Session 36

Session Date: 14th Apr 2025
Web Vault Link: https://www.ashencampaign.xyz/session-notes/season-4-ignatius-beckons/session-36/
A list Of Spells Cast In Sessions: Click Here

Session Summary

After the intense battle, Mordecai was faced with a decision—what to do with the father who had caused him such trauma. Torn between revenge and mercy, he ultimately chose to spare him, believing in the potential for change. Supported by Drache and Korrigan, Mordecai grappled with his identity, morality, and the weight of his past. The moment ended in a heartfelt group hug, including a reluctant but welcomed Halfbie, providing a rare breath of emotional clarity.

Their journey took them toward the Great Wall after briefly tending to Mordecai's recovering father. The party walked in a subdued mood, reflecting on their recent battles and revelations. During the night, prophetic dreams plagued most of them, hinting at hidden fates and people from their past—visions linked to Somnora, the god of dreams. Korrigan sent magical animal messages to allies, hoping for guidance, while Halfbie began to piece together troubling divine influences through cryptic visions.

Tracking a dream-related vision of Emmeline, the group chased a magical rat to Nakatoro, finding evidence of a fight involving Emmeline and another mysterious Ronin. Their leads eventually brought them to a cryptic meeting with Xekai, who confirmed Emmeline’s safety but offered few answers. Halfbie, through a secret deal with Aeloria, discovered she was taken to Eldros. Though grateful for her safety, Drache’s worry deepened, especially with the implication of divine interference and the threat of Somnora’s manipulation growing ever closer.

Finally, the party reached the Wall—a towering, ancient barrier watched by silent, silver-armoured guards. What seemed like a defensive marvel was quickly revealed to be a prison of sorts, with magically bound warriors still guarding centuries after the Wall’s creation. Halfbie and Mordecai grew uneasy with the unsettling aura around the soldiers and the lack of clear governance. The Wall, it seemed, was more than just a barrier—it was a remnant of old wars and forgotten powers, and crossing it would take them deeper into danger and mystery.

Full Session Notes

Mordecai stood over their father, unsure of what to do now he had beaten the man who had caused him so much grief and pain. The decision paralysed him as, on the one hand, he was a good man, and on the other hand, he was a terrible person and father. Seeing the indecision in their eyes, Drache put a reassuring hand on Mordecai's shoulder. With a slight smile, Mordecai said aloud, "I don't know what he deserves... If we leave him, death feels inevitable at this point". Drache agreed but wondered if he had the chance to become a better man now he had been shown the truth, "Or do you think that's beyond him?" he muttered more to himself than anything.

Mordecai held back so much anger, hatred, tears, and grief for a childhood lost. He explained how he felt this whole mess was stupid, but most strange of all, it felt like, for the first time, their father was proud of them. "But I don't know if that was because I was being the monster that he raised me to be."

The room was silent, and Mordecai wrestled with a whirlwind of emotions inside of themselves. Finally, Mordecai spoke up, explaining how he didn't think they could live with the idea of being the course of both of his parent's deaths. "it's not use asking him either; he'll say he wants to do die... let him live..." the statement started strong and filled with conviction be tailing off at the end. Drache's hand tightened on Mordecai's shoulder as his face morphed into an approving smile Mordecai couldn't see.

Korrigan silently motioned his magic into a healing spirit that washed over Mordecai with a newfound sense of peace. With a quick gesture, the spirit moved over to Mordecai 's father, healing him slightly. Mordecai lamented that even with this matter resolved, neither he nor his mother could ever return home. There was simply too much pain and distrust for him to do so. Korrigan 's hand now rested on Mordecai 's other shoulder, "You know, Uvam Dynasty may not be your home anymore, but that's okay because home is just a place where you are comfortable. Once upon a time, my home was probably Lost Haven, and now it's some temple in a mysterious forest.

Mordecai couldn't stop a single tear from running down their cheeks. They quickly regained composure so as not to ruin their makeup. "He can be good. If I can do it, so can he. And he'll have to live with that for the rest of his life."

