Session 10: Ruin Joins, the Aurelian Conspiracy, the Plate Armour

Session 10 is the tenth recorded session of the campaign. At Harvo’s funeral pyre a sealed letter from Sevryn appeared, introducing the new ally Ruin, Mordane’s second character. Mharos spoke aloud to Vasquez for the first time on watch and refused any negotiated deal. In Umbrafall, The Broker paid out the mining-quest gold; an interrogation at the Dawn Mercy Clinic confirmed that an Aurelian cell has been abducting magically-gifted residents (including Risa’s sister Mira Hale) via Dock 13. An Aurelian Paladin and three lighter-armoured ambushers attacked the party in an alley; the party prevailed and Vasquez looted the Nullstone-runed plate armour, modifying its crest to his adopted-dwarf-family sigil during a long rest ^[25].

Session 10: Ruin Joins, the Aurelian Conspiracy, the Plate Armour

Metadata

• In-game date: unknown
• Locations visited: Harvo’s pyre site; the road through the Umbrafall fungal forest; campsite in the cairn region; Black Hollow Market / The Broker’s office; the Glomangol Inn (encounter with Risa); the Dawn Mercy Clinic; an alley en route back to the Broker; a tavern room for the long rest.
• Major NPCs present: Sevryn (letter only); Ruin (new PC, Mordane’s second character); Mharos (verbal first appearance); The Broker; Risa; Drew, the Dawn Mercy Clinic orderly; an unnamed Aurelian Paladin with three lighter-armoured ambushers.
• Factions involved: Aurelian forces (active in Umbrafall via the Clinic); the Nightwatch (mentioned, paid off); The Rat’s information network (mentioned, not contacted); The Broker’s contract chain; the Dawn Mercy Clinic (revealed as a cover/coercion site).
• Sessions referenced (callbacks): s9 (Harvo’s death, Mharos introduction, Cholmondeley funeral comparator), s7 (Risa first encountered, Dawn Mercy lye-in-urn), s8 (Vasquez’s “Bruise” arrest, the experimental potions, Charlatan’s Die).

Executive Summary

A sealed letter from Sevryn appeared by Harvo’s pyre, confirming that Harvo’s death was foreseen and necessary, and announcing that a new ally — a tiefling named Ruin — would meet the party at the next campsite. Mharos spoke aloud to Vasquez on watch, refusing any partnership beyond what is already the parasite’s terms. In Umbrafall, The Broker paid the mining-quest reward (100gp) and offered an Aurelian assassination contract; the party then intimidated the Dawn Mercy Clinic orderly into confessing that Aurelian forces are abducting magically-gifted residents via Dock 13 — including Risa’s sister, Mira Hale. An Aurelian Paladin and three bandits ambushed the party in the alley en route back; the paladin’s radiant-bonus greatsword bypassed Vasquez’s Mharos resistances. The party prevailed, Vasquez looted and (over the long rest) modified the Aurelian plate armour to wear it under his adopted-dwarf-family crest.

Narrative

The session began at Harvo’s pyre. As the flames died, a folded vellum strip appeared on a flat stone beside the fire, sealed with a stamped S and scented with Sevryn’s familiar oso. Vasquez opened it. The letter said: “I’m sorry. I knew Harvo wasn’t coming back from this. I still sent him — not because he deserved it, not because it was his destiny, because the path you’re on only stays open if the wrong thing happens at the right time. You were meant to survive what you just walked through; however, Harvo wasn’t. That was the cost. … There are more sacrifices ahead, bigger ones, the kind you don’t recover from. If you want out, take it now. If you stay, stay with your eyes open. … A tiefling named Ruin is going to meet you on the road and travel with you from there. He’s charismatic. He’s capable. However, don’t confuse charm with harmlessness. He’ll meet you when you make camp. — S.” ^[8]. The party debated whether to investigate Risa’s sister, decided to return to the Broker first.

