Session 6 Report - The Vale of God’s Tears

OOC DATE: 07/08/26
IC DATE: 18th Jadewind 1500 AF
IC TIME PASSED: Approximately 9-10 days of expedition travel and adventure, plus 2 weeks of downtime/carousing
PLAYERS: GNURL & RATHAL

The party set out from Fort Red Rock toward the Vale of God’s Tears, following the safer route past Rheintaldorf rather than travelling close to pig-orc territory. The Vale was known as a jungle valley where, according to legend, desperate convicts were once saved by a divine visitation. A messenger of the gods supposedly appeared, offered salvation if they mended their ways, and caused a holy spring and fruit trees to grow from the ground.

After a day’s travel, the party skirted around Rheintaldorf. While passing through the sandy coastal hills near the River Katlapan, Rathal spotted a cloaked figure carrying a large book under one arm. The figure vanished behind the dunes, but the party chose not to investigate, deciding they had prepared supplies for the journey to the Vale and did not want to lose time pursuing a side mystery.

Further into the jungle, the party heard marching feet and hid beside the route. A large military column of grey-skinned elves passed by. The elves wore strange armour, carried brass shields and spears, and moved through the jungle with disciplined familiarity. Their skin looked slate-grey, with vein-like cracks glowing like molten lava beneath the surface. They did not see the party and continued marching west.

Later, the party encountered a human arm sticking out of apparently solid ground. Gnurl suspected quicksand and tested the ground, confirming the area was treacherous. Using a grappling hook and rope, he and Rathal hauled out a young human trader wearing ruined merchant’s clothes. The man was wounded, exhausted and half-drowned in sand and water.

The rescued trader introduced himself as Garrick Dunmol, a merchant of the Greenharbour Company. He explained that he had been travelling with others to establish new trade routes when they discovered two huge stone pillars carved with serpents far to the west. While examining them, they were ambushed by grey-skinned elves like the ones the party had just seen. Two of his companions were cut down instantly, and Garrick fled into the jungle before stumbling into the quicksand. Rathal healed his injured leg, Gnurl gave him a ration, and Garrick marked the location of the Draconic Pillars on the party’s map before heading back toward Fort Red Rock.

That evening, the party saw firelight and heard drumming in the jungle. Gnurl scouted ahead and found a small lizardfolk village celebrating around a fire. He and Rathal approached openly, and after a tense moment the lizardfolk recognised Gnurl through Running Water, the lizardman he had previously aided. Running Water greeted him as “Heavy Fish Food” and vouched for the party.

The party shared snake stew and local honey-root drink with the lizardfolk. Running Water warned them of strange creatures seen in the waters where the sand meets the sea, saying that those who dwell in the deeps may have begun to awaken or been summoned. He also told them that the giant skeleton no longer lay still: a great orc wizard had supposedly raised it, and it now walked through the jungle at his command. According to Running Water, this orc wizard was far more cunning and ruthless than a normal orc shaman should be.

When asked about the Vale of God’s Tears, Running Water said it was reputed to have been the home of the last of an ancient people who had been wiped out by the Vhaurak. He described the Vhaurak as the grey-skinned elves who lived beyond the stones, near the mountains and the place where dragons go to die. The party spent the night with the lizardfolk and continued toward the Vale the next day.

The party reached the Vale of God’s Tears, finding ruined old stone buildings and newer huts built from the fallen stones. Near the centre of the settlement, around two dozen people were gathered around a marble plinth in an overgrown garden. They prayed and wept before a chalk door drawn onto the stone.

The elderly priest Tobias explained that the people of the Vale were descendants of the convicts saved there long ago. Their protector was Etekari, also called Atacali, a powerful being like one of the ancients. She had once guarded them, provided the holy spring and fruit trees, and kept the Vhaurak away. Recently, she had passed beyond the chalk door and not returned. The bravest and strongest villagers followed her, but they too vanished, leaving only the elderly, young and infirm behind.

