Adventure Recap: The Parasite Within
Short Version TLDR (See below for images from session)
Victory and Promotion
You returned triumphant from the hilltop siege with your celebrating Bloodsworn Wrathborn squires. After a tense encounter with the humiliated Lt. Xaobi and witnessing the commander’s strange obsession with prophecy fragments, you were promoted to full Lieutenant and received magical gifts from Lord Lehion. Your new mission: track informant “Patchwork Pete” to his next assignment.
Journey Through Devastation
Pete led you through eight areas of Ruxom Ferry showing the war’s progressive impact – from military order to complete devastation. You encountered:
- Rebuilding families moving countless rocks (which became a running joke)
- Desperate people whom Frezuli helped with gold and goodberries
- Starving orphans Dave fed with his spells, earning inspiration for his kindness
- Bandits you defeated and fed rather than executed
- Dark cultists practicing disturbing rituals
Throughout the journey, Pete grew increasingly urgent, trying to rush you past suffering people.
The Trap
Pete led you underground to an ancient ritual chamber where cultists were implanting parasites. His sister was already dying on the altar when you arrived. Pete’s desperate plea – “I brought them to you. You promised you’d not harm her!” – revealed his betrayal.
Frezuli immediately killed the infected woman to prevent transformation. What followed was an epic but doomed battle against overwhelming odds where each of you had heroic moments before eventually falling unconscious.
Infection and Escape
You experienced nightmarish dreams of parasites being implanted around your hearts – all except Rusty, who was protected by embracing the Iixian Manifesto Book. You each escaped your cells creatively:
- Frezuli became a giant rat
- Akuma turned into a spider
- Xenti improvised lockpicks
- Rusty used brute strength
- Simon created natural lubricants
The most heartbreaking discovery was your zombified Bloodsworn Wrathborn companions, whom you chose to destroy rather than leave in that horrible state.
Rescue and Consequences
Lt. Xaobi’s forces tracked your sending stone and mounted a rescue. When questioned under magical compulsion, you chose honesty about your infection. While Rusty remained uninfected as an devote of the way of the Iixian Manifesto “Verone unit,” the rest of you now carry parasites – a condition that brings both danger and potential opportunities, as living specimens had never been captured before.
You learned Coalition forces had already dealt with “a pack of jerky” (military slang for undead) found in the cells – the casual destruction of your faithful companions’ remains.
Full Session notes (For those who are not lazy)
Triumphant Return and New Responsibilities
You returned victorious from the hilltop siege, your Bloodsworn Wrathborn squires singing songs of triumph and celebration. During the journey back, you couldn’t help but notice a love triangle developing among your loyal companions – a source of gentle amusement after such a hard-fought victory.
The Commander’s Tent
Your debriefing took an unexpected turn when Lt. Xaobi emerged from the commander’s tent, his face a mask of anger and humiliation. Having just been dressed down for requiring rescue while you earned promotions, he attempted to salute you with his severed arm before awkwardly switching to his other hand. The moment was painfully awkward as he walked away toward the medical tent, his professional duty warring with personal bitterness.
Inside, the commander’s behavior proved… unusual. His obsession with prophecy fragments was immediately apparent as he hungrily examined your intelligence, growing visibly upset when the prophecies didn’t match his expectations. You witnessed him comparing multiple fragments, muttering about discrepancies between singular and plural interpretations.
Despite this strange behavior, the meeting concluded with excellent news: promotions to full Lieutenant rank, complete with silver pins, and assignment to an important new mission tracking your informant “Patchwork Pete.”
The tent meeting was interrupted by the arrival of Lord Lehion, a finely dressed Coalition leader who warmly greeted the commander before turning his attention to you. He presented you with magical gifts in recognition of your service:
- Rusty: A shimmering great maul that glows with inner light
- Frezuli: A small but valuable pearl of power
- Akuma: A beautifully carved staff depicting a constricting snake
- Simon: Fine gloves designed for deflecting missiles
- Xenti: Distinctive armor crafted from bone plates and sinew
- Everyone: Restorative ointments for future adventures
You left feeling properly rewarded for your achievements and optimistic about your new responsibilities.
The Journey Through a Broken City
Two days later, Pete contacted you with news of his next assignment. What followed was a sobering journey through eight distinct areas of Ruxom Ferry, each showing the war’s devastating and progressive impact.
From Order to Chaos
The Military District: You began among disciplined soldiers and organized command structures – the functional heart of the war effort.
The Merchant Quarter: Here, civilians maintained determined normalcy despite visible battle scars. Ancient stone buildings showed loving repairs while newer construction spoke of resilience and hope.
Pete’s Home: A ramshackle dwelling that told the story of Pete’s desperation through its emptiness – everything of value had clearly been sold.
The Rebuilding Efforts
The Reconstruction Zone: Families worked tirelessly to rebuild their destroyed homes, moving countless rocks and heavy beams. When you offered help, the people politely declined – their determined expressions showing they preferred to rebuild through their own efforts. The sheer volume of rocks being moved became a recurring theme throughout your journey.
Descent into Desperation
The Defeated Areas: Here you encountered people so broken by loss they wandered aimlessly through ruins. Frezuli immediately began distributing coins to help these lost souls, showing the compassion that drives him.
