(S055) The Siren's Call

Aboard The Audacity, the party splits their time between gem studies, tattoos, and frantic survival when a violent storm threatens to capsize the ship. Just as they recover, a deadly harpy ambushes them under the cover of night, charming half the crew and party members into a trance before Sas's quick-thinking deafness spell and Shadow's precise thorn-entangled arrow send the monster plummeting to its doom.

📝 Session Summary

The Wild Cards were called The Menagerie by some until they came up with the name The Wild Cards.

• Barlo: A grizzled tabaxi barbarian who has been doing some work for a network that one should be wary of.
• Bastion: An orphan human who spent his life studying magic and blades, even though his elder pushed him away from the sword. He replaced Reginald.
• Calliope: This bardic faun joined the party late when she needed to find help to save her homeland.
• Reginald: A leonin cleric who was off to show his family's royal background and would later find out there were secrets leading to him becoming a king.
• Sas: A tortle hermit was given an item of power and a quest.
• Shadow in the Snow: This tabaxi got a coin, and her curiosity set her on a path.

🎬 Scenes

• Scene 1: Barlo's Backstory — From The Bronze Canyon in Kampos. Gave up Tabaxi name, "Smiles". Help move people. On way to Eushia to help Black Road with a client. Currently on ship near Carrune.
• Scene 2: Bastion's Backstory — When Bastion Bladesinger was very young he lost both of his parents to a plague. He took care of himself as he taught himself how to use the rapier his father once wore. He lived in Dyrt and watched all of the great knights. He also had an interest in the ways of magic and he wished he could do both – use swords and excel in magic – like many elves he had heard about.
• Scene 3: Calliope's Backstory — Calliope was born into the nestled highlands of the Oraniad Mountains. The Skola Vale, wild and free, blessed by the gods and inhabited by whimsical Satyr and Faun. Deep within it among the lush valley, reside the Dawngreets, a long generational line of storytellers and lore keepers.
• Scene 4: Reginald's Backstory — He was born at home, a modest-sized mansion where his family lived a modest means – even though his father could never stop talking about how they were royalty and yet this was the only lands they currently possess. His childhood was generally a happy one full of several friends. He was an only child.
• Scene 5: Sas' Backstory — Sas was born on the continent of Oth'Mar – a content mostly inhabited by Tortles and is far to the south of the Carrune Isles.
• Scene 6: Shadow's Backstory — Deep in the snowy mountains high in the north, there lived a large group of Tabaxi, The Blinding Wild Clan.

📜 Missions & Quests

• Completed:
  • Established individual party origins and initial connections to the world of Dierde.
• Active / Discovered Threads:
  • Barlo's ties to the smuggling rings and the Black Road.
  • Bastion's mysterious past and fallout with Grognard.
  • Calliope's quest to save the Skola Vale.
  • Reginald's pursuit of his family's royal mint commission and claim in Neyer.
  • Sas's vision of the Cat Goddess Bast and journey to find her lost lands.
  • Shadow's golden coin and mystical calling from her clan shaman.

NPCs

S055: The Siren's Call

Date: 2023-07-21

Short

Aboard their flying ship, the party pursued various activities during their journey. Bastion studied ancient Mythallars—massive orbs that once powered entire cities and were being used by Karsus to create flying islands—while also learning about the magically enhanced crystals on Outding Refuge. Calliope practiced tattooing on a crew member named Harmon, successfully creating a caduceus design, while Sas struggled with potion-making and Bastion polished gemstones. Their peaceful voyage was interrupted by a severe rainstorm that threatened to bring down the ship as water accumulated dangerously on deck. The crew frantically worked to clear the water while Shadow used magical hands and Bastion attempted to stabilize the vessel with the flying broom, but Calliope ultimately saved the day by casting a wind barrier that deflected the rain and allowed the captain to regain control, though they discovered they had drifted significantly off course.

As night fell, a harpy appeared and sang an enchanting song that charmed Barlo, Shadow, Artie, and several crew members, compelling them toward the creature in a trance. Calliope struck the harpy with a spell, driving it back, while Sas emerged from below deck and quickly cast a deafening spell on the charmed party members to break the enchantment. Barlo, now unable to hear, physically restrained a charmed halfling crew member from jumping overboard while shouting loudly. Shadow ended the threat with a perfectly aimed arrow that exploded into thorny vines, wrapping around the harpy's wings and causing it to plummet to its death. After the encounter, the party discussed emergency preparations, used the magic cube to confirm their navigation errors, and Captain Kimila Serilas made corrections with Penny Nettle's help to get them back on course toward Outding Refuge, while Bastion received a message from Bast about the broken orb they had found.

