Session 1 Summary
This story begins when Naomi Kawakami, a 21-year-old training to be a blade master is traveling to a vineyard by carriage. She heard that they may have imported a few drinks from her home on the otherside of Ignisar in the The Soarlands.
In the same carriage there's two other women. One seems to be asleep, while the other tries to strike up a conversation with Naomi, Amarissa asks Naomi where she comes from. Naomi reflects a bit on her journey so far...
Naomi's Flashback
In the Draconova Plains, Naomi encountered a strange group of kobolds living in a large, metallic structure they called their "Titan"
In Bristlefur Highlands, in a small traders town of Morganna, the townsfolk were on edge, particularly two sisters named Myra and Linene who were suspicious of her.
Naomi is warned of a bloodbath that happened not long ago in the Iron Pass.
Naomi learns that trade has been disrupted and the mayor, Charlotte, is having trouble obtaining supplies and protection.
When Naomi travels through the Iron Pass, she encounters a mining quarry covered in dried up blood, startled by strange one-eyed thing that quickly disappears...
She learns that these strange 'creatures' are referred to as "Void Echoes"
Naomi travels to the The Dragon Sage Plains are covered in runes that glow at night. The runes have a static energy and feel fiery.
Heading into the Savan Roads into Kingdom of Concordian territory. Naomi learns about the presence of lightning scorpions. These creatures form when lightning strikes scorpions during elemental storms, a phenomenon not fully understood but being researched.
After Naomi, Amarissa tells Naomi a bit about her own business, she runs a lounge and is experiencing issues with the wine. So she's heading straight to the source to find out what's going on. She is looking for people to help with entertainment and patrons at her lounge. Amarissa asks Naomi about the other traveler in the carriage, but Naomi doesn't know who she is.
Vita's Nightmare
Vita Stormborn is a clumsy young lady who has difficulty keeping a job. She lives with her mother. Vita has always been curious about her absent father, who she believes was not human but perhaps a Luminary... Her mother has always been distant about the subject.
Vita always knew something was different about her, strange things always happened around her, she knew that she possessed magic yet going to a school for spellcasters was out of the question, she didn't have the money for that...
Vita's clumsiness and strange accidents often get her fired, but Mr. Boris, a friendly lionfolk offered her a new job at the bakery in her hometown. After struggling the first few days, Vita gets the hang of it and even starts enjoying it! Mr. Boris needed to step out for a bit and her mother came to visit to have lunch together.
But then... something disastrous happens, when Vita's mother points out that she smells something burning , Vita rushes to the kitchen. Yet at that moment when Vita in a rush opens the oven, triggers something within her...
The oven explodes, setting the building ablaze! The fire spreads fast, unnaturally fast.
The explosion causes Vita to be thrown back against the wall, after a minute Vita finds herself surrounded by smoke. She hears her mother's cries for help, rushing towards her.Her mother is trapped under a metal rod, but by a miraculous strength, Vita manages to free her mother and helps her mother outside. The whole district is ablaze, and she realizes she may have caused the fire that engulfed the town, her hands still burning.
Vita tries to put her burning hands in the fountain and she feels the water infusing in her hands, and panics about how to help... But then she hears a voice... Fear is your enemy. Calm your mind... She raises her hands, conjuring a a large rain cloud that that extinguishes the fire, leading to townspeople to hail her as a savior.
Vita suddenly awakens, finding herself in that same carriage as Naomi and Amarissa.
She tells that she's on her way to the vineyard to acquire a specific bottle of wine as per request of her father (although she tells everyone that she works for Einar Giedensera) Amarissa also hands Vita a business card, but when Vita pockets it, she accidentally sets it aflame, luckily Naomi distracts Amarissa from noticing. The three ladies are almost near their destination, noticing a few strange 'bumps' on the road.
A few hours earlier...
Rose's Nightmare
Rose White, a quiet and kind young lady, resided in the town of Kall-Carie with her twin sister, Snow White, and their mother, Calista who served as the town's mayor and spiritual leader. During the White Dove ceremony, a celebration of harmonious passing in the religion of Harmonia, Rose experienced difficulty in creating a steady light, while her sister, Snow, successfully compensated for her struggle.
Rose's mother suggests a one-on-one trip to the beach because she has been busy and wants to spend time with Rose, mentioning that she spent time with Rose's sister the previous week. Rose's mother reveals her plan to step down from her leadership position in the community, suggesting that Rose and her sister, Snow, take over.
Rose's mother shares that Rose's facial glow indicates the imminent appearance of wings, similar to what Rose's sister recently experienced, assuring Rose that it is a positive development.
