The world burned dim beneath a sunless sky, and the SCVM trudged southward from the carrion woods, the stench of charred bee-flesh still clinging to their cloaks. Börda’s songbird throat rasped with smoke, one monkey limping and the other long lost to flame. Von’s gore-hound padded at his side, fur matted with marrow-honey and blood. And Alwrig—her mind a furnace of her dead god’s whispers—staggered beneath the weight of Öde’s demand: burn it, burn it, burn it.

They came upon a ruin, a chapel skeleton crouched against the plain. From its shadow a man waved with impossible cheer. Ida, he named himself, farmer of vegetables where none should grow, keeper of a wife, Del, and a child, Elga. His garden thrived under a pallid sky that blighted every other leaf. Suspicion prickled their bones, but hunger and quest pressed harder. He welcomed them into the chapel, now a home scrubbed clean and geometric, order strangling chaos.

But Alwrig’s god recoiled. Rusty spikes carved in the stone whispered of Öde’s sanctum, now profaned by neatness and balance. The whispers turned to shrieks. Oil spilled, tinder soaked, flint sparked—yet Von seized her, arms like chains, halting the fire before flame caught. Still Öde’s will burned hotter than lantern oil. Alwrig’s eyes flared, spewing fire into the woodpile. The temple kindled. The family screamed. Von dragged her back, shouting for calm, but Alwrig’s faith drowned reason. She demanded the place burn, demanded the SCVM let entropy feast.

Then Von’s patience snapped. Teeth like a parliament of knives tore her throat wide, drowning her hymns in a flood of blood. She fell across Öde’s threshold, vision dimming with the satisfaction of holy ruin. And there she died—peaceful in her last breath, certain she had restored the Spike’s dominion. Her corpse burned as the chapel collapsed around the family’s wails.

The survivors—Börda, Von, Grin the raven-thing—fled the pyre with ember fungus clutched in their hands, smoke-stained and stinking of betrayal. South they pressed into a graveyard stretching to the horizon, where bone-thickets swayed like forests of spears. Within their tangled limbs, red gourds pulsed like hearts. The SCVM hacked and tore at the growth. Thorns lashed, branches pierced, one of Börda’s monkeys dragged screaming into the thicket’s maw. Von’s hound ripped bones from roots, opening a path. Grin, flesh twisting into feather and claw, lunged with monstrous talons. Together they cut loose the gory prize, a gourd heavy as a severed head, warm and squirming in their grip.

Bloodied but alive, they staggered back toward the road. But the sky turned, the wind thickened, and from horizon to earth fell a storm of black salt, a curtain of razors from heaven. The Butcher’s eleven-legged wagon hunkered against the gale. Grin—mad with bravado—took a cauldron in claw, became a raven, and hurled himself into the screaming sky. Salt shredded his wings, nearly claimed him, but he returned triumphant, pot brimming with the storm’s ash.

Days later, Schleswig’s crumbling walls loomed. They delivered their cursed bounty to Sous, the king’s cook, his toque high, his knives gleaming. One by one, the ingredients fell into his cauldron: ember fungus smoldering like coals, marrow honey hissing and bubbling, lich moss crumbling like dust, the blood gourd spilling its thick crimson pulp, the black salt sizzling into smoke. Sous stirred, smiled, and bade them taste.

Grin dared, and found the flavor exquisite—sweet, hot, bitter with death, the finest food of his wretched life. Sous too devoured it, then twisted, flesh boiling, eyes rotting inward, a cleaver fused to his hand. “It is dinner time,” he roared, and the kitchen became a slaughterhouse.

The SCVM fought like beasts cornered in hell. Von’s axe bit. His dog tore. Börda’s bolts thudded deep. Grin, beak and claw, ripped the chef’s tongue from his mouth. But Sous feasted on their flesh as they struck, carving pieces free, shoving them into his gullet to heal his wounds. Pustules burst beneath every blow, spraying venom and flame. Smoke thickened, walls groaned, the taste of ash filled their lungs.

At last Grin’s beak punched through Sous’s eye and into his brain. The chef fell, pots boiling over, steam choking the room, his death-rattle drowned in the hiss of a thousand fires. The SCVM fled as the building erupted in a storm of stone and smoke, their bodies battered, their shields shattered, but their prize complete.

