🕳️ Descent into the Tunnels#
The session begins where the last left off: the party is led by Roscoe into a hidden series of tunnels beneath the town—once used to smuggle pilgrims of Tyr toward the mountain pass. They arrive at a meadery and dining hall where Roscoe cryptically offers to share “all of his secrets” if the party will drink his specially made Everclear: a magically potent potato alcohol distilled to purity. Before they can fully orient themselves, Roscoe sends Red a telepathic message asking, “Do you trust your compatriots?”
The message throws Red into confusion. Speaking aloud, he unsettles the group, who believe he may be hearing voices again. Silas connects himself, Red, and Bru into a psychic mind link to investigate further. Red continues to think out loud, and the group debates whether he’s genuinely dimwitted or just unfiltered. This initiates a series of multi-layered conversations—some aloud, some telepathic, some psychic side-chats—that begins to unravel the social trust and mystery around Roscoe’s true nature.
🧪 The Everclear Test#
Roscoe clarifies that the psychic message was from him, but takes great delight in misleading the party. He offers to reveal the truth about Red’s past—but only if they all drink with him. What follows is a half-hour-long peer-pressure sequence in which each party member reluctantly takes shots of Roscoe’s Everclear.
- Bru demands the alcohol be “brown” and attempts to add dirt. Roscoe fiercely objects to “tainting” his purity. Bru finally drinks the clear liquor and secretly pours dirt into his mouth mid-sip, proudly proclaiming “It was brown in my mouth.”
- Silas, skeptical and unimpressed, drinks without fanfare and remains steady.
- Helisanna drinks and holds her own despite the alcohol’s nearly caustic potency.
- Red, who is canonically not a drinker, is caught in a vortex of social pressure, shame, and curiosity. After being peer pressured from every direction, he drinks—with dirt added mid-sip—and is immediately inebriated but jovial.
- Elspeth and Olivia offer dry commentary, with Olivia eventually healing Red post-binge with Lesser Restoration.
📖 Red’s True Identity Revealed#
Once Red drinks, Roscoe gives him a journal belonging to his mother, Marion Cross. The journal, which Red reads aloud to himself while crying in the tunnels beneath his childhood home, reveals staggering truths:
- Red is adopted, which most of the party already suspected.
- His real name is Thurnok Skyhammer, and he is a Goliath prince from the Skyhammer clan.
- His parents were not random pilgrims—they were placed in hiding by the Twilight Company to protect Red from the Eldoran Empire.
- The Crosses raised him in secret and were likely murdered, not taken by illness as the town claimed.
The emotional weight of the journal devastates Red, who is wrestling with revelations about his identity, lineage, and the loss of his adoptive family. He remains in a dissociative daze, eventually retreating into his childhood room—which has been stripped and desecrated by squatters.
👮 Interrogation of the Intruders#
While Red reads and processes his identity crisis, the rest of the party turns their attention to the two interlopers who have taken over his family home: Ophelia (an elven woman) and Doc (an orc male). After incapacitating them in a surprise attack, the party handcuffs the duo, ties them to chairs, and begins an extended interrogation.
- Olivia takes the lead, using her former detective persona to extract truths.
- Silas summons his psychic daggers and threatens to implant their worst memories in their minds—a dark and unsettling turn that proves effective.
- The captives reveal that the town has fallen under control of the Milstrom Party, a cult-like communist faction led by a mysterious figure known as Red Lennon.
- They admit that monthly sacrifices are made at an old druidic shrine in the forest to “keep Red Lennon happy.”
- Red Lennon’s power appears supernatural—capable of cursing the town if not appeased.
- The shrine is believed to be connected to a portal, and only those with red armbands (like the captives) are allowed to witness the rituals.
Once they extract all they can, the party knocks the two out again and—fully in line with their chaotic alignment—throws the captives, still in their chairs, into the Bag of Holding.