But then something strange happens... Rose sees a purple cloud on the horizon that engulfs the town of Kall-Carie, causing it to sink into the sand. There's nothing that Calista or Rose can do. Rose get sucked into the sand despite her mother's attempts to save them with her wings, they are both engulfed...
Rose wakes up from the nightmare in her house in Sâdbarad, a desert dwarven settlement, and notes the heavy, cold atmosphere in the house, which she attributes to the anniversary of the day Kall-Carie was destroyed. She and her mother moved her after Kall-Carie disappeared, Calista's warm personality faded, she's now cold and extremely distant. The dwarves of Saradbad feel saddened and offered to tend to the two of them.
Rose gets up and prepares herself for the day, noting that soon she'll have to return to Costa Del Rugido again. Last year, Rose received an invitation to the Cursebreakers Academy, yet she does not know who sent the invitation. Rose decides to see if her mother's awake. She's still in bed, it is obvious that she's been drinking... Her mother is cold and dismisses Rose immediately. Rose saddened by what her mother has become, decides to leave their home for today, heading to her friend Thalga's workshop.
Thalga Fyreward a fifty-year-old dwarf. She was born and raised in Saradbad, she is also the creator of the irrigation systems and marvelous invention named the "Shield of the Oasis" which protects the Plains of Orange from desertification. Thalga and another dwarf discuss the maintenance tasks that need to be done. Rose meets Thalga in the workshop, noticing her sad expression. Thalga realizes that perhaps Rose needs to be distracted for the day. So she asks for her help. Thalga notices a loose bolt in one of the wheels of the irrigation system. Thalga asks Rose to tighten a loose part in the irrigation system, but Rose needs to be lifted up by Thalga to reach it.
Eventually, Thalga receives a notification that one of the "gemstones" that are part of the "Shield of The Oasis" isn't functioning properly and has gone inactive. That vineyard about an hour away travel is also trading hub, and they've reported the presence of Desert Ankhegs that are attracted to sweet smells and can travel through the sand.
Thalga and Rose decide to investigate, traveling by horse to the Vineyard.
Meanwhile...
Naomi, Vita and Amarissa arrive at the vineyard, although it's named a "Wine Yard" by everyone. Amarissa mentions that this is on purpose, they mostly produce wine and the area is a yard wide. So they thought it was 'funny'. Amarissa heads inside to tend to her business.
Naomi and Vita inspect the strange large crystal in the center of the courtyard. It turned a dull grey color, a concerned vineyard worker tells Naomi that it's part of "The Shield of The Oasis", and that the gemstone is vital to the vineyard for water and protection against "Desert Ankhegs", mentioning that they dig underground. Naomi and Vita get worried, and decide to take a look further down the road from the vineyard.
Here, they find a large hole matching the description of a desert ankheg...
Meanwhile...
Rose and Thalga make their way towards the vineyard, Rose gets a bit uneasy, she can sense magic at any given time and feels an odd draining aura emanating from the vineyard. They see two other women nearby another hole.
Suddenly, multiple desert ankhegs pop-up from the ground attacking the workers!
A fight between the Ankhegs and the four ladies breaks out, they ladies are attacked by claws, pincers and acid, but the ladies fight back with firebolts, sword slashes and eldritch blasts! Rose gets grappled by one of them, but in this moment of need, she invokes her golden wings to escape her ambusher. Naomi finishes off one of the ankhegs with a flurry of sword slashes!
Unfortunately, Vita loses control of her magic, causing all kinds of wild chaotic magic to happen! A whole bunch of muddy grease appears out of nowhere, causing Naomi to lose her balance and fall over twice in the mud. But the battle becomes even more chaotic when Vita suddenly turns into a sheep!
Although it takes quite a bit of effort, the group manages to defeat the Ankhegs, but Vita's wild magic isn't quite done yet. She summons creatures from another dimension, teleports onto the roof, her breath becomes static as if she could breath lightning and even a third eye appears on her forehead. After a colorful explosion, the storm inside her ends and she falls of the roof. The other ladies, Naomi, Vita and Rose rush up to her, recognizing each other as students at the Cursebreakers Academy, the three of them immediately wonder if this young lady, Vita is indeed cursed by some kind of magical instability. Rose's wings fade away slowly and she hears "Well done, my child..." making her feel relieved.
A guard of the vineyard arrives to check on the ladies and invites them to retreat back inside, the ladies notice that while they were fighting the ankhegs outside, one managed to get inside but was taken out by that guard.
Thalga immediately focuses her attention on the large gemstone, in actuality the real gemstone is rather small, it's exterior is mostly decorative. She finds it odd that the core has turned dark and seems drained of all its energy. This cannot happen just randomly.
