Dunmari Frontier - Session 120

The Revel in Emberwine: in which the party mingles at Sunwine Hall

Featuring: Seeker, Delwath, Kenzo, Wellby, Riswynn
In the Feywild: Late Afternoon
In Taelgar: May 31, 1749 DR to June 7, 1749 DR
On Earth: Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Sunwine Hall, Emberwine

The Dunmar Fellowship attends a celebration at Sunwine Hall, in Emberwine, gaining allies and information for their quest to restore the Cloudspinner.

Session Info

Summary

The party arrives at Sunwine Hall, joining a celebration led by Lord Soven.
Kenzo communes with the lively nature of Emberwine, sensing the strain in the celebration.
Wellby encounters a cursed satyr, Valeris, who must always speak the most brutally honest truth.
Delwath duels Arendel, a renowned fey duelist, and gains respect despite his loss.
Riswynn converses with Ismara, a scholar intrigued by their journey.
The party learns about the Shrouded Archive and Cloudspinner’s keeps from Count Vashan.
The group recruits Ismara and Valeris as guides for their quest.
Wellby tames a wyvern, and they secure griffins from Lord Soven for travel.

Timeline

May 31, 1749 DR: Reach Sunwine Hall, meet Lord Soven, speak with guests, including Valeris, Ismara, and Count Vashan. Delwath duels Arendel and loses.
Jun 01, 1749 DR - Jun 06, 1749 DR: Remain at Sunwine Hall, telling stories and making plans. Wellby tames a wyvern released from the Mirror of Soul Trapping.
Jun 07, 1749 DR: Depart Sunwine Hall for the Sunset Gate

Narrative

Our session begins in Emberwine as the party follows Auntie Mulberry’s enchanting flute melody through Emberwine. Lady Eventide, speaking through Seeker’s possessed form, reminisces about Lord Soven as they approach the massive pavilion bathed in golden light, and slip into the current of the dance after being greeted by a steward offering refreshments.

Drifting through the crowd, the party meets Lord Soven himself, a seven-foot-tall figure with antlered head, who invites Delwath to dance while they speak. When Delwath mentions Cloudspinner’s imprisonment, Lord Soven falters noticeably, shocked: “None of us ever thought the Cloudspinner could return,” he admits.

As the party splits up to gather information, Kenzo meditates at the periphery, connecting with the natural world. Unlike his typical experiences, he’s overwhelmed by emotions pouring from every vine and fruit—pleasure and sweetness, but with troubling undertones of overripeness, as though the land strains to maintain this celebration.

Wellby, moving through the crowds looking for someone out of place, encounters Valeris, a satyr cursed to speak only brutal truth after helping a fey woman escape an oath. Valeris reveals the deterioration of the Feywild following Cloudspinner’s disappearance and mentions the Shrouded Archive where all secrets are kept, as well as Count Vashan, a member of Cloudspinner’s court now lost in drink in Emberwine.

Riswynn befriends Ismara of Gleamwater, a scholar of humanity eager to document the party’s adventures. From Ismara, the party hears about Amberglow: the Cloud Palace with its six towers, now crashed; Redsun Watch standing before a crystallized wall of sunset colors; Heartwood Grove, now dark and rotting; and the northern outposts of Amberglow overtaken by the mysterious Gloomshaper.

Delwath meets Arendel, a renowned but cheerful and friendly duelist who challenges him on the spot. Their duel draws a crowd, including drawing back other members of the party who had wandered off. Arendel ultimately wins but acknowledges Delwath’s skill. As payment, Delwath must entertain Arendel with stories for two days.

After the duel, the goes to find Count Vashan, who is now calling himself “the broken mask”. He is slumped at the edge of festivities, clearly deep in drink. Delwath boldly declares that Cloudspinner is alive, and Lady Eventide recognizes Vashan as one of Cloudspinner’s most trusted servants, but the Count does not deign to speak of the past. Suspecting the fey wine is clouding his memories, Kenzo channels his ki to temporarily suppress the magic afflicting Vashan’s mind, jolting him to awareness of his past.

