Campaign: Astrodia
DM: Tommy
Players: Jim, Roy, Kat, Kenyaita, Emily, Yemko
Date: May 31, 2026 (Session 6)
A New Day in the Lost Library of Leith Chantos
With Powell routed and the Nath Loom secured, the party took a long rest inside the now-cleared library. Everyone began the day at full health and resources. Rather than immediately teleport back to campus, they decided to finish exploring the rooms they hadn’t yet reached.
Two doors on their level gave off faint cave sounds — dripping water, skittering — that fell dead silent whenever the party knocked or listened, as if something behind them was getting into position. The dust on the handles confirmed Powell’s crew had never opened them. One door was locked; with no rogue (or thieves’ tools) in the party, they left the cave doors alone for now and turned to the unlocked rooms.
The Forge & The Sentient Axe
Behind one unlocked door lay a cold forge — anvil, hammers, tongs, and a striking double-bladed axe resting on the anvil. Detect Magic (cast as a ritual by Asha) revealed enchantment magic.
When Úlfr grasped it, the axe communicated not in words but in emotion — much like the orb creature, though Drolta determined the two were different entities with different magic. Later identification revealed it to be:
- A +1 greataxe with sentience (Int, Wis, Cha) — it “speaks” by transmitting feelings.
- A genuinely good-aligned weapon with a special purpose: to protect the family of its bearer (chosen/found family included).
- It had not been touched since Leith Chantos himself, centuries ago, and does not know where he is.
- Its given name is “Leith Chantos’s Legacy,” though Úlfr means to rename it. (Note: this is NOT the famous double-headed axe from the fresco that Leith forged to stop the warlord — just another of his magical creations.)
Úlfr claimed the axe but is still wielding his old greataxe until he trusts the new one.
Leith’s Bedchamber
A black-on-black bedchamber held more discoveries:
- Leith Chantos’s personal journal — his life story in his own words, filling the gaps in Myrna Nor’s research. The party gave this to Myrna.
- Black robes of mourning — Leif tried them on and kept them. (The party later realized these were Leith’s mourning garments for his dead wife.)
- A platinum ring and a hidden key, both tucked on a shelf inside the armoire.
The Spider Pit & Una’s Grave
The eastern cave door opened onto a chasm room: a wide ledge, two small platforms hanging on chains over the void, and a far ledge bearing a headstone. Lurking on webs below were two giant spiders and a swarm of spiders.
- Aren’s spider phobia triggered instantly — she broke free of an attempted grapple (Nat 20) and opened with Sacred Flame before initiative was even rolled.
- The party’s summoned wolf companion was killed by the giant spiders.
- Drolta missed a platform jump and fell into the webs, then went on to eradicate the entire spider swarm in a single flaming-claw strike (“a thousand blades”). Leif’s Entangle locked down the rest.
- Spiders defeated, the party crossed via acrobatics and ropes to reach the grave.
The headstone read, in Orcish: “Una, beloved wife.” A platinum ring rested on it. The party agreed not to take it — Una was Leith’s poisoned wife. (Úlfr eyed it and grabbed it unseen.)
Beyond the grave, a tunnel descended deep underground. Úlfr recalled legends of a subterranean civilization called the Subterra — dismissed by most as too secluded to bother with. The party agreed this was a full expedition for another day and left it alone.
The Hidden Vault
Drawn back to the wolf-summoning room, Asha spotted a concealed wall vault above where a bag had been found. The key from the armoire opened it, revealing a small chamber of bottles and jars:
- 2 Potions of Healing
- Jars of jade dust, gold dust, and ruby dust (valuable spell components)
Return to the Academy & Leveling Up
The party used the teleportation circle to return to the main Academy campus (the Acropolis). Asha needed the glyphs of a circle she knew — Myrna had given her a copy of the main campus circle’s runes. Upon arriving, the party reached Level 3.
They took a long rest while Asha learned the Identify spell (50 gp + time, paid from party gold). This was the session’s single dream check — everyone passed except Asha, who was pulled aside privately by the DM.
