Session 1

The story began with the party being invited by an elven scholar named Erevan to take a well paying job. He said he couldn't disclose details over a letter as information regarding the mission was meant to stay a secret. He tells the party to meet him at a bar in Waterdeep called the Iron Bull. Selgrix and Elduth are the first to arrive. Elduth goes over to Erevan to talk business, while Selgrix goes to the bar to drink. Shark King and Luna arrive soon after. Once everyone is gathered Erevan explains that the job he wants to hire the party for involves going through a “gate” to another world. The Gate had been opened once before by him and several colleagues about 300 years ago. The last time it was opened it stayed open for 15 minutes before suddenly closing. The sudden closure resulted in the death of one person, another who was on the other side of the Gate was never seen again. He believes that he has found a way to open and stabilize it for at least 12 to 24 hours, and wanted the party to go through to the other side and report back their findings. He offers them 500 GP each to do the mission.   The party accepts, receives 125 GP each as an act of goodwill, and leaves for the Gate's location at the University Of Waterdeep. At this point, Elduth notices that Luna has completely spaced out and is unresponsive. Elduth sticks Luna into her bag of holding to ensure that she can come along. Upon arriving at the building housing the Gate, the party notices several strange magic items such as a trident that rots the flesh of those who touch it, a bean bag that causes those exposed to it to vomit their entrails, and a cloak that is permanently wet. The party enters the Gate room and finds a 30 foot wide and 60 foot tall semicircular object with 9 stones slotted inside it at various points. Erevan activates the Gate and the party steps through.   Upon entering the other side the party was greeted by a barren wasteland, which was in stark contrast to the lush greenery that Erevan described prior. Selgrix picks up a rock and throws it back through the Gate, telling Erevan “here's your soil sample!”, Erevan replied “ that's not a big enough sample!”, to which Selgrix picked up a boulder and tossed it through the gate. As this was happening, Elduth notices a group of 6 Dragonborn soldiers wearing black and gold armor on an embankment nearby. The soldiers shout “Gate Farers! Seize them!” and charged. The party initially hesitated until they heard Erevan yell from the other side of the Gate “Hostiles?! Hold them off!” combat ensued.   King Shark killed 2 enemies, Selgrix killed 2 and Elduth killed 1. The sixth dragonborn tried to jump through the Gate. Erevan panicked and closed the Gate, causing the dragonborn to be sliced in half as the portal closed around him.     With the hostiles dealt with the Party took stock of their situation. King Shark noticed a sign that tells them to go north to a city called Whitesburg as part of an evacuation. The party heeds this sign and heads north. Selgrix hears a feminine voice in her head that threatens her because she is “false kin” As they move the whistling of artillery shells passing overhead could be heard. The party soon came across a dilapidated road with destroyed and rusting vehicles along with skeletal remains strewn about. King Shark discovers a Manitou rifle and dubs it “funny stick” then proceeds to bash it on the ground. Elduth finds a Blowback pistol and pockets it, before examining the rifle that Shark found.   As this is taking place 4 malnourished looking elves with metal collars on approach the party. They seem distraught and draw weapons. Selgrix tries to negotiate, but is attacked by one of the elves who simply shouted “must obey. Must obey master's will!”. The elf's attack bounces harmlessly off of Selgrix's armor. King Shark retaliates by biting the elf's arm off, leaving it to bleed out on the ground. Selgrix then tries to remove one of the metal collars on another elf. She succeeds but finds they are still hostile. Elduth puts her hands up an says to an elf “ok, chill, we can talk about this.. “ then proceeds to cast acid splash on it.   With the elves defeated the party follows the road north. As the road goes further and further it get more and more chewed up and the ground gets muddy. Shell holes are scattered all around them. They soon spot what looks like stone walls and trenchlines up ahead. A loud voice calls out to them “ HALT! REMAIN IN PLACE, WE WILL COME TO YOU”. Elduth and Selgrix comply but King Shark does not initially until the voice tells him specifically to stay still. He complies. From the walls a jeep approaches. When the jeep arrives two Humans step out and ask the party to enter the jeep and come with them. They comply, and enter the vehicle. As they are en route to the walls one of the soldiers gives a rundown of where they are and the current situation. He explains that the dragonborn they fought earlier were soldiers of the Draconic Imperium Imperium, an empire dedicated to the extermination or subjugation of all non draconic races. The elves the party encountered were battle thralls used by the Imperium as cannon fodder. The human soldiers who are transporting them right now are working for the Republic Of Adreal and are here to try and stop the Imperium's advance.   The jeeps comes to a stop and the soldiers lead the party to a tent where the general of Republican forces, General Bishop, is at. Bishop introduces himself and is very interested in the fact that the players came through the Gate. As they make small talk, Elduth asks about the rifle they found. Bishop leads the party out the tent and demonstrates how it works by shooting a wooden pole. Soon after this, Bishop makes the party an offer: help him and his forces in the War against the Imperium and he will help them find the runes that activate the Gate. The party accepts.   Bishop points the group in the direction of the armory and, upon Elduth asking where a skilled mechanic is, the hangars. King Shark stays and talks more with Bishop while Selgrix and Elduth head to the hanger. Once at the hanger they meet an white and black feathered Aarakocra named Tel'Kros. Elduth and Tel'Kros hit it off right away, talking shop and competing to see who can dismantle and put together a pistol faster. Elduth won the contest.   NAT 20 counts: King Shark 1, Striker 1