Haven: Strange Magics and Animated Alembics

Posted on 11 April 2026 by jameseck

On December 18th, with Gobblebob otherwise occupied, the party returning to the dwarven ruins is no longer inclined to return to the many doors in the halls behind the throne room, but instead they decide to search some unknown doors nearby where they had previously noted them, but not explored.

  • Elfleen (SaE): Level 8 Elf Thief
  • Pluta (ClE): Level 6 Elf Magic-user
  • Foxtrot (DaB): Level 5 Kobold Squire
  • Al (Bes): Level 4 Elf Magic-user

They are untroubled as they make their way to the guard chamber the doors are in. Once there, they decide to wait to go through the shattered door and instead find a way to breach the jammed door.

Break it down!
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Barrier March, Sessions 145 and 146 (Kelrians in the Fold)

Posted on 8 April 2026 by jameseck

On September 28th, 852nd Year of Asterneth, with Wig having trained and the rest of the party having been busy with other business (including obtaining a grant of the use of the fortification where they slew the harpy for the next year), they gather at their new and repaired fortification to plan their next moves:

  • Kilterson (MaC): Level 7 Human Druid
    • Meddle, Level 5 Halfling Scoundrel
    • Hengen, Level 3 Dwarf Fighter
    • Percival Penniworth, Level 3 Human Thief
  • Ingrid Corvinsdatter (MaD): Level 6 Human Barbarian
    • Berderan Huffderner, Level 3 Gnome Cleric of Sargrim
  • Leonard (JoF): Level 5/4 Elf Cleric (of Sky Light)/Mage
    • Helen Pagris, Level 3 Half-elf Fighter
  • Silbern (TrS): Level 6 Human Cleric of Roil
    • Saori, Level 3 Elf Assassin
  • Wig (SaC): Level 2 Halfling Scout

Their next goal is to investigate a mysterious map that came to Ingrid via her father, an influential Kelrian merchant, during her time in Endsdell. The note with it implies that her activity in the Fold clearing the singer’s keep had not gone unnoticed and that her continued activity there was of interest to the Kelrian traditionalists that have recently been pressuring her father to be more involved in their rituals.

But what does the map mean?
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Haven: Behind the Palace

Posted on 5 April 2026 by jameseck

On December 14th, having found great treasure in the throne room vault the week before, the party decides to return to search the rooms beyond the palace:

  • Elfleen (SaE): Level 8 Elf Thief
  • Pluta (ClE): Level 6 Elf Magic-user
  • Gobblebob (JaS): Level 5 Goblin Magic-user
  • Foxtrot (DaB): Level 4 Kobold Squire

They make their way uninterrupted to the target area but find nearly a score of giant rats in the halls which rush them. They kill them quickly with just a few nips and, that inconvenience dealt with, start by exploring the last room off the initial guard room, finding it to be a training room with mundane dummies and rusted weapons. They move on through the chapel to get to more unexplored rooms.

What else is inside?
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Barrier March, Sessions 143 and 144 (Clearing the Caves)

Posted on 4 April 2026 by jameseck

With the slaves extracted and safe, and the Marshall on the same page as the party, they prepare to go back into the mines and finish clearing out the goblins so that when the Marshall allows the slavers to withdraw into the caves in exchange for the release of the slaves in the guardhouse they will be able to ambush them in the caves.

  • Luke Leaf (TrS): Level 3 Human Scholar
    • Miles, Level 2 Human Hedge Mage
    • Hector Razorleaf (MiM): Level 1/2 Half-Elf Ranger/Cleric
  • Shifty (MaC): Level 2/2 Soldier/Scout
  • Ruptig “Tig” Underhill (JoF): Level 3 Gnome Thief
    • Grift, Level 2 Gnome Scoundrel
  • The Nameless Dwarf (SaC): Level 1 Dwarf Thief

On their way down, Ruptig and the Dwarf sneak over to the guard post on the quarry level and backstab the mercenaries there. They continue down into the lower levels not sure what goblin resistance they will find arrayed against them.

What will they meet?
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Eight(ish) Years of Haven

Posted on 19 March 2026 by jameseck

In January 2024, I said it would make sense to start making my yearly summaries at the top of the year. But toward the end of 2024 one of the driving players (CoB) went on a mission and I got busy with finishing my basement and sessions really slowed down. January 2025 came and went without me even thinking about summaries and only now, with the play report backlog caught up, I’m ready to summarize the end of the 2024 era of play and the new era that picked up in 2025 with a bunch of young players (mostly my children and younger siblings of prior players) who seem to be in it for the long haul once again.