The effect is immediate. Count Vashan’s eyes clear as the truth emerges: he betrayed Cloudspinner, bringing Cha’mutte to the Cloud Palace during a moment of vulnerability, though whether intentionally or by accident, he can no longer remember. Though ashamed and angry, he offers crucial information: each of the keeps along the Sunset Gate contain hidden chambers allowing them to connect to the Prismwell, once used as a means of communication, defense, and perhaps more–Count Vashan does not know. However, the connection to the Prismwell can only be activated by the light of pure sunset.

After deliberation, the party decides to take the direct route, traveling west to the Sunset Gate and north to Redsun Watch (where they hope that Riswynn’s magic can activate the connection to the Prismwell), rather than seeking the Shrouded Archive and negotiating for access to the secrets kept within (which, one presumes, include the secret location of the Prismwell). They secure griffins from Lord Soven, and prepare to set off.

In preparation for departure, Wellby tames the wyvern trapped in the Mirror of Soul Trapping, using food, wine, and his remarkable animal handling skills. Kenzo joins him atop the creature as they soar above Sunwine Hall, much to the astonishment of the gathered fey.

Valeris and Ismara agree to join their expedition, though Ismara expresses hesitation about continuing northward into Amberglow and only promises to travel as far as the Sunset Gate. As the session ends, the seven travelers mount their griffins and wyvern, launching into the sky as they leave Sunwine Hall behind, setting course for the Sunset Gate and the ruins of Amberglow beyond.

Detailed Outline

Reaching Sunwine Hall

The party arrives in the fey realm of Emberwine, following a flute given by Auntie Mulberry.
They’re seeking a refugee from Amber Glow who might be at Lord Sovin’s court.
Lady Eventide (possessing Seeker) provides background on Lord Sovin.
The group approaches Sunwine Hall, an open-air feast with perpetual late afternoon light.
They observe the revels, noticing a flow pulling people into the great stone pavilion.
An elegantly dressed man welcomes them to the feast, offering food and wine.
They navigate through the party, with Wellby using his natural talent for adapting to social customs.
Kenzo senses an undercurrent of collective avoidance beneath the revelry.
They encounter Lord Sovin, a tall figure with antlers and ribbons, who welcomes them warmly.
Delwath mentions their burden regarding Cloud Spinner’s imprisonment, causing concern in Lord Sovin.
Lord Sovin is surprised and awed when they mention finding Cloud Spinner.
Kenzo performs a commune with nature to search for anomalies related to the Prism Well.
Riswynn mingles with party guests, gathering information about the Feywild.

Meditations on the Feywild

Kenzo separates from the group and moves to the edge of the party near one of the smaller bands.
He attempts to commune with nature, something he has never done in the Feywild before.
Instead of sensing plants and animals as he normally would, Kenzo experiences a riot of emotions emanating from the vegetation.
The vines and plants are bursting with pleasure and sweetness, their emotions shifting in response to the party’s moods.
His communion produces sensory experiences like tasting the sweetness of a ripe peach.
As his awareness extends outward, Kenzo notices some plants feel “overripe” or strained, reflecting the undercurrent of the revelers trying too hard to party.
When asked about anomalies, Kenzo senses the Red River (river of wine) where plants along its banks sway from intoxication rather than from any breeze.
Despite the strange nature of his communion, Kenzo finds no true anomalies in the surrounding area.
Kenzo decides to remain at the edge of the celebration, not feeling in a festive mood himself.

Wellby Meets Valeris

Wellby explores the party looking for interesting characters or anyone who doesn’t quite belong.
He notices a satyr sitting alone, looking unhappy - unusual for the festive atmosphere.
The satyr reveals he’s cursed to tell only brutal, complete truth, making social interactions difficult.
He explains he gained this curse after helping a fey woman named Yasara the Golden escape an oath she made.
The satyr mentions he could be freed by performing one selfless act, but his previous attempts haven’t worked.
When Wellby inquires about a refugee from Amberglow, the satyr calls him “the broken mask” and says he can be found wherever the strongest wine is served.
The satyr admits that the Feywild has deteriorated since Cloud Spinner vanished.
Wellby learns about the Shrouded Archive, where all the Feywild’s secrets are kept, but accessing it requires paying an unknown “tax” or toll.
The satyr laments his boring existence at the revels, unable to play games, tell embellished stories, or engage normally.
Wellby begins telling the satyr a true story about stopping an emperor from becoming a god.