Mordecai looked to the two for reassurance, "This doesn't make me a bad person, does it?" Korrigan's expression softened as Drache's smile refused to falter. "Mord, sparing a life doesn't make you a bad person. You have lived an extraordinary life even after being exiled. Give him a chance to reflect and repair what he's done to you and everyone else he has wronged." Mordecai stood stock still, unable to fully accept what he heard. "if it eases your conscience to keep him alive, you've earned some respite from this. You don't deserve to have the weight of losing both your parents on your shoulders."

Mordecai, unsure what else to do, hugged the Dragonborn. Drache returned the hug in kind, his arms acting as a huge weighted blanket. Korrigan jumped onto the hug with his arms and legs wrapped around them. Mordecai couldn't help but laugh as he joked that it was 'Totum Of The Bear Hug.' Halfbie snapped back to reality, looking back from the window reflection upon hearing the other's laughter. Before they could react, Korrigan threw his Thorn Whip spell at them and used it like a lasso to force them into a hug. Halfbie tried to protest, unsure if there was a real place in the party to join in with such things, but soon gave up when Mordecai invited them in.

The bearhug soon ended, and Mordecai knelt next to his father; the man was still unconscious even after Mordecai used some of their magic to heal him. Kerrigan wondered if they knew enough to help, considering the man had been bisected in the battle. Halfbie stepped forward, saying they wouldn't be able to heal something so serious, but they could at least stem the bleeding and help him wake up. After a few incantations, Mordecai's father awoke in excruciating pain.

Mordecai's father looked up at him and, with a tear escaping his eyes, exclaimed, "You fought like a warrior, that's all I ever wanted. However you disrespect me as a warrior who was a duel to the death, Now who isn't playing by the rules..."

Mordecai joyfully questioned if they ever played by the rules, especially when they thought they were wrong. He slowly lifted his hand to grab Mordecai's hand before saying, "Thank you, my son," a rare smile infecting his face.

"I... will never be a Thornwood," Mordecai replied, conviction etched into each word.

"No, but you are a Reverence. She was equally as much me as I was her. Someday, he will come to know this is true and that we loved each other."

Mordecai painedly looked at him as they realised he couldn't return home. The father agreed, saying that ever since that night, even if he did rebuild the physical house, it would never truly feel like home. He reasoned that he was much like Mordecai now, away from home, sitting up a campsite, travelling from here to there, maybe staying in a city occasionally. Mordecai's eyes flared with anger as they cut him off, stating that the only difference was that they were 12 when they were cast out of their family and hunted down like animals.

The father half-jokingly retorted that Mordecai had more legs than him, referring to the wooden leg he received from his bounty hunter days. Mordecai returned the retort with a cold. "You seemed to manage fine.

In the background, halfbie opened a notepad to quickly write down and ask Mordecai about their extra legs, which is not common to Tieflings.

Mordecai's father continued with a proud smile, exclaiming that once recovered, they would meet again to have a proper duel. "it would be a duel of friends, a duel of mutual allies, a duel of respect... Maybe not a duel to the death, especially with that fucked up demon in your head.

Mordecai let out a worried smile before confirming how messed up that was. The father exclaimed that he would've branded them a Duelbreaker, but he wasn't sure if that would work on them as they possessed someone else. Korrigan's hand instinctively went toothier forehead at the mention of the branding. Mordecai wondered if the brand would appear on their head, ruining their makeup. Mordecai exclaimed that this had been oddly cathartic despite the pain and distress. The father agreed, saying, "It is. to fight... be primal.. to beat the man who goaded you your whole life. Why do you think we all do it, Maud? There's a whole world out there, bandits and assholes. And all we want is a little bit of catharsis."

"but we're better than that", Mordecai replied simply.

"Or are we all just animals?" reason Mordecai's father.

"We could have killed you. All of us, together now," said Mordecai, matter of factly.

"Maybe you are better; maybe most of us are animals, but there are few good ones left", Mordecai's father wondered.

"You will learn. The one thing I ask of you while you wander about the lands: Learn to be better. As you know, I started as a monster but became better. You should do the same." Mordecai's voice was tense as each word sprinted from his mouth faster than he could think.

"I'm an old dog, Mordecai, but I'll try my best," he replied, conviction in his voice."

