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Ashes Session 14

Dates

  • Real World: 2026-08-12
  • In-Game: Ninth-Eleventh Day, 19th-21st Firemoot, 1137 AoD

Player Characters

Experience

  • Venathrax, 2334 + 842 = 3176
  • Anchor, 2691 + 842 = 3533
  • Kanaeda, 2691 + 842 = 3533
  • Corq, 2694 + 842 = 3536
  • Pethi, 2691 + 842 = 3533
  • Wrenn, 2691 + 842 = 3533
  • Xam, 2934 + 842 = 3776

Level 5: 6,500 XP

Session Notes

The Guardian in the Darkness

Ninth Day, 19th Firemoot, 1137 AoD
The cracking of ancient stone echoed from within the sphere of magical darkness.

Wrenn and Vash called out, asking who was there.

The answer came in the form of a massive mace.

The deva Ilyrane emerged from the darkness, speaking in a language the party could not understand, and struck Wrenn with terrible force. Wrenn collapsed unconscious. Ilyrane then burst farther out of the darkness and struck Venathrax as well, knocking him unconscious.

The party immediately tried to de-escalate.

Corq pleaded with the deva. Anchor called out that they had come seeking help and begged her not to attack. Pethi held her ground and tried to avoid making the situation worse. Even 317 Unbroken Dawn attempted to convince Ilyrane that the party was not a threat.

Ilyrane did not understand.

Or perhaps she could not.

To her, the party were defilers in a sacred place.

Pleas and Violence

Vash rushed to Wrenn and healed her, asking why Ilyrane was killing innocents. Corq continued pleading, explaining that people above were suffering nightmares, hopelessness, and even death because of what was emanating from this place.

Xam, who had remained outside with the weapons, entered the chamber carrying the blades the others had left behind. He took a shot at Ilyrane, drawing her attention.

Ilyrane struck Anchor with enough force to knock him unconscious, then turned on Pethi. Venathrax, newly revived, crawled to Anchor and poured a potion down his throat before disengaging and dragging himself away. Pethi again tried to persuade the deva to stop.

The situation only worsened.

Wrenn healed herself, drawing Ilyrane's attention. Xam, overwhelmed by the hopelessness pressing down on him, declared that he had come to save the town, but this was not worth dying for. He disengaged and ran.

Ilyrane saw that he had a weapon.

She flew after him, grappled him, and dragged him underwater.

The Lady's Chair

While the others continued trying to reason with Ilyrane, Wrenn entered the darkness.

Blind within the magical sphere, she fumbled her way up the stairs and found the chair where the Lady sat. Her hand touched the body.

Then Wrenn was somewhere else.

She was home.

At dinner.

Surrounded by family and loved ones long gone.

For one brief moment, her deepest wish seemed real.

Then it faded.

The vision crumbled and burned away, taking everything she had ever wanted with it.

Overwhelmed by grief, rage, and despair, Wrenn released a Thunderwave into the darkness.

Wrenn's Death

The pleas continued.

Vash begged Ilyrane to release Xam. Corq studied the barrier holding 317 Unbroken Dawn and realized that Dispel Magic might be able to break it. Xam struggled to escape the water.

Then Ilyrane let Xam go.

She flew back into the darkness at full speed.

Her command was clear:

"Get away from the Lady."

Ilyrane struck Wrenn again and again with her mace.

Wrenn died where she stood.

The chamber fell into horror.

Venathrax, able to see through the darkness, shouted at Ilyrane that she had killed Wrenn, that they had come seeking help, and that she had murdered someone who meant no harm. Pethi dropped to a knee and pleaded for Ilyrane to spare the rest of them.

Vash could only ask why Ilyrane had not dropped her mace before killing their friend.

Corq, stunned, faltered when he realized Wrenn was dead.

Xam pulled himself out of the water and kept his distance.

The Truth Remembered

Something finally reached Ilyrane.

Whether it was the party's pleas, 317 Unbroken Dawn's words, or the undeniable reality of what she had done, the deva began to remember.

She carried Wrenn's body out of the darkness and placed her at the party's feet. The shimmering barrier imprisoning 317 Unbroken Dawn fell, and the archon flew into the darkness to speak quietly with Ilyrane.

