A Nightmare Unmasked - Winter 1492
Last Time on Fate’s War:
A Nightmare Unmasked
The crew woke to a gruesome sight: Rumbargo’s corpse lay cold, while a second Rumbargo—an impostor—prowled among them. Their investigation soon revealed the truth: the “duplicate” was a doppelganger, lurking in disguise. Dispatching this shapeshifter came at a high price. The scattered search left some crew members isolated, allowing the Whisper of Solitude to creep into their minds. Its voice gnawed at their sanity, bringing a deafening ring that distorted their senses and pulled them further into its nightmare.
Key Choices Recap
Pamala and the Skin Man’s Tragic Discovery:
The Skin Man was discovered cradling Pamala’s lifeless form, claiming she had been attacked by yet another doppelganger. His story held truth; Pamala’s corpse bore the telltale infection, a sign of transformation into a new doppelganger. Realization struck the crew—the infestation ran deeper than anyone had feared.Escape Routes Compromised:
While investigating, they found that half of the lifeboats had been used during the night. Whether someone left or brought something sinister aboard, the mystery remains, leaving them vulnerable to further invasion.The Worm and the Admiral’s Scroll:
In the depths of their search, the crew recovered their spy: the worm they’d once sent to watch Admiral Nightstar. The worm held a scroll in its gut—a clue to the admiral’s true allegiance. But as the worm attempted to deliver the scroll, it spun wildly out of control, creating a vortex that nearly tore through the ship’s systems. The crew managed to contain the damage and decipher the scroll, revealing that Nightstar was in fact a warlock. And his patron? Rex Malefactor, their very nemesis.Breaking the Admiral’s Curse:
Seizing the Chaos Stone, the crew sought to break Rex’s charm on Nightstar, pressing him for answers. Their efforts yielded a crucial revelation: Rex had orchestrated their arrival in the Shadowfell, manipulating events to pull them toward the prison of the Chaos Angel.Encounters: The Crumbling Prison
The Gate to the Abyssal Prison
Rex’s ploy backfired. For the first time, his voice boomed through the vortex without pretense, warning the crew about a “gate” and the prison beyond it. As reality began to unravel, they found themselves facing the prison of the fabled Chaos Angel, each layer of its barrier crumbling as time and space frayed around it. What lay within defied comprehension: spectral horrors, fragments of twisted realms, and otherworldly beasts clawed toward the ship.End of the Session: Blades in the Dark
Before they could make sense of Rex’s warning, the crew felt cold steel at their backs—foes materialized on the deck, fresh threats drawn in by the prison’s collapse. The session ended with the crew cornered, dread pooling as they prepared to face whatever nightmares had just been unleashed upon their vessel.Long-Term Implications
Doppelganger Infestation:
The doppelgangers’ infiltration has left the crew scrambling for security. Until the true extent of the infestation is revealed, none can trust that those around them are who they claim to be.The Admiral’s Betrayal:
Discovering Nightstar’s pact with Rex Malefactor has fractured what little trust remained. His allegiance is in question, and the crew faces difficult decisions about whether he is a liability or a potential ally in the fight to escape the Shadowfell.The Chaos Angel’s Prison Unleashed:
With the prison’s collapse and the Chaos Angel’s forces seeping into their reality, the boundaries between worlds have fractured. Each step forward brings the crew closer to either salvation or annihilation, as their ship drifts on the edge of nightmare and oblivion.The crew stands against an ever-thickening fog of chaos, where every move could be their last. All eyes now turn to the shattered prison as they prepare to face the monstrous legions clawing toward them from the abyss.