The party hiked back through the Umbrafall fungal forest. As they made camp en route, Ruin wandered into the firelight asking if anyone had food. He confirmed his identity (“Just Cruz will do fine,” Vasquez introduced himself with), introductions exchanged, and the party negotiated a watch rotation. Ruin said he had been sent only by a letter from a “Sevryn” he didn’t know. On Vasquez’s watch, a smoking shadowy figure with burning red eyes manifested at the edge of camp — Mharos in physical form for the first time. Vasquez tried to negotiate a partnership; Mharos refused: “Oh, but you misunderstood the standard. There is no deal. There is only this. There is only me feeding on your delicious misery. … You and I will become one. You will be my terrible sword that sweeps across Eldurae and they will all bow to us” ^[9]. When Vasquez continued to push, Mharos simply vanished with a fanged smile.

In Umbrafall, the party went to The Broker. Hugo reported the miners dead, the cause (succubus + crystal corruption); the Broker paid 100gp and offered an assassination job — high-ranking political figure in Aurelia, 200gp, must look like an accident. Hugo asked about the Dawn Mercy lead; the Broker disclaimed all knowledge: “Doesn’t move products, doesn’t move secrets, doesn’t move leverage” ^[10]. When pressed, the Broker pointed them to The Rat, an information broker who only contacts you when he wants you. The party left the Broker, gave a brief update to Risa at the inn (she was distinctly disappointed and then visibly drinking heavily), and proceeded to the Dawn Mercy Clinic on Caelumn’s suggestion that they should at least walk it.

The clinic smelled of vinegar and herbs and was suspiciously clean. Hugo’s Perception spotted a half-covered keg labelled L-Y — lye, the substance whose smell the urn ash carried back in s7. The orderly, Drew, denied knowledge; Caelumn manifested fire in his hand and rolled an Intimidation with three nat 20s in a row under advantage and inspiration; the orderly broke. He confessed: “They were Aurelians. They came a few days ago. They had papers. They weren’t looking for patients. They already had a name — Mira Hale, that she had shown magical capabilities, and they wanted her for some reason. Please don’t hurt me. I promise I’ll never do it again. They forced me.” ^[11]. Mira had been taken to Dock 13 and shipped to Aurelia four days previously; the Nightwatch had been paid off; he, Drew, had been threatened with death and forced to file false records and burn the originals.

Returning to the Broker via the streets, Ruin and Vasquez’s passive perceptions clocked four men trailing them for four blocks. The crowd thinned; a dagger flew past Caelumn’s face. Aurelian Paladin combat began. The Paladin tried “Why don’t you come join the winning side?” on Caelumn (Wisdom save passed). The Paladin’s greatsword dealt slashing plus radiant — and the radiant bypassed Mharos’s necrotic resistance, burning the demon within Vasquez for full damage ^[12], L931). Hugo sliced the first ambusher’s arm off and buried his axe in the leg. Ruin used Witch Bolt (newly buffed; subsequent rounds deal damage even on an initial miss, per ^[13], Hellish Rebuke, Eldritch Blast, and his subclass healing. Caelumn used a twin-spelled Chromatic Orb at second level: bouncing fire damage to all three remaining enemies (5d8 for 27, 26, 26 damage). Vasquez went down twice (his current pattern). Six rounds in, Ruin’s Eldritch Blast finished the Aurelian Paladin. The party kept the body for the Broker’s office.

The Broker reviewed the corpse, confirmed Aurelians do not normally venture into Umbrafall, advised the party to consider Vel’Kris for selling the information they had (it’s “the city of money”), declined the assassination contract since the party couldn’t fit it within the two-week deadline, and offered a “safe house” for 500gp/night (the party declined, broke). The Broker noted he could “recognise enchanted armour when I see it” — and the plate armour came home with the party.

The party returned to the inn, broke the news to Risa that her sister was alive but had been taken to Aurelia. Risa was in her cups by then and despondent; she said “she’s never coming back”. Vasquez vowed: “If anything goes south, we’ll make sure that the entire place goes up in flames.” Mharos in his head: “Pathetic.” ^[14].

In the long rest, Ruin cast Identify on the plate. It is Nullstone-runed plate — confers advantage on saves vs arcane spells, but blocks the wearer’s own arcane casting (and barbarian rage, Hugo confirmed). The party debated whether to grind the runes into ink and tattoo them on themselves; the DM said “you can definitely try”. Vasquez, proficient in smithing but not Arcana, attempted to alter the armour during the long rest (eight hours, flat d20). The DM ruled that changing the crest does not require a check; full appearance overhauls would risk ruining the runes. Vasquez settled for re-engraving the Aurelian sunburst into his adopted dwarf family’s crest. The session ended with the modified armour ready for travel.