Summary

Aboard their flying ship, the party settled into various pursuits as they journeyed through the skies. Bastion immersed himself in a book about crystals and gemstones, learning about the ancient Mythallars—massive orbs that once powered entire cities like batteries for magical devices. He discovered that Karsus had found these artifacts and was using them to create flying islands. The book also revealed that the crystals on Outding Refuge were magically enhanced by the Arcane Forge's connection to the Far Realm and the mystical energy of a long-standing dragon hoard. Meanwhile, Calliope convinced a crew member named Harmon, a follower of Tyr, to let her practice her tattooing skills, successfully creating a beautiful caduceus design on his forearm while performing a song. Bastion also practiced with his jeweler's kit, managing to polish a tiger's eye gemstone, while Sas attempted to craft potions with her herbalism kit, though she struggled with finding the right ingredients and recipes.

The peaceful journey was shattered when a severe rainstorm struck the ship. Water accumulated rapidly on the deck, adding dangerous weight that threatened to bring the vessel down as the inexperienced captain struggled to maintain control in three-dimensional space. The crew scrambled to clear the water with brooms and buckets, while Shadow used magical hands to push water overboard and Bastion attempted to stabilize the ship by tying the flying broom to the mast like a tugboat. Calliope saved the day by casting a barrier of wind from her musical instrument that deflected the rain and gave the captain time to regain control. After the storm passed, the party discovered they had drifted significantly off course, requiring careful navigation corrections using the stars.

As night fell and the party believed they were finally safe, a harpy appeared near the crow's nest, singing a hauntingly beautiful song. The enchanting melody charmed Barlo, Shadow, Artie, and several crew members, compelling them to move toward the creature in a trance-like state. Calliope, unaffected by the charm, struck the harpy with a spell that caused it to shriek in pain and fly away from the ship. Sas emerged from below deck just in time, resisting the song's power and quickly casting a spell to deafen Barlo, Shadow, and Artie, breaking the enchantment. Barlo, now unable to hear anything, grabbed a charmed halfling crew member and physically restrained him from jumping overboard, shouting at the top of his lungs without realizing how loud he was being.

Shadow ended the threat with a single, perfectly aimed arrow that struck the harpy and exploded into thorny vines. The magical plants wrapped around the creature's wings, restraining them completely and causing the harpy to plummet from the sky to its death far below. After the encounter, the party discussed keeping the flying broom on deck near the mast for emergencies and realized how close they had come to disaster. They used the magic cube to confirm their navigation was off course, and Captain Kimila Serilas consulted with Penny Nettle and the stars to make corrections that would actually bring them closer to Outding Refuge. Bastion received a message from Bast asking about the broken orb they had found and suggesting that Lars and Ursa might be able to keep it safe, while the party settled in for a well-deserved rest after their harrowing day.

Scenes

Airship Studies and Skill Training

The party engages in various downtime activities aboard their flying ship, including reading, crafting, and skill training as they continue their journey.

• Bastion reads a book about crystals and gemstones, learning about Mythallars - ancient city batteries that Karsus uses to create flying islands. He discovers that the crystals on Outding Refuge are magically enhanced due to the Arcane Forge connected to the Far Realm and a long-standing dragon hoard.
• Bastion attempts to read 'The Magic of the Stone and the Souls of Mountains' but finds it mostly unhelpful, containing information about dwarves and mining techniques.
• Shadow offers the Goggles of Night to Calliope for scouting purposes, though Calliope reveals her tattoos already provide darkvision.
• Calliope persuades a crew member named Harmon, a follower of Tyr, to let her practice tattooing. She successfully tattoos a caduceus symbol on his forearm while performing a song, enhanced by Sas's Skill Empowerment spell.
• Bastion practices with his jeweler's kit, successfully polishing a tiger's eye gemstone after examining various stones including chardalyn.
• Sas attempts to use her herbalism kit to craft potions (Muroosa bomb and quenching pilther) but struggles with finding ingredients and recipe knowledge.
• The party discusses gem usage for the airship, noting they've used four gems (two days of flight) so far.

Storm and Navigation Crisis

The airship encounters a severe rainstorm that threatens to bring down the vessel, requiring quick thinking and teamwork to survive.

