A damp chill clung to the city’s docks that night, fog coiling around each slick cobblestone and warehouse. Within one such warehouse, dark and cavernous, a tense quiet reigned. The companions lay hidden amid wooden crates and suspended cargo nets, their breaths shallow and nerves taught. Motes of dusk filtered through high windows, revealing dust swirling in the stale air. Hours passed, yet they waited in vigilant silence, certain that a gathering of conspirators would soon arrive. Much depended on whether the trap set this day would draw those who practiced the darkest rites.

Soon, figures did appear. The stout outer door creaked open to reveal a broad man of wealthy bearing and a pair of hulking laborers hauling a cart laden with crated goods. The man, heavy-set and serious, surveyed the dim interior, oblivious to the watchers concealed in the shadows. With deliberate care, he and his men prepared a wide circle of salt on the warehouse’s creaking floor, painstakingly painting strange symbols and a seven-pointed star inside the ring. Having thus readied what looked like the barest beginnings of a fell ritual, the trio departed as quietly as they had come, leaving the place in foreboding stillness once more.

The companions exchanged uneasy glances. Though they could not speak openly, they knew well the import of what they had just witnessed. Hours of twilight later, more arrived, their whispers echoing as they congregated before the circle. Seven in total advanced across the rough planks, each cloaked in the finery of privilege. Their voices carried a mix of nervous excitement, greed, and misplaced confidence, as though they fancied themselves new architects of power. By flickering lamplight, the conspirators donned crimson robes and lit black candles around the salt ring. Then, to the watchers’ disgust, hooded servants dragged in a bound man—frightened and thrashing—only to stake him to the ground at the star’s center. Their intention was plain: blood and sacrifice.

A cold determination seized the hidden onlookers. From a precarious vantage high above, Nora perched among the crates, holding a bottle of flammable mixture. Her every muscle tensed, haunted by knowledge that if they did not act, nothing but nightmares would follow. Yet they needed the right moment—disrupting the dark rite too early risked nothing, yet waiting too long could doom them all. A hushed signal passed from one companion to another as they prepared to strike.

That moment came when a bold shot rang out. Felrick, from the shadows, loosed an arrow at the obvious leader in the circle’s center. The arrow flew swift and true—until a sudden flicker of otherworldly power swatted it aside in midair. A cloaked stranger emerged as if from nowhere, standing in a far corner with hand raised in an unnatural gesture. The conspirators startled, but the new arrival merely smiled. Gideon.

At once, Nora hurled her firebomb in a desperate attempt to blast Gideon to cinders. The glass shattered, spraying flames across the stones. Though its deadly heart missed him, fire licked up crates, dancing and spitting embers in all directions. Meanwhile, another shot cut across the room: a crossbow bolt from Qavitrae. This missile found its mark in Franz Steinhager’s eye, dropping him instantly to the floor in a lifeless heap. Chaos erupted within the warehouse as half the conspirators shrank back with screams of horror and fury.

Wanda, with steeled resolve, dashed forward to protect the captive pinned to the floor. Flames scattered and roared near her feet, sending long shadows whipping against the walls. The conspirators, though rattled, clutched their concealed blades and gathered their courage, while Nora tensed overhead, the net sagging under her. She braced to leap if needed. On the other side of the swirling battle, Thindruk confronted a wide-eyed young swordsman, Albrecht, a blade trembling in the youth’s hand. Their weapons locked in a violent clang that echoed amid the stacked crates.

Yet Gideon proved far more monstrous than any merchant conspirator. A noblewoman turned in alarm to question his presence, but he answered her by pressing a single hand to her face. Pink-tinged fire flared, and in one nightmarish instant, she tore open from within. Something vile emerged in her place—child-sized, but twisted, draped in pinkish flames and cackling gleefully. Its unnatural birth in front of them sapped hope from the air. A wave of horror crashed over Nora, as though she stared upon her darkest dread rendered flesh. She lost consciousness, body slumping amid the crates.

Chaos crescendoed: pink fire flickered across the floor, normal flames crawled up wooden supports, and more conspirators dashed for the exit. Their grand design had dissolved in shrieks and panic. Wanda squared off against the newly birthed demon, its contorted mouth lunging with wicked claws. She brought her blade up, only for the thing to snatch the steel in a parry that bordered on the impossible. Meanwhile, Nora—the arcane terror still swirling in her mind—remained prone, a fleeting moment from helpless doom.