Mordecai nodded with satisfaction before standing up and telling the rest of the party that they were leaving. Halfbie turned to Drache with a confused look on their face, exclaiming that they didn't know Mordecai's dad was a druid. Drache was also confused, saying the father looked much like a Tiefling, not an old dog. They both shut up when Mordecai shot them a look.

Looking at the tiefling, Kerrigan asked halfbie if they could create a new leg for the man, like the one they fashioned for Drache, pointing at the flowerbed foot they made for the barbarian. Halfbie said they were good and asked the man if he had a favourite flower. The father sternly told them to back off and not dishonour him; he would leave and shoo them off later.

Once they had gathered their things, they moved on. Heading outside, halfbie realised they were only about an hour's walk from Gimsu. The road was straightforward from then on, reaching The Great Wall, the next stop on the Tour Du Ashen. Korrigan reminded them that afterwards, they should stop in Oceanvale to investigate those dissaprences. They walked silently, with none quite knowing what to say. Mordecai eventually broke the silence by asking if everyone was okay, as they were chained upside down in that dungeon. Everyone reported being okay, as many had experienced worse on their adventures. Kerrigan had slight burns where the iron touched their skin, but he was also fine.

Halfbie pulled out their notebook and mentioned that they did have one question from the whole ordeal. Mordecai took a deep breath before saying to go ahead. In a sombre tone, halfbie asked about Mordecai's third leg, to which the whole party burst out into laughter, with halfbie standing confused in the middle. It soon became apparent that halfbie had not understood the joke leading to them awkwardly explaining that a third leg is often a euphemism for a penis. This only caused halfbie to become even more confused, as a leg and a penis are two very different things. After 15 minutes of arguing back and forth, halfbie finally understood the joke. They flipped to the page in their notebook titled "slang", where they wrote everything down.

They walked with Mordecai, exclaiming that it felt weird to be so lovely. The rest would have none of it as they all congratulated Mordecai on doing the right thing, even when it was tough. Unable to take the compliments, Mordecai quickly switched the topics to the Seifer taking control of their body. It may have been cool to watch, but not being in control of their own body was terrifying. Seifer tried to downplay the experience and explained that she only did what she was told and didn't even kill the man. Mordecai hesitantly thanked them for this. Halfbie pointed out that they did find out that there wasn't much they could do about the possession when they were in the All-Father Temple.

Halfbie wondered how much of Seifer Willow ‡ 's powers could be used through Mordecai 's body. Seifer explained that Mordecai 's body was too weak to use her full powers, but as Mordecai got more powerful, she could use more.

Mordecai joked that they hit the gym more often before Seifer cold explained that physical strength meant nothing to them and their powers. Although they could use losing a little bit of weight. Mordecai didn't repeat that last bit to the party, instead asking if they all thought their tunic made their butt look big. Seifer coldly said yes, while drache said it looked big, but in a good way, Korrigan agreed. Halfbie got closer as they inspected Mordecai before simply stating that Mordecai's face was somewhat symmetrical, cautioning Mordecai to punch the elf.

In Mordecai 's head, Seifer said, "You should consider black. Black and red always goes well together. It would also hide your... You look great, darling. It's fine. Just black"

Mordecai retorted that they liked purple but that maybe a black tunic with purple detailing would look amazing. Seifer thought that would be much, but Mordecai didn't care.

"Yeah, my name's Safer, and I know all about fashion." Mordecai said mockingly.

"I know a lot about many things, " Seifer replied, annoyed.

"Fashion is Cyclical ", halfbie remarked as they pulled out some scraps of appearance with complex calculations. "By my calculations, bell-bottom breeches should be back in fashion soon. So you could get on that ahead of the trend by wearing them now."

Mordecai said they would rather die and completely ignored halfbie when they pointed out that this was what the maths said.

Passing Gimsu, they noticed goblins guarding the gates, dressed up like samurai gear. They watched intently at the party as they walked past but did nothing about them. Halfbie gave them a happy wave, to which a younger-looking goblin waved back before quickly returning to their duties. Halfbie excitedly turned to Korrigan, saying that was an extra point for them.