The Orphan Wastelands: The sight of starving children with gaunt faces and pleading eyes shocked everyone. Dave’s response was immediate and characteristic – he expended all his first-level spell slots creating goodberries to feed the hungry children, earning well-deserved recognition for his kindness.
The Bandit Territory: As conditions worsened, you were ambushed by desperate people driven to banditry by circumstances. Ken got to test his new gloves, catching and returning a crossbow bolt before Simon obliterated most of the attackers with a devastating Shatter spell. When the survivors surrendered, it became clear these weren’t hardened criminals but hollowed-out people driven by starvation. You left them with food and promises to send help after completing your mission.
The Corruption
Dark Worship: Near your destination, you discovered evidence of people turning to darker powers – an incomplete ritual circle that you took time to properly desecrate before moving on.
The Storm Drain: At the entrance, you encountered two cultists who had been dissecting a child’s corpse for “practice.” The victim’s crudely opened chest provided an ominous preview of what lay ahead. After eliminating this threat, you entered the underground complex.
Throughout this journey, Pete grew increasingly urgent, trying to rush you past the suffering people. Your group consistently shut down his protests, prioritizing helping those in need over his mysterious timeline.
Into the Depths
The Underground Complex
The storm drain led to ancient tunnels decorated with disturbing Abyssal script and lit by faceless sconces. Moving in a descending spiral, you could hear distant chanting growing stronger as you approached your destination.
The Checkpoint: Xenti led a successful stealth approach against guards who were gambling rather than maintaining proper watch. The brief fight was decisive with Rusty’s echo knight abilities proving devastating, but Pete’s anxiety continued building as the chanting grew louder.
Pete’s Betrayal: After the battle, Pete suddenly vanished using some form of magical concealment. Xenti spotted his invisible movement and wounded him as he fled, but he continued toward the ritual chamber, leaving a blood trail for you to follow.
The Ritual Chamber Trap
The Horrific Scene
You emerged into a circular amphitheater where dozens of robed cultists witnessed a nightmare unfolding on stone altars below. Pete’s sister lay dying on a bloodstained table, her chest opened and a six-inch centipede-like parasite hovering above her exposed heart.
Pete’s Desperate Plea: “I brought them to you. You promised you’d not harm her if I did as you said.” His charge toward the altar with a utility knife ended in horror as the parasite dropped into his sister’s chest.
Frezuli’s Quick Decision: Thinking the now-infected woman might transform into a monster, Frezuli immediately killed her to prevent worse horrors. Pete collapsed in emotional devastation.
The Epic Battle
What followed was an intense but ultimately doomed battle against overwhelming odds:
The Setup: Three ritual cultists protected by magical barriers, dozens of attacking zealots, and an armored leader casting devastating spells from across the chamber.
Heroic Moments:
- Simon fought through counterspells to land crucial attacks before falling
- Xenti held off multiple attackers with skill and determination
- Rusty’s Echo Knight abilities let him protect allies across the battlefield
- Akuma’s snake staff and thorn spells proved devastatingly effective
- Erv heroically broke the enemy leader’s concentration on a Hunger of Hadar spell just before succumbing
- Frezuli’s starry form allowed him to heal allies while eliminating enemies
The Inevitable End: Despite your valiant efforts, the trap’s design meant you were eventually overwhelmed and fell unconscious.
Nightmare and Awakening
The Parasites
You experienced horrific dreams of surgical violation as parasites were implanted around your hearts – all except Rusty, whose mechanical nature provided resistance. His dream revealed the existence of other “Verone units” and forced him to watch helplessly as you underwent the procedure.
The Escape
Individual Solutions: Each of you found creative ways to escape your magical restraints:
- Frezuli: Giant rat form slipped the bonds
- Akuma: Spider form fooled the magical chains
- Xenti: Improvised lockpicks from available materials
- Rusty: Pure strength shattered his restraints
- Simon: Natural lubricants aided his escape
The Ogre Guard: Your naked battle against the massive guard and his rat companions tested your resourcefulness. Victory provided some equipment, though you chose ogre clothing over the corrupting cultist robes.
Grim Discoveries
Your Fallen Companions: The most heartbreaking moment came when you discovered your loyal Bloodsworn Wrathborn squires had been reanimated as zombies. Led by Frezuli and Akuma, you chose to destroy their undead forms rather than leave them in such a horrible state.
The Infection: Discussion revealed that while Rusty remained uninfected due to his nature as a “Verone unit,” the rest of you now carried parasites around your hearts. Simon initially suggested secrecy, but Frezuli insisted on honesty, leading to a decision of solidarity.
Rescue and Revelation
The Final Push
Advanced to 4th level and having had a full rest, your naked assault through the complex proved surprisingly effective. Simon’s Shatter spell made quick work of the remaining cultists as you fought toward the sounds of battle ahead.
Lt. Xaobi’s Arrival
Coalition forces had tracked your sending stone to mount a rescue operation. Lt. Xaobi emerged victorious, his severed arm showing signs of regeneration. His initial smugness (“Looks like we’re even now”) quickly gave way to professionalism as he took in your condition.
The Truth: When questioned under magical compulsion, you chose honesty about your infection rather than deception. Xaobi’s response showed both the danger you now face and potential opportunities – living parasite specimens had never been captured before.
You learned that Coalition forces had already “dealt with” what they described as “a pack of jerky” found in the cells – the casual military slang for the undead remains of your faithful companions.
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