Session Date: 9th Feb 2025
Web Vault Link: https://www.ashencampaign.xyz/session-notes/season-4-ignatius-beckons/session-31/
A list Of Spells Cast In Sessions: Click Here

Session Summary

The party awoke outside the Inchling Kingdom and left a farewell note before setting off towards Strixhaven. As they neared the magical university, Mordecai and Halfbie could feel the arcane energy saturating the air. Upon arrival, Korrigan mistakenly assumed Halfbie had been to Strixhaven before, only for them to clarify they had only worked with its mages in passing. In the university's shopping district, they visited a magic shop containing powerful artefacts, including a cursed sword and the Tome of Unfinished Stories, which allowed them to subtly rewrite reality and uncover hidden truths. Using the book, they successfully acquired a fiery cloak through rewritten history but found themselves locked into an unexpected contract for its return.

Seeking answers, the party ventured to the Strixhaven research labs, where they learned the university once studied The Towers but was expelled due to interference with the priesthood. Looking for further insight, they requested an audience with Haldir Heleyarus, Strixhaven’s headmaster, only to be told his next available meeting was in thirty years. However, a golden portal soon appeared, summoning them unexpectedly. Haldir revealed crucial knowledge, confirming that making more towers required sacrifices, and he also disclosed that Ebis Daro was once a Strixhaven professor expelled for dark experiments. They also discovered that the so-called Lightbearers were those who entered the Realm of Mana in search of tower crystals, only to perish and transform into the very creatures they fought against.

As the meeting progressed, Haldir revealed his true form—an ancient, withered man with six purple appendages hovering behind him—and demanded honesty in return. He stripped away their magical disguises, exposing their hidden truths: Korrigan’s lost horns, Mordecai’s connection to Seifer Willow, and, most shockingly, the spectral form of Chenris over Halfbie’s shoulder. However, Halfbie had no recognition of Chenris, deepening the mystery of their connection. Haldir then declared that the world needed uniting against the impending Sundering, and when asked who else could take on this task, he insisted it had to be them. As the conversation reached its climax, he turned to Obeus, declaring that the party needed one final member—and, with a snap of his fingers, violently extracted Ebis Daro from within her.

Full Session Notes

Everyone woke up in their camp spot outside The Inchling Kingdom. Not wanting to be rude, they all decided to leave a note for the Inchlings, saying goodbye and thanking them for the food. Mordecai Reverence ended up writing the note by casting Enlarge/Reduce on themselves so they could make the thing a bit smaller than they usually would, looking for a quill, Halfbie incised that Mordecai used their, summoning an ancient-looking quill from nothingness "It's special - no ink needed!" they said excitedly with beaming smile on their face.

With their note written and left with Big Dave^[1], The Party headed out with their destination set for Strixhaven. Halfbie had marked the general area of the university but soon found that knowing the exact location wasn't necessary, as when they approached the area, Mordecai and Halfbie would feel the magic emanating off of the university miles away. Putting away the map, they followed the magic that filled the area around them.

As Halfbie and Mordecai ventured deeper into the woods, the air itself seemed to hum with otherworldly energy, thick with the scent of blooming arcane flowers and the faint crackle of unseen power. The trees, ancient and towering, glowed faintly at their edges, their leaves shimmering like stained glass in the dappled sunlight. Each step brought them closer to Strixhaven University, the heart of this magical saturation, and the sensation grew almost overwhelming—like standing too close to a roaring fire, yet feeling no heat, only the pulse of raw, untamed magic. It was beautiful, yes, but also dizzying, as if the very fabric of reality around them was alive, whispering secrets too vast to comprehend. Halfbie’s senses tingled with every breath while Mordecai’s fingers twitched as though the magic sought to weave itself through his very veins. The forest seemed to breathe with them, a living, sentient thing, guiding—or perhaps testing—their resolve as they approached the source of its power.