Carrying down the path, it was slowly getting dark, and they decided to set up camp just off the side of the road. While Halfbie began to cast Leomund's Tiny Hut, Mordecai exclaimed that they needed a long rest after the day they had just had. drache agreed, stating they only needed some rest built and deserved it. Soon, the spell was up, and they all got comfortable. Halfbie quickly fell asleep while reading a fantasy book called 'Two Pieces'. Mordecai quietly closed the book with a bookmark and tucked them in properly before turning to the rest of the party.

Drache sat beside Mordecai, resting against a tree, before saying softly, "I'm proud of you. You're becoming a better man. I know you give yourself such a hard time, and you think you're terrible, but what I saw today... that's growing."

Mordecai is very clearly touched by Drache's kind words, saying they learnt from the best. "I look at how we've all changed. I am a storyteller. That is my trade. When I wasn't at the club, I... I created stories. I put on little shows. I told the adventures of heroes and villains who were mostly made up. I have seen how power has corrupted. How the thirst for knowledge consumes the ones we love. How our questing and trying to do the right thing sometimes leaves us broken. And yet, we still keep pushing forward. We are so different from when we started, like I think the first thing I did was insult you!"

Drache's face cracked into a smile, "We really have come a long way, haven't we?!"

"I just... I worry. I worry a lot." replied Mordecai

"I think we're all worried." said drache matter-of-factly

"I especially worry about Halfbie." Looking at the boy sleeping peacefully, Mordecai said, "I don't know if this is an Uvam thing, um... When you let sweet tea brew for ages, it eventually turns bitter."

"Just like a lot of us have learnt lessons for the better, sometimes people learn lessons for the worse." Drache mused.

"And what if that's our fault? What if we're the reason they turn bitter?!" Mordecai exclaimed

"Most we can do is try to set the best example, teach them, and help them, but there's only so much we can do." Drache said.

They soon all fell asleep. Halfbie walked around the dreaming world, unsure what to expect, as Elvin often did not dream. Jessamine appeared in front of them. She looked like she had a few greying hairs.
As she turned to face them, she simply said, 'Find me.' before the dream dispatched into an uncomfortable silence.

Drache dreamt of Emmeline. However, she wore a black farmer's hat covering most of her face. She was carrying a sword, and he watched as she began fighting what looked like three or four fruit cutters in the centre of a town. She quickly found herself outnumbered and left battered and bruised, bleeding out. Before he could do anything, the dream dissipated.

Korrigan 's dream showed him his old friend Sylva Riverstone. She was looking at a wolf that seemed to be eating someone. She raised her hand up and simply asked Korrigan to find her. Korrigan awoke from his dream in a startle. It was early morning, and Halfbie 's barrier was still intact. He sat up, leaning against his pack, just thinking about that dream, unsure of what his dream truly meant. Soon, the morning came, and Korrigan jumped into action by casting Animal Messenger twice. He caught a rabbit and sent it to the vampires, saying, "Hello, Cosmo and siblings. Uh, here is another rabbit for you to enjoy. I hope you're well. This is your friend, The Korrigan, coming to you live from near the Wall uh.... Bye."

The other was sent to Sylva Riverstone, saying, "Hey, Sylva Riverstone. Long time no see..... I am travelling through Nakatoro and am going to be heading down past the Wall and back up the Dawn. Please come and say hi and let me know what you're doing."

He then lets the squirrel go and waits to see its direction. The squirrel begins running towards the mountain, presumably to find a path around it. However, the rabbit hops in circles before heading to a nearby tree. As soon as the rabbit reaches the tree, four puffs of smoke can be seen coming from a nearby bush.

Soon, everyone woke up. Halfbie immediately got out a small blue journal with glitter on it titled "Dream Journal," and they began writing in detail about what they saw. Once they were done, they closed the book and asked if anyone had had a weird dream last night or if it was just them. Everyone but Mordecai had strange dreams, and they explained what they saw individually. Mordecai had a slight twinge of jealousy as they felt left out of their weird dreams.

After hearing about Drache 's dream, Korrigan exclaimed they had to go help her. Drache is unable to remember where she would be. Kerrigan worriedly asked if the dreams felt similar to those made by the Angel Under The Well, and he says they felt slightly similar but not as bad.

