Return to the Known World Campaign Notes SESSION TEMPLATE Episode Title   Game Date Known World Date Primary Location   Characters Seraphina “Ash” Kostarev, Fighter 1 / Barbarian 1 Ignis “Rook” Kostarev, Paladin 2 Zelimir Zarin, Fighter 2 Falvaux Tybalt, Warlock 2 Taavi Kasva, Wizard 2 Antagonists Allies and Others   Summary Notes Session 1, 2025-8-30 Episode Title Family Brings Us Together (Part 1) Game Date August 30, 2025 Known World Date Semita, 15th of Ram, year 623 after the fall Primary Location Temple Hill Village, Earldom of Eastmarches, Duchy of Broadgarden, Bellgard Characters Seraphina “Ash” Kostarev, Fighter 1 / Barbarian 1 Ignis “Rook” Kostarev, Paladin 2 Zelimir Zarin, Fighter 2 Falvaux Tybalt, Warlock 2 Taavi Kasva, Wizard 2 Antagonists Sentinel Karsa Olgasus, Priest of Helios Savior Protector Lord Aldis Azarion, Helios Crusader 8 Helios Crusaders Recruits Allies and Others The Witch (identifies as the Consort of Light and Darkness) The Priest of Varda, Shepherd Pons Rye Willem Wyt, Stockman and Sheriff Olive Comblesac, runs the Red Lion Tavern  Session Recording PART 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gOQ-3A7aezlgC6APZl7Yuj4sd8dnt540/view?usp=drive_link PART 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rpoFgREuQpBxCYgAnOZZoWCI8gkSy1lU/view?usp=drive_link Summary The player characters have followed various paths to this village, and find themselves at the tavern on the village green as Helios Crusaders arrive. A riot breaks out, the Crusaders attack the villagers, and the party intervenes. The village's priest of Varda tends to the party's wounds out of gratitude, and asks them for further help: a little girl named Magdalena was kidnapped from the village last night, and the priest needs help bringing her home.  Notes The party observes the village's Sheriff, Willem Wyt, give tacit approval to the Helios priest.   The Helios Sentinel and his Crusader appear to be full-blown, deadly serious servants of the Church. The Crusader Recruits seem like country boys with no choice in the matter.   The Crusaders draw first blood in a shoving match with the crowd, clumsily slaying one of the villagers.   When the Witch arrives, her powers overwhelm the Crusaders, killing three instantly.   After the fight, Taavi speaks with the Witch and receives his Quest, at which point she departs.   Rook slits the throat of the unconscious Helios Sentinel.   Falveaux gathers some of the Sentinel's spilled blood at the suggestion of her whispering Patron.   The party speaks with Olive the innkeeper to learn more about the party of travelers, perhaps merchants, who probably abducted the little girl Magdalena. They spent time with the Sheriff and were careful to conceal their comings and goings. They were not in the village for long.   The party learns that there are recent rumors in the village of a "monster": something unseen creeping in the darkness, growling from behind trees or around corners, and giving folk the feeling of being watched, or followed.    As dusk approaches, the party walks north out of the village towards the Temple Hill that is its namesake. They follow tracks of horse-hooves and something else which is following the riders. Session 2, 2025-9-6 Episode Title Family Brings Us Together, part 2 Game Date September 6th, 2025 Known World Date Semita, 15th of Ram, year 623 after the fall Primary Location The forest between the village of Temple Hill and the hill itself, Earldom of Eastmarches, Duchy of Broadgarden, Bellgard Characters Seraphina “Ash” Kostarev, Fighter 1 / Barbarian 1 Ignis “Rook” Kostarev, Paladin 2 Zelimir Zarin, Fighter 2 Falvaux Tybalt, Warlock 2 Taavi Kasva, Wizard 2 Antagonists Sibotin the Sly, Voorish mercenary Vaclav the Fist, Voorish mercenary Radim the Swift, Voorish mercenary A corrupted pool within the Hidden Temple Allies and Others   Session Recording https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nnIn657vJP5GFIKJzLqEJqrY01Q3zOvS/view?usp=drive_link Summary The nascent heroes follow the trail of the Voorish travelers on horseback to rescue kidnapped Magdalena. They observe other tracks, as well, which seem to come and go and vary in shape and size. Once they reach the Temple Hill, they must deal with three mercenaries left behind to guard the way. Notes As the party makes their way through the forest, the weather gradually gets worse, and also more strange: alternating hot and cold gusts, intermittent rain, and growing thunder. Zelimir warns of a possible tornado.   