Tobias explained that the chalk door could be opened simply by reaching for its handle, but it would close if those who entered did not return within one day. Gnurl and Rathal agreed to go through and attempt to recover Etekari.

When the party touched the chalk handle, it became three-dimensional and the door opened into a vast, overgrown garden stretching into the distance. They entered the Gardens of Ynn, a strange mechanical garden-realm where the earth was split by cracks revealing huge gears beneath the surface.

Inside the Gardens, the party found the partially eaten bodies of three recent human explorers. They recovered a small amount of silver and a warm spider-silk cloak worth 25 gp. They pressed on through a moss-covered shadow theatre where clockwork mechanisms had been built into fences, trees and other structures. A tiled underground passage from the theatre looped back to the garden entrance.

Deeper in, they found abandoned animal kennels and dark tubes carrying strange iridescent fluid through the ground and trees. Gnurl briefly considered tasting the liquid but wisely decided against it.

The garden grew stranger as they continued. The landscape inverted ahead of them, leaving a grey abyss below and an upside-down ice-rink-like structure above. Gnurl and Rathal tied themselves together with rope and crossed hand-over-hand through hanging vegetation. Above them, on the inverted ground, they saw a horse-sized giant frog fighting a cart-sized turtle with a bonsai-like tree growing from its shell. They avoided both creatures.

Further in, the party found a faded wooden pavilion filled with old knick-knacks, which they gathered. Nearby lay two strange alabaster skeletons shaped like exaggerated, almost perfected elves. The turtle from earlier later wandered past, now apparently victorious over the frog, but it did not speak or attack.

The party discovered a railway track hidden under moss and followed it through the dark woods until they found a mine cart. They rode it at great speed through the Gardens, effectively fast-travelling to a charred shooting range filled with stakes, bullet holes, skeletons and ash.

From there, they followed a brick path into a hideous flesh garden, where trees, grass and flowers were made of meat, bone, gristle and membranes. At the centre was a crystal-clear fountain. Throwing offerings into the fountain granted blessings. The party gained several permanent improvements, including increases to Intelligence, Constitution, Wisdom and Dexterity, but stopped when the fountain showed them visions of drowning one another as the next required offering.

Leaving the fountain, the party encountered rose-headed plant beings who walked on roots and sang beautiful flute-like melodies while tending the area. They left the creatures alone and continued deeper.

The next area was filled with puffball-like mushrooms. Crossing the mushroom beds released clouds of spores. Rathal resisted them, but Gnurl inhaled the spores and suffered severe muscle cramps, temporarily losing much of his Strength. Rathal helped him onward.

In a sinister ruined shadow theatre, Gnurl’s shadow began moving independently and tried to pull itself away from him by the feet, causing burning pain. Rathal cast Protection from Evil, forcing the shadow to return to normal.

A wave of wild magic then rolled over the area. Rathal was permanently altered, gaining snake-like fangs, long fingernails and a constant scent of wood smoke. The pair decided this meant they were getting closer to the heart of the place.

The party avoided a hemispherical wire cage containing a dangerous black-stone machine that threw arcs of electricity. Soon after, they met a polite ferret butler wearing a tuxedo and bowler hat. He welcomed them to the Gardens of Ynn, offered them drinks, and explained that he served the lords and ladies who had created the realm. He said many of his masters had grown strange, lain down, and ceased to speak. He directed the party toward the Garden of Rest.

In the Garden of Rest, the party found elegant graves surrounded by lilies and roses. Skeleton gardeners climbed out of the graves with shears and rakes and began tending the place. One of them told the party that the “big dragon” they were looking for was nearby.

On the way, the party found a wall hung with ten masks. Gnurl took all of them, later identifying them as:

• The Reaper

• The Child

• The Black Goat

• The Bloody-Faced Man

• The Flame

• The Harlequin

• The Crow Doctor

• The Warlock

• The Prisoner

• The Refined Lady

At last, the party found Etekari, also called Atacali, lying grievously wounded near great glass-and-steel vats full of cloudy pink-green liquid. She appeared as a huge eastern-style feathered serpent-dragon in green, blue and gold. Her wounds looked as though they had been made by enormous thorns or briars. A ragged notebook lay nearby, but Etekari warned the party not to read it. Gnurl felt an unnatural urge to look inside but resisted, realising the thought had been placed in his mind. Etekari burned the book with dragonfire.

