adeline Hatchic
XP Gained:
Important Things that Happened:
Session 5: Slim Pickins'
Session Tags:
Characters: Chrysaor, Nassir Tycho, Obsidian,Felix Francis Fitzgerald, Amaris Luanach, Lowkey
DM: Keller (5/21/23)
Important NPCs: Adeline Hatchic
XP Gained: 4,000 (lvl 3- 767, lvl 4- 667, lvl 5- 567)
Important Things that Happened:
- The players are called together by the Head of Mechanics at the Tempest Brothers Expeditionary Company, Adeline Hatchic, to interview potential applicants to serve as the crew of The Red Macaw, one of the company's two main airships. In return for vouchers at Nettle's Soup Stand, the players would have to interview all potential applicants for each position, and decide on a Captain, First Mate, Engineer, navigator, and a Cook for the ship.
- As the player's met with the applicants at a location outside the basecamp, they were met with an array of colorful, quirky, and strange individuals all interested in working for the company. This included such strange individuals as a blind ship captain with two eyepatches, two hook hands, and two peg legs, a Nothic who carried with them a bag of magical trinkets, a snooty and angry world class chef, and a blue octopus king who had a immense hatred of any creatures wearing pants...
- After long interviews and much deliberation, the players decided on a crew.
- For the cook they hired Bob, a large and clumsy Ogre chef with a heart of gold.
- For the navigator they hired Bink, a curious and bright Kenku whose only limitation was the fact that she could only speak by mimicking words and voices she had recently heard.
- For the engineer they hired David who was a down on his luck depressed and divorced dad who had lost his job in Galik and had his home repossessed.
- For the First mate they hired Tiki-Ti, a strange telepathic Thri-Kreen who was was kind and understanding, with both great experience as a leader and warrior.
- For the captain, they hired none other then Hawthorne Voss, famed high seas captain and experienced airship piolet with a charismatic demeanor and a face that made even married women swoon. Hawthorne was then murdered by his former first mate who had also applied to be captain, and who was also promptly murdered. The players promoted Tiki-Ti to ship captain and hired Polly the Seagull Aarakocra with an unnatural obsession with food to first mate.
- In general hires they also hired Klerica, a young an naïve recent college graduate dragonborn, Rome Holiday, the heir to a large tavern empire, and Snoot, a Kobold with a gun.
