Nessa

Stub-class article · First seen: s17 · Last seen: s17
Nessa
Nessa the fisherwoman · the fishing-boat mother
Portrait of Nessa.
Character
StatusAlive
First seens17
Last seens17
FactionAurelian abduction victims (family of)

Nessa is a fisherwoman the party found on a drifting boat with a torn sail on the open Sapphire Sea in session 17, with her children Pim and Leo. Her husband had been “taken three nights ago into the road offices” after officers searched their home and called his old charts and papers unauthorised studies [13]. She was frightened by Mike’s spellcasting until the party passed it off as prayer, thanked “the holy man” for mending her sail, and sailed on towards Gloamhearth [7][28].

Overview

Nessa is a fisherwoman the party met at dusk on the open Sapphire Sea, standing in a drifting boat with a torn sail and her two young children, Pim and Leo, under a wet blanket beside her [1][5]. Her husband had been “taken three nights ago into the road offices”: officers searched the home, found old tide charts, weather notes and pages copied from his father’s journal, and called it unauthorised studies [13]. It is the campaign’s first mention of the Aurelian road offices. The DM’s reading is that they are local Aurelian patrol or administrative offices, not a new faction, and that the charge probably means suspected illegal magic or heretical research (DM ruling 7). Like the Mira Hale case, it may belong to a wider pattern of Aurelian abductions, but the structure is unknown (DM ruling 27).

She is wary of arcane magic and appears to be a lay Aurelian devotee. Mike’s casting alarmed her until the party passed it off as prayer, and she thanked “the holy man” who mended her sail [14][3][7]. The party fed her children, pointed her towards Gloamhearth and let her sail on unharmed [15][8][16].

Appearance and demeanour

A woman standing in a small boat with one hand raised, saying nothing and waiting “to see what kind of people you are” [1]. No race is given. Watchful and slow to trust: her first words were “please don’t hurt us” [17], and asked why she was out there she weighed whether to tell them before she did [18]. Once reassured she is courteous: she thanks the party, then apologises (“how rude of me”) for not yet introducing herself [5].

Relationships

  • Pim: her quiet, watchful daughter, who gave Mike the Captain Stone pebble [5][19].
  • Leo: her son, half asleep at first sight and “a bit sunken in, like he hasn’t eaten” [5].
  • Nessa’s husband: unnamed; taken to the road offices three nights before and not returned [6].
  • Aurelian forces: she makes the sign of Aurelia and thanks the “holy man”, yet the Aurelian officers have taken her husband [13][7].
  • Mike: mended her sail with Mending and gave the children rations [20][15].

Disposition towards the party

Terrified at first, and she warmed once Terry called Mike “a holy person” and Steven’s Persuasion landed [21][22]. When Terry mimed a finger across his throat to warn her not to tell anyone she had seen them, she turned round in shock [23].

Notable quotes

“my husband was taken three nights ago into the road offices they searched our home and found old tide charts weather notes and a few pages copied from his father’s journal and the officers called it unauthorized studies what does that even mean … and he hasn’t returned three nights” — Nessa, [6]

“Well, it can now, thanks to the holy man over there.” — Nessa, [7]

History in the campaign

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

Main article: Session 17

The skiff came upon the boat at dusk. Mike’s unseen servants visibly disturbed Nessa, and she took the party for people from Arcanthys until Terry passed the gestures off as sign language and then prayer, and Steven’s Persuasion (a 19, at advantage) calmed her [14][24]. Mike mended her sail and lit his armour to look the part, and she named herself and her children [25]. He gave the family two rations [26]. She told of her husband’s arrest [6] and made the sign of Aurelia [7]. The party gave her directions to Gloamhearth, Terry floated sinking her boat, Caelumn refused, and she sailed on [8][27][28].

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

Main article: Session 18

Nessa is off-screen in session 18. She comes up only in the recap of session 17 that opened the session, which retold the rescue of the family, the mended sail and her husband’s arrest by Aurelian road officers; the DM confirmed that her name is Nessa [29]. She does not appear in play.

Status

As of session 18. Alive and off-screen, sailing towards Gloamhearth with Pim and Leo; the party did not bring them aboard [30][28]. Her husband’s whereabouts are unknown.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 17, line 818: First appears (small fishing boat with torn sail, woman standing with one hand raised, two children under a wet blanket).
  2. ^ Session 17, line 887-901: "please don't hurt us"; she takes the party for Arcanthians; Steven's Persuasion at advantage (19) calms her.
  3. ^ Session 17, line 901: "Oh, was it some sort of prayer your friend was doing then?" (accepts Terry's cover that Mike's casting was prayer not arcane).
  4. ^ Session 17, line 912-918: Mike Mends her torn sail; lights up his armour to sell the holy-man framing.
  5. ^ Session 17, line 920: Named introduction: "My name is Nessa and this right here is Pim and she points to a small girl that seems very quiet and watchful. And that right there is Leo.".
  6. ^ Session 17, line 973-975: Husband taken three nights ago "into the road offices"; the officers called his old tide charts, weather notes and copied journal pages "unauthorised studies".
  7. ^ Session 17, line 978: Sailing towards Eldwythe, later towards Gloamhearth (s17 L997, L1112); makes the sign of Aurelia, thanking "the holy man".
  8. ^ Session 17, line 1004-1005: Caelumn and Hugo give her the route to Gloamhearth by way of Mirestrand.
  9. ^ Session 17, line 1041-1074: Terry mimes a warning and floats sinking her boat; Caelumn refuses; she is let go.
  10. ^ Session 18, line 37: DM canon correction, Nick: "It is missing someone doing magic and scaring Nessa, but also it's Nessa".
  11. ^ Session 18, line 39: DM canon correction reinforced, Nick: "the person rescued on the boat was called Nessa".
  12. ^ Session 18, line 98: DM canon correction reinforced a third time, Nick: "her name is Nessa".
  13. ^ Session 17, line 973: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 17, line 850: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 17, line 926: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 17, line 1074: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 17, line 887: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 17, line 971-973: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 17, line 927: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 17, line 912: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 17, line 896-901: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 17, line 916: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 17, line 1044-1046: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 17, line 888-901: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 17, line 910-920: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 17, line 926-927: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 17, line 1052-1074: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 17, line 1112: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 18, line 89-98: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 17, line 1006: Inline citation.
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