Delwath Meets Arendell

Delwath wanders the revels, drawing attention with his martial bearing.
Arendel, a boisterous fey warrior with golden hair and a dented breastplate, approaches Delwath.
Arendel is known as a duelist who has faced many challengers at Lord Sovin’s court.
He notices and comments on Delwath’s elven blade.
Arendel expresses his philosophy that the best duels are between friends, not enemies.
He challenges Delwath to a friendly duel.
They negotiate the terms: to first blood, minimal magic allowed (“one spell each”).
The stakes are set: the loser must entertain the winner with stories for one day.
Arendel bangs his sword against his cup, announcing the duel to the revelers.
Word of the upcoming duel spreads through the feast, generating excitement.

Delwath’s Duel

Riswynn meets Ismara of Gleamwater, a fey woman with a book who is documenting travelers.
Ismara is intrigued by Riswynn’s tales of a flying castle and their journey through the wasteland.
Word spreads of the upcoming duel between Delwath and Arendel, attracting everyone’s attention.
Valeris (the truth-telling satyr) tells Wellby that Arendel rarely loses duels.
The duel begins with formal rules: first to inflict half damage wins, and each duelist may use one spell.
Delwath invokes the gods’ guidance while Arendel uses Shield to deflect attacks.
The fight is intense and close, with Delwath landing powerful strikes but ultimately losing.
Arendel acknowledges Delwath’s skill, saying it was the closest he’d come to defeat in a long time.
Arendel looks forward to hearing Delwath’s stories as the promised reward for winning.
The duel ends with a toast to the travelers and even to “annoying satyrs” like Valeris.

Conversation and Stories

After the duel, Arendel invites Delwath to share his tales with the gathering crowd.
Delwath begins by telling the story of how he acquired his blade, followed by tales of dragon-slaying.
Arendel eventually excuses himself to get refreshments, promising to return for more stories.
While Arendel is away, the party regroups with Valeris (the truth-telling satyr) and Ismara still present.
Riswynn approaches Ismara to inquire about Everlight’s Bloom and the Shrouded Archive.
Ismara cautions about the mysterious “toll” required at the Shrouded Archive.
Using her magical book, Ismara shares information about Amberglow, conjuring images of:
- The Cloud Palace with its six towers
- Red Sun Keep with its glowing red castle near the Sunset Gate
- The archive where many of Cloud Spinner’s stories were stored
- Artwood Grove, now rotting after its guardian was killed
- The northern regions overtaken by the Gloom Shaper
The party discusses the possibility that Red Sun Keep might be overrun by Harrow and Wend.

Recruiting Allies and Planning the Next Move

The party discusses whether certain members have previously visited Amberglow, confirming that neither Riswynn nor Delwath have been there.
They debate whether to recruit Ismara (the book-carrying fey) or Valeris (the truth-telling satyr) for their journey.
The group decides to seek out “the broken mask,” the melancholy refugee from Amberglow, before departing.
Ismara expresses interest in staying to hear Delwath’s stories while he fulfills his promise to Arendel.
She reveals she collects tales of the mortal world, fascinated by its strange predictability and decay.
Ismara mentions her plans to travel to the Sunset Gate but fears going beyond it due to dangers.
She provides information about Dusk Mire, the realm of the Gloom Shaper, and the difficulties of reaching Twilight’s Grace.
Riswynn decides to search for the melancholy refugee from Amberglow, with Delwath joining her.
Wellby formally invites Valeris to accompany them to the Shrouded Archive.
Valeris agrees to guide them but plans to wait outside, hoping this act might qualify as selfless enough to break his curse.