Halfbie 's, now sitting cross-legged and deep in thought before rushing to check their notes. The rest watched in anticipation until halfbie revealed that Somnora is known for messing with people with prophetic dreams. She would often create dreams of events that will happen in the future or may have already occurred in the past, but usually, they can't control.

With all this talk of Gods, the group became concerned, and Korrigan used his Detect Good and Evil ability to check what was around them. The ability revealed Fey, Celestial, Undead and Dragons in the detection area (about 12 miles).

With each passing moment, Drache 's anxiety becomes more and more evident. Mordecai tried to calm him down but to no avail, saying that she was probably fine and would be, but drache exclaimed that if there was even a hint of danger, he would save her as he refused to lose her again. Halfbie explained that it would take a while to travel to Yakawa, and they didn't even know if that was where she was. Korrigan exclaimed that he knew a fast way and told drache to jump on his back, and Wild Shaped into a horse.

Drache jumped on, and they raced toward Yakawa. They made the journey in an hour and a half. However, Korrigan was exhausted from the endless sprinting in his horse. They frantically searched the town but could not find Emeline anywhere. Drache becomes highly frustrated and asks Korrigan to use his spell to track Emeline down. Korrigan casts the animal messenger spell again on a rat, only to find it heading back in the direction they just came. Drache runs after the rat with Korrigan on his back.

Later, Mordecai and Halfbie spot a magically infused rat running past them. Mordecai sarcastically asks if they should chase after the rat, which seems essential. Halfbie says why not and starts chasing the rat. When Korrigan shouts to follow the rat from across the field, Mordecai is about to protest. Mordecai makes a chase and manages to catch the rat. They explain that if they keep the rat, they can use it like a compass, so no one has to keep running like an idiot.

The rat soon led them to Nakatoro. The square looked familiar to the one Drache saw in his dream. However, the streets were deserted, and it was eerily quiet. In the middle of the square was a large puddle of blood sounded by wrecked and abandoned market stalls. Halfbie walked up to the block and quickly cast a spell on it. While they did this, the rest searched around and found a bits of metal shaving and some loose bits of straw from Emmeline 's hat.

Once Halfbie 's spell was done, they stood up and informed them that this was, in fact, blood, but more interestingly, it was a mixture of five different people's blood as well as some machine oil like the stuff Bruce used. They next decided to ask around and see if any locals knew anything. They eventually found an old man in a nearby house who explained that a bunch of Fruit Cutters were harassing people and trying to steal money from the people in the market when suddenly two Ronin Jumped to stop them. Both wore heavy clocks and hats so none could see who they were.

Mordecai pointed out to Korrigan that they said The fruit Cutters weren't good. The old man interjected, saying that not all of them are bad; some towns have really good people, but others, like the ones in Yokotori, weren't the nicest. When asked, the old man had no idea where they were; they seemed to disappear just as fast as they appeared. Allegedly, their husband swore they vanished in a flash of purple. They thanked the man for his help; he told them to ensure the two were okay, as it looked like they had been beaten badly in the fight.

Once out of earshot, Mordecai exclaimed the flash of purple had to Xekai. Drache sat down, confused as to why she would be working with Xekai; he understood her standing up to people but not with the Auditors. Before doing anything rash, halfbie suggested they write Emmaline's name in the book of Fortten Truths and see if the book's random fact would be useful. They agree, and the book simply informs them that she used to work at The Emerald Fort. Korrigan salaciously says well done. Halfbie says they learned something new even though it wasn't helpful in their search.

Korrigan summoned a new totem spirit; this time, it looked like a lynx and seemed to help sharpen their vision. With this enhanced sight, they could easily track down some magical residue that matched that of Xekai 's portals. They also quickly found a building that contained the bodies of 3 dead Fruit Cutters. However, just because her foes were dead doesn't mean she was okay, reasoned Mordecai.

Halfbie took a seat and began to think; Mordecai half-sarcastically laughed at what the wise man was feeling and told him to be quiet. Halfbie opened their eyes and said that because they couldn't figure out where the portal went, it must mean it took Emmaline somewhere not in their realm. They then began to examine the magical residue more and to try and learn which realm she went to.