• A heavy rainstorm begins, causing water to accumulate rapidly on the deck and adding dangerous weight to the flying ship.
• The captain struggles to maintain control as the water distribution affects the ship's balance in three-dimensional space.
• Shadow uses Mage Hand to push water off the deck while sheltering from the rain.
• Bastion ties a rope to the flying broom and attempts to use it as a tugboat to stabilize the ship, but the effort proves largely ineffective.
• Calliope casts Wind Wall from her musical instrument, creating a barrier that helps deflect rain and allows the captain to regain some control.
• The crew works together with brooms and buckets to clear water from the deck, with morale boosted by Calliope's earlier jokes and performance.
• After the storm passes, the party realizes they are significantly off course, having drifted during the chaos.

Harpy Attack

As night falls, a harpy attacks the ship with its enchanting song, charming several crew members and party members in a dangerous encounter.

• A harpy appears near the crow's nest, singing a beautiful but enchanting song that charms Barlo, Shadow, Artie, and several crew members including a halfling deckhand.
• The charmed individuals begin moving toward the harpy, compelled to get closer to the source of the song.
• Calliope, unaffected by the charm, casts Dissonant Whispers on the harpy, causing it to shriek in pain and fly off the ship momentarily.
• Sas emerges from below deck, resists the harpy's song, and casts Blindness/Deafness on Barlo, Shadow, and Artie, making them deaf and breaking the charm.
• Barlo, now deaf, grabs a charmed halfling crew member to prevent him from jumping overboard.
• The sprite deckhand goes invisible and casts Unseen Servants to help manage the situation.
• Shadow shoots the harpy with an arrow that triggers Entangle, wrapping the creature in thorny vines and restraining its wings, causing it to fall from the sky to its death.
• The party discusses the effectiveness of their tactics and the close call they experienced.

Course Correction and Communication

After the harpy attack, the party discovers they are far off course and works to correct their navigation while communicating with allies.

• Bastion receives a message from Bast asking about the broken orb they found and mentioning work on a new communication device.
• Bastion uses a magic cube to check their navigation, which responds 'Outlook not so good,' confirming they are off course.
• Bastion informs Captain Kimila Serilas (the Drow captain) about the navigation error.
• Kimila Serilas consults with Penny Nettle, studies the stars, and makes course corrections to get the ship back on track.
• The corrected course actually brings them closer to Outding Refuge, their intended stop.
• The party discusses entrusting one of the orbs to Lars and Ursa for safekeeping.
• Barlo casts two more gems to power the ship for another two days of travel.
• The party settles in for a long rest, with Calliope discussing favorite colors with crew members for a potential project.

Memorable Moments

Barlo emerges from below deck after the harpy attack, completely oblivious to the chaos, yawning and asking what happened while everyone else is recovering from the life-threatening encounter.

Barlo had low initiative and missed the entire harpy fight

Shadow shoots the harpy with an arrow that explodes into thorny vines, restraining the creature's wings mid-flight and causing it to plummet to its death, saving the charmed crew members.

The killing blow that ended the harpy encounter

Sas emerges from below deck to find half the crew and party charmed by a harpy's song, quickly casting deafness on her allies to break the enchantment before anyone jumps overboard.

Sas's quick thinking saved multiple lives during the harpy attack

Barlo, now deaf from Sas's spell, begins shouting at the top of his lungs while physically restraining a charmed crew member, completely unaware of how loud he's being.

After being deafened to break the harpy's charm

NPCs

Harmon Lukas

A strong-willed crew member with a soft, gentle voice who is a follower of Tyr. He allowed Calliope to tattoo a caduceus symbol on his forearm during the journey.

Rogan Lock

A small sprite crew member who uses Unseen Servants to help with his work on the ship. During the harpy attack, he went invisible and assisted with managing the situation.

Kimila Serilas

The Drow captain of the flying ship who is responsible for navigation. After being informed the ship was off course, she consulted with Penny Nettle and the stars to make course corrections.

Penny Nettle

A crew member who assists Captain Kimila Serilas with navigation, consulting with her in the captain's quarters to help correct the ship's course.

Harpy

A monstrous creature with the appearance of a haggardly woman with wicked talons, large wings, and bird feet. She carried a bone club and wore jewelry and trinkets from previous victims. She attacked the ship with an enchanting song that charmed several crew and party members before being killed by Shadow's arrow and entangle spell.

Halfling Deckhand

A crew member who was charmed by the harpy's song and attempted to move toward the edge of the ship before being physically restrained by Barlo.

Bast

A contact who sent Bastion a message asking about the broken orb and mentioning work on a new communication device.

Lars

An individual mentioned by Bast as someone who, along with Ursa, might be able to keep one of the orbs safe.

