Cambodia's Largest Casino - NagaWorld

Few new elite specialization ideas for the Canthan expansion, with no new weapon types involved:

Elementalist: Skyfire

• Gain Elemental Enchantments and Weapon Swap instead of Elemental Attunements. Every time you use an individual weapon skill, it will automatically swap itself to the next element, using the cooldown of the previous skill. Use an elemental enchantment to refresh those cooldowns and force all your weapon skills to channel the same element at once. By default, the order followed by the automatic swap sequence is fire, water, wind, earth, and then fire again. This order can be customized through traits. Glyphs and traits relying on active attunements will use the active element of the fifth weapon skill as the reference instead.
• You can wield the Longbow weapon in combat. All five longbow skills work as chain skills, giving them good synergy with the elemental enchantments mechanic.
• Gain access to Mantra slot skills. Just like weapon skills, mantras gain different effects depending on their active element, which swaps automatically with every use.

Mesmer: Trickster

• Gain Spectres instead of Clones. Spectres are weaker than clones, but replicate themselves on destruction, reducing their size and power. A normal spectre will spawn two medium spectres, a medium spectre will spawn two small spectres, and a small spectre won't replicate any further. Shatter skills affect all spectres no matter their size, adjusting their strength to the size of each shattered spectre.
• You can wield the Shortbow weapon in combat. All five shortbow skills work as channeled skills, employing multiple consecutive projectiles at once. Each of these projectiles is weaker individually, but their combined effect has the same strength as any common ranged weapon. When all the projectiles hit their target, the strength of the combined effects double.
• Gain access to Shout slot skills. Shout effects are divided in three phases, each triggered by one of the three spectre sizes. The first phase is triggered by the mesmer and normal spectres, the second by medium spectres, and the third by small spectres. Completing the three phases will unlock an additional fourth effect, triggered by all spectres at once. Shouts are inspired by Canthan poetry, each phase covering one out of four verses.

Necromancer: Apothecary

• Gain Plague Bomb, Toxic Pollen, Afflicted Miasma, Scarab Spore, and Plague Shroud instead of Death Shroud. Plague Bomb throws an explosive to the target area. Toxic Pollen, Afflicted Miasma, and Scarab Spore work as enchancements for your bombs. Activate and combine them to modify the effects of your plague bomb, leading to a total of eight possible combinations. Plague Shroud turns the necromancer into a walking combo field. All plague skills consume life force.
• You can wield the Pistol weapons in combat. Pistol skills gain additional effects depending on the active plague enhancements.
• Gain access to Elixir slot skills. Elixirs work as ammunition skills, consume their charges sparingly to gain various passive effects, or consume them all at once to induce a frontal area of effect vomit attack.

Engineer: Dreadnought

• Gain Dreadnought Suit instead of tool belt skill five. Activate the Dreadnought Suit to drive your own combat armor, gaining alternate tool belt skills. Any engineering kits you wield during the transformation will gain alternate weapon skills as well.
• You can wield the Mace weapons in combat. Mace skills are inspired by the core engineer Tool Kit utility skill, which has been removed and replaced by a new gadget elite skill. Additionally, maces are not exclusive for the dreadnought elite specialization, and once unlocked can be used by the core profession and any other elite specializations as well.
• Gain access to one new healing engineering kit, one new utility gadget, one new utility elixir, one new utility engineering kit, one new utility turret, and one new elite engineering kit. These new slot skills are exclusive for the dreadnought elite specialization.

Ranger: Bulwark

• Gain Pet Focus instead of Pet Swap. Both pets are deployed in combat simultaneously, pet focus letting you command the beast skills of one pet at a time.
• You can wield the Shield weapon in combat. The fifth weapon skill turns defensive mode on and off, reducing your movement speed in exchange of alternate weapon skills. This affects the fourth shield skill, as well as all three skills from main-hand axe, main-hand spear, and main-hand sword.
• Gain access to Venom slot skills. Venom effects are applied to the ranger, both pets, and up to four other nearby allies. Once used against a target enemy, their negative effects stack, increasing their strength the more hits the target receives.
• Find and tame Juvenile Crab, Juvenile Eel, and Juvenile Phoenix pets during your journey across Cantha.