Dialogue Highlights

1. Sevryn (letter at the pyre): “The path you’re on only stays open if the wrong thing happens at the right time. You were meant to survive what you just walked through. However, Harvo wasn’t. That was the cost. I hate writing that. I hate that it’s true.”
2. Sevryn (same letter, postscript): “A tiefling named Ruin is going to meet you on the road… He’s charismatic. He’s capable. However, don’t confuse charm with harmlessness.”
3. Mharos (first words to Vasquez aloud): “Mortal, you had questions?”
4. Mharos: “I will change you in ways you had never imagined. I will make you a vessel of pure fear, despair, and quiet ruin.”
5. Mharos (refusing the deal): “There is no deal. There is only this. There is only me feeding on your delicious misery.”
6. The Broker (on the Dawn Mercy Clinic): “Doesn’t move products, doesn’t move secrets, doesn’t move leverage.”
7. The Broker (on The Rat): “It is said that if he wants to come in contact with you, he will.”
8. Drew the orderly (under Caelumn’s intimidation): “They were Aurelians. They came a few days ago. They had papers. They weren’t looking for patients. They already had a name. Mira Hale … they were taking her back to Aurelia.”
9. The Aurelian Paladin (during combat, attempting to convert Caelumn): “Why don’t you come join the winning side?”
10. The Aurelian Paladin (last gasp at Hugo): “Why won’t you go down, demon?”
11. Vasquez (to Risa): “We’ll do our damnedest to make things right between you and your sister. … If anything goes south, we’ll make sure that the entire place goes up in flames.”
12. Mharos (in Vasquez’s head, after the vow): “Pathetic.”

NPCs

1. Sevryn: silver dragonborn chronurgy wizard, quest-giver. Off-screen but materially present via letter. Disposition: reluctantly protective; explicitly states he is using the party. Faction: Sevryn’s quest line. Last seen: s3 (in person, Wyrmbough Grove); messaging continues. New this session: no.
2. Ruin: tiefling, Mordane’s second PC. Sent by Sevryn via letter, knows nothing of the broader quest yet. Charismatic, spell-armed (Witch Bolt, Hellish Rebuke, Eldritch Blast, lesser healing). Identified as a Warlock subclass with healing-type ability. New this session: yes. Status: alive.
3. Mharos: makes its first verbal address to Vasquez in physical-shadow form on watch. Refuses negotiation. New this session: physical/verbal manifestation, yes. Last seen: s9 (telepathic only).
4. The Broker (Hollow’s Voice): Black Hollow Market quest-giver. Pays out the mining quest, declines knowledge of Dawn Mercy, offers an Aurelian assassination job (declined), confirms the Aurelian Paladin’s plate is enchanted. New this session: no.
5. Risa: continues to wait at the inn. Confirmed her sister’s name (canonically) is Mira Hale when the orderly named her (Risa herself does not give the name to the party in this session). Status at end: drinking heavily, despondent, but still functional. New this session: no.
6. Mira Hale: Risa’s sister; abducted by Aurelians for showing magical capabilities (telekinesis, lighting candles with her mind per Risa’s earlier account). Currently in Aurelia as of four days before the session. New this session (named): yes. Status: alive, captive.
7. Drew: orderly at the Dawn Mercy Clinic. Coerced collaborator with the Aurelian cell. Confessed under intimidation, urinated on himself, ran out the door. New this session: yes. Status: alive, fled.
8. The Aurelian Paladin (no name): heavy-plate paladin, greatsword that dealt extra radiant damage, AC 18 with magical/melee-only protection from arcane projectiles. Defeated. New this session: yes. Status: dead.
9. Three Aurelian bandits (no names): the Paladin’s escort. Daggers, leather armour. All killed. Status: dead.
10. The Rat: not encountered, but established as the major information broker in Umbrafall. New this session: yes (mentioned as a recurring entity). Status: never seen.

