RECAP: War of the Burning Sky, 3-1-26

Summary of Session Start and Setting the Scene

• The group, known as the B team, previously teleported but were captured and brought to the town of Mkiwa, located on the edge of the Screaming Jungle.
• Makiwa is a strategic transshipment point for supplies moving through the war-torn region against the Sargavan forces. It serves both southern Mzali lines and northern Osibu guerillas.
• The party met important locals including a priestess and the anti-Sargavan local chief who is eager to join the fight.
• Their quest was to travel to the village of Eresh, home to the Monastery of the Two Winds, but en route they encountered a Sargavan ambush with traps and hostile agitators.
• Combat begins with several enemies incapacitated, including a trapped Sargavan commander, a woman in a pit, and a rolling ball of fire hazard nearby.

Combat Round Four Begins: Tactical Maneuvers

• Wraith successfully uses stealth to reposition for a better vantage point.
• Titus is flying near the cliff edge, trying to maintain line of sight on enemies despite obstacles such as trees and underbrush.
• Lauralei spots a hidden Sargavan agitator and communicates this to the team.
• A web spell (20-foot radius) is cast on a Sargavan enemy, trapping him with a failed reflex save.
• Titus moves closer to provide cover for Wraith.
• The trapped Sargavan attempts to equip a small crossbow but remains immobilized by the web.
• Three Weeping Ravens aggressively leaps into the web to disarm the trapped Saravan, successfully knocking the crossbow away without becoming grappled himself.
• The Cheliaxan evoker enemy attempts a color spray attack but it is resisted by the party.
• The woman in the pit (evoker) speaks an unknown language (Cheliaxan) with hostile tone but is left alone by the party for now.

Combat and Trap Management

• Wraith and Arandar actively search for traps along the path, successfully identifying multiple concealed traps through perception checks.
• The party carefully avoids triggering additional traps, recognizing these are cunningly placed by enemy forces.
• The trapped Sargavan remains stuck in the web, preparing to fight once free.
• Three Weeping Ravens finishes off the trapped Sargavan with a critical hit, rendering him unconscious but alive.
• The evoker is unconscious at zero hit points but stabilized by a heal check from the party.

Roll20 Technical Difficulties Interrupt Gameplay

• The session experiences significant technical issues with Roll20, including lost map visibility, interrupted connections, and delayed updates for players.
• Players discuss frustrations and troubleshoot connectivity problems.
• The group briefly digresses into casual conversation about whiskey, personal anecdotes, and upcoming appointments.
• After multiple attempts, the game platform begins to recover, with maps and turn orders slowly returning for some players.

Gameplay Resumes: Continuation of Combat and Aftermath

• Players regain partial control and visibility on the virtual tabletop.
• Wraith successfully shoots a Sargavan enemy in partial cover, inflicting significant damage including sneak attack and bleed effects.
• Titus uses magic missile to attack the evoker trapped in the pit, disrupting her spellcasting and knocking her unconscious.
• Three Weeping Ravens finishes off the last active enemy, leaving the battlefield mostly clear.
• The party secures the evoker prisoner and tends to wounded allies.
• The captive evoker curses and threatens the party in Cheliaxan, requiring translation.
• The group debates interrogation strategies and next steps.

Post-Combat: Securing Prisoners and Strategic Decisions

• The evoker prisoner, now conscious and tied up, continues to issue threats and insults in Cheliaxan.
• Party members discuss removing webs and healing injured allies, including one Sargavan soldier who is bleeding out and likely to die without intervention.
• The group plans to continue their journey towards Eresh and the Monastery of the Two Winds.

Arrival at Eresh: Village and Monastery Overview

• After traveling through jungle and grassland, the party approaches the small Mangi village of Eresh, situated on the river’s edge.
• The Monastery of the Two Winds is a large, castle-like stone and wood fortress visible behind the village.
• The village is home to approximately 300 villagers and about 40 Sargavan soldiers stationed in a Roman-style military camp outside the village proper.
• The Sagravan soldiers are not actively enforcing control or engaging in hostilities; villagers and soldiers intermingle without conflict.
• The monks are mostly confined to the monastery, which is sealed due to the Sargavan presence.

Village Dynamics and Preliminary Investigation

• The villagers are proud Mwangi and resist Sargavan occupation, but the current atmosphere is oddly peaceful.
• The party questions a local Mwangi farmer who confirms Sargavan presence and that the monks have sealed the monastery, refusing entry or exit.
• The Sargavans attempted a limited attack on the village but withdrew without significant fighting.
• The farmer mentions a strange lack of dreams or nightmares among villagers, an unusual phenomenon in the region.
• The Sargavan contingent is led by Lieutenant Kormus, who frequently moves between the camp and the village tavern.

Monastery Background and Monk Philosophies

• The monks are followers of two brothers: Pilus (West Wind – aggressive, “pummel first”) and Longinus (East Wind – pacifist, “let nothing affect you”).
• The village and monastery have historically been anti-Sargavan, with villagers prepared to fight invaders.
• The current passivity in the village is unusual and concerning to Three Weeping Ravens, who notes this is unlike prior experiences.
• The party debates whether some powerful magic or enchantment is affecting the villagers and Sargavans alike.