Thief: Shadowblade

• Gain Shadow Blade and Shadow Strike instead of Steal. Shadow Blade summons an exact copy of the thief, with half the attributes and health. This shadow blade companion will follow the thief for ten seconds, mimicking all of his actions within a delay of two seconds. Shadow Strike commands the companion to shadowstep to the target foe and gain a stolen skill.
• You can wield the Greatsword weapon in combat. The first weapon skill has five chain steps instead of the usual three. Weapon skills two to five gain stronger effects the further the chain progresses, and will not interrupt it when used. Successful hits by the shadow blade will count as a step forward for any chains on progress, greatsword or not.
• Gain access to Stance slot skills. Stance effects are applied simultaneously to both the thief and the shadow blade.

Guardian: Spiritcaller

• Gain Virtue Attunement instead of Virtue Activation, Just was Xun Rao instead of Virtue of Justice, Resolute was Reiko instead of Virtue of Resolve, and Courageous was Ashu instead of Virtue of Courage. Attune to a virtue to strengthen its passive effect, disabling the effects of the other two virtues in the process.
• You can wield the Warhorn weapon in combat. The warhorn gains alternate weapon skills depending on the active attunement.
• Gain access to Spirit slot skills. Just like warhorn skills, spirits gain different effects depending on the active attunement.

Revenant: Windwalker

• Gain Wind Walk instead of dodge rolling. Hold the dodge key to dash instead of dodging, dash distance increasing the longer you hold down.
• You can wield the Greatsword weapon in combat. Weapon skills two to five work as charge skills, gaining stronger effects the longer you hold down. Wind Walk does not cancel charge skills, giving it good synergy with greatsword skills.
• Invoke the power of the legendary tengu windwalker, Tsuru Whitewing, and gain access to Legendary Windwalker slot skills. All five windwalker skills depict famous tengu paintings, representing different events across tengu history. Skills six to nine represent how each of the four tengu houses came to be, in turn inspired by the four winds. The elite skill, "The Great Wave off Shing Jea", represents the Great Tsunami itself, and the culmination of the tengu journey.

Warrior: Thunderlord

• Gain Thunder Bell instead of Burst weapon levels 2 and 3. Thunder Bell summons a mystical cannon bundle, which can alternate between ranged and melee modes through weapon swap. Carry it on your left shoulder to fire thunderbolts against your enemies, or use both hands to wield it as a blunt weapon and crush them at close combat. Thunder Bell is considered a level 2 burst skill, and once activated, both the ranged and melee versions will replace the previous weapon bursts with their own level 3 burst skills.
• You can wield the Staff weapon in combat. Weapon skills two to five work as sequence skills, unlocking additional skills on successful hits.
• Gain access to Preparation slot skills. Preparations gain stronger effects depending on individual adrenaline thresholds.

Some lore tidbits, for those interested:

• Elementalist - Skyfire: Ancient naga battlemages, brought back from the dead as the frozen waters of the Jade Sea brim with life once again. Horrorized at the woes of the modern world, they gather the Luxon clans and the kappa tribes for war.
• Mesmer - Trickster: Members of the Jade Sisterhood, they run the brothels, casinos, and theatres of Kaineng City. They specialize on blackmail, bribery, and deception. Their influence seeps deep into the Canthan aristocracy, making them impervious to the law.
• Necromancer - Apothecary: Cultists of the Am Fah, self-proclaimed freedom fighters for the lower classes and lesser races of the empire. They will stop at nothing to overthrow the emperor, resorting to biological terrorism if necessary. After all, they can always blame the Celestial Ministry.
• Engineer - Dreadnought: The noble men and women who drive the war machines of the empire, their combat armors admired and feared by allies and enemies alike. Rumor says their cannons are powered by the spirits of ancient deities, imprisoned by the dark sorcerers of the empire.
• Ranger - Bulwark: Elusive beastmasters of the sidhe race, renown wardens of the Echovald Forest. Driven crazy after the Jade Wind, few survived to regain their sanity. As the Kurzick rebels and their dredge allies expand carelessly across the forest, conflict will once again be inevitable.
• Thief - Shadowblade: Assassins of the Obsidian Flame, gone rogue after the guild was disbanded by the Celestial Ministry. They wage a secret war against the empire's corruption, supported from the inside by the remaining loyalist factions. Their numbers are thin, but their resolve unshakeable.
• Guardian - Spiritcaller: Forefront of the Celestial Ministry, guardians of tradition, followers of the old ways, and the last remaining ritualists of Cantha. Mouthpieces for the imperial propaganda, they channel the echoes of the fallen heroes of the empire, binding the spirits of criminals to their service.
• Revenant - Windwalker: Elite tengu bodyguards and executioners, they pay for the crimes of their Sensali ancestors with lifetime service and utmost devotion to the human imperial throne, deeming their brothers beyond the sea as nothing but despicable traitors.
• Warrior - Thunderlord: Warrior monks of the Sai Ling Order, they commune with the Great Celestials to channel their might, embarking on quests across the countryside in search of deeper enlightenment, vowing to, one day, become Closer to the Stars.

Bonus: New weapon types

Few new weapon type ideas, for a total of 18 ground weapons:

• Spear: Main-hand pole weapon, melee and thrown. Inspired by the Krait Nimross NPCs, Paragon NPCs and the original GW1 Spear weapon.
• Knuckles: One-handed fist weapon, melee. Inspired by the Boxing Gloves Toy, the Brawling Enchanted Armor Challenge, and the original GW1 Dwarven Brawling minigame.
• Bow: The Longbow and the Shortbow have been merged back into one single weapon type. The ranger is the only profession who can use both weapons, so his shortbow skills will be transformed into rifle skills as a compensation for the loss.
• Polearm: Two-handed pole weapon, melee. Includes greataxes, scythes, halberds, longspears, and more. Inspired by the Executioner Axe Toy, the unimplemented GW2 Polearm weapon, and the original GW1 Scythe weapon.

As part of a new player experience, each core profession would unlock some of the old and new weapon types for free, without any elite specialization requirements:

• Elementalist: Greatsword, Polearm.
• Mesmer: Pistol (main-hand), Warhorn.
• Necromancer: Axe (off-hand), Polearm.
• Engineer: Scepter, Knuckles (main-hand and off-hand), Focus.
• Ranger: Spear.
• Thief: Spear, Knuckles (main-hand and off-hand).
• Guardian: Spear.
• Revenant: Axe (main-hand), Mace (off-hand), Knuckles (main-hand and off-hand).
• Warrior: Polearm.

Further unlocks would become possible through either new elite specializations or additional updates to the core professions. Note that this section is independent from the new elite specialization ideas.
Had these gathering dust for quite a while now, figured I'd rewrite and post them.
Hope you liked the read!
EDIT: Same thread at the official forums.
UPDATE: 23/01/2021