Amid this tumult, Felrick attempted a desperate shot at the man holding a dagger to Nora’s throat, hoping to free her. But fate conspired cruelly. His arrow missed its intended mark and struck Nora with a glancing blow, jolting her awake with searing pain. Dazed and bleeding, but alive once more, she fought off the man’s grip. With grit and fury, she wrenched his weapon arm aside and willed herself upright, the rush of adrenaline overcoming her mortal dread.

Now free, Nora turned wild eyes on the heart of the fray. Blood, flame, and cultists entangled in a macabre dance around the half-finished ritual circle. Gideon loomed in the gloom, hurling ribbons of pink flame toward Qavitrae—sparks of madness that scorched half the crates overhead. The warehouse had become an inferno of swirling lights, screaming conspirators, and the stench of singed wood. Yet the companions refused to yield. They battled onward, stoking renewed courage to stand against the unholy onslaught.

Thindruk continued his skirmish with Albrecht, each too desperate to hold ground or flee. Axe and blade crashed repeatedly, though neither found decisive purchase. Thindruk, unsteady from wounds and the roar of flame, tried to disarm his foe but found the young man maddeningly persistent. Felrick nocked another arrow, pulse hammering, uncertain if the next shot would land true or claim yet another friendly wound. As for Gideon, he stood seemingly untouched by the chaos, a faint amusement marking his every act of sorcery, the pink-drenched horror nearby still howling its shrill laugh.

Through smoke and salt-laced air, the circle on the floor glimmered with candlelight, half-obliterated by footprints and spilled blood. The captive, pinned and helpless, looked on in despair. One conspirator fled shrieking into the streets, howling of murder. Others cowered in corners or clawed at the locked doors. The entire scene hung in a fragile balance: any moment might see the demon’s wrath intensify or Gideon’s spells consume them all. Equally, the companions’ last shred of daring might yet triumph. Blade in hand, Wanda braced for another thrust, the captive at her back. Nora readied her baton with trembling rage, injuries pulsing. Qavitrae reloaded, scanning for her next perfect shot, while Thindruk and Albrecht locked eyes, neither man surrendering a single step.

In that final blur of the night, pink fire crackled across toppled crates, the rags of a fallen cultist smoldered in the corner, and savage combat raged unchecked. Yet no victory or defeat was certain. As Gideon’s laughter mingled with the demon’s shrieks, the embattled companions realized this was only the opening chapter of a far more harrowing struggle. Their trap had been sprung, but the fight for the city’s soul—and their own survival—teetered on a razor’s edge. The warehouse doors stood open, smoke and sparks pouring into the midnight gloom. Whether they would live to see dawn hung on the next heartbeat of violence, the next daring act beneath that swirling haze of flame and dread.

Session Notes

  • Initial Setting and Recap

    • The session opens with the Game Master (Luke) acknowledging the presence of all players and ensuring everyone is ready.
    • Luke notes that Robert (who plays Thindruk Steelbone) will have his last session in this game due to scheduling conflicts. The group briefly discusses the possibility of another player (Ben) joining soon.
    • The Game Master recaps the previous events:
      • The party, after recent investigations in Bögenhafen, arranged to meet Counselor Magirius.
      • At that meeting, an assassin killed Magirius before he could fully divulge the cult’s plans. The assassin bled an iridescent substance, laughed maniacally, and disappeared through a window.
      • The group fled Magirius’s house, escaping over the walls as alarms rang across Bögenhafen.
      • They returned to the “Bare Belly” (their boat) to find Joseph, said their farewells to him, and then shifted their focus to Warehouse 13, believed to be the site of a dire ritual.
      • They intimidated and bribed the stevedores there to clear out.
      • They gathered various supplies, including glass bottles, flammable liquids, a grappling hook, and an iron-tipped walking stick for Nora.

  • Preparing the Warehouse Ambush

    • The characters scout the warehouse (referred to as Warehouse 13) and note:
      • There is a large open area in the front, a stack of crates in the back, and a second floor with locked rooms.
      • There is a cargo net hanging from the ceiling with crates inside it.
    • The group discusses creating Molotov-style bottle bombs from the high-proof liquor they purchased. They confirm they can make three bottle bombs.
    • They plan to hide in various spots and wait for the cultists:
      • Nora (Damian) decides to hide up in the suspended cargo net, planning to drop a bomb onto the ritual. She collects flint and tinder so she can ignite a fuse.
      • Qavitrae (Joe) plans to hide among the stacked crates on the ground floor toward the back, aiming to use her crossbow.
      • Felrick (Brian) also positions himself in the back among the crates, intending to use a bow.
      • Wanda (Michael) positions herself on the ground floor near the bound and cleared area, ready to intervene. She keeps a bottle bomb on her person.
      • Thindruk (Robert) stays in the back as well, armed with shield and weapon, but not on the front lines.