The party healed Etekari with magic and a potion. She explained that something in the Gardens was a sickness so dangerous that even naming or contemplating it could risk infection. She could not fully explain it without endangering them. She revealed that long ago there were dragons and native elves in Xerkassa before the Vhaurak arrived. The Vhaurak conquered the land, killed her kind, and wiped out the native elves who had created the Gardens as a refuge. Etekari had remained behind to guard the secret entrance. Now most of those within were dead, infected, or dangerously changed.

Gnurl suggested that Etekari leave the Gardens and seal the place until the sickness could be cured or understood. Etekari agreed. She lowered herself so the party could climb onto her back, then flew them across the shifting landscape of the Gardens. The realm had already begun rearranging itself behind them, like an endless patchwork of impossible places.

At the doorway, Etekari transformed into a tall, feathered, elf-like form. She explained that she took that shape to honour the ancient native elves she had once protected. She also examined Rathal’s changes and said the magic of the Gardens had likely awakened or exaggerated something in her elven blood. The fangs, nails and scent were probably permanent.

The party returned through the chalk door to the Vale of God’s Tears. The villagers erupted in celebration at Etekari’s return. The party were given food, drink and three rations each. Etekari did not tell the villagers the full truth of what had happened to those who had entered the Gardens, saying only that they had been lost. Later that night, she told Gnurl and Rathal that she would remove the chalk door, remain with her people, and once again guard the secret beyond it so the tragedy within could never reach the world.

As reward, Etekari agreed that, if her duty allowed, she would help the party travel long distances in future by carrying them. She also allowed each adventurer to take a treasure from her hoard. Gnurl chose mithril dwarven chainmail, while Rathal chose a Potion of Flying.

The party returned to Fort Red Rock. During downtime, they experimented briefly with the Reaper mask. When worn, it caused small animals and insects nearby to lie down and die peacefully, and removing it was painful. Deciding the masks were dangerous, they sold all ten for 3,000 gp and spent the proceeds on an extravagant two-week carousing festival across Fort Red Rock.

During the carousing, Gnurl gained a fine horse named Barry, but also made an enemy of a pit fighter after knocking over his drink. Rathal acquired a golden bowl, won 50 gp from a well-known gambler, and gained renown from the story of her victory. Both gained significant XP from the adventure and downtime.

At the end of the session, several new hooks were discussed. Aldred the Hermit asked for help because unscrupulous adventurers had broken into the tombs beneath his shack. Einar Sigurdsson and Alamdan Leadshield planned to lead the displaced Hall of Moss settlers to Rheintaldorf and asked the party to help make it safe. The party had also learned of the Draconic Pillars, the walking giant skeleton, and growing pirate trouble from Dead Man’s Cove. The likely next plan was to help Einar, Alamdan and the settlers establish themselves in Rheintaldorf.

• Young human trader of the Greenharbour Company.

• Was found sinking into quicksand.

• Had been attacked by grey-skinned elves near the Draconic Pillars.

• Had been part of a group seeking new trade routes through the jungle.

• Was healed by Rathal and given supplies by Gnurl.

• Marked the Draconic Pillars on the party’s map.

• Returned toward Fort Red Rock.

• Green-scaled lizardman previously aided by Gnurl.

• Calls Gnurl “Heavy Fish Food.”

• Lives in a small lizardfolk village.

• Vouched for the party when they approached his people.

• Shared snake stew and local drink with them.

• Warned of strange creatures in the coastal waters.

• Told the party that the giant skeleton now walks through the jungle.

• Described the Vhaurak as grey-skinned elves who live beyond the stones near the place where dragons go to die.