Ursa

An individual mentioned by Bast as someone who, along with Lars, might be able to keep one of the orbs safe.

Locations

Flying Ship, The Audacity

A magical vessel with two living tree masts, a ballista capable of launching cannonballs, multiple decks with crew quarters, a captain's quarters, a garden area, and a transportation circle in the Skull of Ultharr. The ship is powered by gems and can fly at varying altitudes, typically around 100 feet off the ground.

Outding Refuge

An island destination where crystals are magically enhanced due to the unique Arcane Forge connected to the Far Realm and a long-standing dragon hoard. The party's corrected course brings them closer to this location.

Thornwinds

A location mentioned as having a very large, vertical mountain. It is one of the destinations on the party's journey.

Kampos

A region the party flies over during their journey, characterized by forest terrain. The party realizes they've been over land longer than expected, indicating they were off course.

Items

Crystals and Gemstones Book

A book read by Bastion that details crystal structures, Mythallars (ancient city batteries used to power magic devices), and their use by Karsus to create flying islands. It explains how the crystals on Outding Refuge are magically enhanced due to the Arcane Forge connected to the Far Realm and a long-standing dragon hoard.

The Magic of the Stone and the Souls of Mountains

A book read by Bastion that contains information about dwarves, mining techniques, and materials. It was written by someone who spent most of their time fashioning enchantments for items brought by clientele.

Goggles of Night

Magical goggles that provide darkvision. Shadow offered them to Calliope for scouting, though Calliope's tattoos already provide this ability.

Flying Broom

A magical broom capable of flight that the party recently acquired. Bastion attempted to use it as a tugboat during the storm by tying a rope to it and the mast. The party later decided to keep it on deck near the mast for emergencies.

Jeweler's Kit

A set of tools used by Bastion to practice working with gems. He successfully polished a tiger's eye gemstone but noted the difficulty of cutting gems without proper instruction.

Tiger's Eye

A gemstone that Bastion successfully polished while practicing with his jeweler's kit.

Chardalyn

A type of gemstone that Bastion examined while selecting stones to practice with, noting it was found in tunnels along with diamond dust.

Herbalism Kit

A collection of tools and ingredients used by Sas to attempt crafting potions, specifically a Muroosa bomb and quenching pilther, though she struggled with finding ingredients and recipe knowledge.

Botanist's Journal

A journal containing information about different plants that Sas consulted for potion recipes and plant knowledge.

Magic Cube

A small, transparent magical item that provides cryptic answers to questions, similar to a magic 8-ball. Bastion used it to check navigation, and it responded 'Outlook not so good' when asked if they were going the right way.

Gems

Crystals and gemstones used as fuel for the flying ship's magical propulsion. Two gems are consumed for every two days of travel. The party has used four gems so far.

Ballista

The main weapon of the flying ship, capable of launching both large spears and cannonballs. The ship has a barrel of 120 large spears for ammunition.

Broken Orb

An orb mentioned in Bast's message that the party found. Bast suggests Lars and Ursa might be able to keep it safe.

Spells

Skill Empowerment

Cast by Sas on Calliope to double her proficiency bonus, helping her successfully tattoo Harmon with a caduceus symbol on his forearm.

Mage Hand

Used by Shadow to push accumulating rainwater off the deck of the flying ship during the severe storm.

Wind Wall

Cast by Calliope from her musical instrument during the rainstorm, creating a wall of strong wind that helped deflect rain and allowed the captain to regain control of the ship.

Unseen Servant

Cast by the sprite deckhand to create invisible servants that help with his work on the ship, including clearing water during the storm.

Dissonant Whispers

Cast by Calliope on the harpy, causing it to shriek in pain and fly away from the ship, temporarily disrupting its enchanting song.

Blindness/Deafness

Cast by Sas on Barlo, Shadow, and Artie to make them deaf, breaking the harpy's charm and making them immune to its song for 24 hours.

Entangle

Triggered by Shadow's arrow hitting the harpy, causing thorny vines to wrap around the creature and restrain its wings, leading to its fall and death.

Classic

Last we left off, our intrepid adventurers found themselves sailing through the skies aboard their flying vessel, each pursuing their own interests as the journey unfolded. Bastion delved deep into ancient texts, uncovering the secrets of the Mythallars—colossal crystalline orbs that once powered entire cities and now fuel Karsus's ambitions to create floating islands. Meanwhile, Calliope honed her artistic talents, successfully tattooing a beautiful caduceus upon the willing forearm of Harmon, a devout follower of Tyr, while Sas struggled with her alchemical experiments below deck.

