The following day, the (still unnamed) trio decided the best course of action was to go to … Old Vasselheim!
After a brief chat with Vox Machina, they learned that according to them, the Sword of Kas was Yeeted by Kelyeth into another plane, and yes they used three tramels to kill Vecna (the Raven Queen’s broke). That meant the issue was not with time itself, but someone is fucking with the Raven Queen herself! Kas was indeed a paladin of Vecna who, despite turning on Vecna at the eleventh hour, was still an evil mother fucker, even though the Raven Queen told them he was her Paladin.
They left out the details of the dream and the Raven Queen and time for now.
Kitted up with food and supplies in their Bag of Holding, they began the two-ish day walk to the old city.
Overall, the trip was ridiculously straightforward. Nothing strange happened as they crossed the fields, seeing only the guards exercising. Nothing was odd at the crossroads. The road went from old and well maintained to really heckin’ old, and finally to the ancient road stuff no one has (yet) reproduced.
To the east, an arrow pointed back to New Vasselheim; to the west, Fort Viktor; to the south, Osgow. North though, someone scratched Vasselheim off the north-pointing sign and wrote: “This way lies madness.”
Still, really not much happened until they were somewhat deep into the woods. Along the side of a road was a small shrine to a kind of dick-shaped alter. Stubby and Tāmarai left offerings, and heard an amused voice say “Well well well.” Finally they had a little adventure, when two giant snakes attacked, looking for an easy dinner. Thanks to a clever use of Immovable Rod by Stubby, the snakes became the meal.
The first night was uneventful. Except for Rinn seeing (but not hearing) lightning strike the old city, and hearing a voice in his head say ‘Come.’
The biggest adventure of day two was a bar, walking on two legs like a person, who politely said “Excuse me” as he crossed the road in front of them. When asked by Tāmarai if he’d recently been to New Vasselheim (and after a quick explanation as to what that was), the bear said yes, he’d been in time. Tāmarai spotted the remains of a cocoon which had something ripped out of it and eaten.
A ways away from the city, just where they could see that most of the spires etc are missing, they found the doors of the great gates of Vasselheim. And by found one means that a door was on the ground, pierced by a rock, suggesting it was Yeeted out of the city and impaled. The other was broken into pieces, twisted and wrought.
Camping there for the night, with only the blue glow of the eternal fire coming from the Platinum Sanctuary to watch them, the trio wondered what would await them in the city itself.
Come morning, they found, to their horror, wonton destruction. Craters pockmark the land, giant canyons rip through housing districts, and most of the famous buildings are simply … gone. Where there should be temples there are none. No towers, spires, or even humble chapels. The temples are all gone.
Welcome to Vasselheim.
Players
- Rinn Shrike – Half-elf Sorcerer/Rogue (Storm Sorcery)
- Stubby – Half-elf Artificer/Artillerist
- Tāmarai Shikomi – Gnome Bard (College of Lore)