The Broken Mask Remembers

The party locates Count Vashen, known as “the broken mask,” slumped against a column at the edge of the festivities.
They notice his unremarkable appearance contrasts with the distinctive features of other fey—as if designed to be overlooked.
Lady Eventide recognizes him as the former Warden of Cloud Palace, someone she thought had died.
Delwath reveals to Vashen that Cloud Spinner is alive, though trapped.
Vashen initially doubts them and is reluctant to help, believing Cloud Spinner wouldn’t want his service.
Kenzo uses soul sight to temporarily suppress the memory-clouding effects of Fey wine on Vashen.
With memories restored, Vashen reveals he betrayed Cloud Spinner by bringing Shamat to the Cloud Palace.
Wellby shows Vashen the imprisoned Cloud Spinner in his necklace, confirming their story.
Vashen shares that Cloud Spinner’s keeps along the Sunset Gate each contained a drop of the Prism Well.
He advises they search these keeps for a connection to the Prism Well, though they would need sunlight to see it.
As Kenzo’s cleansing touch fades, Vashen’s memories slip away again.

Plotting Their Course

The party debates their next steps: either heading directly to the Sunset Gate and the keeps, or seeking information at the Shrouded Archive.
The group decides to follow the Sunset Gate path rather than pay unknown prices at the Shrouded Archive.
They discuss bringing either Valeris (the truth-telling satyr) or Ismara of Gleamwater (the scholar with the book) as companions.
Delwath plans to fulfill his storytelling obligation to Arendel while asking Lord Sovin for mounts.
Kenzo uses soul sight to determine that Ismara is genuinely a scholar from Gleamwater, not a spy.
They decide to invite both potential companions and see who agrees to join them.

Taking Flight

The party confirms that Fey wine gradually erodes memories with overindulgent consumption rather than causing immediate forgetfulness.
Ismara agrees to accompany them as far as the Sunset Gate, though she’s cautious about venturing north into more dangerous territory.
Lord Sovin agrees to provide mounts to carry them to the borders of his realm.
Wellby attempts to train the Wyvern trapped in their mirror, succeeding through a combination of animal handling, bardic inspiration, and animal telepathy.
Despite initial challenges, Wellby manages to calm the Wyvern enough to ride it, even allowing Kenzo to join him.
The Wyvern is described as partially tamed but still unpredictable, especially in combat situations.
Wellby and Kenzo take the Wyvern on flights above Emberwine while Delwath fulfills his storytelling obligation to Arendel.
The truth-telling satyr Valeris agrees to join their journey, hoping to escape his current situation.
The party banters about their track record of companions dying under their care, noting it’s “single-digit numbers.”
The session ends with the party departing Sunwine Hall - Wellby and Kenzo mounted on the Wyvern, the others riding colorful griffins provided by Lord Sovin.

Wellby and Valeris - Extended Narrative

Wellby’s eyes scanned the revelry, noting how the fey danced and laughed with abandon. Every face seemed caught in perpetual delight—which is why the pouting satyr caught his attention so immediately. Sitting apart from the merriment, the satyr cut a striking figure with his curling ram’s horns wrapped in gold rings, his silk shirt half-buttoned, and a fiddle tucked under one arm.
Curious, Wellby approached and introduced himself with a friendly smile. “You’re the first satyr I’ve met who isn’t dancing. Why no celebration for you?”

The satyr looked up, his expression souring further. “Damn! Why do you have to ask that?” He sighed deeply, adjusting his position. “Well, I’m cursed. Everything I say has to be brutally and completely honest.” His lips quirked into a sardonic smile. “You’d be surprised how often little white lies smooth over social graces. For example, I could say you look pretty out of place, but instead, all I can really say is, why did you come here, and why are you bothering me?”

Despite his harsh words, there was something oddly charming in his directness. Wellby, intrigued rather than offended, settled beside him.

“I’ve run into people with curses before and found ways to remove them,” Wellby offered. “How did you come to be cursed? It doesn’t look like any of these people would do that to you.”

The satyr rolled his eyes. “It’s a long story, and honestly, I’m pretty sick of telling it. But if you insist, I can’t really say no so well.” He glanced around before continuing. “I grew up here in Emberwine. It’s a beautiful place, you can tell.” He gestured broadly at the endless celebration. “Just looking around, you have to admit it’s beautiful.”

He explained how, at a revel much like this one, he encountered a woman named Yasara the Golden from Everlights Bloom. “She was beautiful, aloof, radiant,” he recounted. “She walked through the world as if it was a story she was only half aware of.”

