Category:The Blood that Binds

Summary

The Blood that Binds is a multi-chapter storyline in the Platinum instance, beginning June 2023 and run by GM Naionna, GM Wylloh, and GM Ubiq.

Chapter 1

• 6/11/2023 (In-Game)

Adventurers gathered at the Solhaven Inn are introduced to Ladicius Saxe and he implores them to help find his missing sister Thanela Saxe. He provides those in attendance with flyers and asks them to travel around the town of Solhaven to various gathering places and businesses to post a flyer and ask any locals if they may have information about his missing sister.

• 6/12/2023 (In-Game)

Cogsmead Gizmo met with adventurers at the Solhaven Inn and listened to the information they obtained the previous night. Those gathered decided that traveling to Ta'Illistim and making contact with the Mage's Guild would be the most prudent next step in figuring out what happened to Thanela Saxe. Haelly said she would reach out to a Solhaven Mage's Guild member named Liel who had moved to the town recently and ask him for an introduction to the Mage's Guild in Ta'Illisitim.

• 6/14/2023 (Official Vignette)

Ladicius traveled to Ta'Illistim to narrow down a timeline for Thanela’s disappearance and met with the Archmage of the Ta'Illistim Mage's Guild.

• 7/9/2023 (In-Game)

Cogsmead Gizmo and concerned adventurers meet with Branok and Liel in the gardens of Veythorne Manor located in Ta'Illistim. Branok reveals that Thanela Saxe never arrived in Ta'Illistim as scheduled and has been missing for quite some time.

Chapter 2

• 11/12/2023 (Official Vignette)

Ladicius Saxe receives a parcel from Minister Ezaihas, leader of the local chapter of the Church of Koar, inviting him to visit a Bake Sale and Art Walk that the church will be hosting next month in Solhaven.

• 12/8/2023 to 12/10/203 (In-Game)

The Church of Koar Chapter for Solhaven held a Bake Sale and Art Walk to raise funds for the church. Minister Ezaihas and Mistress Khoiya were present as representatives of the Church of Koar as well as several orphans in their care. In particular, a rambunctious orphan named Addey endeared herself to several adventurers.

Ladicius was present during a prayer vigil for his missing sister and the minister led those gathered in prayer to beseech Koar for the safe return of Thanela.

The weekend was capped off by an art auction featuring various works by renowned artist Pher, where quite a large sum of coin was spent in the name of charity.

• 12/16/2023 (In-Game)

A strange occurrence took place along the Mistydeep River near Ta'Vaalor when a thick and malign mist was observed rolling across the docks of the fortress city.

The mist soon dissipated but with its departure, a Lady Cydris arrived and seemed to be suffering from some affliction that those present likened to possession. The lady claimed to have visions and described a red-haired woman that resembled the missing Thanela Saxe but a Thanela that emanated danger and violence rather than the kind and gentle young woman known before her disappearance.

Further investigation of the docks revealed a severed arm and tangle of dark hair that were quickly discarded by a present dock worker. The dock foreman and dock worker were uncooperative and no exclamation was given as to why the possible evidence of foul play was disposed of so readily.

• 12/20/2023 (Official Vignette)

Addey is skulking around Solhaven to meet up with Jaired in order to provide him with information in exchange for some pancakes. The pair catch the attention of Arcimedes, the purveyor of rare artifacts, who also just happens to be in Solhaven and just happens to run into Jaired Delone and just happens to have a job that requires the skills of whatever adventurers Jaired can recruit for a crew.

In a month's time there's going to be a caravan passing through Kraken's Fall that has something Arcimedes wants and that same caravan happens to have a seer traveling with them that just might be able to help with finding the missing Saxe girl. Win-win. What could go wrong?

• 1/26/2024 (In-Game)

The caravan arrives in Kraken's Fall and two of the caravan's members, Henna and Prose, greet those that arrive to peruse the caravan's wares and visit with new faces. The usual suspects are present to complete Arcimedes's task and recover the item he seeks as well as ask after the supposed seer traveling with the caravan.

