Posters have been put up by the Church of the Stanchion requesting trustworthy adventurers to assist in a matter crucial to the future of Acryn’s people. Pay will be 40 Riel per person.
Scuttlebutt around the adventuring community suggest that this has some bearing on the rumoured new afterlife.
Alise Luckner - Roisin
Anabel - Iain
Francesco Antonio-Bartolomeo Graves - Vicky
Marcus Weaver - Michael
Unit03 - Dave H
The party met up and headed to the Stanchion’s temple where they found a group of protesters objecting to the new gods - after all there are only 4 gods of Acryn. After Anabel persuaded the protestors that she was part of the civil service and was here to investigate they let her through. Meanwhile Francesco persuaded the Watch to make the protesters let him through. Unit 03 however just walked straight through the picket line. Once inside they asked an acolyte if there was a back entrance and then used it to bring in the rest of the party.
When they were shown to the main room they met Richard Twine, High Priest of the Stanchion, and were told that they would need to travel to the afterlife to help the gods out with a problem. The party made their preparations, Involving Francesco cutting out his heart and checking that they would be able to get back safely.
The ritual to open the way to the afterlife started and as the gate opened one of the acolytes ran towards the gate and headed to the afterlife before the party. The party then followed and fought their way through the wards protecting the afterlife from people who shouldn’t be there. Once they arrived in the afterlife Vanessa informed them that their help was needed in getting Carlaeon out of Eric’s head, as he had ascended while there was still a connection. After a few hiccups where one of the new arrivals had been tortured to death by Unit 03 and another one was given a paper body, the party joined Vanessa in forcing Carlaeon out of Eric’s head.
However once Carlaeon had been driven out of Eric’s head more problems became apparent and with Eric recovering from the massive headache given from Gaze of the Tender and Builder being called while fighting inside his head it was up to the party to sort out the issue.
It turned out that the acolyte who ran ahead of the party was a Carlaeon cultist and was trying to give Carlaeon a way into the afterlife. The party defeated her but as Carlaeon had taken over her mind it was essential that she left the afterlife. However as the afterlife has been set up to protect souls it is only possible to leave if you are willing to, something the cultist was not willing to do.
The party was therefore sent to find Jared, who built the afterlife to see if there was another way. It turns out that the Hammer of the Builder could be used to open a hole in wards surrounding the afterlife. However none of the party was capable of wielding it. To prove themselves to the hammer the party set off to solve some of the problems the cultist had caused while the party was busy with other things.
The party rescued some ghosts from an area that wasn’t quite formed yet, worked their way through a maze and completed a ritual to shape an area into something the residents could enjoy. The party were not very united in their shaping ritual resulting in a wild forest garden with a bakery and a distinct feeling of inferiority for anyone not a noble. Unit 03 instead of helping his party members instead concentrated on getting a back door into the afterlife, resulting in a route he can use.
At each of the sites there was evidence that Carlaeon was growing in power from a dark seed which once you touch you do not wish to put down. Francesco was very thorough in his examinations of the Carlaeon corrupted creatures causing a triangular rash to appear on his hand that formed into the symbol of Carlaeon. There were several arguments between Francesco and Unit 03 over the seeds.
After completing these tasks the hammer could still not be wielded by Unit 03 but it was possible for Francesco to wield it and as he picked it up the mark of the hammer appeared on his hand.he struck the walls of the afterlife breaking them so the cultist could be removed. However as the walls were broken it provided a hole that Carlaeon could get through, which he did, possessing his cultist and forcing the party to drive them back out. Both the Stanchion and the Guardian lent their aid to the party and eventually the cultist and Carlaeon were driven out of the afterlife.
The gods asked the party what they could do to thank them for their aid and then sent them back to the land of the living.
Having been touched by the essence of Carlaeon, Anabel, Alise and Marcus have all been affected by his touch. Carlaeon hates hates free will; once per adventure, they are easily suggestible for one encounter (mechanically they are under the effects of a Dumb Drunk potion for one encounter; if the GM has a particular encounter they would prefer then it applies in that encounter, otherwise decide randomly). Unit 03 managed to avoid being affected by Carlaeon’s poison, and Francesco has been touched far more deeply than the others…
Anabel requested some means to avoid the ‘blessing’ of the Mare of the Night that sends the souls of those that die in her presence to join the spectral herd. Eric granted her his Divine Favour; the Bring them Home miracle will prevent the souls being claimed by the Spectral Herd. Three times per adventure Anabel may use this ability on every dead body in the encounter, but this will bring the anger of the Spectral Herd (GM fiat on what effect this has)
Marcus requested the favour of his brother in order to help his mercenary company; he has gained the Divine Favour of Eric Luckner, Guardian of Acryn.
Alise has her brother’s favour; should she ever die he will put her soul back into her body that she may live again (the Favour Transcending Death epic tree).
Alise and Anabel headed to the College of the Stars to tell them about Francesco’s Seed. They were sent to see ‘Professor Stabby’ (real name unknown), a lecturer in Wounding magic, who knew Francesco, who they told about the important artifact of Carlaeon that Francesco had acquired and spent some time interacting with. On being approached by his professor, Francesco denied having such an artifact. Some people in the Wounding department of the College are now very interested in examining Francesco and finding out if he has some kind of artifact, although they are too concerned about upsetting the Graves family to do much more than mutter and discuss it amongst themselves.
Unit 03 asked for and and was given Vanessa’s protection, to keep its squishy bits better protected. He gains The Stanchion's Barrier: for 1 encounter per adventure with 5 seconds of calling on the Stanchion you may call Immune to Through calls. However, if while using this you abandon or betray a party member the effect will drop. Should he ever piss off the Stanchion he will lose this quirk.
Unit 03 also managed to create a doorway into the afterlife; this is small and currently accessible only to Unit 03 itself while he stands under the light of the constellation the afterlife resides in. However, neither of the Gods of the Afterlife know of its presence. As long as it does nothing to draw attention to itself (e.g. attempting to widen the hole, damaging the afterlife, upsetting the residents etc) the hole is likely to remain unnoticed. However, any actions that would bring the gods’ notice are likely to be met with the loss of the doorway and possible retribution. Of course, further actions on a Larp could change this status quo… Currently he can enter the afterlife once per adventure, although only at night when the appropriate constellation is visible, though the more it is used the more likely the gods are to notice it. He informed Willie “two knives” Altieri of this development and gave him the seed of Carlaeon he had claimed.
Francesco has taken one of the Seeds of Carlaeon and spent significant time researching it. He learned little from it, got bored and decided to stick it in a creepy rope doll. It turned into a cage, in which he put first somebody else’s heart and then his own. Effects will be decided by the LARPO and added later. He also created a linked book pair, one of which he left with the gods in the afterlife with the agreement that they would look into reincarnation together.
Francesco’s right hand has a mark shaped like a hammer, marking him as Chosen and allowing him to use the Hammer of the Builder that is enshrined in the Church of the Founders. However, underneath this is the Mark of Carlaeon. Francesco is strongly affected by the will of Carlaeon; once per adventure (GM’s choice, or chosen randomly if the GM has no opinion) Francesco will be easily suggestible and do anything he is told to do. Alternately at GM discretion, Carlaeon may instead force Francesco to enact his will in that encounter.
On their return to the Church of the Stanchion everyone was paid 40 Riel as promised.