When Yasara had sworn an oath of eternal love to her dance partner—an oath she clearly never intended to keep—the satyr had intervened. “I was arrogant,” he admitted. “I wanted to prove that I could twist fate myself. Who wouldn’t? A gambler who can change reality with stories… Come on! Isn’t that the best thing you could tell of yourself?”

His eyes gleamed with remembered pride. “And I, to be brutally honest, I did it. I told a tale so compelling and strong that reality shifted around it, and her oath was undone.” He paused, his momentary triumph fading. “And I could never lie again. Damn it, why did I waste my time with that stupid lady?”

“What are you looking forward to?” Wellby asked, changing the subject.

“The next cup of wine,” the satyr responded flatly. “I don’t know. Nothing really. Getting out of here.” He explained that supposedly, one selfless act would end his curse. “But I tried that. Letting a mortal win at cards didn’t work. Plus, it was tough anyway because everybody beats me at cards. Can’t bluff, can’t cheat, can’t lie. Damn! I used to be such a good gambler.”

The satyr continued, listing his failed attempts at selflessness—giving someone wine, trying to offer sincere compliments without following with criticism. “I don’t want to leave because I’m afraid to wander around the Feywild in my current state. I don’t really want to stay because everybody’s sick of me telling the truth about them.”

Wellby, recalling his mission, redirected the conversation. “I heard there’s some refugee from Amberglow here.”

“Oh, the broken mask!” The satyr perked up slightly. “He’s a sad sack.”
“Where is that dude?” Wellby pressed.

“He’s always got his wherever the strongest wine is. That’s where you’ll find him.” The satyr waved dismissively. “Don’t bother talking to him. All he does is bemoan his fate.”
“Is that not what you’re doing this whole time?” Wellby countered with a knowing smile.
“It is what I’m doing, but—” The satyr began.
“If you had to be brutally honest?” Wellby’s eyes twinkled.
“I can’t even say I’m being interesting about it, because I know that I’m not. Damn it!” The satyr exclaimed, a reluctant laugh escaping him.
Changing tactics, Wellby asked, “What’s gonna happen here when Harrow and Wend roll through?”
“We’ll all die,” came the blunt response.
“Why not prepare for that? Why not do something about that now?” Wellby challenged. “Why just let that happen?”
The satyr shook his head. “These are questions that I cannot answer, because what do I know of the doings of fey lords? The whole neighborhood went to hell when Cloud Spinner vanished.”
“I mean—” Wellby began.
“If I’m being brutally honest, really, we just need her back,” the satyr interrupted. “But that’s never gonna happen.”
Wellby noticed Kenzo subtly touching his necklace, where Cloud Spinner was imprisoned. “One of the things I want to do is go back through her old realm,” Wellby said carefully. “Who here knows the ways around there? Who can guide me in and through?”
“You think that would count as a selfless act?” The satyr raised an eyebrow, interested for the first time.
“Worth a shot,” Wellby affirmed. “Do you know the terrain there?”
“If I’m being brutally honest, I’ve never been to Amberglow specifically,” the satyr admitted.
Their conversation turned to the Shrouded Archive, where all the Feywild’s secrets were kept. “I bet I could find that,” the satyr claimed.
“Really, if you’re being brutally honest?” Wellby pressed.
“The trick is not so much finding it. It’s figuring out how to pay the tax,” the satyr explained.
“The tax?”
“I don’t really know for sure. Everybody just says, you know, whines and complains about the toll I had to pay for X, Y, and Z.” He frowned in concentration. “Nobody can ever say what they have to give up. It’s like they can’t tell what the payment was.”
As their conversation continued, the satyr lamented his boring existence. “Most stories are only good because they’re embellished,” he explained with weary honesty. “Around here, not that many stories are good told straight. Most people don’t actually lead very interesting lives since you mortals stopped coming through.”
Seeing an opportunity, Wellby leaned forward. “Want to hear an interesting story that’s all true?”
The satyr’s eyes lit up with genuine interest. “I do.”
And so Wellby began the tale of how they had stopped an emperor from becoming a god—a story remarkable enough that even without embellishment, it promised to captivate a truth-bound satyr starved for genuine entertainment.