For a time, the party waited.

When 317 Unbroken Dawn emerged, it explained that Ilyrane had accepted the truth.

The Lady was dead.

The denial that had ruled this place for more than a thousand years had finally broken.

The Lady of Hope

The party learned the truth of the chamber beneath the sad tree.

The Lady was the Goddess of Hope.

She had been killed by the titan Magmokar long before mortal history truly began. Ilyrane and the archons had been commanded to protect her body by the Unbroken Wing, ancient divine authorities from before the known history of the mortal races.

The celestials knew nothing of Agrovionimb.

They knew nothing of the modern mortal races.

They knew nothing of Demon’s Run, the Fall, or the world above.

All of that had come later.

For all this time, Ilyrane had remained at her post. But grief had hollowed her out. The archons had lost their clarity. The tomb had become a place of denial, and the corpse of the Goddess of Hope had become the source of the despair spreading into the world above.

Wrenn Restored

Ilyrane stepped from the darkness and placed a diamond on Wrenn's forehead.

Then she raised her mace and struck the gem.

Divine power surged through Wrenn's body.

Wrenn returned from death.

The party then explained the full danger to Ilyrane. The despair was not confined to the chamber. It had begun to spread into Agrovionimb, affecting children, dreams, faith, and the hope of the city itself.

Ilyrane could remove the individual despair clinging to the party, but the greater problem remained.

The body of the Goddess of Hope could not be moved by her.

It would need to be collected by a higher power.

Until then, the melancholy would continue to spread.

Ilyrane instructed the archons to remain vigilant and agreed to travel with the party to the surface so that they could seek a solution together.

Return to Agrovionimb

Two days passed.
Eleventh Day, 21st Firemoot, 1137 AoD

Runners were sent ahead from the swamp, and a wagon was dispatched to bring the party back.

The group returned to Agrovionimb and entered the Council chamber to answer questions about what they had found beneath the sad tree.

NPCs Interacted With

Note Taker's Recap

From the sphere of darkness the creaking of stone echos through the room, shouts of who is there come from Wrenn and Vash. Their question is answered with the swinging of a large mace knocking Wrenn unconscious as the Deva Ilyrane steps out of the void. Pleads of we come peacefully come from the party, we are unarmed, we are here to seek help. Even the Archon helps try to convince the Deva there is no need for violence.

The deva moves from what it believes are threats to threats, knocking each of the party members unconscious as she goes. Lingering in the hall, Xam arrives with arms full of weapons that were left outside the room. He takes a bow shot at the deva and quickly draws her attention away from the others and quickly bolts away, but not fast enough as she grapples and pins him underwater.

Wrenn enters the darkness, fumbling up the stairs and finding the chair in which the goddess of hope sat. Her hand touches the body and her consciousness is elsewhere, back at home, dinner with family and loved ones long gone, her wildest fantasy come true... until it fades and burns away, taking all that she ever wanted away. Distraught with anger and sadness, all is hopeless, she bursts forth the energy of a thunderous wave. The pleas of remorse and forgiveness continue to echo through the room, but the Deva flies at her greatest speed to protect "The Lady," swinging her mace over and over, killing Wrenn where she stood.

Whether our pleas finally got through or the deva finally realized the death of the goddess had happened, she begins to remember, and the denial of her Lady's death takes hold. 317 Unbroken Dawn is released from its prison and speaks quietly to Ilyrane in the darkness. Eventually, the celestial beings emerge from the darkness; they know nothing of our races or worlds; they predate its history. The celestial construct translates the party’s grievances with the death of Wren and the growing destruction of the society above from the grouping hopelessness this crypt is emitting. The Deva removes our individual hopelessness, but the greater issue is the corpse of the goddess; that is what is the root of the melancholy, and she cannot be moved. She must be collected by a higher power.

The Deva is able to raise Wrenn back from the dead and agrees to travel with us so we can find a solution to everyone’s problems.