Identifying the Loot
| Item | Identification |
|---|---|
| Copper Amulet (from the bear’s cave) | Tiny interlocking gears powered by the magic of Saturn; ticking/whirring sound. Once per dawn, you may forgo rolling the d20 on an attack and treat it as a flat 10 (modifiers still apply). |
| The Orb | A glass enchanted prison with 1 HP. It breaks if dropped or thrown, freeing whatever is inside. The creature within cannot be identified (it’s alive, not an object). |
| The Greataxe | ”Leith Chantos’s Legacy” — sentient +1 greataxe (see above). |
Asha’s Dream
Asha recounted a disturbing dream of the White Forest: a woman kneeling, dressed in black with red, reaching out toward something. She didn’t recognize her but warned the group — if anyone hears mention of the White Forest, talk to her first.
Returning the Nath Loom to Myrna
At the Fire Jolt Café, the party reunited with Myrna Nor and handed over the Nath Loom and Leith’s journal. She was overjoyed — the journal would vindicate her thesis completely. She confirmed the party retains access to read the Nath Loom anytime, and that she couldn’t carry 600 gold in public — she invited them to collect it at her Lorehold dorm that evening (8:00), covering their teleport fee with 50 gold.
Pillardrop & The Wine
The party teleported to the Lorehold College — Pillardrop, a desert canyon city of excavated ruins, carved cliff-halls, and precarious bridges over enormous ancient statues, built atop ruins of an unknown ancient people. Myrna walked them toward her dorm.
In her dorm, Myrna offered to crack open an expensive celebratory bottle of wine (which Úlfr had clocked on her shelf). Red’s survival check flagged something off about it — the DM secretly told Roy “the wine has been tampered with.” Despite the warning, Myrna insisted, “You have to trust me — this is for Asha’s sake,” and Asha (via insight) sensed Myrna was not malicious. Five of the party drank; Asha did not, suspicious of the whole setup. The drinkers passed out, with Myrna saying “I’ll see you on the other side.”
The Reveal: The S.A.T.O.
The party woke in chairs in an unfamiliar room — the basement of Myrna’s vacation beach house in Lathen — unrestrained, all gear intact. The wine was a sleeping draught used to travel undetected, since the Academy is watching its people. Asha had stayed awake the whole time.
A group of students stepped forward — old friends from the same Academy cohort, now scattered across the colleges. The party realized they’d already met all but Simone back in Session 3 at the Academy, never knowing these students were connected:
- Myrna Nor (Lorehold) — the one who hired them for Leith Chantos’s library
- Quintilius (Prismari) — the drama-guild recruiter who chatted with Úlfr in the Biblioplex
- Simone — the brains/most advanced mage; was working in the Biblioplex that first day (the only Satyr the party hadn’t actually spoken to before)
- Tobin — the appraiser the party once grilled at the cafe, secretly undercover in Academy administration
- Rosie (Lorehold) — the gnome LARPer rescued from the tampered mimic in the Biblioplex (real name Rosimyffenbip)
- Ersmatok Rostch (Witherbloom) — the orc plant-enthusiast Leif befriended in the Biblioplex; showed a showman’s streak (“I am my own fan… but I believe in telling a good story”)
They call themselves the S.A.T.O. — Students Against Tyrannical Overreach (“Satyrs”). They banded together after Asha was expelled for researching a forbidden topic — an artifact from the White Forest — which they consider an antithetical abuse of academic freedom. Their mission: discover why the topic is forbidden and clear Asha’s name. They recruited the party (already Asha’s allies and clearly competent) as the outside adventuring arm the students-on-the-inside can’t be. The Nath Loom quest was both a real need and a test.
The Map of Magic
Simone demonstrated her great discovery using enchanted sand poured onto a map of Astrodia, each color a type of magic flowing across the world:
- White — Arcane magic. Spread uniformly everywhere, yet oddly does NOT spike at the Academy despite the Snarl and Biblioplex.
- Red — Higher-being magic. Concentrated where expected (Southern Kingdoms, Oceanic Alliance, Fire King Islands, War Rock Mountains) — but still nothing at the Academy, which is strange given the Academy was founded by dragons/giants.
- Yellow — Divine magic (of the Solemn Pantheon). A huge spike in the White Forest, plus a tiny new speck at the Academy that only appeared recently — which the party realized is the Golden Chalice they brought back two days ago.
- Green — A fourth, undisclosed magic. Newer than arcane, it traces a line matching the path of the Great Cataclysm (NW Endymion → SE through the Purodetapo Forest → Prana Mountains). This unknown magic currently powers every major civilization in Astrodia — and no one is talking about it.
Simone’s hypothesis: Arcane magic may not be native to Astrodia. Before the Severance, there are no records of mortal wizards casting spells — all magic came from divine or higher sources. After the Severance, mortals could suddenly harness arcane magic on their own.