About 2 months worth of sessions happened before this particular player joined my game but she has been taking really great summary notes and recently sent them to me. Not all of the info is correct/names of people places spelled wrong but it’s really cool to see my players perception of what’s going on. She was absent for the last two sessions so she took notes based on word of mouth so some of those events aren’t necessarily in chronological order. It’s a long read and it might be hard to keep track of but I hope you enjoy it!
Session 1 (Oct 6th) Kit was the huntress of Queen Briand/Castle Holbrook—the queen adopted a young girl named Draya who doesn’t seem to age, even as the Queen sickens and becomes unresponsive. She’s been fleeing for a month from Castle Holbrook after witnessing horrible cult sacrifice led by Draya, pursued by hooded figures that seem immune to arrows. She’s met on the road by blue dragonborn (Saar), person dressed like a scarecrow (Skully), female aasimar in platemail (Marikiel), red tiefling in Emerald Sky Academy uniform (Neiros), tabaxi (Tazak), human bard (Robinson—I don’t think you ever met him, Chris) and a sad-looking horse (Saponlloe/Palloeson), plus a regal-looking man in merchant clothing (Gabriel) and his assorted guards. Kit blurts out the story to the group and asks them if they can help her get to Bell’s Ring for help from the wizards of the Academy. Gabriel knows Queen Briand and Draya, tells us they are coming to Bell’s Ring in about a month for a political retreat and meeting of allies. We camp on the road, notice a hooded figure with a gold fanged mask plus 9 others watching us. Their feet don’t touch the ground, and he can either see through Neiros’ invisibility or sense him by smell. Saponlloe pulls out an amulet that produces sunlight, which seems to burn them. They advance, we run to the town. Kit falls asleep in the back of their wagon, and we get to the city, where Gabriel shows a medallion to the guard for entrance and Kit is placed in the Stockade/barracks for her protection. Saponlloe reveals that he is a druid able to transform into a horse and stays with her because he feels his story is somehow connected to hers, even though he can’t remember much. The others go to the cathedral of Vertis and a library, and Robinson and Neiros stay at a different inn.
Session 2 (Oct 13th)
The Stockade is attacked during the night—the torches gutter out, the guards outside the door and right inside are slaughtered by something invisible/shadowy and the doors open on their own. A figure with a golden mask enters Kit’s locked room and recognizes Saponlloe but calls him Palloeson (“do you still feel the guilt of Reda/Retta?”), tells Kit “I won’t let you harm Draya!” and attacks, transporting the two of us to some sort of shadow realm for a round of combat. The other attackers overwhelm the guards, and even make some of the dead come back to life and fight. Tessa enters the Stockade midway through the battle and helps. After some combat, a winged demon figure with a sun emblem on his belt appears, admonishes Guilt/Corona Albright (gold mask) that this wasn’t part of the plan, and portals the two of them away to a view of a dark sky and a palisade wall, although we hold onto his mask. Marikiel is killed, Taz badly wounded and left at the cathedral to recover. Tessa tells us of her vision and her intent to join the party. Skully has a spotty memory of the letters “A_L_U_D_C_R_U_M” in some order or combination connected to his past. Saponlloe/Palloeson tells me of Reda, a young man/”Blessed One” whose murder he witnessed, and he remembers the name “Alucard” and some sort of blood moon in connection with the murder somehow with Skully’s clue. Saar collects Marikiel’s body and tells us of his plan to bring her back.
Session 3 (Oct 20th)
Saar knows of Sigmaris, a fabled city to the north where the dead can sometimes be brought back to life, and he plans to take Marikiel there. Tensions are heightened in the city, but we head to the bazaar to buy rations and warm clothes to head north. The tailor tells us of white-skinned elf living in the woods who could be a guide for us (Aedris). The gates are guarded, so Skully leads us out of the city through the sewers. We find Aedris in the woods; he tells us that his whole clan was slaughtered by someone named Rage leading the orcs/beastmen and he wants revenge in exchange for his help. We head to a nearby monastery for advice; leader tells us to try the White Drake Academy to the northwest. We travel 3 days with