Magical Investigation and Enchantment Detection

• Using detect magic, the party identifies subtle enchantment magic present in the body of the Mwangi farmer they spoke with.
• Magical auras are located around the farmer’s head and abdomen, resembling foreign objects or “injections” of magic that do not harm physically but may influence behavior.
• Knowledge checks suggest the enchantment could be influencing the minds of many villagers, possibly through sustained exposure or ingestion.
• The party considers dispel magic, break enchantment, or remove curse spells but recognizes the difficulty of affecting a widespread enchantment on a village scale.
• There is speculation that the enchantment might be delivered through food or water, but the Sargavans also seem affected, making the source unclear.

Approach to the Monastery and Encounter with Guardians

• The party cautiously approaches the monastery, a large fortified castle with a well-defended gate.
• They spot two large, swirling, translucent columns of air hovering about 45 feet high near the monastery gates, identified as possible air elementals acting as guardians.
• No monks or guards are visibly patrolling the walls or gate, but the swirling air guardians block direct approach.
• Wraith stealthily maneuvers near the gate, while Titus and Lauralei fly up to observe the swirling phenomena.
• The party attempts to communicate by knocking on the gate and is initially rebuffed by a female monk named Caela, who warns them to stay away due to a “curse” affecting the village.

Dialogue with Caela and Revelation of the Curse

• Caela acknowledges the existence of a curse (“unnatural stillness”) that pervades the village and warns the party to remain outside the monastery until it is lifted.
• She reveals the monks are aware that this curse was brought by outsiders—a group of five strangers who appeared before the Sargavans arrived.
• The party learns that the curse affects both Sargavans and villagers equally and that the monks are sheltering inside to prevent its spread.
• The strangers were described as three humans, one elf, and one mixed-blood, all light-skinned and carrying adventuring gear.
• The party recognizes this as a potentially significant mystery involving an unknown adventuring group and a powerful enchantment or curse.

Current Situation and Strategic Considerations

• The party contemplates investigating the village further, especially speaking with Bechus, the baker and town elder who interacted with the mysterious strangers.
• They debate avoiding consuming local food or drink in case the curse is sustenance-based.
• The villagers remain passive, some collapsing into a trance-like state and being carried into the monastery by monks.
• The party’s magic users discuss preparation of dispelling or removing enchantments but acknowledge these may not be sufficient for the scale of the curse.
• The monks, led by Caela, will not allow the party into the monastery until the curse is resolved.

Closing and Next Steps

• The party agrees to continue cautious investigation, seeking to uncover the nature and origin of the curse and the role of the mysterious strangers.
• They plan to explore the village, gather information, and possibly find ways to lift the enchantment affecting the area.
• The session ends with anticipation of returning to the Monastery of the Two Winds in the future, once the curse is addressed.

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Key Terms and Concepts

Term	Definition/Context
Mkiwa	Town on the edge of the Screaming Jungle; strategic supply transshipment point
Screaming Jungle	Dangerous jungle region contested in war
Sargavans (Sargavan)	Enemy faction in the war; occupying forces in Arash area
Mwangi	Indigenous people of the jungle; locals in Arash
Eresh	Village near the river; location of the Monastery of the Two Winds
Monastery of the Two Winds	Large castle-like monastery with two factions of monks (Pilus and Lginus)
Pilus (West Wind)	Monk philosophy: strike first, aggressive defense
Longinus (East Wind)	Monk philosophy: pacifism, emotional detachment
Unnatural Stillness / Curse	Enchantment affecting villagers and Saravans causing passivity, dreamlessness, and trance-like states
Air Elementals	Mysterious swirling air guardians around the monastery gates
Caela	Monk and gatekeeper of the monastery; communicates with the party
Bechus	Local baker and town elder who interacted with mysterious strangers

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Highlights and Key Insights

• The party’s arrival at Arash reveals a puzzling peace between hostile factions, likely caused by a subtle, pervasive enchantment or curse.
• The “curse” is linked to a previous adventuring group distinct from both Saravans and Mangi, suggesting a deeper mystery involving unknown outsiders.
• The Monastery of the Two Winds is sealed off, guarded by air elementals, and unwilling to admit the party until the curse is resolved.
• The enchantment affects villagers and Saravans alike, causing apathy, dreamlessness, and passivity in a normally hostile environment.
• Magical investigation indicates subtle enchantment auras embedded in individuals, likely the source of the unnatural behavior.
• The party faces a strategic dilemma: investigate the curse carefully or risk provoking dangerous defenders in the monastery and village.
• Technical difficulties during the session highlight challenges of virtual tabletop RPG play but the group adapts and continues.

Possible Next Steps for the Party

• Investigate the village further, particularly speaking with elder Beckus and other locals.
• Research or prepare spells to dispel or break the enchantment on individuals or the area.
• Attempt to uncover the identity and purpose of the mysterious adventuring group that arrived before the Saravans.
• Approach the monastery again after lifting or mitigating the curse to gain audience with the monks.
• Maintain caution regarding food, water, and other potential sources of enchantment or poison.