Out into the empty streets they stumbled, their godforsaken wagon gone, their quest fulfilled yet their souls hollowed. They had gathered every cursed flavor of this dying world, fed it to a monster, and nearly fed themselves as well.

The feast was ready for a king. And the SCVM walked on, black salt still clinging to their flesh, knowing they had given this world one more reason to end.

Session Notes
  • The session opens in medias res with an in-game recap of the prior episode’s outcome and the party’s current objective:
    • The SCVM—Börda (Sacrilegious Songbird), Von (Fanged Deserter) with his ancient gore-hound, Alwrig (Dead God’s Prophet of Öde), and Grin (raven-shifter)—press south along a dry riverbed after harvesting bone-marrow honey from carrion bees.
    • Goal: obtain exotic ingredients for “Sous” to prepare King Fathmu IX’s 100th-birthday feast. Remaining ingredients noted in play: ember fungus, blood gourd, black salt (lich moss and bone-marrow honey already in hand).

  • Approaching the ruined chapel:

    • From a rise, the party spots a small, well-kept garden near a ruined chapel. A young man waves to them while hoeing weeds between meticulously aligned rows (carrots, leafy cabbages, gourds/pumpkins).
    • Grin is pushed forward as a “scout,” but the group soon follows at a “respectful” distance with weapons at the ready.

  • Meeting the chapel family:

    • The man introduces himself as Ida; he invites the SCVM to lunch and mentions his wife Del and their daughter Elga.

    • Conversation points:

      • When asked about “bone horses,” Ida casually refers to Chester, who “gives rides.”
      • The party mentions visiting a lich’s crypt and the name Knogbrüth; Ida has only heard legends and shows mild interest rather than alarm.
      • Von offers bone-marrow honey in trade; Ida warns of dangerous bees and asks if they found an empty hive. The group confirms they killed the queen and survived the swarm.
      • On gods: Alwrig names Öde; Ida does not recognize the name.

    • Del and Elga appear:

      • Del (aproned, cooking stew) welcomes the party; Elga (≈4–5 years old) peers out, then hides behind her mother.
      • Interior description (in-game observations): the chapel is clean, geometric, and orderly; partition walls divide the nave into functional rooms; the air smells of earthy stew. There are carved religious motifs (no active shrine). The style appears pre-Basilisk.

    • Ember fungus lead:

      • Ida volunteers that “spicy mushrooms” grow in the cellar; he can collect some if desired.

  • Alwrig identifies the defiled temple to Öde and chooses violence:

    • Perception checks:

      • Börda notices the building’s orderly, geometric state and ancient religious carvings inconsistent with Basilisk worship.
      • Alwrig spots the rusty iron spike symbol carved repeatedly—recognized as Öde’s spike—and notes the building’s resistance to entropy, interpreting the present order as defilement of Öde’s domain.

    • Alwrig resolves to “cleanse” the defilement with fire:

      • Von tries to stop her; Alwrig openly pours lantern oil onto kindling/tinder by the kitchen stores, then uses her eye-fire power (successful attack roll) to ignite the oil-soaked pile.

      • Del screams; Ida panics; Elga flees with Del. Von bear-hugs Alwrig to drag her out; Alwrig struggles and keeps invoking Öde.

      • Firefighting attempts:

        • Von and Ida try water and blankets. Water spreads burning oil across the floor; the blaze worsens (contested rolls favor the fire).
        • Decision: the party cannot contain the conflagration; they retreat outside with Del and Elga. Ida grabs a few belongings and a child’s doll.

    • Alwrig exits and dies:

      • Alwrig, initially blinded by her own eye-fire backlash, finds the door (successful presence check; “guided by Öde”), then emerges as sight returns.
      • Von immediately bites out Alwrig’s throat (successful bite attack). Alwrig collapses on the chapel threshold, content that she “restored” Öde’s place via fire, and dies there.

  • Securing the ember fungus:

    • Ida returns with a satchel of ember fungus from the cellar. The bag radiates heat; wisps of smoke curl from the mouth. He warns they are “very spicy.”
    • Börda accepts the satchel while Von restrains Alwrig (now dead). Del shields Elga; Ida is in shock watching the home burn.
    • The party departs with the ember fungus; Grin remarks that they should proceed.