As they did so, a golden feeling began to gnaw at the back of their head. They instantly accepted, and when they opened their eyes, they found themselves in Aeloria 's Library. Aeloria stood before them, and Chenris stood beside her, although he refused to speak when Halfbie said hi.

"oh, well, I guess it's time for our second deal, Halfbie. Well, we've made one before, didn't we?" Aeloria said with a smirk.

Halfbie, a bit confused, said it wasn't really a deal and that they would always be happy to have a friend with them. They both ignored Chenris, who was obviously rolling his eyes. Aeloria explained that that was the deal, but it didn't matter now. Halfbies looked at their hands before exclaiming, "I'm a businessman!!"

"Anyway, I will tell you exactly where Emmeline and who the other Ronin is. Exchange for... I've got to think now... In exchange for knowledge of the lands which you came from."

Halfbie soon accepted the deal as it would mean they could have more adventures later. They took their hands on it, and when Halfbie next opened their eyes, they were back in the real world. They stood up, exclaiming they knew where Emmeline was. They explained that Emmeline had been taken to Eldros but did not explain where they got this knowledge. The rest, assuming halfbie figured it out from the magic, accepted the explanation but wondered why Xekai would have something to do with the Gods as an Auditor.

With little else that could be done, halfbie shouted for Xekai and instantly, a purple portal opened in front of them, closing before they could see inside. Standing there, he said, "You called?"

"Hey Xekai. How are you? Emmeline. We're worried about Emmeline." said Korrigan.

"Oh hey, I'm good, thanks. Emmeline is fine," said Xekai matter-of-factly as Drache sighed in relief.

Xekai reassured him she was fine and safe, although she was dizzy. Mordecai inquired about Emmeline 's whereabouts, while Korrigan and Halfbie shared their lack of interest in journeying to Eldro's realm. Halfbie mentions having strange dreams involving old loved ones, prompting a question about Jessamine and Sylva Riverstone, but Xekai admits to not knowing who they are. Xekai explained that this sounded like Somnora and cautioned that she often likes to play with people.

Halfbie then asked why he had saved Emmaline. Xekai cut them off, explaining that that was the right question. The correct one is, 'Why did Emmeline need saving?' He answered his question, "Because she was very injured, and I have a responsibility."

Xekai refused to elaborate on this responsibility, saying it was a pact he had signed long ago. When Korrigan asked, "Xekai, how can we help you?" He simply said they just need to continue doing what they've been doing already but to please pick up the pace. He then confirmed that going on their way to Lost Haven was the correct way to go. They all promised to try to speed up what they were doing.

"Yeah, we thought we would have a look at The Wall. Do you know the Tour de Ashen? I assume you do." said Halbie

"Yes, you're going down to the Wall, and then you're going to go up, and then you're probably going to see Oceanvale. And then you're going to go towards Lost Haven, and then there will be a whole debacle." said Xekai dismissively.

"Why is there going to be a debacle there?" asked Korrigan

"Spoilers" replied Xekai

"I need to kill someone apparently," said Korrigan, anxious to know why.

"Well, you're going to kill many people between now and then," said Xekai matter-of-factly. As I said, it was merely a duty rather than a kindness. Emmaline is very busy and says she misses you, but she knows what she's doing is worth it."

"Could you be able to let us know when Emmaline is up in our world?" asked Korrigan

"Oh, they'll be back plenty. I'm sure you'll meet with them. In fact, yes, you're scheduled to meet with them at some point soon," said Xekai, checking the back of his hand as she said, "Right, I'll go back to what I was doing, and you guys can continue on."

He then quickly opens a portal and steps through it. Before the portal closed, Korrigan was able to get a good glimpse inside, seeing the lush fields of wheat associated with Eldros. Halfbie suggested they all get some rest as it was getting into the evening now; Korrigan tried to suggest they didn't know and should continue to the Wall but soon gave up when everyone pointed out how exhausted he was. They all go to the Adventures Guild and sleep the night away.

During the night, all of them but Drache had strange dreams again. Mordecai dreamt of his young brother enlisting with the fruit cutters. Halfbie Dreamt of Jessamine again; this time, she tended to her chickens, and beasts could be heard growling in the background. Korrigan dreamt of the wolves eating the person again. However, this time, he noticed that the person was tiefling.

