Blood's Awakening 06/01/2023 session recap

♣ Blood's Awakening: the party
♣ Blood's Awakening recap - part 1 - part 2 - part 3
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• As Vittorio is coming back from Ponte dei Corvi, he meets Merlino! The two travel together for a bit, then they set up camp when it's getting dark. Vittorio talks about getting older and feeling like he's wasted the best years of his life, and Merlino reassures him: he will have his second chance. Then he offers Vittorio a sip from his waterskin: it's the best water Vittorio had ever drank. They go to sleep and Vittorio dreams of his younger years. When he wakes up, there's no sign of Merlino and Vittorio is young again! His body is back to when he was 25 (as you can see above!), with the exception of the dragoness Sundalith's bite mark, which somehow remained. Everything else, including his tattoos, is gone.
• On November 23rd, Vittorio comes back to Lexiapolis and meets with Caliban and Celio at their Galder's Tower. They think about the how's and the whys of Vittorio's new body, but they decide to explore the topic the following day with the rest of the party.
• On November 24th 357, the party reunites. Some things have changed: Serpico has cut their hair shoulder length, and Celio, along with Caliban, pretends to do a magic trick involving Vittorio and his new young look.
• Vittorio tells them about Merlino. The party thinks Merlino isn't who he says he is, since Winter got its powers after meeting him too. They think Merlino might be Menelgond, the god of travel and freedom, son of Tolium, God of knowledge - the one who gave Polvere his powers.
• Caliban contacts Merlino with Sending and starts asking him some questions, but Merlino speaks inside Vittorio's mind instead: Vittorio is one the few mortals who had the privilege of drinking something so rare and powerful that became a legendary tale. He'll have one year of time to find and drink from the actual Spring of Youth, otherwise he'll be back to his middle-aged body.
• While the party is brainstorming, Winter receives a letter that has its dead name on it, Fiammetta Della Rovere. Winter visibly cringes hearing its old name and the party doesn't question it. Winter reads the letter and is distressed, and Vittorio consoles Winter but doesn't pry.
• Polvere tells the party that he contacted his father during this past month. Colamasso told him that he's having a fling with a very powerful and rich woman, Serena Portobello. She's a distant relative of Marina Portobello, the bard who challenged Edna at the ball. Knowing his father's reputation, Polvere doesn't know whether the relationship is serious or not to him.
• Caliban reads the local newspaper and his attention is drawn by two huge events: a blue dragon named Mohkvaris attacked Latavium with his cultists and in the province of Viterium entire villages have completely vanished.
• Reading the newspaper, the party learns that Mohkvaris arrived in Bagnacavallo, a port town, with its cultists by boat. The dragon immediately challenged Anducar's mother, the adult bronze dragoness Azraloth, and the two fought violently, resulting in Azraloth's defeat and consequent disappearance. Mohkvaris claimed to be the new ruler of the province and marched to Collevecchio Mondavio, besieging the city. Alexander Aerimus, the province's governor, declared a state of emergency and asked for the help of the nearby provinces.
• Edna is visibly distressed: her parents live in Viterium. Caliban contacts her father with Sending, and Gaetano, Edna's father, tells him everything is fine: him and his wife are safe behind their city's walls. Reassured, Edna feels like she can travel without worrying too much.
• The Rose of Winds feels compelled to leave as soon as possible, to help the people of Latavium.
• Cue preparation montage in which the party goes to several NPCs and ask for their help: they obtain lots of potions and a couple of scrolls. Among the people who help the party, there's the city guard: Montini hands them an official letter, signed by the governor of Lexia, and asks for them to let the people know who is aiding the Rose of Winds. (THE ROSE OF WINDS IS SPONSORED BY: LEXIAPOLIS)
• On November 25th, the party leaves for Recarum with the help of Horatio, the wizard that the party helped a few weeks prior. Using a Teleportation Circle the party travels to the University of magic of Recarum, and from there they look for a boat passage to Latavium.A
• There's a lot of tension in the air at the docks: many ferrymen don't want to travel into a dragon's territory. The party manages to find a man so crazy he still wants to leave and they take sail.
• The Rose of Winds arrives at the border between Recarum and Latavium on November 27th, stopping at the river village of Riva del Gallo. There, the landscape takes their breath away: an immense, black, thunderous cloud extends over the horizon, engulfing the sky of Latavium. It's one of the most menacing sights the party has encountered so far.
• Asking around Riva del Gallo, the Rose of Winds learn that another adventuring party, the Iron Falcons, are headed in the same direction. Caliban knows that they're five seasoned and efficient mercenaries, who've been around for six years now, and monster hunting is their specialty. They became famous after aiding a dwarven city in Trelbia against a threat from the Underdark.