Previous Years of Haven
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6

We have a lot to talk about
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Haven: The Dwarven Palace

Posted on 17 March 2026 by jameseck

On December 7th, a group of adventurers familiar with the dwarven ruins makes another delve. This time, they intend to return to where they battled an aggressive plant and see what else lies behind the fortified entrance they went through to get there:

  • Elfleen (SaE): Level 7 Elf Thief
  • Pluta (ClE): Level 5 Elf Magic-user
  • Gobblebob (JaS): Level 5 Goblin Magic-user
  • Al (BeS): Level 3 Elf Magic-user

To reach it from the unassuming mine entrance, they go through the massive throne room to the secret door that lets them slip down the hall to fortified door. The outer door they left closed behind them, but the door past the arrow loops still lies in pieces where Pluta sundered it.

What else is inside?
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Haven: The Crystalline Oracle

Posted on 15 March 2026 by jameseck

On November 29th, adventurers again determine to delve the dwarven ruins in the Aethreachas mines:

  • Elfleen (SaE): Level 7 Elf Thief
  • Pluta (ClE): Level 5 Elf Magic-user
  • Al (BeS): Level 2 Elf Magic-user
  • Amaranthe (MJF): Level 1 Human Druid

They once again go in through the mine entrance and make their way toward unmapped territory. They go through a mess hall and to a kitchen they know bypasses the intersection with the flying bricks.

What will they find?
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Barrier March, Sessions 140 and 142 (The Singer’s Redoubt)

Posted on 14 March 2026 by jameseck

On September 7th, 852nd Year of Asterneth, having rested but a single day after their ordeal in the rainbow world, the party makes way to High Tower. While the others had been researching the crystal rabbits, Kilterson heard rumors on the road that Marvin Stale, a blueberry magnate near Avenway, had been found to be missing:

  • Kilterson (MaC): Level 7 Human Druid
    • Meddle, Level 5 Halfling Scoundrel
    • Hengen, Level 3 Dwarf Fighter
    • Percival Penniworth, Level 3 Human Thief
  • Ingrid Corvinsdatter (MaD): Level 6 Human Barbarian
    • Berderan Huffderner, Level 3 Gnome Cleric of Sargrim
  • Leonard (JoF): Level 5/4 Elf Cleric (of Sky Light)/Mage
    • Helen Pagris, Level 3 Half-elf Fighter
  • Silbern (TrS): Level 6 Human Cleric of Roil
    • Saori, Level 3 Elf Assassin
  • Wig (SaC): Level 1 Halfling Scout

On the 8th, they continue on to Avenway, picking up a new Halfling companion seeking adventure on the area. In Avenway, they learn that it was nine days earlier that villagers had made their way to his cottage seeking day wages to pick his berries for him and he was nowhere to be found. People have long worried about him, living in the region south of the road known as the Fold. He had often talked about the music that had drawn so many others away never to be seen again.

To investigate
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Parry Gripp, Session 17: Freeing the Pegasi

Posted on 26 February 2026 by jameseck

Nearly a year ago, our heroes were left standing in the corridor just beyond one of the airlocks to the sun-aquatic habitat where they were told the pegasi were imprisoned. Now, the thrilling conclusion:

  • Ginger (SaE): Level 3 Gingerbread Man Rogue
    • Hernan: Level 2 Breakfast Burrito Acolyte
  • Candular (ClE): Level 3 Candicorn (Unicorn with a candy corn horn) Bard
  • Robot (LyE): Level 3 Robot Bug Fighter

With the robot gorillas destroyed, the party moves down the tunnel, soon emerging into a green field where they can see the dome and water above, including the thousand-arm robot octopus still roving about. They see elevated perches and gardens and pegasi flying about seemingly freely.

Is it a prison indeed?
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Haven: Attackers Near Schek Micheia

Posted on 24 February 2026 by jameseck

On November 12th, a large party sets out through evergreen satyr lands to deal with mysterious attacks complained of by satyrs, orcs, and goblins in the vicinity of the main Micheia shrine:

  • Elfleen (SaE): Level 6 Elf Thief
  • Pluta (ClE): Level 4 Elf Magic-user
  • Foxtrot (DaB): Level 4 Kobold Squire
  • Gobblebob (JaS): Level 4 Goblin Magic-user
  • Al (BeS): Level 2 Elf Magic-user
  • Silviss (MaB): Level 1 Kobold Thief
  • Spencer (KaH): Level 1 Elf Fighter

They take some extra time going via the winding paths of satyr lands rather than the road between Schek Kagrit and Schek Micheia, thinking it will result in more adventure on their way. They stay the night of the 12th at Ghost keep before setting out on the 13th.

Into Satyr lands
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