🐺 Attack of the Wolves#
The moment of catharsis is shattered by sounds of screaming and chaos outside. Wolves—massive, intelligent, and terrifying—have descended upon the town. Roscoe warns the group with his usual ambiguous flair, but the danger is immediate.
The party emerges from the tunnel into the basement of the Common Mug inn, shoving through a barricade to find townsfolk in full panic. Five wolves are actively assaulting townspeople and attempting to break into the inn. In the chaos, Red spots a massive dire wolf dragging a screaming woman (Magnolia Redguard) into the woods.
⚔️ The Battle in the Streets#
The group launches into an intense urban skirmish:
- Helisanna draws her axe (her Pact Weapon) and cleaves wolves down in close combat.
- Bru unleashes a Thunderwave spell, blasting wolves back and doing significant area damage.
- Silas uses psychic daggers to devastating effect, using sneak attacks and stealth to outmaneuver foes.
- Olivia engages with her divine smite and battle axe, applying pressure to the strongest wolves.
- Elspeth and BoxBox coordinate ranged and melee strikes to great effect, wounding multiple wolves at once.
- Red uses Balm of Peace and healing magic to keep the party alive while also psychically spiraling from the revelations of his parentage and the sound of Magnolia’s screams fading into silence.
After the brutal brawl, the wolves retreat—but not before leaving behind wounded townsfolk and a shaken party. Red is left grappling with the knowledge that Magnolia, who supposedly witnessed his parents’ murder, may now be dead or worse.
🧠 Character Arcs & Emotional Shifts#
- Red / Thurnok Skyhammer: Moves from naïve foundling to a potentially displaced prince with a traumatic past and dangerous destiny.
- Roscoe: Grows even more enigmatic. His combination of cryptic wisdom, drunken philosophical waxing, and unsettling honesty keeps the party on edge. He seems deeply invested in Red’s awakening.
- Silas: Leans further into his morally grey persona, using psychic threats and back-alley tactics for results. He becomes Red’s unspoken guardian as things unravel.
- Helisanna: Balances chaotic humor with raw power, revealing her musical and magical fury in equal measure.
- Olivia: Anchors the team with lawful conviction, but begins to blur lines with her intimidating methods.
- Elspeth: Keeps calm and focused, contributing significantly to the battle and showing her capability as a reliable support and damage dealer.
- Bru: Continues to play the wildcard—blending bombs, humor, and a taste for destruction while subtly showing care for Red and the group.
🧩 Loose Threads#
- Magnolia Redguard has been dragged away by wolves. Her fate is unknown. She may be the only person who witnessed Red’s parents’ death.
- Willemay, the dissenting voice in town, is still scheduled for execution within a few hours.
- Red Lennon’s role as both political leader and magical threat has yet to be addressed.
- The Druidic Shrine—long known to be a place of power—is possibly a portal, a blight source, and the focal point of the cult’s activities.
- Roscoe’s nature remains suspicious. He may be a warforged Peaceforged soldier, once part of a psychic hive-mind led by a being named SHIELD.
📜 Memorable Quotes#
“It was brown in my mouth.” – Bru, after spiking his Everclear with dirt
“You know, Roscoe, I don’t really drink…” – Red, just before spiraling into identity collapse
“I am a liar. And I can also be a hypocrite.” – Roscoe
“You’re giving me mildly autistic vibes in a creepy way.” – Olivia, to Roscoe
“Roscoe’s Everclear: You Only Live Once.” – Roscoe, marketing his drink
“Everything about Red’s life is a lie.” – Roscoe
🏁 Session End#
The wolves are driven off. The townspeople cheer the party’s heroism, but the weight of what was uncovered still hangs heavy:
- Red has a new name, a forgotten kingdom, and a lost inheritance.
- A friend who could shed light on his parents may be dead.
- A sacrificial cult runs the town.
- And time is running out before Willemay is executed.
The party stands at a crossroads, caught between heroism, revenge, and revolution.
Next stop: the shrine—and maybe Red Lennon.