The ritual requires four things:
A power source (the beast), a control mechanism (the noose), a catalyst (the spear), and a sacrifice (A harbringer, Montauk's Son).
You all find yourself in an inky black void. You feel your body, in contrast to the normal weightlessness of a dream - but you cannot move it. Your eyelids are heavy, your entire body is heavy. Cold wind bites your skin, digging deeper into your bones.
Past your eyelids, a light so bright it hurts even with them closed shines on you. You realize, as the disorientation and sudden influx of sensation fades, that there is a familiar texture around your neck. In fact, it is the only thing keeping you up. Unable to move, your body heavy with a weariness you can hardly fathom, each of you realize that there is a noose around your neck.
Each of you realize that you are hanging.
You feel a familiar Prescence wash over you. Eyes, many eyes, stare into you but with that presence, a relief washes over you. The heaviness subsides ever so slightly and you realize where you all are.
The sun beats down on you. A dead tree, scant remnants of leaves hanging off branches, along with you - you all look around and see each other, noose round your necks, swaying off the branches. And above, all of you see that figure - the one that came to you the night before.
A voice echoes around you.
A ritual true comes in fours: Power (Your vision is overtaken by eyes and feathers, hands without origin trying to reach past a cage). Control (The noose grows tighter around your neck). Catalysis (A spear appears at your breast). Sacrifice (The spear drives itself into your heart).
Seek them out.
Starve the king.
Encounter 0 - The Opening
In the beginning,
There was nothing.
The formless smoke of an endless, empty dream.
The held breath before the word.
It spoke.
It was a lie.
… .
Session 1:
The party was assembled. Last words
Slate
Wix
Soot
Truff
Fritz
They went through the execution. The weasel exploded. The party tried to free themselves. Wix tried to help the weasal that exploded. They came together to help each other, but weren't able to prevent explosion.
Went to the cabin between time. Did not open the door. Was interested. Wix and Soot dodged the tentacles.
Went back. Met up with the bird crow. Fended off the wolves - made the FIRST MOVE and ATTACKED. Killed them pretty well. Bird Crow is the son of an Innkeeper and is taking them to the Inn.
Notes - Truff, Slate, and Wix have very high AC. Thread in some more DC attacks, spell casters. I can safely up the damage and to hit bonuses slightly.
Take care - Fritz and Soot still have lower AC. Need to avoid killing them by accident. However, Fritz is ranged and Soot has second wind + maneuvers.
Wix - "The entity is testing us, measuring us." "Who said we've gotten back." Emphasis: currently being tested for something.
Fritz - "Cretin moon no more howling." Think they're a GUY.
Truff - Guy splodey. Hanged man. Got gear back from scrolls. Thinks we're in a mirror dimension(?)
Slate - Jarrah said they could tank it and then tanked it. Lived, died, lived again. Fought a buncha WOLPS. D9oesn't think he's getting his old job back. Close to tenure. Stuck in a CIVIL WAR.
Soot - Think theres soemthing connecting all of them.
SESSION 2:
The party made their way towards the Inn. On the way there, they tried to gather some clues. They found evidence of a larger creature having attacked - determined by them to be a gila beast, made massive by dark experiments and the 'infection.' Moving on, they were stopped by a small cross fox, who ran around them for a bit. Figuring out that the fox wanted them to go with them, they made their way to STRANGER who was being pushed around by a couple of the cult members. It was at this point, flipy got way too high.
After a bit of a confusing encounter, the cult members were very quickly dispatched and the Stranger got to say a proper hello. After a tense introduction, the Stranger (introducing himself as Monsenior Stranger) gave the party the 'introductory package' - 1 health potion for each of them and a heavily discounted somewhat magical item.
The magic items were:
A so called 'endless' scabbard (in actuality, merely holding 10 swords) for soot.
Wix gets a +1 to their gun damage. Oomfie.
Fritz gets a 1d6 vicious mockery.
Truff gets a whet stone that lets them improve weapons TBD.
Session 3
The party were given a bit of a lay of the land. They now have access to a map! Altus, Velka, and Nami introduced themselves to the party and vice versa. Altus asked them to take on this mission to essentially just get medicine, supplies for relief, and if possible, information. Velka asked them to cause chaos. Nami asked them to make sure to get the supplies.
The party went to the side afterwards and discussed their next steps. Slate told them about the founding myths, of how Montauk and the other 6 provinces were founded - that not participating could spell death for not just them, but everyone else in the valley.
Wix and Fritz were a bit hesistant about helping, Truff a tad bit as well. Soot was excited to dig her sword into things.
but then Tassiter came by. Tassiter introduced himself, flirting a bit with Soot, then told the party he had been roped in this mess as well, that there was a friend of the hunters named String in Old Montauk. He wished them good luck, then left with his people to go on their own mission towards the Church.
Wix changed his tune very quick on learning that Tassiter was helping and wanted to help as well. The party accepted, renamed Hot Cheeks to RASCAL, and went to sleep.
While asleep, the party was contacted by the benefactor once more - it came to them, hanging as a corpse strung up on a tree. The party, too, was hung up as corpses on the tree.
A ritual true comes in fours:
Power (Your vision is overtaken by eyes and feathers, hands without origin trying to reach past a cage).
Control (The noose grows tighter around your neck).
Catalysis (A spear appears at your breast). Sacrifice (The spear drives itself into your heart).Seek them out.
Starve the king.
They woke the next day in a sudden sweat. They were met outside by Altus, who told them that he knew they were to be executed and that if they proved themselves, he would ensure that their sentences would be considered served.
They then received a wagon, a seikret named Gunst, and headed out. Making their way up the path, they encountered some enemies at the crossroads, who they dispatched without much issue. From there, they went to Old Montauk.
At the gates, they did a quick lie to get in but were found out fast. They met the Hunter Killer Queen, High Priestess Amelia who recognized them from the events of the catastrophe and remembered Wix's kindness. She offered to show them around and give a brief explanation.
And that is where we ended our session.