Aurelian Persecution

Stub-class article · First seen: s14 · Last seen: s23

The Aurelian Persecution is the campaign arc that began with the Aurelian Occupation of Eldwythe in session 14, when the party found notices describing all five of its members and charging them with “unlawful possession and obstruction of divine inquiry” [18][19]. From then on Aurelian forces hunted the party: a patrol killed Ruin and took The Egg in session 15, hounds followed it through the sewers, and in session 18 a road patrol executed Mike. The party gave up its business in Aurelia “for now” in session 19 [50] and left Aurelian territory in session 20 [14], but Aurelian hunters were still at large in session 22 [35].

Overview

The Aurelian Persecution names the arc that began when the party came back to Eldwythe in session 14 and found it occupied, with notices at the gate carrying “a crude likeness, descriptions, warnings” of all five of its members [18][19]. The party had met Aurelians before: a first party character, Cholmondeley, wore Aurelian crests [20], and four Aurelian-looking figures ambushed the party in an Umbrafall alley in session 10. From session 14, though, Aurelian forces were hunting the party by name.

It is the personal side of The Aurelian Conspiracy. The conspiracy is what Aurelia does to magical people in general; the persecution is what it did to this party.

Known traits

  • The charge. “Unlawful possession and obstruction of divine inquiry” [18]. What the party is meant to have possessed was not said.
  • The hunters. Patrols acting “by order of the pure light” [21], with a masked leader and his chain [22][23], hounds [24], a confessor [25] and a binder [26].
  • What it has cost. Ruin, killed at once [27]; Asger, killed by an archer’s natural 20 [28]; The Egg [29]; Vasquez and Althea, captured in the session 17 retcon [30]; Mike, killed, with his Mizzium Apparatus taken from the body [31][32] and his spellbook presumably too [33].
  • Its limits. The party has been outside Aurelian territory since session 20 [14]. Whether binders may lawfully follow it was asked and not answered [34], though the forces have been met outside Aurelia before [18][35].

Relationships

History in the campaign

Session 14: The Gummy Mummy and Aurelian Eldwythe

Main article: Session 14

Back from the Candy Cottage, the party found notices describing all five of its members and charging “unlawful possession and obstruction of divine inquiry” [18][19]. It withdrew to a clearing and argued over how it had been found: a report from someone in town, or detection “within their city radius” [37]. The DM would say only that Aurelians “will and must carry out their divine right of exterminating all arcane users”, and that “tieflings are exterminated on sight” [38][39]. See Aurelian Occupation of Eldwythe.

Session 15: The Death of Ruin and Althea Joins

Main article: Session 15

A patrol found the camp, “by order of the pure light”, and a chain took off Ruin’s head with no roll [21][27]. An archer’s natural 20 killed Asger [28]. In the smoke of Phil Flowerforge’s bomb a chain pulled away Caelumn’s backpack with the Egg, and the DM said: “Feel free to go back to Aurelia and claim your backpack mate, but I don’t think you’re getting it back.” [29][40]. The party fled with hounds behind it [41]. In the sewers Phil gave it a contact, Hett Varn [36].

Session 16: Through the Sewers, Onto the Skiff

Main article: Session 16

The hunt followed the party underground. Dogs barked behind the sewer door [5], and at the seaward end the Aurelians held the outfall; the party slipped past them to a skiff [6]. It sailed on “towards the pale city of Aurelia” [42].

Session 17: New Hands, the Black Mask’s Renegotiation, and the Rimeclaw

Main article: Session 17

The DM’s opening retcon had the Aurelians capture Vasquez and Althea, and the party leave them behind [43][30]. They had also “sunk the ship that you tried to escape on”, leaving the new characters Mike and Steven “for dead” [44]. Their reach showed on ordinary people too: Nessa’s husband had been taken “into the road offices” [8].

Session 18: The Wyrm Falls, the Catfish Escapes, and Mike Dies on the Road

Main article: Session 18

On the road to the city a patrol’s confessor caught Mike casting Message [45], and the knight Glenn dropped him in two swings [46]. Steven argued that Mike was nothing to do with the party, and Caelumn tried to talk the knight round and offered to dispose of the body, but the DM ruled that the knight “has to carry out his duty” [47][48][49]. Nobody fought, and Glenn took Mike’s head on the next round [31].

Session 19: A Penitent Priest, an Unmade Leash, and the Pixie in the Dark

Main article: Session 19

The party “decided to abandon your quest in Aurelia for now” [50] once it learned that all magical equipment needs a permit [51]. A guardsman from the patrol that killed Mike followed the party: Father Thomas, a Pure Light priest who had “taken a leave from my order” to atone, and who joined the party [52][53][54]. The DM also named Aurelia’s ruler, Seraphine [55].

Session 20: The Man Who Was Always Here

Main article: Session 20

A binder’s patrol found the party camped in Aurelian farmland and pressed Father Thomas on whether he had checked the party “for heresy” [56]. It left to investigate a light in the sky with “I’ll deal with you later.” [57]. The party then crossed the Eldwythe Bridge checkpoint as caravan guards [58] and left Aurelia [14].