But the peaceful voyage was not to last. A violent rainstorm descended upon the ship, threatening to drag the vessel from the sky as water accumulated dangerously on the deck. The crew fought desperately against the elements—Shadow conjuring magical hands to push water overboard, Bastion attempting to stabilize the ship with the flying broom, and Calliope ultimately saving them all with a barrier of wind that deflected the deluge and gave their inexperienced captain precious time to regain control. Yet as the storm passed and night fell, a new threat emerged from the darkness—a harpy, whose enchanting song charmed Barlo, Shadow, Artie, and several crew members, drawing them inexorably toward their doom.

Quick thinking saved the day once more. Calliope struck the creature with her magic while Sas deafened the charmed party members, breaking the enchantment. Shadow ended the threat with a single, devastating arrow that erupted into thorny vines, sending the harpy plummeting to its death far below. Now, with the storm behind them and their course corrected by careful navigation under the stars, the party settles in for a well-deserved rest, knowing that Outding Refuge—and whatever mysteries it holds—draws ever closer on the horizon...

Middle English

Harken well, ye gentlefolk,
Of heroes brave and true;
Who sailed the skies in vessel grand,
Through tempests fierce they flew!

Young Bastion read of Mythallars bright,
Great orbs of ancient power,
Whilst Calliope with needle keen,
Did mark good Harmon's hour.
But lo! A storm of fearsome might,
Did threaten ship and crew,
Till wind-song fair did save the day,
And skies turned bright from blue.

When darkness fell upon the deck,
A harpy's song rang clear;
It charmed the hearts of stalwart men,
And drew them ever near.
Brave Barlo seized the halfling small,
And held him fast from death,
Whilst Sas did cast her deafening spell,
To steal the charm's sweet breath.

Then Shadow loosed his arrow true,
With vines of thorn and might;
The harpy fell from lofty height,
And vanished in the night.
The crew did check their course once more,
By stars and cube so wise,
And found their path to Refuge fair,
Beneath the endless skies.

So rest they now, these heroes bold,
Their trials for the day complete;
With broom secured and danger past,
They earned their slumber sweet.

Snarky

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they were enjoying what should have been a peaceful sky voyage—you know, the kind where you read about magical batteries that power flying cities, practice your tattooing skills on willing crew members, and polish some gemstones. Bastion was getting all scholarly about Mythallars (ancient magical orbs that make flying islands a thing), Calliope was turning poor Harmon into her personal canvas with a surprisingly beautiful caduceus tattoo, and Sas was... well, struggling with potions. But then Mother Nature decided to crash the party with a rainstorm that nearly turned their flying ship into a very expensive paperweight. Between Shadow's magical hands playing squeegee, Bastion's brilliant "let's tie a broom to the mast like a tugboat" plan, and Calliope literally creating a wind barrier with her music, they managed to not plummet to their deaths. Victory!

But wait, there's more! Just when they thought they could relax after being blown hilariously off course, a harpy showed up for an impromptu concert that nobody asked for. Her enchanting song turned half the party and crew into mindless groupies ready to take a swan dive off the ship. Cue Calliope blasting the bird with a spell, Sas strategically deafening everyone to break the charm, and Barlo physically restraining a halfling while screaming at maximum volume because he couldn't hear himself. Shadow ended the whole debacle with one spectacular arrow shot that turned the harpy into a vine-wrapped piñata plummeting to its doom. After confirming they were indeed very lost and making some navigational corrections, the party finally settled in for rest—because apparently surviving multiple near-death experiences in one day is exhausting. Who knew?

Limerick

Aboard their ship sailing high in the air,
Bastion read books with scholarly care.
While Calliope tattooed,
And the crew's spirits were good,
Till a rainstorm gave everyone a scare!

The deck flooded fast, weighing them down,
The captain feared they would crash to the ground.
But Calliope's wind,
Saved the ship and her kin,
Though off course they were soon to be found.

When night fell and they thought they were free,
A harpy sang out by the crow's nest tree.
Barlo and Shadow entranced,
Toward danger advanced,
Till Calliope's spell made it flee!

Sas deafened the crew with a spell,
While Barlo grabbed halflings who fell.
Then Shadow's arrow flew true,
With vines that just grew,
And the harpy plummeted down like a shell!

They checked navigation by star,
Found the cube showed they'd drifted too far.
Captain Kimila Serilas corrected,
Their course redirected,
To Outding Refuge, their goal from afar!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16