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38: The Road to Greyport

🎧 Podcast Link • January 9, 2026

Morning in High Forge​

The session opens several weeks after Helja's death and the restructuring of High Forge. The party has been enjoying the peace and stability, with Chalk Rock leading the city alongside Grimjaw. The newly confident Chalk Rock has been working out with Olivia daily, developing impressive gains and newfound swagger.

At Bernardo's Pizza Shop: Leliana and Ohma attend a morning pizza-making class with Bernardo, who continues teaching the art of pizza craftsmanship. Chalk Rock stops by to order pizza for "the boys" at the police office, showing off his muscular physique and confident demeanor. The party notices that he's been transformed from the anxious detective they once knew.

The Tonya Workshop: Across from the pizza shop, a new workshop opens displaying the symbol of Tonya—a silver wrench against a green explosion background. This appears to be related to the god of invention and craft.

Investigating Helja's Apartment​

Bru and Silas decide to investigate Helja's former apartment, seeking information about the dragon orb and any other secrets she might have hidden. The apartment is in the upper-class district of High Forge.

Breaking In:

  • Silas successfully picks the lock while Bru keeps watch
  • The apartment is surprisingly empty and basic for someone of Helja's status
  • A single bedroom with minimal furnishings
  • Shelves containing numerous journals organized by year

The Journals:

  • Helja meticulously documented her activities in yearly journals
  • Silas finds the journal from the year the Sisyphus Circle (his old crew) was destroyed
  • The journal reveals Helja's complicated relationship with her mother, who pressured her to obtain the dragon orb
  • Key entry: "I must have the orb. My mother said it would be the only way we were respected. But mother, there are other ways to gain respect. But this last thing I will do, not because you deserve it, but because I do."
  • The journal describes the job Helja gave to the Sisyphus Circle crew
  • She notes that while Bartholomew (the crew member who betrayed them) appeared to have stolen the orb, the Guild of the Scaled Paw (a dragon hunting society) may have been involved
  • Helja was never able to confirm what happened to the actual orb

The Discovery:

  • Silas realizes the Guild of the Scaled Paw—the same organization that tried to stop them from stealing the orb in the first place—might still be searching for it
  • This creates urgency: if competent dragon hunters start investigating, they might find Sander (the crew member who secretly kept the orb)
  • The party needs to reach Greyport quickly to perform the ritual on the orb

Unwanted Resident:

  • A man named Jonathan has been using the apartment (given access by a friend named Trevor who had connections to Helja)
  • Jonathan is preparing a romantic dinner for his girlfriend Jessica (the guards from the bank heist)
  • Silas and Bru (who went invisible on the ceiling) interrupt his cooking
  • After some awkward conversation (and Silas stealing pasta ingredients), they let Jonathan continue his date
  • The tracking poison Silas had been afflicted with earlier is extracted and disposed of in the sewers

Family Brunch and Planning​

Saturday Morning Gathering: The party meets for their regular family brunch at the Vroomfall to discuss their plans.

Scarlet's Request: Scarlet confirms that the reality stones from the Goliath village would be essential for completing the pocket village (Stellaro) project. She needs them to stabilize the internal dimensional space.

Multiple Objectives Converge:

  • Bru and Silas need to go to Greyport to find their potentially-alive crew member and deal with the dragon orb
  • Ohma and Lakitu have been researching where the moon goddess fell—turns out it's just off the coast of Greyport
  • The party needs to retrieve reality stones from the Goliath village, which is somewhat on the way
  • Elspeth wants to return to Greyport to deal with the people who sabotaged her racing career

Party Dynamics:

  • Silas uses psychic phone to discuss his concerns about Scarlet potentially building dangerous inventions (referencing an alternate Scarlet who created a "time gun" that destroyed a universe)
  • The party agrees to keep Scarlet focused on existing projects rather than letting her start new experimental work
  • Pepsi (the baby dragon) has been successfully trained "How to Train Your Dragon" style and can now ride on the Bugatti
  • Kevin (Bru's steel defender) continues to be playful, jumping on the table with Pepsi chasing him

Route Planning: They decide to:

  1. Travel to Redbrook (the thriving refugee town)
  2. Continue to the Goliath village to retrieve reality stones
  3. Head to Greyport for multiple objectives
  4. Investigate the moon goddess's location off the coast

Journey to the Goliath Village​

Through Redbrook: The party passes through Redbrook, which has grown into a proper market town serving as a nexus between High Forge, the farms, and the mountain pass. The F-150 truck stays in High Forge with Chalk Rock (much to Olivia's dismay, as he keeps dinging it), so the party travels in the Vroomfall and Bugatti.

Arrival at the Village: The party reaches the Goliath village at the mountain peak where they previously participated in the Krag Tul (trials of strength).

Changes to the Village:

  • Many of the structures are being torn down
  • A mysterious cube-shaped device (oven-sized) is being used to process materials
  • Two operators work the machine: one feeds materials (boulders, lumber) into it while another works at a control terminal
  • The machine has a dangerous exhaust that radiates intense heat
  • The machine appears to be some kind of matter conversion or transportation device

Investigation:

  • Silas sneaks close to observe the machine
  • He notes the operators wear protective gear when working near it
  • The machine seems to be converting or transporting the village materials somewhere
  • The energy output is significant enough to be scalding hot from several feet away

Retrieving the Reality Stones​

The Heist: The party coordinates a plan to obtain the reality stones while dealing with the machine operators.