  • March to the graveyard for blood gourds:

    • Landscape shifts from forest to open plains and into an immense, disorganized graveyard with overgrown thickets. The blood gourd is said to be “the fruit of the bone thicket.”

    • Grin shapeshifts into a raven to scout:

      • Observes the graveyard extends for miles; thickets form large “tufts” (≈6–25 ft diameter), not linear hedges.
      • Bones—human and animal—are interwoven through many thickets (“grew out of graves, pulling bones up”).
      • Spots a bright red gourd within the center of a nearby large thicket; no large roaming threats observed.

    • Closing on the target thicket:

      • Von taps the thicket experimentally; thorned branches lash out with sudden speed (defense roll succeeds).
      • Combat with animated thickets begins; multiple thickets converge.

  • Thicket fight details (to obtain the blood gourd):

    • Hostiles: one large thicket with the blood gourd visible; several smaller/other thickets (some “big,” some “small”).

    • Early exchanges:

      • A thicket attacks Grin from behind; he takes damage but survives via omens and defense rolls.
      • A different thicket grabs Börda’s monkey, dragging it into the thorns; the monkey later wriggles free on a good roll (bloodied and terrified).

    • Party actions and notable rolls:

      • Von (armored, shielded) tanks repeated lash attacks; his gore-hound charges and deals steady damage.

      • Börda fights at range with his crossbow and closes to cut down smaller thickets; he destroys one outright with a heavy hit.

      • Shields sacrificed: to avoid lethal hits, Börda smashes his shield to negate a 2d4 burst; later Von also breaks his shield to negate a heavy 2d4 hit.

      • Gore-hound crit: the dog lands a critical bite (2d6 = 9), tearing large chunks from the gourd-bearing thicket.

      • Extraction:

        • With the dog creating a gap, Von and Grin team up to cut free the blood gourd (roughly head-sized; dense like a watermelon; skin slightly squishy).
        • They haul it out while fending off more lashes.

      • Retreat: Party flees; thickets pursue briefly, then stop once distance is gained.

      • Grin (in raven form) scoops up his dropped gear via an agility check and escapes alongside the others.

    • Aftermath:

      • On the road, Grin shares life elixirs, splitting one between Börda’s monkey and Von’s dog to restore them; the party rests during the following days of travel.

  • Encounter with the Butcher and the black salt storm:

    • Near the sign where they first met him, the Butcher waits with the Meat Wagon: “Sous is waiting. It’s time to leave.”

    • The wagon travels several days. A distant storm forms: a curtain of black salt (sky to ground), driven by strong winds.

    • The Butcher turns the wagon to use it as a windbreak for the eleven-legged mules. He judges the storm “unpleasant but survivable.”

    • Collecting black salt (risky maneuver):

      • Grin grabs a cast-iron pot from the wagon, shifts into a giant raven, and swoops along the storm’s edge, scooping airborne black salt grains into the pot (agility/strength checks, assisted by an omen from Von to reach full success).
      • He returns to the wagon; the party hunkers inside for ~an hour as the storm pelts the wagon.

    • Aftermath of the storm:

      • The Butcher and mules endure; small cuts mar the Butcher’s exposed skin. The journey resumes toward Schleswig.

  • Delivery to Sous and preparation sequence in the royal kitchens:

    • The wagon enters the king’s compound unchallenged. The party carries ingredients into a large stone kitchen filled with active hearths and cauldrons.

    • Sous (toqued chef with knives) greets them: “Just in time—do you have all the ingredients?”

    • Ingredient assembly (exact in-play order and handling):

      • Ember fungus: Grin empties ~six large, glowing, heat-radiating caps (pulsing like embers) into an empty pot as directed.
      • Bone-marrow honey: Von pours it over the hot fungi; it thins and coats the caps, steaming and bubbling.
      • Lich moss: Börda crumbles it in; the moss speckles the honeyed mixture rather than dissolving completely.
      • Blood gourd: Sous cleaves the gourd in half; red pulp splatters out. He spoons the pulp into the pot, stirs, then ladles the mixture into the carved-out gourd half as a serving vessel.
      • Black salt: Sous takes a hefty pinch, sprinkles it over the filled gourd; it sizzles, releasing black smoke, then he stirs it in.