no interruptions, see a sign on the fourth day warning us of “greenskins” and pointing to Northshore (N), Morioh/Eagle’s Rest/White Drake Academy (W) and keep going west. We’re attacked by a group of goblins/orcs on the fifth day, and Taz is killed, but we get info from a survivor that they recognize the gold mask. Rage has one, and she now rules Baelsergo, the city of beasts to the north, and the Blood Drinkers (symbol on the orc clothing). So now we have RAGE (Aedris’ enemy), GUILT (Corona), and FEAR (Draya) connected with golden masks. We travel to the town of Morioh and sell some loot. Kit goes to the temple of Velen to search for answers, gets a vision of a dark sun from the statue at the altar. Skully and Palloeson have some more info on their amulets being keys to the Temple of the Sunwalker, somehow connected to the druids of the Dawnfire Archipelago and their enemies (evil bat druids), and the name Alucard Cruorem, who took something from the good druids. ALUCARD = Gabriel, who they were traveling with at the beginning!
Session 4 (Oct 27th)
( was only here for the last hour and a half or so, so I don’t know what happened in detail at the beginning of the session with the circus and such) We get to Eagles’ Rest. People from the party visit a circus where a woman named Belona throws herself on spikes and isn’t hurt by them. They somehow see her golden mask and decide to assassinate her because of her assumed connections to the other golden-masked figures. Something about her triggers Palloeson’s memory, and then he connects with a woman named Sara, who breeds horses, and spends time with her outside the city. Saar has reservations on killing Belona, but casts Detect Evil and is staggered by the sheer force of evil and tormented souls around her. A plan is made to silver the spikes she falls on and try to kill her. Saar sees the image of Vestis watching them in the crowd, a serial killer they killed earlier in the campaign—he puts on a golden mask and disappears. Aedris is the only one at the circus to observe, since Vestis won’t know him. Belona falls on the spikes and transforms into some immense terrible demon and murders most people in the tent, but Sara the horse breeder transforms into some sort of bright moon goddess and fights it, and they chase each other away over the hills. The party runs to the docks, steals a ship, and sails for the academy, bringing the bodies of Mary and Taz. We have to leave Tessa and Robinson behind. RAGE = Belona
Session 5 (Nov 3rd)
We sail to the peninsula with the Academy and Neiros goes off to talk to his grandmother. We know Vestis is a golden mask now, but we don’t know what corresponding emotion it is. Most of us head to the library for research, and Saar finds the Tomes of Understanding he’s been searching for. Skully finds info on the amulets and the druids of the Dawnfire Archipelago/Celestial Isles (Hircine people = eleves loyal to the god of the sun, drow = elves loyal to the god of the moon). Kit researches the next eclipse, and talks to a professor about the Celestial Isles, the druids of the Dawnfire Archipelago, and their Ritual of Ascension (meet a spirit animal in their dreams to become druids). He doesn’t know anything about the Temple of the Sunwalker or evil blood druids. We stay for a long time to let Saar and Scully read the first Tome, and Skully learns about his previous life that he can’t remember. Tessa catches up and shows us her new tattoos, which are part of the ones she had in her vision, and tells us just a bit about Galadia and her sword/her backstory. We overhear that Eagles’ Rest has requested help from the Academy against the Blood Drinkers. Palloeson communes with the Briar King and now has formidable power and a thorn-wrapped arm with a pool of blackness in his palm. We are teleported to Northshore, the closest teleport option to Sigmaris. Skully talks the lady blacksmith into silvering our weapons. We decide to camp outside after the inn owner is racist to Saar, but the orc force attacks in the night.
Session 6 (Nov 10th)
The soldiers of Northshore are heavily outnumbered; Saar, Aedris and Palloeson rush in to help, Kit follows at a distance. Skully sneaks in to get some of our weapons back and get civilians out. The three party members are knocked unconscious and taken away by a giant lizard to the NE as the townsfolk are rounded up and told to go about their business under new beastman rule. Kit runs back and tells the other of the kidnapping, they meet up with Skully, and they track them NE. The three are taken to Baelsergo and imprisoned, and the amulet is taken to Rage. Palloeson escapes, confronts Rage, and is killed. We pull off an escape plan for the rest, and get out into the woods, crossing rivers to throw off the scent.