Locations

1. Umbrafall fungal-forest road: continues from previous sessions. Encounter with Ruin and the Mharos manifestation occurs at a campsite in this corridor. New this session: no.
2. Dawn Mercy Clinic: revealed as the abduction-coercion hub. Floors freshly scrubbed, half-covered keg of lye, an orderly (Drew) at the desk. Connection to Aurelia via Dock 13 confirmed. New this session: enters as an active location.
3. Dock 13: shipping dock, eastern outskirts of Umbrafall. Aurelian shipping route to Aurelia via this dock. The bandits’ contact would have met the party here had they accepted the assassination job. New this session: yes (named).
4. The Umbrafall alley (location of the ambush): generic narrow streets a few blocks from the Broker’s office. New this session: yes.
5. The Broker’s office: ledgers, ink, oil, paper. Same as prior visits. New this session: no.
6. Glomangol Inn (or unnamed inn — referred to as “the tavern”): where Risa is staying. New this session: no.

Items & Loot

1. Sevryn’s sealed letter: vellum, S-stamped wax. Read once at the pyre.
2. Aurelian Plate Armour with Nullstone Runes (“Nullstone Plate”): heavy plate, gives advantage on saves vs arcane spells, blocks the wearer’s own arcane casting and (per ^[15] blocks barbarian rage. Identified by Ruin via Identify (Constitution save with disadvantage from the armour resisting the spell, but he succeeded). Crest modified by Vasquez over the long rest from Aurelian sunburst to his adopted-dwarf family sigil. Vasquez attuned/wearing.
3. Aurelian Paladin’s greatsword: enchanted, the Broker confirmed. Deals slashing + radiant. Vasquez took it for crafting experiments / “better gunblade” potential.
4. Heavy crossbow (Paladin’s): kept.
5. Currency from the four ambushers: 24 daggers, 4 sets of leather armour (left at the scene as worthless to sell), 4gp + 61sp + 24cp from the bandits, 10gp + 37sp + 80cp from the Paladin.
6. Mining-quest payout: 100gp from the Broker (the party’s split: 25gp each for the four — Hugo, Caelumn, Terry, Vasquez; Ruin gets nothing of this since he wasn’t on the quest. Going forward, treasure is split per-character rather than party-pool, per Ruin’s request).
7. Party gold: 120gp remained in the party pool, designated for rations and potions.

Combat Encounters

• Aurelian Paladin + 3 Bandits (~10 rounds): party state at start: full HP, well-rested. Party state at end: Hugo at 1HP twice, Vasquez down twice, Caelumn nearly downed, Terry largely untouched in dodge stance, Ruin moderate damage.
  • Monsters: 1 Paladin (~CR3-4, AC18, two-attack greatsword with radiant rider, has riposte reaction), 3 mid-tier bandits with paired daggers and Charm-on-hit ability.
  • To-hit vs party: heavy hits — Paladin landed multiple 22s and 24s on Hugo and Vasquez; Hugo blocked one bandit attack with Buckler.
  • Saves: Wisdom save vs the Paladin’s Charm/Convert (Caelumn 18, succeeded); Vasquez took 4 radiant per Paladin hit on top of slashing — the radiant bypassed Mharos’s necrotic resistance, burning the demon within.
  • Damage types: Bandits dealt slashing/piercing; Paladin dealt slashing + radiant. Caelumn’s twin-spelled Chromatic Orb at second level dealt fire (less effective vs the Paladin’s plate, but worked vs the bandits).
  • Party resources: Caelumn — twin-spelled Chromatic Orb at level 2, Shield ×2, Burning Hands at level 2, Heroic Inspiration; Hugo — raged twice, two-axe attacks, reckless attack; Vasquez — Action Surge twice, second wind once; Ruin — Witch Bolt (1st), Hellish Rebuke (1st), Eldritch Blast, subclass healing on Vasquez (11hp); Terry — withdrew into shell once for AC23-with-disadvantage, used silvered shortsword + True Strike, fired hand-crossbow.
  • Notable rolls: Caelumn rolled three nat 20s in a row in the Drew interrogation — the streak then carried through the start of this combat.

