Trial by Fire

Session Recap

The party traveled down a dirt path toward a gathering near the Covered Bridge in central Vos, drawn by the commotion of an imminent execution. Upon arrival, they encountered Donald, a breathless villager who informed them that a man named Ronan Thatchroot was to be executed for violating The EmpireThe EmpireThe Empire is a governing body associated with the central city-states, known for its prejudiced treatment of marginalized groups, includin…’s Purity of Light Act, which prohibited unsanctioned magic and imposed severe penalties, including death. The atmosphere was tense as the party approached the Former Marketplace, now a makeshift execution stage, where Magistrate Blaise FournivalMagistrate Blaise FournivalThe arrogant, cowardly Imperial magistrate of Vos who presided over Ronan Thatchroot's execution under the Purity of Light Act and remains… presided, flanked by his bodyguard, Sir Romra, and guards recognized from The Eagle and Child Inn. On the platform, Ronan, shackled and flanked by hooded executioners, awaited his fate. The inquisitor, a bald figure with pale skin and runes etched across his body, pronounced Ronan’s sentence of death by beheading. As the executioners forced Ronan to the chopping block, he defiantly raised two fingers to the sky, lamenting the loss of his livelihood, his pregnant wife, and now his life. His final words resonated with the crowd, urging them not to let The EmpireThe EmpireThe Empire is a governing body associated with the central city-states, known for its prejudiced treatment of marginalized groups, includin… take their magic. Just as the executioner raised the glaive, Ronan whispered something under his breath, and as the blade touched his neck, the executioner erupted into flames, causing chaos among the guards and townsfolk. Seizing the moment of distraction, the party withdrew from the square, navigating north around the lake toward the Church on the Hill. As they moved through the town, they noticed two magical supply shops and entered Root and Vial, a smaller, inviting establishment. Inside, they encountered the Thatchroot sisters: Piper, the weary caretaker; Maribel, a quiet child with penetrating gray eyes; and Bramble, a fearless three-year-old. Bramble sold YukonYukonYukon has ranged the cloud-skies longer than most crew members have been alive. He is self-reliant, quietly amused by nearly everything, an… a potion that cured his lingering ailment, while Maribel gifted DeicidaDeicidaDeicida is a protector because protection is the only shape his penance can still take. Once the consecrated Sentinel of the Argent Temple,… a painting depicting a towering alabaster spire, proclaiming it a symbol of redemption for him. The party soon realized that the pregnant woman they had found aboard the airship was the sisters’ mother. They informed the sisters of their mother’s fate and presented them with their newborn sibling, prompting an emotional response of gratitude and tears. Piper shared the plight of her family, revealing that both parents were dead and their shop’s license had been revoked under the new law, leaving them uncertain of their future. The party offered to escort Piper and her sisters to Monte-de-Amour to seek help from distant relatives. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Fiorre, a three-foot-tall automaton butler from the Vos School of Wizardry, who informed them that his master, Magnus Astra CorrelliusMagnus Astra CorrelliusA towering goliath who leads the fragmented anti-Empire Resistance network out of the Vos Wizardry School and recruited the party into its…, was expecting them. Fiorre led the party across the Covered Bridge to the island at the lake’s center, where they were joined by Oren, a large groundskeeper, before entering the school. Inside, they traversed stone-and-timber halls built into massive translucent green pillars, eventually reaching a hidden chamber within a spire. In this circular chamber, the party found themselves among a diverse council, including GuyGuyA bugbear freed from a fighting pit and bound to Gandalar by a lifedebt; once the party subdued and revived him, he marked Gandalar's hideo…, Thea, Margos, Cynthia GoodbarrelCynthia GoodbarrelThe deep gnome proprietor of The Eagle and Child Inn, secretly a sorceress and Resistance member who nearly turned her wrath on the party o…, an owl-woman, an aged centaur, a pixie, and a towering goliath woman who introduced herself as Magnus Astra CorrelliusMagnus Astra CorrelliusA towering goliath who leads the fragmented anti-Empire Resistance network out of the Vos Wizardry School and recruited the party into its…. After returning the stolen spellbooks and platinum to Thea and Cynthia, Astra warned of The EmpireThe EmpireThe Empire is a governing body associated with the central city-states, known for its prejudiced treatment of marginalized groups, includin…’s growing overreach and the implications of the Purity of Light Act, suggesting that war or worse was on the horizon. She extended an invitation to the party to join a fragmented resistanceresistanceThe Resistance is an underground movement opposing The Empire's encroachment on the rights of the populace. Members include Cynthia, Thea M… network across The EmpireThe EmpireThe Empire is a governing body associated with the central city-states, known for its prejudiced treatment of marginalized groups, includin…. Benjamin BellBenjamin BellA wizened gnome teacher at the Vos Wizardry School who repeatedly outfitted and guided the party on Resistance missions, including the jail…, a wizened gnome scholar recognized by the party as a researcher mentioned by GearwhistleGearwhistleGearwhistle communicates entirely through mimicry — clicks, whistles, and perfectly replicated phrases — but his craftsmanship speaks loudl…, was introduced by Astra. He promised to search his laboratory for anything that might assist in repairing the airship found in the Cradlewood. Astra encouraged the party to rest, promising a mission for them in the morning if they chose to accept. Benjamin then escorted the party back into town to stay at The Scholar’s Crumb, a modest inn and bakery.