They all awoke the next morning. Korrigan awoke with a yelp and began rocking, worrying that the tiefling looked alarmingly like Mordecai. Drache sat up, confused, as he had no dreams that night. They all explained their dreams and how they all seemed to have more details this time. Korrigan assumed that because drachms appeared to happen the day off, they couldn't rule out the possibility of this event happening soon. He joked and suggested they wait to see how long it takes for Mordecai 's brother to come to kill them. With a glare from Mordecai, they all stopped their laughter and got ready for the day.

Soon, they were on the road. Along the way, Korrigan asked, " Say, Chenris. Are you looking forward to seeing the Wall?" When Halfbie didn't reply, he said, "I mean, Halfbie, are you looking forward to seeing the wall?" Halfbie excitedly exclaimed that they had heard so much about the Wall and wanted to see it for ages. Before asking if anyone knew what it was there for, Korrigan exclaimed that the Wall separates The Desert from the Verdant Peninsula. Halfbie was enamoured with the idea and was excited to see a wall that was so big and important, but found it weird that none of them had seen it before as it was so important. Mordecai chalked it up to them getting distracted so easily.

As they walked on, the maple forest dissipated, turning into a wide-open field. Carrying on, there were loads and loads of soldiers dressed in pure silvery metal, which shimmered in the light. Cresting a hill, they were confronted with the monolith, which was the Wall. Standing at over 50 tall and stretching past the horizon on either end. Every 100 meters was a guard tower with more guards standing watch in pairs. Getting closer, they felt over 20 eyes fall on them as the guards examined them from their posts. Due to the helmets, it was impossible to see their eyes, but from a brief glimpse, the party spotted the tell-tail signs of different races and saw at least 30 other species standing as guards. The Wall was made of the same stone as the nearby mountains.

Carrying on, they walked alongside The Great Wall, constantly feeling the many gazes watch them suspiciously. Came to a space in the Wall that had to make room for a huge castle gate guarded by 100s of guards. Off to the side, they saw a small door, which they assumed was an information office. Approaching, none of the guards reacted, and halfbie knocked on the open door, and they were invited in. A guard inside extended an arm silently, gesturing them to the Clerk's desk.

At the desk, the Clerk could be found writing some in a long and old scroll. He looked up briefly to ask if he could help them before returning to his scroll.

"We just want to find out some information about the wall, about who fortifies this, and who keeps this running, " said Drache confidently.

The Clerk simply stated that it was run by the Wall's clerks and guards. The Wall acted as its own entity and did not get involved with politics. Mordecai asked why it was so important to keep the Wall functioning. The Clerk snorted before explaining, "Well, it stops other nations from invading the Verdant Peninsula. If the first Sundering happened again, it would hopefully delay that as well. We won't be able to stop it, but we can delay it for about 10 years."

Halfbie asked who the lead/ coordinator was for all of this. The Clerk explained that there was no lead and that the Wall acted as more of a collective than anything. The Clerk lamented that people used to volunteer for the watch, but that isn't so common when halfbie asked if this was a paid job. Halfbie asked how there were so many guards if they weren't being paid to be there, and the Clerk just said, "They're bound here."

"Magically?" questioned Halfbie.

"Sure," said the Clerk coldly

"Are these the same guards or these people that have just kind of been taken in?" asked Halfbie, their voice tight with concern.

"These are the same guards that were here the day the wall was constructed, yes." said the Clerk cooly

Korrigan then asked when the Wall had been constructed, and the Clerk explained it was built very soon after the Sundering. It's half-baked weird how the guards could've been around for so long if they weren't all Elves.

"Lets just say the armour helps with that issue." said the Clerk

Mordecai and Halfbie looked to the guards and, now that they were closer, felt an ominous presence coming from them. Halfbie examined closer and realised that the Armour didn't seem to have the wear's best interests in mind.

Drache, unaware of this, asked if it was possible to cross into the desert from there. The Clerk confirmed it was possible but wasn't recommended, especially as they wouldn't be able to get back in this and would have to go through Lost Haven or similar routes.

Trivia & Notes