Session 7 (Nov 17th)
We keep heading north to flee, and then realize that our plan to get to Sigmaris is foolish, especially since we no longer have the bodies of Mary and Taz. So we change course to Caspia to get Tessa where she needs to go. Skully tells us everything he learned from the Tome and that the mask and the amulet is somehow what made him a skeleton person. His name used to be Aethis, he knew Palloeson as a member of a druid council, Skully didn’t get in, and they trained and did bad things. He knew the people who are now the golden masks (Alucard = Gabriel Mercrow, FEAR = Draya Braves, GUILT = Corona Albright, RAGE = Belona, MISERY = Dresden Nabacroft, APATHY = Vestis). The area they were, the Hirstfall Islands, was hit with a plague and Gabriel’s family died, and he is mad because the islands were blockaded and he thinks that’s why they died--revenge?. We reach the Great Lake and see kobold settlements around it, build a boat, and set sail. We are stopped by Thoss the black dragon and talk our way past him, but then find out Vestis is following us. We call Thoss to help, Vestis fights him and both are badly hurt. Vestis flees and the party kills Thoss but Skully dies in the process.
Session 8 (Nov 24th)
We loot Thoss’ hoard and lay Skully and Palloeson to rest, but keep Skully’s skull and Palloeson’s briar arm and hair just in case. Vestis is back to following us and tells us that Gabriel is coming to get the amulet in 5 days, so we should just give it up. We decide to head for Caspia and head into a series of caves back towards Northshore (with some kobolds in tow), but are attacked by a roper and brains on legs. We win the fight and press on.
Session 9 (Dec 1st): first session when I am in VT and unable to play
The party makes it back to the town controlled by beasts, does some shopping, and meets with Alucard/Gabriel. They agree to give him the amulet if he shows them what he is planning with the three of them and then leaves us alone. Neiros and Saar get tattoos using the ashes of Palloeson and Skully. The group sets sail towards the Dawnfire Archipelago with Alucard. Draya torments Kit alon g the way until Tessa intercedes. Our boat is boarded by a slave trader, and we discover that Saar has been framed and is wanted for slave trading. We win the ensuing battle and take the leader’s boat, then sail to the Dawn Fire islands with Alucard’s group, fighting some elves who think we are the slavers (thus becoming the villains). The trip takes a week, and we eventually reach an island with a culture of elves. The grandmother of Erny’s new character (El o’El? Am I spelling this right?) thought it was the goddess Lunarra the whole time (whole culture deceived by Kil’Jaeden), and cannot believe they have been misled, so she sends him with us to undone what has been done.
Dec. 8th (2nd session away)
It takes three days to reach the tower from the island, a whole day for the party and Alucard’s group to climb to the top of the tower in the Dawnfire Archipelago and another day for part of the group to make their way back down into “the prison not meant to be seen”. Kit, Nieros, Tessa, stay at the top of the tower, and then go back down to hunt for some provisions. Aedris, inside the tower, finds a portal at the bottom and vanishes into the Feywild, taking the rest of the inside group with him. Gabriel and his group take the crown and bracers they were seeking and disappear, but these items were what held the prisoner in place, and he is freed. It turns out to be Kil’Jaeden, the Great Deceiver, and he is released upon the Feywild, his form that of a monstrous naga/yuan’ti. The toweportal sinks into the ground and disappears, leaving the rest of the group back at ground level fighting other snake-like creatures drawn by Kil’Jaeden’s release. We travel to Caspia by boat, with the trip taking 16 days total. The group planned to lie about being the owners of the slavery contract and have members of the crew pretend to be slaves, but thought better of it and told their guards the truth, probably saving their own lives. Tessa travels to the Hall of Contracts and writes a message to her father, who seems overjoyed to know she is back and tells her to wait for him at a fancy hotel suite. Tessa also discovers that the place she needs to visit for the next step of her journey is a tomb in the common district. The session ended with Kit, Tessa, Saar, Raymond (Travis’ new character), and Nieros in a posh hotel room in Caspia, waiting to meet Tessa’s father, and Erny’s character and Aedris off by themselves in the shopping district. They think that Tessa is in danger from her father and don’t want any part of it. (Kil’Jaeden has been out for 17 days. We know through Kit’s research at the Academy that the next eclipse, the vision of the dark sun that Tessa and Kit have both seen, is about a year away).
