Ghosts of the Past
| "Ghosts of the Past" | |||
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| Campaign 1 session | |||
| Session no. | Session 2 | ||
| System | D&D 5th Edition | ||
| Session date | January 2, 2021 | ||
| Timeline | |||
| Start date | March 24, 353 WSK | ||
| End date | March 27, 353 WSK | ||
| Starring | |||
| Bean – D'Bonk GuardianAngel – Fueryon Nixup – Versa and Bunnies as the Dungeon Master | |||
| Narrative chronology | |||
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| Session order | |||
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| List of Campaign 1 sessions | |||
"Ghosts of the Past" (1x02) is the 2nd session of the first campaign of Itora.
After a bit of shopping, the party assist a woman who had a noise complaint the guards ignored. They find out their basement is haunted by a figure from the woman’s past, seeking final closure.
Synopsis
The group return to Daith, delivering Sela's Letter to Captain Morris for a reward of 15gp each and the potential for more work.
Versa, determined to sell the rusted rapier she found, travels to a number of shops to find a sucker. The Gilded Forge, a blacksmith, doesn't seem likely to purchase it. At The Laughing Snake, she disguises herself as an older woman, dressed finely as historian/archaeologist. Unfortunately, the shopkeeper is not convinced of the rapier's value. The other two party members enter the shop, but Versa leaves in a huff, dragging them out. She finally finds her mark at Gleaming Amulets, where under the guise Marina, she convinces the shopkeeper to purchase it as an ancient artifact worth a whopping 25gp.
The next day, Fueryon orders a Banjo from Symphony of Kings, a music shop. The party take another day to recuperate.
Living with Ghosts
The next morning, the party decide to check out the market square. On their approach, they notice a cloaked figure running towards them, away from a woman yelling that he is a thief. A member of the party manages to trip up the supposed thief, who drops the bag, and attempts to run away before being apprehended by two city guards. The woman approaches the group, introducing herself as Lady Ronala Elmira. She thanks the party for their efforts, pointedly commenting within their earshot that it was a job guards should have done. Noting that the group was capable enough to stop the thief, she asks if they could consider doing her a favor. She explains that, for a number of days, she had been hearing noises outside her home - noises that the guards investigated and found nothing of concern. With promises of a handsome reward, the party agrees to swing by later in the day.
At the Elmira Estate, Ronala explains the situation in further detail. The noises only appear during the night, specifically on the back side of the house, beneath her window. The party scout the backyard, which consists of a small pond with a bench, a large tree, a tool shed, and many raised gardens. Adjacent to the house, they find a trapdoor whose locking mechanism showed signs of amateur tampering. With this information, the party wait until nightfall and decide to hide in preparation for the disturbance. Fueryon climbs a tree, Versa hides at the bottom of the trapdoor ladder, and D'Bonk nestles amongst the bushes.
After a short wait, they hear something approaching around the corner, as a halfling child appears, heading cautiously towards the trapdoor. Versa notices their approach, and waits at the bottom of the ladder to grab them. Falling helplessly into the tiefling's embrace, the child is mildly startled but not met with threats. Upon questioning, they explain that they were testing out a new device they made meant to detect certain types of creatures. It had pinged in this area multiple times but they were, thus far, unable to figure out whether it was a fluke or if it worked.
The party regroup in the basement to assist the child, who introduces themselves as Einhard, in their equipment test. The basement is quite unused; all the tables, chairs, cabinets, and boxes appear caked in layers of dust. Versa investigates a locked closet which appears empty, but as she turns to leave, she is met with an ethereal face peeking out of the wall that screams at her and disappears. It soon reappears atop the table, locked in place with spectral chains. The party begin to attack the ghost as it attempts to break free of its chains, attacking back at anyone foolish enough to get close. It breaks free, letting out a mighty roar and transforming its visage from a man to a tiger-headed man. A chaotic battle ensues as the ghost whips a cyclone of loose objects to buffet the players and attempts multiple possessions. Versa is knocked out in the process and Fueryon steps in to protect her unconscious body. The group finally subdues the ghost, who remains present yet non-hostile.
Ronala rushes down the steps to investigate the ruckus. The group begins to explain, but before they finish, she realizes that she knows the identity of the ghost. After calling out his name, Simon, the ghost regains his focus, transforming back out of his tiger form. Ronala explains their shared history, how she saved his life in his hour of need, only to lose him to the clutches of Paladins of the Order of the Voiceless Lark, an order of bigoted religious zealots. She never saw him again, and was never able to find out his fate. He explains that he was imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately killed. Ronala, in tears, informs him that she dedicated the rest of her life to driving the Order out of the kingdom, and was ultimately successful. Feeling satisfied that his unfinished business was fulfilled, the two exchange final farewells as his ethereal form fades.
Regrouping upstairs, Ronala offers a choice of rewards, of which the group choose the Burglar's Buoy Armor, a Mystic Mouse, and 15gp each. In addition, Versa requests that, if possible, Ronala take in Einhard to give them a place to live and a means to continue their tinkering. She accepts the request, noting that the remainder of her family is gone and that it would be nice to have young energy in the house again.
Featured characters
Player characters
New
- Pharana Wintermere
- Varis Nailo
- Horvur Silverthread
- Two Daith City Guards
- Hooded Thief
- Ronala Elmira
- Elmira Estate Butler
- Einhard Fleetsend
- Simon Casbrook
Returning
Mentioned
Quotations
References
Art:
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