Clues & Foreshadowing

1. Sevryn is operating from foresight, not full omniscience: he sent Harvo knowing he wouldn’t return because the path required a death “at the right time” ^[8]. The PS introduces Ruin without explanation; Ruin himself was sent by a letter without context.
2. Mharos cannot be reasoned with: it explicitly rejects bargaining, naming itself a “concept” of misery ^[9].
3. The Dawn Mercy Clinic is a coerced cover, not an active conspirator: Drew was forced; the clinic itself is a real charity hospital ^[16]. The actual abductors are an Aurelian cell with Nightwatch protection.
4. Aurelian magical-talent abductions: confirmed pattern — magically-gifted residents go missing and end up in Aurelia. Mira Hale exhibited telekinesis (per s7 Risa) and was taken specifically for that.
5. Aurelian paladin equipment carries Nullstone runes: the Paladin’s plate has Nullstone-rune work that grants advantage vs arcane spells and blocks the wearer’s own arcane casting — implying Aurelia issues anti-mage gear to its officers.
6. Mharos is weak to radiant damage ^[12]: the Paladin’s radiant-rider greatsword burned through Mharos’s resistances. This is a tactical-relevant weakness for the future.
7. The Rat is a major Umbrafall power broker; meets only on his own terms ^[17].
8. Vel’Kris is described as “the city of money”; the Broker advised selling Aurelian abduction information there ^[18]. Future plot hub.
9. The Dock 13 shipping route: standard Umbrafall→Aurelia, takes one day by boat or four-to-seven by foot.

Open Mysteries & Unanswered Questions

1. Who exactly within Aurelia is running the abduction programme? Drew gave them no name beyond “Aurelians” with papers.
2. Why does Aurelia need magically-gifted captives? The abductions are systematic; the purpose is unrevealed.
3. Will Mira Hale be alive in Aurelia by the time the party gets there? Risa thinks no.
4. Who is The Rat? How does one make contact when he refuses to be contacted? Will he reach out to the party?
5. Can the Nullstone runework be transferred to a tattoo or other personal mark? Hugo’s suggestion ^[19] is left as a “you can definitely try” — open project.
6. The Aurelian assassination contract: target unknown, in Aurelia, two-week deadline. The party declined; it remains open through the Broker.
7. Why did Sevryn introduce Ruin specifically, and how did he know where the next campsite would be? Sevryn was not contacted; the letter just appeared.
8. Hugo’s pact and Mharos’s intentions toward Vasquez: both demons, both aligned to misery. Will they work in concert or in opposition?

Quests

1. [Status: completed] Mining Quest (Broker): 100gp paid. Closed.
2. [Status: declined] Aurelian Assassination Contract: 200gp, target a high-ranking political figure in Aurelia, must look like an accident, two-week deadline. Declined for time.
3. [Status: active, escalating] Risa’s Sister Conspiracy: now confirmed as Mira Hale, alive, in Aurelia. Party has committed to investigating during their planned Aurelia transit.
4. [Status: active] The Egg Quest: not progressed.
5. [Status: active] Hugo’s Devil Pact: dormant.
6. [Status: active] The Eldwythe business: party heading to Eldwythe next; specific objective not yet stated in transcript.
7. [Status: dormant] The Duskwatch Shipping Ledger: not progressed.

Faction & Relationship Changes

• Ruin joins the party as Mordane’s second PC. Described in Sevryn’s letter as “charismatic, capable, but don’t confuse charm with harmlessness”. Ruin requested per-character treasure splits going forward; the party accommodated.
• The party has confirmed Aurelia as an active hostile force in Umbrafall, using the Dawn Mercy Clinic as a coerced cover and bribing the Nightwatch. The party has now killed an Aurelian Paladin in Umbrafall and worn his armour.
• Vasquez is now wearing visibly modified Aurelian Plate Armour: Aurelian sunburst replaced with his adopted-dwarf family crest. Functionally still Nullstone plate, but identifiable by the Aurelians as enemy gear.
• Mharos is no longer just a voice: physical manifestation, established personality, refused all bargains. The relationship is locked in as parasitic-host with no negotiation.
• Risa is in despair but the party has reaffirmed they will look in Aurelia. She still doesn’t know the party’s names.
• The Broker continues as a useful but transactional ally; declined to be drawn into the Dawn Mercy investigation.