  • Locking and Waiting

    • They discuss whether to lock the large warehouse door from the inside or outside, ultimately opting to keep it locked from the inside for a while and then quietly unlock it once night approaches.
    • They spend several hours hidden, adjusting their positions.
    • As the evening draws on, a group arrives, rattling the door and complaining it is locked. Two rough-looking laborers manage to open it, seemingly confused why it was locked inside.

  • First Visitor: Johann Steinhäger’s Relative

    • A heavy-set man comes in (similar in appearance to Heinrich Steinhäger, but older and heavier). He inspects the warehouse and has his workers bring in a cart.
    • This man sets up crates in the center of the warehouse. He carefully pours salt into a ring around a star-shaped diagram. He places black candles at each point. He appears to be preparing something ritualistic.
    • Once done, he leaves, locking the door from the inside. The party remains hidden.

  • Nightfall and Arrival of the Cult (Ordo Septenarius)

    • Around nine o’clock, more people gather outside the warehouse. A larger group (seven individuals) enters with torchlight, sending in tough guards to do a thorough search.
    • The player characters roll Stealth checks; they manage to stay hidden after some tense moments.
    • The group of seven includes various well-dressed individuals wearing red robes once inside. They speak about the Ordo Septenarius and the missing Magirius. They mention continuing a ritual.
    • One of them, identified as “Johan,” becomes the central figure directing others. He draws a seven-pointed star on the floor, carefully painting runes and placing candles.
    • They bring in a terrified, bound man from a burlap sack. He is nailed to the floor (ropes staked down) at the center of the circle.

  • The Ritual Starts

    • The seven cultists position themselves at the perimeter of the star, each at a point. Johan begins chanting in an unknown language.
    • As he raises a knife to stab the bound victim, Felrick decides to act, firing an arrow at Johan. However, the arrow is magically deflected; a man appears in the corner where no one had been before. This is Gideon, the apparent supernatural figure or demon the group has encountered before.
    • Nora (hiding in the net above) drops a lit bottle bomb, aiming for Gideon. The bomb misses and lands near one of the cultists, catching part of the warehouse floor on fire but not striking the intended target. Nora then performs a daring takedown, leaping from the net to tackle Johan. She knocks him to the ground. She ends up prone but quickly stands up after the takedown.

  • Escalation of Combat

    • Qavitrae fires her crossbow at Franz Steinhäger (identified as the older man), killing him instantly with a shot through the eye. She then takes cover among crates.
    • Another older cultist tries to grapple Nora away from Johan. Nora struggles briefly.
    • Wanda rushes forward to defend the hostage in the center, drawing her sword (eventually). She attempts to free him but decides instead to stand guard over him against incoming threats.
    • Felrick tries to shoot Gideon but misses.
    • Fires begin in multiple spots: from the bomb Nora dropped, from the newly lit crates, and from magic.
    • Johan stands back up and uses a magical dart on Qavitrae, but Qavitrae’s cover protects her from damage.
    • Gideon reveals himself fully, stepping out of the shadows. He puts a hand on a female cultist’s face, causing her to erupt in pink flame; a small, pink demonic creature tears out of her body. Nora, witnessing this horror, fails a Fear test and briefly passes out (a critical failure).
    • Nora is momentarily incapacitated by terror.
    • The demon, now manifested, attacks Wanda but fails as Wanda parries or blocks it with her shield.
    • Thindruk throws a bottle bomb into crates to start a blaze, aiming to disrupt the ritual. He then moves forward, drawing his axe and shield to face a young cultist (Albrecht Steinhäger).
    • Albrecht lunges at Thindruk with a blade, delivering a light wound to him. Thindruk tries to retaliate but critically fails, suffering physical peril from overextending himself.
    • The older cultists begin fleeing; at least one runs out the door shouting about being attacked. Others remain uncertain.
    • Johan also tries to maintain the ritual, hurling magical energy at Wanda. Wanda is wounded but remains in the fight.
    • Nora, shot awake by an errant arrow from Felrick (intended for the cultist holding her), regains consciousness. She struggles against the man holding her at knifepoint, eventually reversing the grapple and standing up with her weapon drawn.
    • Gideon hurls pink flame toward Qavitrae but repeatedly fails to land a successful strike, igniting more boxes in pink fire.
    • The session ends with multiple fires spreading in the warehouse, cultists fleeing or fighting, a demonic entity engaged with Wanda, Nora free of her captor, and the ritual in chaos.