The chalice tested as divine magic and extremely powerful.
The Sinful Spoils
Tobin revealed an Academy record: they’re hunting someone called the “Seeker of the Sinful Spoils” — depicted as a woman in black and red, matching Asha’s dream figure. The party theorizes the artifacts themselves are the Sinful Spoils, and the Academy wants to keep them from this Seeker. Tobin had registered the chalice with the Academy’s Arcane Reclamation Initiative, so they now know the party holds one — but a magically binding agreement means the Academy can’t repossess it until the deadline expires (clock still ticking).
Leif’s Secret
When the green (fourth-magic) sand spilled, grains crawled toward Leif — just as the divine sand crawled toward the chalice. Under questioning, Leif’s secret surfaced:
- He is secretly a Warlock (with a Druidic background) — Simone proved it by commanding him to cast Eldritch Blast, which worked.
- He’s been hearing voices he can’t understand — in the same language as the creature trapped in the orb.
- He’s from the Purodetapo Forest, directly in the Cataclysm’s path. The voices began recently, after meditating in the forest — he fears he may have unknowingly made a pact or contacted something. His grandmother taught him magic; he’s told almost no one.
- Drolta (a fellow warlock) offered to help him, but warned she can’t come between him and his patron if one exists.
The party urged Leif to commune with the voices to learn the truth.
The Plan
The S.A.T.O. and party agreed the next move is to take the Golden Chalice to the White Forest — away from the Academy, and toward answers about the new magic and the forbidden research. En route, they intend to stop at a temple to Nephthys (a higher-being hotspot near their path) — deeply significant to Drolta, whose temple was attacked by Lady Nectaria’s vampires. If those attackers remain in the area, the party means to find them.
The closest campus to the forest is Quandrix (reachable by teleportation circle).
Rewards & Gifts
- 100 gold per party member (Myrna covers all teleport fees going forward)
- A pair of Sending Stones
- Teleportation runes to return to the Lathen safehouse anytime
- Another bottle of the (untampered) celebratory wine — the session ended with a real toast: “To Leith Chantos, and to the Satyrs, and to…”
The party finally settled on a name for themselves: The Fallen.
Loot Acquired This Session
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| ”Leith Chantos’s Legacy” | Sentient +1 greataxe; protects bearer’s family (Úlfr) |
| 2 Potions of Healing | From the hidden vault |
| Jade dust, Gold dust, Ruby dust | Valuable spell components (vault) |
| Platinum ring | From Leith’s armoire (kept for sale) |
| Black robes of mourning | Leith’s; worn by Leif |
| Sending Stones (pair) | Gift from Myrna |
| 100 gp each + teleport runes to Lathen | Reward from the S.A.T.O. |
(Sold this session: topaz jewelry, scimitars ×3, short bows ×3, and other unenchanted gear. The amulet, orb, and new axe were identified rather than sold.)
Open Threads
- The Fourth (Green) Magic — Unknown source, tied to the Great Cataclysm, secretly powering all civilization. The central mystery.
- The White Forest & the Chalice — The party’s next destination; the chalice is divine and extremely powerful. Academy can’t repossess it until the deadline (clock ticking).
- The Seeker of the Sinful Spoils — The woman in black and red from Asha’s dream. Friend or foe? The artifacts may be the “Sinful Spoils.”
- Leif’s Patron & the Voices — Leif is secretly a warlock hearing voices in the orb-creature’s language. He needs to commune to learn the truth.
- The Orb Creature — Still imprisoned; speaks a language matching Leif’s voices. Glass prison has 1 HP.
- The Subterra — Underground civilization beneath the library; a future expedition.
- The Nephthys Temple — Planned stop en route to the forest; tied to Drolta’s tragedy and Lady Nectaria’s vampires.
- Asha’s Mother — Vanished after Asha’s expulsion. The S.A.T.O. (esp. Tobin) will watch for leads.
- Asha’s Private Night Event — Still unknown to the other players.
- Why no magic at the Academy? — None of the three known magics spike there. What is the Academy actually running on?
Next Session
The Fallen are safe in Myrna’s Lathen beach house, with teleport runes, sending stones, and a plan: take the Golden Chalice toward the White Forest, by way of the Quandrix campus and a Nephthys temple. The hunt for answers about the fourth magic — and the Seeker of the Sinful Spoils — begins.