OOC synopsis of Overdue

This Origins I had the privilege of playing a special table from the Forged in Magic Kickstarter called overdue. The contents of the module directly impact the family. All of this is an OOC summary of the parts pertinent to us.

1) INTRO: Tukufu was approached by a pair of people who had a small crystal orb that was etched with an eye. They had a grievance against the Legion of the Black Sun and allegedly secured a magical item that the Legion had disposed off (the eye). After experimentation our party first saw visions of a room with friezes of Nierites spearing, slashing and burning people (presumably the Val C). Then our clairvoyance passed out of the room and revealed we were in the Sea of Grass. The place where Hunoi slaves come from.

2) We went to the sea of grass and discovered that there was a half Century of the (Undead) Legion of the Black Sun. The Legion was there securing amphorae of oil and heading in into the grass. We also headed into the grass toward the site avoiding the Legion. We interacted with the “simple” Hunoi and learned their language was based (ultimately) on Ancient Altherian. Surprising since they worship Lyssandra (the Green Moon), Belisarda & Nayal (the Night Sky). And they had some collective if dim knowledge of the Val Cessari (perhaps laced with fear).

3) The Black Sun beat us to an ancient and decrepit fortress at the location predicted by the crystal eye. We managed to sneak inside without their knowing. Eventually we found an unusual basement filled with crystal cylinders. Most of the cylinders seemed to have burned out but a few could be put against your head which would trigger a stored memory. Collectively these crystals unveiled the core of the Val Cessari history we got with our special characters. There was also a Gold Mask with the stored personality/intellect of Piopel Hunak, a vassal of the val’Cessari. The mask did not discover Tukufu was a Val C because he did not put it on during the adventure. The Hunak vassals apparently have been stripped of higher cognitive function and become the Hunoi. There were 2 important differences in their history and our history however: (A) the Imperium Legion of the Black Sun was the primary instrument of wiping out knowledge of the Val Cessari…and their undead incarnation is still going strong even today. (B) Xiothun val’Cessari was secretly a brilliant general during the wars with the Ossarion Empire but was somehow outed. His Legions were ready to fight the rest of the Imperium on his behalf, but to stop internal fighting & needless bloodshed he instead committed ritual suicide after proclaiming that he was the very last Val Cessari.

The additional people who now know of us are: “Comma” Val Mehan (David Thomas Chappel), Marcus Val Mehan (Stephen Raymond), Belthazor Val Mehen (Paul Baughman), Kavaris (Ken McRowe), and Ceres Val Dellenovs (Liz Horn). The Black Sun burned the library to the ground destroying everything we didn’t pinch but never knew we were there or removed items from the fortress. Despite the Bloodwar revelations they collectively seem to think the val C are “okay.”

4) Again OOC…on the way home Tukufu met a Valinor. The others didn’t see it or know of Tukufu’s interaction. T learned four additional things: (A) effectively the Patriarch of our family is Merric Val Cessai. (B) there is a “real” cache with our most important treasures and history …”out there” … waiting for us to rediscover. (C) the cache that we found in Overdue was deliberately sacrificed to lull the Legion of the Black Sun into thinking it had gotten our last repository of lore. (D) our days of being invisible are coming to an end…though it remains to be seen if our reemergence will be for good or for for ill…for the family and for civilization.

All of the above is OOC knowledge. Tukufu would freely share this IC with any family member who contacted him. In the several years of this campaign I have never sat down at a table with another val C … until the special last round of the BI this year. Tukufu would welcome contact with distant cousins.