Table Rulings

1. Treasure split policy change: Ruin requested per-character splits rather than party pool. The party agreed: the 100gp mining payout was split four ways (Ruin excluded), but all future loot is per-character unless explicitly party-marked. Existing 120gp in the party pool remains for rations and potions ^[20].
2. Identify a Nullstone item: the wearer/caster must make a Constitution save (the armour resists the casting). Ruin succeeded. ^[21].
3. Modifying enchanted armour: changing the crest is no-check; full appearance overhaul requires Smithing tools, a forge, eight hours, and a flat d20 (no Arcana proficiency = no advantage), with risk of ruining the incantation ^[22].
4. Witch Bolt (2024): subsequent rounds deal lightning damage even on an initial miss, via bonus action ^[13]. Ruin/DM verified at the table.
5. Riposte reaction (Aurelian Paladin): paladin used a riposte on Hugo’s missed attack to make a free attack of opportunity. Standard 2024 fighting style.
6. Healing potion to a downed ally as an action vs free interaction: Ruin “snatched” the potion from Caelumn’s pack as a free item interaction, then healed via bonus-action subclass ability ^[23]. DM permitted.
7. Rage and arcane casting in Nullstone armour: confirmed that Nullstone blocks rage as well as arcane casting ^[15].

Callbacks

• Harvo’s death (s9): resolves into Sevryn’s letter and the party’s grief.
• Cholmondeley (s2-s3): briefly compared to Harvo at the pyre and then again in the bandit-armour identification (Hugo: “you could have kept that Chumley fella’s armour and worn it” ^[24].
• The succubus + Charlatan’s Die (s8): Charlatan’s Die remains with Caelumn.
• Risa and the lye urn (s7): the Dawn Mercy investigation traces directly back to Risa’s sister.
• Vasquez’s arrest as Bruise (s8): mentioned in the recap.
• The poison-glow experimental potions (s8): noted in the recap.
• The “we can light candles with her mind” story (s7): the source of Mira Hale’s “magical capabilities” pattern.
• Mharos’s introduction (s9): Mharos’s verbal first appearance closes the loop on the silent transformation.

Next Steps

1. Travel to Eldwythe (the next major destination — between Umbrafall, Arcanthus, and Aurelia).
2. Conduct whatever business Sevryn has waiting in Eldwythe.
3. After Eldwythe, decide whether to enter Aurelia proper to investigate Mira Hale’s captivity and (potentially) take the assassination contract.
4. Consider Vel’Kris as a future destination for Aurelian-conspiracy intelligence sales.
5. Vasquez continues to wear and conceal the Nullstone plate.
6. Long-term: research how to transfer Nullstone runework to less obvious gear (e.g. tattoos).

References

1. ^ Session 10, line 69-82 — Sevryn's letter at the pyre; introduction of Ruin.
2. ^ Session 10, line 365-389 — Mharos first verbal exchange with Vasquez at watch.
3. ^ Session 10, line 446-498 — Broker pays the mining quest, declines knowledge of Dawn Mercy.
4. ^ Session 10, line 643-666 — Drew the orderly confesses Aurelian cell + Mira Hale + Dock 13.
5. ^ Session 10, line 794-1054 — Aurelian Paladin + 3 bandits ambush combat in the alley.
6. ^ Session 10, line 1605-1644 — Identifying the plate armour as Nullstone.
7. ^ Session 10, line 1722-1846 — Vasquez modifies the crest in eight hours of long rest (Aurelian → adopted-dwarf-family sigil).
8. ^ Session 10, line 82 — Inline citation.
9. ^ Session 10, line 383 — Inline citation.
10. ^ Session 10, line 463 — Inline citation.
11. ^ Session 10, line 648 — Inline citation.
12. ^ Session 10, line 827 — Inline citation.
13. ^ Session 10, line 967 — Inline citation.
14. ^ Session 10, line 1556 — Inline citation.
15. ^ Session 10, line 1659 — Inline citation.
16. ^ Session 10, line 645-660 — Inline citation.
17. ^ Session 10, line 471 — Inline citation.
18. ^ Session 10, line 1247-1257 — Inline citation.
19. ^ Session 10, line 1791 — Inline citation.
20. ^ Session 10, line 201-215 — Inline citation.
21. ^ Session 10, line 1631 — Inline citation.
22. ^ Session 10, line 1740-1745 — Inline citation.
23. ^ Session 10, line 1538 — Inline citation.
24. ^ Session 10, line 1076 — Inline citation.
25. ^ Session 10, line 1840 — Inline citation.