Soon, they reached the border between the normal world and the university. Kal The Korrigan † seemed incredibly excited and asked if Halfbie was looking forward to returning to the university. Halfbie looked back in confusion, stating that they had never been to the university before; they had only worked with some of the mages before their untimely deaths on the airship. Mordecai sighed before pointing out how Korrigan was thinking of Chenris Tallfellow ‡. As they explained, their voice also became tinged with confusion as their eyes narrowed on the Eladrin as they tried to figure out what was happening this time.

They soon crossed the board being greeted by the familiar but still awe inspiring site of Strixhaven. Strixhaven University stood as a breathtaking testament to the convergence of magic and knowledge, its five floating islands suspended in the sky by massive, pulsating blue rocks that thrummed with raw arcane energy. Each island bore a towering structure adorned with a glowing magical symbol—representing the schools of magic taught within—and was tethered to the central island by colossal, ancient chains that shimmered with enchantments. At the heart of it all loomed the central campus, a sprawling, 4,000-year-old edifice of stone and crystal, its spires reaching toward the heavens and its walls glowing faintly with the accumulated power of millennia. The air around the university crackled with magic, so thick it felt alive as if every breath drew in the essence of creation itself. Beyond the campus, a vibrant residential district stretched outward, a harmonious tapestry of every race imaginable—Elves, orcs, Human, Dragonborn, and more—living side by side, their lives intertwined with the magic that flowed from the university like a river of light and possibility.

Walking through the streets of the residential district, The Party passed a magic shop which Mordecai, Korrigan and Halfbie couldn't help but look into to see if anything was in their price range. The shop front window displayed a dark blood-red cloak that, even from the other side of a plane of glass, they could feel the heat emanating from the cloak. Looking closer, Halfbie figured that the clock gave off a heavy heat which would probably burn and attacker if the wearer was physically harmed. Halfbie's interest was piqued by an old and slightly burnt book next to the cloak that they slowly gravitated towards. They were about to pick it up when Wurinn Fuuldrusch stopped them, warning them that touching things that weren't theirs could be costly.

Mordecai ventured inside to ask about the cloak. The shopkeeper explained that the cloak would cost around 6000 gold. Mordecai tried to haggle, explaining that they were somewhat famous and could advertise the shop when they travelled around. The shopkeeper rejects this but, after some talking, agrees to give a small discount if the party is able to figure out what the items do. he is unaware as the items were brought in from the university when on an expedition.

While this is happening, Halfbie uses the Identify spell to learn about the book, learning it was called the Books, Documents & Artefacts/Artefacts/Tome of Unfinished Stories. The book had two abilities:

• Editor’s Reprieve - Once per week, you may rewrite a minor event from the past 24 hours, subtly altering reality in a way that does not contradict major events. The rewritten event seamlessly integrates into history as if it always happened that way.
• Ink of Forgotten Truths - When you write a person's name in the tome, their past bleeds onto the pages, revealing a hidden fact or secret about them. The ink fades after 1 minute, leaving no trace.

Excited about the book's power, they used the message spell to inform The Party stealthily, but became dismayed when they discovered that the book cost 8000 gold. Apart from the book and cloak, the shopkeeper highlighted other interesting items: a purple coin that Halfbie learned could augment luck depending on which side the coin landed on when flipped. Behind the shopkeeper was a display case containing a blade the keeper called the Hallowed Blade. Taking it out of the case, the blade was revealed to be made of a material that embodied darkness. It seemed as though the blade was the very absence of light, shifting strangely as it moved. Korrigan asked if they knew what it did, and the shopkeeper admitted they had no idea, as everyone was too scared to touch it.

Korrigan asked if he could test the blade, and the shopkeep obliged, carefully handing the blade to Korrigan. Korrigan tried stabbing a nearby barrel, but the blade would not pierce or cut anything. Examining the blade closer, the overwhelming urge to touch the blade took over, and before anyone could stop him, Korrigan touched the blade. As soon as his finger touched it, he instantly felt searing pain as it felt like someone was screaming in his mind ^[2]. While Korrigan dealt with a splitting headache, The Party weren't surprised to learn that the sword was over 10000 gold.