Execution:

  • Leliana casts invisibility on Elspeth to get her in position
  • Silas teleports to the control terminal operator and successfully pants him (sleight of hand check: 27)
  • The embarrassed operator takes a moment to realize his predicament in the cold mountain wind
  • Kevin throws a bomb at the machine's exhaust as a distraction
  • Elspeth uses her psychic shove to push the worker feeding materials into the machine's entrance
  • The worker is transported/converted through the cube device
  • Ohma stands ready as backup to physically push if needed

Consequences:

  • The machine operator is sent through the device (unclear where he ends up)
  • The party successfully accesses the reality stones without further confrontation
  • They retrieve the stones needed for Scarlet's pocket village project
  • The exact nature and purpose of the cube machine remains mysterious

Arrival in Greyport​

The Journey Continues: After securing the reality stones, the party descends from the mountains and continues east toward Greyport.

First Impressions: As they approach the city, each party member notes changes since the last campaign:

Tyram's Observation: The party sees statues erected over the main city gate depicting the heroes from the previous campaign (the Steve Squad):

  • A water genasi
  • A dwarf with a prosthetic arm
  • A warforged with a Daft Punk mask
  • Two gnomes (forest and stone)
  • A human cowboy
  • Steve (a dire wolf) - disproportionately large and wearing sunglasses in a central leadership position

Bru's Observation: Dane's small petting zoo has expanded dramatically into a full San Diego Zoo-style attraction with sanctuaries for rare species. Long lines of families with strollers wait to enter, with sounds of exotic creatures echoing from within.

Elspeth's Observation: Construction on the future Kenny G Museum (Lenny T Museum) - renovating an old opera house into a performance venue and memorial for the famous bard from the previous campaign.

Leliana's Observation: The Caspian Center (named for the previous campaign's character) has grown into a full religious campus dedicated to the Winter King. The quad features:

  • A statue of the Winter King
  • Beautiful buildings including a chapel and humanities center
  • Students in distinctive blue mesh robes (fashionable and somewhat revealing)
  • A pizza place on campus filled with the attractive students

Ohma's Observation: He notices the distinct lack of crowds in most areas of the city, making the gathered community at the Caspian Center campus stand out. The smell of pizza fills the air, giving him comfort that he won't go without his new favorite food.

Cultural Changes:

  • Greyport remains the capital of the Free Republic resisting the Eldoran Empire
  • The city has become more gentrified, especially around the religious campus area
  • The aesthetic has evolved beyond steampunk into what Christopher describes as "disco punk" (70s sci-fi tech aesthetic like Star Wars)

Information Gathering​

Moon Goddess Research: Through conversations with locals at Redbrook and along the road, Ohma gathered information about the fallen moon:

  • Witnesses saw it crash off the coast near Greyport
  • The impact created a huge explosion but the water is fairly shallow there
  • Visitors sometimes travel to the crash site
  • The goddess has reportedly taken a human form, appearing like a fallen angel
  • She can be seen at the site off the coast
  • There's a small island nearby known for coral reefs
  • The party can rent a boat from Greyport to investigate

Character Moments​

Chalk Rock's Transformation: The once-anxious detective has become a confident leader through Olivia's mentorship and physical training. His new swagger and muscle definition represent his growth into his leadership role in High Forge.

Bru's Schemes: The goblin continues his chaotic energy, from ceiling-based apartment infiltration to bombing exhaust ports. His partnership with Silas shows their growing trust and ability to work together on elaborate plans.

Silas's Investigation: His search through Helja's journals reveals a more complex picture of their antagonist—a woman trying to earn respect and distance herself from her mother's shadow while still fulfilling final obligations.

Elspeth's Vengeance: The paladin's desire to confront those who wronged her in her racing career shows her more personal motivations beyond pure righteousness. Her mental shove ability proves extremely effective in combat situations.

Ohma's Priorities: The monk's relief at finding pizza in Greyport demonstrates how quickly he's adopted this new culinary obsession. His research into the moon goddess shows his continued connection to spiritual matters.

Leliana's Support: The bard's invisibility spell proves crucial for stealth operations, and she continues to integrate well with the party despite being the newest member (replacing Helisanna).

Scarlet's Dedication: Her continued work on the pocket village project shows her commitment, though the party worries about keeping her focused on safe inventions rather than universe-destroying experiments.

Key Information Learned​

The Guild of the Scaled Paw: A dragon hunting society that may still be searching for the orb. Their competence poses a threat to Sander if they investigate thoroughly.

Helja's Mother: The real power behind Helja's actions, though now presumably without her daughter's support in High Forge.

The Reality Stones: Successfully obtained for the pocket village project, representing significant progress toward completion.

The Cube Machine: A mysterious device being used to process/transport materials from the Goliath village. Its purpose and destination remain unknown.

Moon Goddess Location: Confirmed to be off the coast of Greyport in relatively shallow water, accessible by boat.

Greyport's Evolution: The city has grown and changed significantly since the previous campaign, with new monuments, institutions, and cultural developments.

Unresolved Threads​

  • What happened to Sander and does he still have the dragon orb?
  • Will the Guild of the Scaled Paw find Sander first?
  • What ritual must be performed on the dragon orb in Greyport?
  • What is the cube machine's purpose and where did the pushed worker end up?
  • Can Elspeth get revenge on those who sabotaged her racing career?
  • What form has the moon goddess taken and can she be communicated with?
  • How will the party balance their multiple objectives in Greyport?
  • Where is Olivia and what countryside business called her away?
  • What happened to Helisanna in the depths of High Forge?

The session ends with the party entering Greyport, ready to pursue their various objectives in the familiar-yet-changed city. The convergence of multiple plot threads—the dragon orb, the moon goddess, Elspeth's past, and Silas and Bru's lost crew—promises significant developments in future sessions.