• Small village of 18-20 lizardfolk.

• Celebrating a good harvest of herbs and roots used to make drink.

• Keep scouts in the trees for warning against danger.

• Offered the party hospitality once Running Water vouched for them.

• Elderly, partially blind priest of the Vale of God’s Tears.

• Spoke for the people of the Vale.

• Explained the story of Etekari, the chalk door and the missing villagers.

• Desperate for Etekari’s return.

• Believed the Vale was vulnerable to the Vhaurak without its protector.

• Ancient feathered serpent-dragon.

• Protector of the Vale of God’s Tears.

• Guardian of the chalk door and the secret refuge beyond it.

• Once protected the native elves of Xerkassa from the Vhaurak.

• Was wounded inside the Gardens of Ynn by a nameless sickness linked to thorns, briars and dangerous ideas.

• Warned the party not to read the infected notebook.

• Burned the notebook with dragonfire.

• Was healed by Gnurl and Rathal.

• Returned to the Vale and removed the chalk door.

• Agreed to help the party with long-distance travel when her duty allows.

• Rewarded the party from her hoard.

• Grey-skinned elves with lava-like cracks beneath their skin.

• March in disciplined military columns.

• Carry spears and brass shields.

• Familiar with the jungle.

• Live beyond the stones, near the mountains and the place where dragons go to die.

• Conquered Xerkassa long ago and destroyed Etekari’s kind and the native elves she protected.

• Polite, upright ferret in a tuxedo and bowler hat.

• Servant of the old lords and ladies of the Gardens of Ynn.

• Offered drinks to the party.

• Explained that many of his masters had become strange, lain down, and ceased speaking.

• Directed the party toward the Garden of Rest.

• Skeletons in gardening clothes who rose from graves in the Garden of Rest.

• Continued tending the gardens despite being dead.

• One directed the party toward Etekari.

• Seemed more concerned with work than with attacking anyone.

• Humanoid plant beings with thorny stems, branch-like arms and rose heads.

• Sang beautiful flute-like melodies.

• Tended the flesh-garden fountain.

• Caused nearby plants to sway in time with their music.

• Did not threaten the party.

• Hermit living in a tomb-hut, met in the previous session.

• Later approached the party in Fort Red Rock.

• Reported that unscrupulous adventurers had broken into the tombs beneath his shack.

• Possible future hook.

• Priest from the Hall of Moss.

• Planning to lead the displaced settlers to Rheintaldorf.

• Asked the party to help escort them and clear any dangers.

• Possible next-session hook.

• Ancient dwarven engineer rescued from the Hall of Moss.

• Accompanies Einar and the displaced settlers.

• Plans to help establish a new settlement at Rheintaldorf.

• Possible next-session hook.

• Starting and ending point for the session.

• Where the party returned after the Vale of God’s Tears.

• Site of the two-week carousing festival.

• Several future hooks were presented here.

• Cleansed former ghost settlement.

• Passed near on the way to the Vale of God’s Tears.

• A cloaked figure carrying a large book was seen near the dunes nearby.

• Einar and Alamdan later expressed interest in settling the displaced Hall of Moss settlers there.

• River near the coastal sands around Rheintaldorf.

• The cloaked book-carrying figure was seen near this area.

• Huge stone pillars carved with great serpents.

• Located far to the west.

• Garrick Dunmol’s trade expedition was attacked there by the Vhaurak.

• Added to the party’s map.

• Small jungle village of about a dozen huts.

• Home of Running Water.

• Organised around a central fire.

• The party received food, shelter and warnings here.

• Jungle valley believed to be the site of a divine visitation.

• Home to descendants of banished convicts.

• Contains a holy spring, fruit trees and ruined older structures.

• Protected by Etekari.

• Site of the chalk door into the Gardens of Ynn.

• Door drawn in chalk on a marble plinth.

• Opens if someone reaches for the handle.

• Leads into the Gardens of Ynn.

• Remains open for one day.