Session 22: The Dragon in the Statue

Main article: Session 22

In the ridge temple beyond Greysmere, well outside Aurelian territory, the party found a wounded silver dragon wyrmling, Rime, with an Aurelian bolt in him [59]. He said “aurelian hunters found me” [35] and took Father Thomas for one of them [60][61].

Session 23: The Changeling in Manacles

Main article: Session 23

No Aurelian appeared, but the party explained the loss of the Egg to its new member, Kole, and the DM told it more about its pursuers. Anyone seen practising arcane magic within the borders is “rapidly executed” [16]. The man who holds the Egg “is an Aurelian binder” [62], and binders “can sense arcane usage even more than the wards in Aurelia” [63]. Father Thomas asked whether binders can pursue people “beyond Aurelian borders” [64]; the replies were hedged and nobody gave a ruling.

Status

As of session 23. Active, but the party is out of Aurelian territory and nothing on screen has lifted the charges against it [14]. Nothing the Aurelians took has been recovered: the Egg, whose holder is a binder [62]; Mike’s Apparatus [32] and presumably his spellbook [33]. Vasquez and Althea left the story in the retcon of session 17 and are not a rescue thread.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 14, line 1556-1566: Notices describing all five party members at Eldwythe; "unlawful possession and obstruction of divine inquiry".
  2. ^ Session 14, line 1613-1619: The party wonders how it was found; the DM on Aurelia's "divine right of exterminating all arcane users" and tieflings "exterminated on sight".
  3. ^ Session 15, line 103-164: "By order of the pure light"; Ruin killed by the chain; an archer kills Asger.
  4. ^ Session 15, line 446-541: Phil's smoke bomb; the Egg taken in the smoke; hounds on the party's trail.
  5. ^ Session 16, line 1123: Dogs barking behind the sewer door.
  6. ^ Session 16, line 1603: The Aurelians hold the end of the sewer; the party slips past to a skiff.
  7. ^ Session 17, line 130-200: Vasquez and Althea captured in the DM's retcon; the Aurelians sank the party's ship and left it for dead (L785 repeats the capture).
  8. ^ Session 17, line 973: Nessa's husband taken "into the road offices".
  9. ^ Session 18, line 2012-2115: The road patrol; a confessor catches Mike's Message cantrip; Glenn drops him.
  10. ^ Session 18, line 2274-2287: Mike beheaded; the patrol takes the Mizzium Apparatus.
  11. ^ Session 19, line 229-244: The party abandons its Aurelian quest "for now"; all magical equipment needs a permit.
  12. ^ Session 19, line 668-708: Father Thomas leaves the patrol that killed Mike and joins the party.
  13. ^ Session 20, line 267-295: A binder's patrol questions Father Thomas; "I'll deal with you later.".
  14. ^ Session 20, line 696: You have left Aurelia..
  15. ^ Session 22, line 901-915: Rime, a silver wyrmling hurt by an Aurelian bolt, fled Aurelian hunters.
  16. ^ Session 23, line 1299: DM: anyone "seen practicing arcane magic within Aurelian Borders" is "rapidly executed".
  17. ^ Session 23, line 1357-1363: DM: the man who holds the Egg "is an Aurelian binder"; whether binders may pursue people "beyond Aurelian borders" is left open.
  18. ^ Session 14, line 1556: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 14, line 1561: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 2, line 234-240: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 15, line 103: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 15, line 408: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 15, line 416: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 15, line 1338: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 18, line 1988: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 20, line 267: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 15, line 117-119: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 15, line 160-164: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 15, line 496-501: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 17, line 785: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 18, line 2274: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 18, line 2287: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 18, line 2437: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 23, line 1360-1363: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 22, line 904: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 15, line 655-660: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 14, line 1613: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 14, line 1616: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 14, line 1619: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 15, line 521: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 15, line 541: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 16, line 1753: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 17, line 130: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 17, line 200: Inline citation.
  45. ^ Session 18, line 2044: Inline citation.
  46. ^ Session 18, line 2094: Inline citation.
  47. ^ Session 18, line 2106: Inline citation.
  48. ^ Session 18, line 2195: Inline citation.
  49. ^ Session 18, line 2216: Inline citation.
  50. ^ Session 19, line 229: Inline citation.
  51. ^ Session 19, line 242-243: Inline citation.
  52. ^ Session 19, line 668: Inline citation.
  53. ^ Session 19, line 695: Inline citation.
  54. ^ Session 19, line 708: Inline citation.
  55. ^ Session 19, line 658-660: Inline citation.
  56. ^ Session 20, line 273: Inline citation.
  57. ^ Session 20, line 295: Inline citation.
  58. ^ Session 20, line 553: Inline citation.
  59. ^ Session 22, line 901: Inline citation.
  60. ^ Session 22, line 911: Inline citation.
  61. ^ Session 22, line 915: Inline citation.
  62. ^ Session 23, line 1357: Inline citation.
  63. ^ Session 23, line 1359: Inline citation.
  64. ^ Session 23, line 1360: Inline citation.
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