Campaign 2: Session 45 - The Purpose of the Mammoth Riders
Rewards Granted
- Participation: 100XP
- Skills: 60 XP
- Training: 120 XP
- Total: 280XP
- Participation: 100XP
- MVP: 350XP
- Skills: 60XP
- Training: 120XP
- Total: 630XP
- Bonus XP: 120XP
- Participation: 100XP
- Skills: 90XP
- Total: 310XP
Missions/Quests Completed
20th Spriarjeń 269 5E
The party descends the hill from The Tower of Szłenlancz, weary and battered. Zi and Tedduch Stoutman struggle the most—Zi barely able to process the biting cold against their exposed body, and both of them drained from exhaustion.
Dobrogost Rostow’s carriage takes them back to Honorow Orphanage, where Awenir immediately tends to Zi’s injuries. Meanwhile, Audrey Wepple, having learned of Orville Wepple’s fate, quietly leaves the orphanage, taking a cleaver with her as she sets off alone to confront Ilarion Starkerow.
21st Spriarjeń 269 5E
Audrey returns, bringing with her a sickly and unconscious Orville Wepple. She offers no explanation as to how she recovered him, leaving the others to wonder.
Zi, now suffering from severe shakes and painful rashes from the acid burns, is treated by Awenir and The Wretch. Together, they develop a treatment of healing spells and ointments to accelerate the regrowth of their feathers. The scorched remnants of their old feathers are pushed out, allowing new ones to begin emerging. Despite their efforts, Zi’s sleep is plagued with discomfort, coming only in short and unpleasant fits.
Audrey spends the day caring for Zi—bringing food, applying ointment, ensuring they stay hydrated. Pawel gifts Zi a fur coat to keep warm until their feathers return, while Thalmun Burrowale checks in to monitor the regrowth process.
Meanwhile, Teddy struggles to adjust to his new body size and weight, beginning training with Pawel to adapt. The training does not go well at first. The Wretch also joins in, working to rebalance and adjust their coordination after losing an eye.
Once the training ends, Dobrogost takes Teddy into The Verge to distribute food and aid to the struggling population. Thalmun observes Teddy’s training but spends most of his time locked in the orphanage’s workshop, working on his crystals and modifying his hand-cannon. He also notes a change in the Direwolf energy construct that had followed them since the Tower—it is smaller, less opaque, and fading. The same is true of the obsidian shrimp that has been keeping Teddy company.
22nd Spriarjeń 269 5E
Zi’s condition worsens, the rashes growing more painful, but Audrey continues to comfort them. Each day, Audrey appears increasingly disheveled and exhausted as she juggles caring for Zi, Orville, and the many orphanage children. Seeing Audrey struggle, some of the children—who have grown fond of her—step in to help care for Zi.
The Wretch and Awenir persist in their efforts to refine Zi’s treatment. When not tending to Zi, the Wretch continues their training with Pawel, though frustration eventually drives them to shift focus, turning instead to studying and developing their Magic with Romulus.
Teddy, after another day of delivering aid in the Verge with Dobrogost, finds that Pawel has opted to step back from training him. Instead, he arranges for Amaruk to take over Teddy’s tuition. Amaruk leads Teddy beyond the city limits to begin training in the art of Mammoth riding.
With ropes and grapnels, Teddy constructs a makeshift harness to keep his seat, but he struggles to stay atop the beast, frequently falling and accumulating bruises. Thalmun, accompanying the training, offers suggestions to improve the harness, making it more functional and allowing for greater mobility.
Back at the orphanage, Thalmun once again isolates himself in the workshop, keeping an eye on the fading orange Direwolf. Oddly, the construct starts shifting forms—sometimes appearing as an orange apparition of his parents, his old mentor, or a heavily armoured Dwarf. Despite its continued fading, Thalmun monitors its strange transformations. He also takes time to check on Zi’s recovery, ensuring their feathers are growing in as expected.
23rd Spriarjeń 269 5E
Teddy continues his daily errands in the Verge before heading into the city in search of a blacksmith to craft an expensive suit of armour. However, he finds no willing smiths, each one refusing to take on such a complex commission.
While in the city, Teddy tracks down the warrior Ino and convinces them to visit Zi’s sickbed. With his search for armour proving fruitless, he departs once more beyond the city to continue Mammoth riding training with Amaruk.
Thalmun aids Teddy in refining his rope-and-grapnel harness, making it more structured and effective. With this, Teddy sees improvement—his falls grow less frequent, though he still struggles to steer.
The Wretch and Awenir press on with Zi’s treatment. By now, the burnt remnants of Zi’s old feathers have finally shed, leaving raw, bloodied skin beneath. They remain in discomfort, but the orphanage children and an increasingly worn-out Audrey continue to keep them company.
One child, Mina, takes a particular interest in Zi, frequently visiting them with a barrage of questions about the Onna Tribe, the Garuda, Onna Creek, the Five Tribes, and Miellikia.
When not assisting in Zi’s care, the Wretch devotes their time to magical study under Romulus, locking themselves away in the library to hone their knowledge. Thalmun continues his routine—checking in on Zi’s recovery, supporting Teddy’s training, and working in the orphanage’s workshop. Meanwhile, his Direwolf apparition continues to flicker and fade, its transformations becoming increasingly erratic.
With no trainees left, Pawel returns to competing in the Grand Tournament in the mornings, spending his afternoons in aggressive training.
Audrey remains occupied with caring for Zi, Orville, and the orphans. However, Orville’s condition begins to deteriorate—his fever intensifies, and he grows clammy, possibly afflicted by something lingering from the life of Russell Tideborn.
24th Spriarjeń 269 5E
Zi’s recovery remains slow and painful. New feather stems begin to push through, though the acid burns have left permanent damage, creating patches of flesh that will never fully heal. Despite this, the first signs of fledgling feathers start to emerge.
Mina continues visiting Zi, growing increasingly affectionate towards them. Between the child’s visits, the affection of the orphans, and the unwavering support from their companions, Zi begins to feel a rare sense of gratitude and belonging.
Ino eventually arrives with flowers to give to Zi (on the suggestion of Teddy) but struggles with how to interact. Seeing Zi weakened by their injuries, they grow uncomfortable, perceiving them as no longer the warrior they once were. Uncertain of what to say, they opt to eat Zi's flowers and leave soon after.
Later in the day, Audrey finally opens up about her struggles. She confesses her fear that Orville is dying and her overwhelming guilt—that she has enjoyed her time with the party so much that she has barely spared a thought for her comatose son. She worries that she has, in a way, taken his place.
Meanwhile, Thalmun’s orange Direwolf finally vanishes. However, rather than feeling its absence, he senses its energy absorbed within him, as though it may return when he needs it most. Teddy experiences something similar—the obsidian shrimp that had followed him likewise fades away, leaving behind an inexplicable feeling of latent power.
Teddy embarks on another day in the city—first delivering aid in the Verge, then continuing his fruitless search for a blacksmith, and finally resuming his Mammoth training.
During training, Amaruk imparts wisdom, explaining that true mastery of Mammoth riding comes from forming a bond with the animal from birth, growing together to develop mutual trust and understanding. Teddy takes this to heart, considering the possibility of venturing into the northern expanse of Norwyk to seek out a Mammoth calf of his own.
Amaruk approves of the idea but urges Teddy to consider his greater purpose—what all this training is ultimately meant to achieve.