• Removed by Etekari after her return.

• Strange extradimensional machine-garden.

• Filled with clockwork mechanisms, impossible landscapes, living gardens, flesh-plants, tunnels, machines and old servants.

• Created by the ancient native elves of Xerkassa as a refuge from the Vhaurak.

• Now corrupted by a dangerous, nameless infection.

• Sealed by Etekari at the end of the session.

• Moss-covered amphitheatre with remnants of shadow puppetry.

• Clockwork mechanisms were built into nearby trees and structures.

• Underground tiled passage led back to the entrance.

• Impossible landscape where the ground inverted above an abyss.

• Contained an upside-down marble ice rink.

• Giant frog and tree-backed turtle fought there.

• Faded, jolly old pavilion with rotting chairs, cushions and knick-knacks.

• Contained strange alabaster ultra-elf skeletons.

• Lawn with stakes, bullet holes, skeletons and ash.

• Reached by mine cart.

• Led toward the flesh-garden fountain.

• Garden where the plants were made of meat, bone, gristle and membrane.

• Contained a crystal-clear fountain that granted boons in exchange for offerings.

• Eventually showed visions of the party drowning one another.

• Beds of puffball-like mushrooms.

• Released strength-draining spores when crossed.

• Gnurl was temporarily weakened here.

• Formal graveyard garden with elegant gravestones, lilies and roses.

• Home to undead gardeners.

• Near the place where Etekari was found.

• Wall displaying ten strange masks.

• Gnurl took all ten.

• The masks were later sold in Fort Red Rock.

• Area with great glass-and-steel vats full of cloudy pink-green liquid.

• Etekari was found here badly wounded.

• A dangerous infected notebook lay nearby and was destroyed.

• Pirate raiding base.

• Raids have become worse since the death of Captain Magnus Greaves.

• Authorities at Fort Red Rock are willing to pay for information or action against the pirates.

• Possible future hook.

• Spider-silk cloak:

  • Worth 25 gp.

  • Found on a corpse in the Gardens.

  • Later sold.

• Assorted pavilion knick-knacks:

  • Worth 15 gp.

• Ten strange masks:

  • The Reaper.

  • The Child.

  • The Black Goat.

  • The Bloody-Faced Man.

  • The Flame.

  • The Harlequin.

  • The Crow Doctor.

  • The Warlock.

  • The Prisoner.

  • The Refined Lady.

  • Sold together for 3,000 gp.

• Mithril dwarven chainmail:

  • Chosen by Gnurl from Etekari’s hoard.

  • Worth 240 gp.

  • Takes 1 gear slot.

  • AC 13 + DEX modifier.

  • No stealth or swimming penalty.

• Potion of Flying:

  • Chosen by Rathal from Etekari’s hoard.

  • Worth 200 gp.

  • Sunny liquid with bubbles that flash and pop like tiny stars.

  • Allows flight-like movement for 10 combat rounds.

• Three rations each:

  • Given by the grateful people of the Vale after Etekari’s return.

• Fine horse:

  • Gifted to Gnurl during carousing.

  • Worth 100 gp.

  • Named Barry.

• Golden bowl:

  • Acquired by Rathal during carousing.

  • Worth 15 gp.

• Gambling winnings:

  • Rathal won 50 gp from a well-known gambler.

• Offerings to the fountain granted permanent improvements.

• The party received increases to:

  • Intelligence.

  • Constitution.

  • Wisdom.

  • Dexterity.

• The final vision suggested the next offering would require drowning one another, so the party stopped.

• Rathal was permanently altered by the magic of the Gardens.

• Gained:

  • Snake-like fangs.

  • Long fingernails.

  • A constant scent of wood smoke.

• Etekari said this likely awakened or exaggerated something in Rathal’s elven blood.

• Etekari agreed to help the party travel long distances when her duties allow.

• This effectively gives the party occasional dragon-assisted travel.

• Travel by dragon is much faster, but not subtle.

• The party returned to Fort Red Rock after the celebrations in the Vale.