They soon came up with a plan to buy the book and then use its abilities to rewrite history to say they had also received the cloak for free. They tried to get the money for the book but found they were short, but Obeus Yelris offered to pay the money for them as it was clear how much Mordecai wanted to get this cloak, and they wanted to cover it as a gift to them. Once the ability was used^[3], the world suddenly went dark before returning to normal, with Mordecai wearing the cloak. they began to celebrate before Mordecai felt something in their pocket - a loan contract for the came. In this rewrite, the owner gave them the cloak for testing and waved the holding fee. they were obliged to return the cloak within the year. They resolved to use the book again soon to try and fix the error.

While korrigan went to buy some better armour, Drache suggested using the book's other feature to learn something about someone important. They doubted that Ebis Daro was their real name, so they decided to write Akin Netch ‡. The book revealed that when Akin sacrificed himself, there was one other person with him, who that was the book didn't say. Soon, Korrigan returned with Dragonscale mail armour^[4], to which drache thought they looked really good.

When everyone was back together, they decided to go do some research. The library had nothing they didn't already know, so Mordecai and Drache resolved to talk to people. They decided that their best bet would be to go to the researchers who helped fix Bruce^[5]. Entering the engineering room, one of the researchers greeted them warmly, half-joking that they hoped Bruce was still operational and took great delight in the fact that he was.

After some talking, it was revealed that the Strixhaven used to do a lot of research on The Towers, specifically The Tower of Ishnmel before they were kicked out of The Towers for causing too much hassle for the guards and priests. Most of their research had been taken or was locked away by the university, so the engineers couldn't be of much help. Halfbie then asked if it was possible to see Haldir Heleyarus, the headmaster, reasoning that he must know something about this research.

The engineer summoned a book out of a portal and after flicking through it, declared that the headmaster would have time for them in a little over 30 years. Everyone's faces but Halfbie's fell. The Eladrin asked if that was all before Mordecai explained that this was an extremely long time for the rest of them, confusing them a lot. Looking a bit closer, the engineer reasoned that if they pushed his bedtime back a bit, they could potentially meet sooner, although he would probably be very cranky.

As they said this, a golden portal opened up behind them. out of it came a worried-looking student who fell to the floor, dropping all of their books. From inside the portal, a grand booming voice could be heard saying, "Come in, I have time for you now". The student on the floor began to pick up their books as they began to cry. Halfbie tried to help them, but they ran away quickly, leaving their Algebra 2 textbook behind. Halfbie flicked through the textbook, murmuring that they really enjoyed this class, not understanding why someone would leave it behind. The rest went through the portal and found themselves in an ancient-looking room with books, scrolls and other magical paraphilia covering every surface.

Sitting at the desk was a powerful elf that glowed with golden magical power. his voice boomed with power and importance, and he asked how he could help^[6]. Something within Halfbie knew that this wasn't the real Haldir Heleyarus, but they didn't say anything allowed. Mordecai got right into it and asked about The Towers. Haldir mused for a moment before explaining that he remembered The Towers being built and revealed that he even knew Akin Netch ‡ and Niaross †, although he admitted that he didn't know them well and had only chatted with them casually a few times.

Korrigan asked if he knew of any other way of keeping the gods at bay. Haldir Heleyarus revealed that the only thing that could work would be a steady stream of influential people being sacrificed at Ember Peak, just like Akin Netch ‡'s surface. It would be the only way to keep the Skyfall Ward active without having to use The Towers. Korrigan asked if Haldir Heleyarus knew someone cackled Ebis Daro.

The headmaster went silent for a moment before revealing that Ebis Daro used to be a lecturer at Strixhaven before being thrown out for being a shapeshifter and his fanatical worship of Ignatius (Sacrificing students). The headteacher explained that Ebis Daro was trying to make his own Ash Spawn army with all the sacrifices he was making. However, Haldir Heleyarus refused to elaborate beyond this. instead, The Party asked about the crystals and making more towers.