Dec. 15th In the back room of the Golden Sun, Tessa, Kit, Saar, Raymond, and Nieros decide to go out and do some shopping/explore the city while waiting for Tessa’s father to travel the seven days from Zweilkhad to Zanarkand to reach them. Tessa and Kit go to Latheos the clothing merchant for new, less-conspicuous outfits; loose white robes with hoods in fine material. Kit, as a paler-skinned human, stands out somewhat in Caspia, so she covers up and tries to avoid notice. Kit and Tessa also travel to the Sandy Shards weaponry shop, where Tessa translates for Kit and we buy crossbow bolts for the crossbow taken from Thoss’ hoard. Kit also spots an intricate longbow made from some flexible metallic material, which proves to be designed to take strain off of the drawer and allow for greater accuracy and damage (+1).Raymond the mercenary buys manacles, Kit buys some Caspian gold bead and jewelry, Aedris buys a new brush for Bazul, and we buy a bunch of health potions as a group from a red-skinned tiefling owner of the Fire & Fury. Shopping episode! The tiefling is teaching some children in Caspian, but Nieros and Tessa translate and we learn he is teaching a class on rudimentary elements of magic and the danger of pact bargains. Aedris is badly affected by the heat of Caspia, but borrows Raymond’s ice spear to cool himself down. He also brings most of the money looted from Thoss’ hoard to the Hall of Gold bank and creates an account/changes some into platinum for carrying ease. The group walks to the Housing District to find the statue that Tessa needs to see, but are approached by two women in gauzy purple and blue clothes asking for a good time. They hang on Aedris, Nieros, and Raymond. Raymond shoos them away, but they discovered a good portion of their gold missing. Nieros attempts to search for them, but they disappear into the crowd. When we reach the statue, it depicts a man pointing a sword missing its point to the west and slightly south (the statue of Stormscale was pointing out over the ocean to the north). Around the base of the statue a building has been put up, which appears to be some sort of small house and church meeting place. An old woman is inside, and she invites us in after Tessa explains she is on a pilgrimage as a follower of Bahamut. We head in to allow Tessa to read some historical scrolls and search the base of the statue. The scrolls have some obviously redacted/missing sections, and no mentions of Bahamut (Zanarkand is devout to Ifrit) but we learn this is a statue to Abdul Jakar, an ordinary man who led a rebellion, and he is buried in Bela Cruz. Nothing turns up on our search of the statue. Kit asks Tessa to teach her some useful Caspian phrases in our downtime, and she also finds a phrasebook in a local bookstore. The group deposits the rest of our funds into the bank in a joint account. Two members must be present to make transactions, and if no transactions are made after 5 years, they will presume the group is all dead and take the money. Nieros has a new fancy set of clothing designed. Saar and Nieros head to the Court of Ambassadors, a giant library, and Saar tries to find books on ritual magic, but instead they meet Ignis Fireseeker, the High Judge of Caspia, a huge, buff man with arrow tattoos around his eyes and a golden insignia on his belt. He tells them that the female pickpockets work for Betra’s Serpents, an immensely powerful master assassin conclave. Ignis tells them that there is a contract/bounty (50,000 g each) for them , but warns of the likelihood of death if they take it. There are rumors that the bar Caspian Nights is being used as a hideout, and their leader is The Fang. When they tell the rest of the group, Tessa reacts to the name Ignis. We name the group The Silver Dawn, and come up with nicknames, then timeskip to Tessa’ father arriving. We are escorted out of the hotel by 20 Juda-Fen (high ranking soldiers, white-skinned tieflings with gray blindfolds), then meet his caravans outside the