Welcome to Caelum

Synopsis
The group left Castle Caelos with plenty of supplies and a large cart to transport them. To disguise them from prying eyes, the group have disguised themselves as travelling blacksmith merchants.

The days of travel prove to be peaceful. They see plenty of different animals grazing in herds but no other people. In the far distance, they see smoke which they assume to denote distant villages and towns. In the first day, when the group sleeps, they each have the same vague vision that had been plaguing them for the past couple of days.

Ann’lyse sees a burning house and hears the screams of a child calling her to save them.

Aamon finds himself in a black colorless void and hears someone say “You cannot escape who you are”

Talucia sees a metallic figure walking towards them, saying in an emotionless voice “The Foundation protects”

Eve sees blinding light and feels the familiar warmth that resonates within her.

Mysora hears the howling wind, with whispers carried in its tide, “Accept your power”

Ambrose sleeps fine at first but then sees a large mountain with the peak being illuminated by a mysterious light source.

Marutavik finds herself staring at the lifeless corpse of Eve and hears a voice “War begets loss. Be sure to prepare yourself.”

The next two nights are that aren’t as vivid but they still hear incoherent babbling in their dreams, in languages they cannot comprehend. After three days have passed, the group come a canyon pass with only one way of entry and exit. As they journey through it, they are accosted by armed people, who had taken cover in the canyon’s rocks. They call out to the group and demand half of their goods, payment for allowing them to live. The group refuse in the form of a javelin launching itself in the throat of the ringleader of the bandits. The bandits are slaughtered in the ensuing fight, despite the assistance of a sub-adult tyrannosaurus. The group continue their journey.

After the first week of travel, the group have made it about halfway to Caelum. They reach a crossroads and notice that behind them is a large group of people on horseback. The horse people accost the group and call out to them. They are unarmed and say they are merchants seeking protection from a fellow merchant group as they had narrowly dodged a bandit attack only days later. The Lucky Few accept (after being paid 80 gold) and the two groups travel together until sundown, where they seperate. The group make camp but are attacked by a large group of unknown assailants and a massive adult tyrannosaurus. In the ensuing fight, the assailants are all slaughtered, with the t-rex killed by Ambrose and the other assailants killed by the Lucky Few. One assailant manages to escape briefly but is captured and knocked unconscious by Ann. She removes his helm and discovers it is the same merchant they had travelled with previously. They interrogate him and find out his name is Dirk. The group brutally torture him, with Ann chopping off his right leg and Aamon dangling the removed limb before his very eyes. Ann moves to kill him but he mysteriously disappears, his very body turning incorporeal.

The group, after defeating the bandits, continue on their travel. Numerous things happen to the group.

Aamon notices the dust forms around him as various creatures. It manifests itself as a miniature of the t-rex they fought in the past.

During one night, as Eve keeps watch over the surroundings, she notices that her surroundings have come to a complete stop. The trees no longer billow, her comrades no longer breathe in and the very sound itself has stilled. As she tries to figure what has happened, something behind her calls her name. She turns around and sees a figure dressed in robes, with pure white eyes and pure white hair, smiling at her warmly. It is revealed to be her father, who is happy to see her. They talk of her adventures and chat for a while. Before he leaves, he gives Eve a potion to be used in times of great urgency. In the morning the group continue their travel.

As they travel, Ambrose who sits on top of the car, notices a falcon closing in on them. It bears a message that could not be opened. Marutavik recognises to be a message from the Order she belongs to. She reads the message:

Dear Marutavik Nefertari, Master Hunter, 1st Class

''It has been six months since your departure and three months since your last update. The Council is getting worried with your lack of correspondence and so this is a letter of courtesy. Updates are the only link between hunters and the Council and so all hunters, even ones of your stature, must follow the rules.''

P.S.

Your apprentice will also need to start writing their own letters of update, if they are join this Order.

Respectfully,

Gareth, Master Councilor, 1st Class.

After a week and 5 days of travel, the group arrive at Castle Asurial, the gate guarding the entrance to the Inner Territories. They talk to the guard and then talk to the Commander Officer, Commodore Balef. They explain their quest and show the letter from Commodore Lasander. He proceeds to give them supplies and lets them go on their way.

After 2 weeks and 5 days of travel, the group arrives at the border of Caelum’s immediate vicinity.

The group finds themselves on green pastures, riding on ruined grass with lines made from wheels of previous caravans. As the group continue their ride to Caelum, they see dozens upon dozens of fields of wheat and other foodstuffs, with people with farming tools working at it. They see the faint outlines of the massive walls and fortifications of Caelum and as they travel further down the road, they see two massive gates with flows of traffic entering and exiting the city. The road the group is currently travelling is in the traffic flow entering the city and they can see to the right, small caravans of wagons leaving the city.

They enter the city and explore its surroundings. Ann reunites with old friends in the form of the Claymore Sisterhood. She sells them various weaponry and is gifted with a Claymore. They make their way to the Law District and meet for the first time, the Princeps Korvus Castus and the Secundus Lariel Castus. The group inform them of the Skirmish at Humil. After the meeting, the group are dismissed and informed that they will be called at a later time. The group leave and rest at Ann’s mother house. Ann and her mother Gabriella share a tearful reunion. In the morning the group go off in various directions to explore the city. Talucia, Ambrose and Eve go the Magical District, where Eve learns a new spell, Phantom Steed. Aamon visits the animals in the Butcher District while Ann speaks with her mother. The group are eventually summoned back to the Princeps, who takes them to investigate a disturbance in the cave. The group travel to the Caelum Angelus District, where they meet Marius Arlington, the Kaetor (Commanding Officer) of the Angels. They are escorted to the cave and enter as the session ends.