She requests the vineyard workers to retrieve the back-up gemstone that they have in the cellars, and while it takes a while to find it. Thalga installs the back-up gem, the system comes online again and the water sprinkling system activates.
Amarissa invites the ladies for a drink, while bossing some of the workers around. She asks Thalga what she was doing and she explains that those gemstones originate from "Einar Giedensera", the last Luminary of Costa Del Rugido. Vita mentions that she's family of him, which shocks everyone! Vita wasn't sure if she was allowed to say it.
But suddenly, the decorative gem on Vita's clothes glows bright, and everyone near Vita suddenly forgets what she said, Vita hears a voice. "Vita! Let's not create a situation of unfair treatment, and don't just go spouting about that you are my child!"
Vita changes her story from being his daughter, to being a servant at his mansion and that she came to 'collect' his special wine order. Afterwards, the ladies get a bit more acquainted and Rose asks Vita if she knows about her chaotic magic. Amarissa mentions that she's heard about something called "Untamed" ones, but given the proper magical tutoring they could learn to control that powerful storm inside them, Amarissa asks if she was born during a solar eclipse, Vita confirms that she was.
Amarissa tells the group that especially in the desert, the elemental storms can become worse from time to time, it is theorized that people also can be affected by this strange anomaly, so the question would be. 'Was Vita affected by that same anomaly?'
After some more light conversation, it's time to say goodbye. Naomi, Thalga and Rose wonder if they'll see each other again at the Cursebreaker's Academy, and Vita mentions she'll also be attending as well!
Will the four ladies meet again in the city...?
Key Information (Session 1)
Naomi's Journey
Naomi, a 21-year-old blade master-in-training, travels by carriage to a vineyard to try drinks from her homeland.
She shares the carriage with two other women, Amarissa (who runs a lounge) and an unknown, sleeping traveler.
Naomi reflects on her journey so far.
Draconova Plains: Naomi encounters a group of kobolds living in a metallic structure called their "Titan."
Bristlefur Highlands: The townsfolk of Morganna, especially two sisters, Myra and Linene, are suspicious of Naomi due to a recent bloodbath in the Iron Pass.
Iron Pass: Naomi sees a blood-covered quarry and is startled by a strange one-eyed creature, a "Void Echo." that quickly disappears.
Dragon Sage Plains: Naomi passes through lands with fiery, static runes.
Savan Roads: Naomi learns about lightning scorpions formed from elemental storms.
Amarissa shares her lounge business problems, specifically wine shortages.
She seeks help with entertainment and patrons for her lounge.
Vita's Nightmare
Vita Stormborn, a clumsy girl with uncontrolled magic, causes disasters wherever she works.
She accidentally starts a fire in a bakery, but eventually calms herself and conjures a rain cloud to extinguish the flames.
Vita is hailed as a savior by townspeople, but she fears her uncontrollable magic.
Vita awakens in the carriage with Naomi and Amarissa, on her way to the vineyard to fetch wine for her father.
Vita accidentally sets Amarissa’s business card aflame with her magic, but Naomi covers for her.
Rose & Thalga
Rose White, who lives with her cold, distant mother Calista and former mayor of Kall-Carie has nightmares of her town sinking into sand...
Rose wakes up in Saradbad, where she and her mother now live, and she helps her friend Thalga with the town's irrigation system.
Rose and Thalga investigate a deactivated gemstone that powers the Shield of the Oasis.
They head to the vineyard after hearing about the presence of desert ankhegs, creatures that burrow through the sand.
Vineyard
Naomi, Vita, and Amarissa reach the vineyard. Amarissa goes inside for business, while Naomi and Vita investigate a large, grey crystal that powers the water and protection systems for the vineyard.
Multiple desert ankhegs attack the vineyard workers. A battle ensues between Naomi, Vita, Rose, and Thalga against the ankhegs.
Vita’s wild magic causes chaos, including turning herself into a sheep and summoning other creatures.
Rose manifests golden wings to escape an ankheg, and Naomi slays one with her sword.
Aftermath
Thalga examines the gemstone and replaces it with a backup, restoring the vineyard's irrigation system.
Vita unintentionally reveals her connection to Einar Giedensera, a powerful Luminary, but the magical gemstone on her clothes causes everyone to forget.
Vita changes her story, claiming to work as a servant at his mansion.
Discussion About Magic
Amarissa suggests Vita may be an "Untamed" one, with magic affected by elemental storms, and asks if Vita was born during a solar eclipse (Vita confirms this).
Farewell
Parting Ways
The four women—Naomi, Rose, Vita, and Thalga—ponder whether they will see each other again at the Cursebreakers Academy.