Henna and Prose are reticent to answer questions after one loud-mouthed imbecile brings up the dismembered body parts found in Ta'Vaalor. The adventurers do their best to put the caravan members at ease and hopefully gain enough trust to have their questions answered on the morrow.

• 1/26/2024 (Official Vignette)

Prose retires to her wagon to check on her sleeping daughter and get ready for bed herself. As she lays in bed she contemplates the reactions of those that witness her daughter's power and whether they will greet her revelations with awe or violence.

• 1/27/2024 (In-Game)

In the evening, those gathered are introduced to Klover. She is the daughter of Prose and lost her sight when she was young but gained the powers of a seer in exchange. The adventurer Cydris is in attendance and she petitions Klover to commune with the shade that is haunting her.

Thanks to Klover, the adventurers piece together that Cydris is being haunted due to her coming into the possession of the easel auctioned off at the art sale in Solhaven and that the easel formerly belonged to Thanela Saxe. Thanela is described by Klover as being not alive but not dead. It is further surmised that a teleportation spell may be responsible for Thanela's current state and that the teleportation spell in question may be the very one that Arcimedes tasked Jaired and company with retrieving the receipt of sale for from the caravan.

These deductions lead to Henna and Prose figuring out that it was none other than Arcimedes that tasked Jaired and company with seeking out the caravan to gain Klover's assistance and inquiring about the receipt for the teleportation spell. Arcimedes is well-known to the caravan as he was once a member but was exiled at some point in the past for reasons unrevealed. Prose is especially adamant about being of no further assistance and retires with her daughter for the night. Henna tells everyone she will speak with Prose and get her to relent.

• 1/28/2024 (In-Game)

Due to the generosity of the many people who visited the caravan over the past couple of days and purchased items and bestowed gifts, Prose relents and provides the adventurers with what they seek with the condition that the adventurers do not share any information as to the location of the caravan or its members. Jaired and company vow to do so and Henna and Prose provide him with a chest and many rare items to hand over to Arcimedes.

Chapter 3

• 3/8/2024 (In-Game)

Pher, a local Solhaven artist, will be arriving at the arena in Bloodriven Village to try his hand at portraits of battle.  For no charge, Pher will create portraits of those battling in the arena as he observes the events from the stands.  Afterwards, he will offer the portrait to the competitor as a souvenir.

• 3/30/2024 (In-Game)

Jaired and Company meet up with Arcimedes on Charl's Quay in Solhaven. The chest and letter are handed over to Arcimedes without incident. As the rewards were being handed out for a job well done, Addey arrived to invite everyone to join her in a bit of skulking. The skulking was to take place on the Saxe Manor grounds as Addey was informed of the location of the manor for procurring a rather nice hat for a lady.

The party of would be skulkers are confronted by a rather large giantman, armed with an equally large bow, as they make their way into the barn located on the manor grounds. Jaired unsuccessfully attempts to convince the groundskeeper that everyone present are in fact movers that have been tasked by Lord Saxe to pick up a credenza that was to be left in the barn and take it to the carpenter's shop for repairs. With a final warning to leave the group of adventurers make a quick exit and hide out in the gardens until the groundskeeper falls back asleep in the barn.

The group of adventurers make their way to the entrance of the manor and Addey attempts to climb into the manor via an iron filigree that leads up to the second floor windows of the manor. She hikes a foot onto Jaired's hand, letting him launch her up toward the entry. Unfortunately, as she comes into contact with it, a large spark of electricity flares and she is flung backwards immediately, smoke and ozone stark in the air as she lays on the ground sizzling faintly. Rather than try and force their way in, the party decides to try and analyze the wards protecting the entryway instead. After a few minutes of study the wards are determined to be a form of blood magic and will require approximately 5 days of preparation to unravel them along with the blood an innocent to act as a catalyst.

Cast of Characters

Official Vignettes

Character Vignettes

Logs

In-Depth Summaries

Additional Information

• Official Discord Platinum Instance Channel - Get involved and chat with GMs and players.
• Official Discord Storyline Forum - OOC Discussion of the storyline with GMs and players.

Announcements

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