• Gnurl’s temporary Strength loss recovered with rest.

• The party tested the Reaper mask.

• While worn, small animals and insects nearby lay down and died peacefully.

• Removing it was painful and difficult.

• The party decided the masks were dangerous and sold all ten.

• Total sale value: 3,000 gp.

• The party spent the 3,000 gp on an extravagant two-week citywide festival of opulence.

• This produced major carousing results.

• Gained 6 XP from carousing.

• Gained a fine horse worth 100 gp.

• Named the horse Barry.

• Made an enemy of a pit fighter after knocking over his drink during drunken revelry.

• Gained 5 XP from carousing.

• Acquired a golden bowl worth 15 gp.

• Won 50 gp from a well-known gambler.

• Gained +1 renown after the story of the gambling victory spread.

• Gnurl and Rathal each gained 13 XP from the session.

• This was awarded for saving Etekari and escaping the Gardens of Ynn.

• Both characters levelled up.

• One character reached level 3 and gained access to a level 2 spell and a class talent.

• The chosen talent was +1 to spellcasting checks.

• Zone of Truth was discussed as a possible level 2 spell.

• Another character reached level 4.

• Who was the cloaked figure carrying a book near Rheintaldorf?

• What was the figure doing near the dunes?

• What are the Draconic Pillars?

• Why do the Vhaurak guard or patrol near them?

• What happened to Garrick Dunmol’s companions?

• What are the strange creatures awakening in the coastal waters?

• Who raised the giant skeleton?

• Is the “great orc wizard” connected to the pig-orc shaman with heightened intelligence?

• Where is the walking giant skeleton now?

• What exactly are the Vhaurak planning?

• Can Etekari keep the Gardens of Ynn sealed forever?

• What is the nameless sickness within the Gardens?

• Could the sickness spread through books, speech, thought or dreams?

• What became of the missing young villagers who entered the chalk door?

• What were the She, the ancient native elves of Xerkassa?

• Are any uninfected She still alive?

• What were the ten masks and who created them?

• Who is the pit fighter now hostile to Gnurl?

• What will Barry the horse be like?

• Will Etekari’s dragon travel draw unwanted attention?

• What dangers remain in Rheintaldorf?

• What have the adventurers disturbed beneath Aldred’s tomb-hut?

• How bad are the pirate raids from Dead Man’s Cove?

• Rheintaldorf:

  • Help Einar Sigurdsson, Alamdan Leadshield and the displaced Hall of Moss settlers establish a safer settlement.

• Aldred the Hermit’s Tomb-Hut:

  • Deal with scurrilous adventurers who broke into the tombs beneath his home.

• Draconic Pillars:

  • Investigate the serpent-carved pillars and the Vhaurak activity there.

• Dead Man’s Cove:

  • Investigate or stop pirate raids.

• Giant Skeleton:

  • Track the walking giant skeleton raised by the orc wizard.

• Rheintaldorf, unless the wider group votes otherwise.

• Gnurl and Rathal survived the Gardens of Ynn.

• Etekari was rescued and returned to the Vale.

• The chalk door was removed.

• Etekari remains as protector of the Vale.

• Dragon-assisted travel is now available when appropriate.

• Gnurl has mithril dwarven chainmail.

• Rathal has a Potion of Flying.

• Rathal has permanent elven/fey alterations from the Gardens.

• The party sold the ten masks for 3,000 gp.

• Gnurl owns Barry the horse.

• Gnurl has made an enemy of a pit fighter.

• Rathal gained +1 renown.

• Both characters gained major XP and levelled.

• Confirm the next destination with the full group.

• Consider helping Einar, Alamdan and the settlers relocate to Rheintaldorf.

• Follow up on the cloaked book-carrier near Rheintaldorf if returning there.

• Keep the Draconic Pillars and Vhaurak threat in mind.

• Avoid the giant skeleton until better prepared.

• Remember that Etekari can provide fast travel, but arriving by dragon is not subtle.