    • Tasting:

      • Sous offers a taste. Grin accepts, makes a toughness check, and finds it savory, well-seasoned, sweet-tinged, warm, and spicy—the best food he has eaten.
      • Sous declares it “a good appetizer,” grabs a handful with his bare hand, eats, turns away, then transforms.

  • Sous transforms and combat ensues in the kitchen:

    • New form: boil-covered, mouth agape, giant cleaver in hand; snarls “It’s dinner time.”

    • Initiative: enemies act first; the fight proceeds in the kitchen amidst multiple hearths.

    • Early rounds and environment checks:

      • Grin narrowly avoids Sous’s opening cleaver swing (heightened agility).
      • Von cracks the exterior door; he sees only solid darkness beyond (not normal night). He closes up to rejoin the fight.
      • Börda adopts a ranged position with the crossbow; Von’s gore-hound engages in melee.

    • Sous’s abilities observed:

      • Howl: mental shockwave. Börda and Grin both pass presence checks, resisting it.
      • Cleave and feed: on hit, Sous slices off meat and eats it immediately, healing and reducing the target’s maximum HP by 1 (he does this to Von’s dog and later to Grin).
      • Boil-spray (pus): when struck for real damage, boils burst, spraying caustic fluid; nearby creatures must pass agility checks or take 1 damage (armor/shields do not help).

    • Party tactics and notable moments:

      • Grin shifts into his giant raven-hybrid, closing to melee.
      • Gore-hound crit: Von’s dog lands a critical (2d6 = 9), tearing Sous’s leg/hip; Sous howls in pain but fights on.
      • Crossbow pressure: Börda lands multiple hits, one bolt lodging deep in Sous’s shoulder/chest; subsequent shots graze as armor/boils mitigate some damage.
      • “Tongue strike”: Grin makes a called shot to the mouth, pecking and biting away a piece of Sous’s tongue, drawing a howl (omeNS spent to ensure the hit).
      • Retaliation vs. Grin: Sous targets Grin repeatedly as a “soft” (less armored) threat; one cleaver strike would have broken Grin’s beak, but Grin blocks with his bony scalp shield, preserving his beak at the cost of the shield.
      • Boil spray management: after each solid hit (Von’s axe, Börda’s bolt, dog’s bite), nearby allies roll agility; sometimes Grin and/or the dog take the splash for 1 damage; other times they evade.

    • Kill:

      • As Sous staggers, Von hacks again (steady damage through armor), and Grin finally drives his beak through Sous’s sunken eye socket into the brain, dropping him.
      • On Sous’s fall, steam and smoke surge from every pot and hearth, rapidly filling the room.

  • Exit and aftermath:

    • The party immediately evacuates:

      • Von opens the door again; this time outside is normal (the unnatural darkness has lifted).
      • They rush out with Von’s dog; the Meat Wagon is gone.

    • Explosion:

      • Moments later, the kitchen explodes; large stone fragments rain down.

      • Agility saves:

        • Grin (advantaged by flight agility) and Von pass; Börda is struck by debris but reduces damage via armor (net 2 damage), then rises and continues fleeing.

    • The survivors—Börda, Von (and his dog), and Grin—escape into the streets of Schleswig as the session closes. Alwrig remains dead at the burned chapel’s threshold.

  • Inventory/state at session end (per transcript events):

    • Ingredients delivered/used: ember fungus, bone-marrow honey, lich moss, blood gourd, black salt—all combined by Sous prior to his transformation and death.
    • Casualties: Alwrig (killed by Von via bite at the burning chapel).
    • Companions: Von’s gore-hound survives with max HP reduced by 1 (from Sous’s feeding); Börda’s monkey survives after escaping the thicket and being healed.
    • Broken gear: Von’s shield and Börda’s shield were destroyed earlier during the thicket fight.
    • Status: Party is alive (minus Alwrig), outside the blasted royal kitchen; Sous is slain; the Butcher and the Meat Wagon are absent; no payment or audience with the king occurs on-screen.