Downtime is over, so it’s time to get back to the action! In one sense, we’re starting a new arc, but in another, we’re moving towards the completion of a larger, overarching storyline.

In these Campaign Diary posts, I talk about the campaign I play in and how our most recent session went!

What’s SBotLL?

SBotLL is the campaign I play in! It’s been running for over three years now. There are two parties: one on the surface and the other in the Underdark. I play on the surface squad as the elf bard Finnith, with my two friends playing the dragonborn rogue Nala and the tiefling ranger Allora.

Recap

Last session, we resolved our downtime actions and had some roleplaying scenes! We gained some more information about various topics through research, and Nala got a prosthetic hand made to replace the one she lost in our conflict with a frost salamander. We also squared away some miscellaneous questions and so on.

During this session…

The party spoke to the Moon’s Eye leader, Mehmen Baasha. We’ve been working with the Moon’s Eye to fight the growing threat of the Coven of Eternal Light. Mehmen asked the party to make contact with the Awoken Flame, a group of tieflings hiding from the Coven, so that they can coordinate with the Moon’s Eye to protect people from the Coven’s coming attack. From the Moon’s Eye’s intel, they know now that the Coven plans to attack in a month and a half, so it’s time to get preparations rolling.

The party agrees and travels slowly, stealthily to the Awoken Flame, to avoid being followed there. The nameless leader of the group is amenable to the plan, and Finnith uses dream so that he and Mehmen can speak to each other. It is agreed that the Moon’s Eye will send a small group to communicate with and coordinate with the Awoken Flame.

Next, Nala wants to track down the frost salamander. The salamander froze her and her belongings in ice, and though the party was able to heal her, all of her equipment is still encased in ice that will not freeze unless the frost salamander wills it.

But Allora wants to stay and get to know the other tieflings in the Awoken Flame better. She hasn’t been able to spend much time with them, and she rarely encounters other tieflings besides herself.

The party’s plan, then, is for Finnith and Nala to go investigate the frost salamander situation, while Allora spends some time with the Awoken Flame.

Vindus, the wind deity, transports Finnith and Nala to the town of Thraden, where Finnith believes a ranger named Grithin lives and might be able to help them find the frost salamander. Finnith had been to Thraden previously, when the party was split up, and had used Vindus’ power to seal away the darkness infesting Thraden’s mine.

Finnith and Nala talk to Radkis Boarsrot, the de facto leader of the town, and he takes them to see Grithin, who lives a little ways outside of Thraden.

Grithin is not terribly keen on visitors and not terribly keen on helping Finnith and Nala track down a frost salamander. Nala and Finnith struggle a bit to figure out what sort of offer to make him. They decide that they’ll get Grithin in contact with Namfoodle Scheppen, an expert craftsperson who can make a variety of magic items, and they’ll foot the bill for whatever he wants made.

And that’s the session!

Ramping up

It seems like we’re building towards a climactic, large-scale battle with the Coven of Eternal Light. We have some time to make preparations, and we’re at 12th/13th level, so we have a lot more resources and abilities at our disposal. This faction has been an antagonist ever since the first sessions of the campaign, so I’m excited to see what happens next!

Thanks for reading!