The headmaster revealed that making more towers was possible but would involve getting crystals. The only way to do this was to convert people into purely magical energy and send them to The Realm of Mana to get crystals. However, the journey was one way as the people would often die or would slowly be turned mad. With sadness, the headmaster revealed that they lost a lot of very talented pupils doing this, which is why it is forbidden. Halfbie then went uncharacteristically serious and asked if, before this, there had been any known sightings of a beast known as the Magic Demons. The headmaster said yes and explained that the primary theory was that anyone who died in The Realm of Mana was turned into Magic Demons. After a short pause, they asked if someone called Agolin Winterbor studied at Strixhaven.

With a heavy sigh, the headmaster explained that, yes, Agolin had once been a student at the university. He was known to be powerful, but he had two other friends who were a lot more gifted mages, especially in combat, which meant his friends were sent to The Realm of Mana and, therefore, died there. Halfbie murmured that it finally made sense ^[7]. The headmaster continued his explanation and said that the beings who stole the crystals were known as 'Lightbearers', which explained why the ghosts called them lightbearers when they came to the crystals in The Dawnhaven Crypts and The Tower of Ishnmel.

The room was quiet for a moment before korrigan asked if Haldir Heleyarus had met any Herald's, to which the headmaster said he had met the Seraphina's Healing Guardians but none of the others. When asked, the headmaster also explained that he and Genevieve † managed to stay alive for as long as they did because of forbidden magics, but would elaborate any further as they were forbidden after all.

Coming to the end of their questions, Korrigan asked how many towers were needed to keep the gods at bay, especially with a lot of them falling. Haldir Heleyarus explained that only one is needed to stop them from entering the world, but with each one falling, people who gain power from the gods would grow stronger. Then the headmaster gave a warning that before long, all of them would fall, including The All-Father Temple tower, it was not safe as Ebis Daro already knew where it was. But before they could ask how he knew, Haldir laughed before revealing his true form: an incredibly old man hunched over. he had purple eyes and notably six purple identical^[8] that attached to his back, which kept hovering just above the ground.

Haldir Heleyarus, sounding a bit annoyed, announced that he had been honest with them, and he wanted to know why they hadn't been honest with him. plus, now that he had revealed his true form, he thought The Party should do the same for him. He suddenly clicked his fingers, causing powerful magics to wash over them, stripping everyone of their changes: Korrigan lost his horns, Seifer Willow ‡ appeared as a ghost over Mordecai's shoulder, and Chenris Tallfellow ‡ doing the same over Halfbie. Halfbie began to panic. They had no idea who the person was on their shoulder. Mordecai tried to explain that this was Chenris Tallfellow ‡, but they had no idea what that was, and the name had never appeared in any of their memories.

Without missing a beat, the headmaster asked if they were ready to take on the mantel of uniting the world against The Sundering. They were all quiet before Mordecai meekly asked if anyone else could do it. The headmaster wasn't sure but knew that someone had to try at least. He asked what they could all bring to the table to help fight and band everyone together into another version of The Coalition. Mordecai explained that they were good at talking to people and gaining their trust, which would help them. drache was good at fighting and could win people over with his strength, and Halfbie and korrigan^[9] were Smart.

The headmaster nodded and murmured that that was just going to have to do without other options before speaking up. He declared that he would answer their previous question, but he would need one person to help with this. He drew his gaze to the back of the party at Obeus Yelris and declared that one last person needed to join them. He clicked his finger, and with a scream from Obeus Yelris, Ebis Daro was pulled out from her.

Trivia & Notes

• Sam Gallon and Tom Brothers were desperate to make sure Mordecai would get a magic item as they thought that Mordecai hadn't gotten anything cool (Korrigan had his bow, Drache had his great sword and axe, Aiden Knight had his dagger, and Halfbie had the things that they built).
• James Absolom revealed that he had been building the final twist of this session for a while like when he mentioned that Ebis had taught Obeus and how he kept being able to find them.

Footnotes