Taavi observes the strange tracks and hypothesizes a being that is only sometimes material. Rook and Ash suspect it is the same monster they tracked here from Sodden Few.   Near the base of the hill, with night falling, the party lights lanterns. Moments later, a crossbow bolt lands near them, bearing a note. The note is a warning from Sibotin the Sly. The party disregards the note. Taavi calls out, attempting to bribe the unseen enemies. The bribery almost works, but the party is too stingy in its attempt.   Vaclav the Fist dies after taking a beating from the twins and being chewed open by Falveaux's magic bugs.   Ash leaps upon Sibotin the Sly and knocks him out with a blow from the haft of her great-axe. Ash manacles his hands and ties him to a tree.   Rook attempts to resurrect Vaclav the Fist, and is apparently punished by his God for his hubris. Moments before death, God releases him - but why?   Taavi studies the trail again, realizing that the humans on horseback rode to the top of the hill wand walked back down, while the mystery tracks made a single trip partway up the the hill. The party follows the tracks and finds a door into the hill, hidden behind a big tree that is now split open. Meanwhile, the weather suddenly worsens.   While most of the party climbs the hill, Falveaux improvises a ritual in honor of her nameless Patron, spilling the blood she gathered over the corpse of Vaclav the Fist. The blood transforms into acid and violently melts Vaclav's body. Her Patron is pleased.   The party passes through the door into the hill and discovers a forgotten temple to the Mother and her family of seasonal deities. Within, they are attacked by the lightning-fast Radim the Swift, whose sprint attack carries him out of harm's reach.    After killing the mad Radim - multiple stabs wounds, and then falling into the corrupted pool - the party hears a strange chant from below: SAH KASH VRAY TAH! ECK MAR, ECK GEG, ECK YOT. VECK ESH TAL, TAL VECK ESH. SOO ROT SECK ECK MAR. SOO ROT SECK ECK MAR. SOO ROT SECK ECK MAR!   Taavi explores, finding a rough stairway going down. The gang follows Taavi and they discover a much larger chamber, the true Temple, now corrupted. Thugs are scattered about the space. At the head of the Temple, at the altar of black glass, their apparent leader stands, reading a ritual chant from a sheaf of papers. Above the altar there is a structure made of black metal rods, obviously a recent construction. Standing with the leader is a cloaked and hooded figure, a chained lizard-man, two more thugs, and a little girl. A dead lizard-man lays across the altar, bleeding out.   Falveaux and Zelimir shoot down the structure of rods. Taavi invokes a fog cloud. The party advances on the altar. Rook kicks aside a thug, who falls into a pool and violently melts. His death triggers the culmination of the ritual, but the ritual has been hijacked: instead of the intended result, the Voorish party invokes Sechautawetey, a thing of nightmare. Session 3 Episode Title Family Brings Us Together, Part 3 Game Date September 20th, 2025 Known World Date Semita, 15th of Ram, year 623 after the fall Primary Location The forest between the village of Temple Hill and the hill itself, Earldom of Eastmarches, Duchy of Broadgarden, Bellgard. Later, a field between the forest and the village, not far from the farmhouse where the Oakborns died. Characters Seraphina “Ash” Kostarev, Fighter 1 / Barbarian 1 Ignis “Rook” Kostarev, Paladin 2 Zelimir Zarin, Fighter 2 Falvaux Tybalt, Warlock 2 Taavi Kasva, Wizard 2 Antagonists A Voorish adventurer A band of Voorish mercenary thugs Sechautawetey, a thing of nightmare Allies and Others Kamidu the lizard-man Magdalena the human girl Session Recording https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ET8VsK9qA680E4ulfu64z-QMEEPKLq2n/view?usp=drive_link Summary Notes