Notes

  • 2026-08-12
  • Ninth Day, 19th Firemoot 1137 AoD, 7:46

NPCs Interacted With

  • Archon 317 unbrokenDawn
  • Deva Ilyrane

Round 1

  • Wrenn investigates the stone creaking sound from the sphere. "Is there anyone in there?"
  • Vash "whats that sound"
  • Corq pleads
  • Xam 155 Desk Herald
  • Ilyrane a voice of non understanding speaks (defiler) and steps out of the darkness swinging a mace (hit 26 dmg) wrenn is unconscious. then bursts out of the darkness and swings and venathrax (hit 34 dmg) unconscious
  • Anchor "we are here for your help, please dont attack"
  • Venathrax DS save.
  • Pethi just stands there and readies an attack

Round 2

  • Wrenn DS fail
  • Vash runs to wrenn, trigging a swing from the deva as he runs by (misses)
  • Corq presaudes her to stop, and pours a potion of healing
  • Xam grabs all the weapons and runs into the room
  • Ilyrane swings the mace at anchor, crit for 51 (unconisioness) swings at pethi (miss)
  • Anchor DS fail
  • Venathrax awake and on the ground, pours a potion down anchor's throat. disengages and crawls 15' away
  • Pethi tries to prusade

Round 3

  • Wrenn DS succeed
  • Vash pours potion down wrenns throat, "why are you killing innoccents?"
  • Corq continues to plead, people are having nightmares, takign their own lives, hopeless
  • Xam steady aim, misses
  • Ilyrane runs at xam who shot at her, anchor and pethi both grapple her as she runs towards xam.
  • Anchor DS fail
  • Venathrax casts sleep on the deva
  • Pethi pleads

Round 4

  • Wrenn casts cure wounds, the deva's head swings towards wrenn, in curiosity, she approaches the deva and insult her
  • Vash pleads again to
  • Corq helps anchor try to stand
  • Xam "this is hopeless, i came to save the town but this isnt worth dying for" disengages and dishes.
  • Ilyrane "that one has a weapon" flys and grapples xam, then drags him under water with one hand.
  • 317unbrokenDawn pleads to the deva, and she finally seems to be syncing in.
  • Anchor
  • Venathrax casts false life
  • Pethi gets up on her knees persuades "there are those that still wish to have hope, even though we have none" advantage

Round 5

  • Wrenn "she has come home, dinner, rejoicing, then it all fades and crumbles" she casts thunderwave in the darkness (con save 20) 3 pts damage.
  • Vash persuades her to stop drowning Xam
  • Corq inspects the invisible wall, disenchant would work
  • Xam tries to escape
  • Ilyrane she lets go of xam and flies to wrenn 'get away from the lady' and kills wrenn with 2 swings. then walks out of the darkness and drops her mace.
  • 317unbrokenDawn
  • Anchor we are here to seek aid not to continue this.
  • Venathrax could see through darkness, "you killed her! we came here for help and you killed her."
  • Pethi on a knee again "please spare the rest of them"

Round 6

  • Wrenn dead
  • Vash "you couldnt drop your mace before you killed our gnome friend?
  • Corq "dead? she is dead?" ptsd moment to pause
  • Xam picks himself out of the water but keeps his distance
  • Ilyrane walks into the darkness and those out the gnome to the feet of the others, the etherial wall drops from the lantern robot.
  • 317unbrokonDawn flies into the darkness and whispers mumbles low.
  • a min later unbrokenDawn emerges, she has accepted the true that the lady is dead but cant yet speak their language.
  • Venathrax enters the sphere and he gives her a piece of his mind, she throws venthrax him into the water.
  • the Deva steps out of the sphere and places a diamond onto wrenns forehead, and slams her mace into it. and raises dead.
  • its is asked to remove the curse from the world above, "she doesnt know about the outside world it evolved after the death"
  • She cant leave because she was commanded by the unbroken wing.
  • Venathrax talks about the hopelessiness that is spreading from her body.
  • the deva tells the robots to keep vilgent and she will join us to the surface.
  • 2 day timejump

Eleventh Day, 21st Firemoot 1137 AoD, noon

  • runners are sent ahead from the swamp
  • a wagon is sent ahead to pick them up
  • we enter the council chamber for questions.

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