city. Domina Highland is a tiefling with skin that is red, bordering on slighty purple, in a fancy overcoat and gold jewelry. He greets Tessa warmly, glad to see her back, and then we go as a group to meet the Emperor Tur’Koatl. The palace is immense, and the Emperor sits on a flame-shaped throne as we approach, bowing. We introduce ourselves, and he interacts with us as we do: tells Nieros that he knew of his grandmother, makes comments on Tiamat when Saar speaks, informs Kit that Caspia is at war with Ivalice, and calls Tessa “The Whore”, although Domina Highland tries to stop him. We tell him the details of Kil Jaeden’s release, and he seems pleased that Tessa told him before telling her father. He takes it as good news, and takes us on a tour around the city to greet his people. Raymond plays Kingdoms/Cappicho against the Emperor, a game that is like a combo of chess and checkers, and does quite well for a beginner. The Emperor chastises Tessa for assuming he didn’t already have the information when she attempts to explain/tell him of the danger, so she falls silent. Kit asks more about the war with Ivalice, and gets the same treatment: a bit more info (closed borders, no trade, stolen caravans), but then a reprimand. We get back to the caravans speak with Tessa’s father. She learns from him that Galadia was killed by the Serpents, hired by the Abysswaters because she spurned the marriage that had been arranged between Tessa and their son. They are the ones the sarted “The Whore”, but her mother and older sister played into it. He also tells us that he has spies in Ivalice, and Holbrook has allied itself with the two other major cities, which is strange, because they are usually sworn enemies. He also informs Kit that Queen Briand has recently passed and Draya is fully in charge. Kit passes over the information of her cult. Tessa tries to negotiate with her father over retrieving Thoss’ treasure, and we ask for the ship to be repaired/renamed
Note: if people are interested I can try to keep this going with updates. Also I’m not sure if my player who took these notes is a reddit user. If she is I will eventually give her credit for the note taking.
Edit: added Dec 15 session notes.
Edit: Add new session notes.
Dec. 22nd The group travels on the caravan towards Tessa’s home, but midway we pass a woman on the road and allow her to join the caravan (Esmeralda). We pass by a signpost with Belacruz scratched out. Several of us are startled as we notice that the caravan has suddenly shifted from three carts to two, people have shifted in looks/age, and we appear to be in some sort of timeshift. Some of the party members do not notice, or believe that everything is normal. A younger Emperor Ter’Koatl is onboard (approximately 10-15 years younger), and Tessa has become Abdul Jakar, the Chosen of Bahamut. Tessa warns Kit to not interrupt anything, but just to watch and listen to everything around us. We travel to Abdul Jakar’s village, where we are greeted warmly and a great feast is prepared. Tessa keeps up the charade of being Abdul. We are attacked at the feast by a large group of warforged. Abdul’s wife and child are slain, and just as a creature is about to kill the Emperor, Tessa/Abdul leaps in front of the blast and saves him. We suddenly pop back to our original reality, only Tessa has a new set of tattoos and is sobbing hysterically. Only some of the party are able to remember what happened. We reach the Highland home, and Tessa must greet her mother and sister, who are acidic and unwelcoming. Lissandra blames Tessa for her childish behavior and running away from home, forcing her to marry Stega’Agar of the Abysswater family and take on more family duties. Tessa apologizes, but Lissandra and her mother are unmoved. We are given rooms in the Highland’s household. The group splits up for the night, with Tessa, Kit, and Saar going to the Casino with Tessa’s father and the rest going to the library of the Highlands to do some research. The Casino group plays a few rounds of a blackjack-based game, on Domina Highland’s tab, until a strange woman comes over and offers us a bigger gamble. She pulls out a deck of cards, and tells us that if we can pull one certain card from the deck, she will pay us handsomely. Saar draws a card from the deck and gains 50,000 exp and a magical iron flask. The woman pulls a card and she and the deck pop out of existence. Tessa and Kit drink at the Casino until it is time to go home. We run into the library group, and Saar finds out that the flask is magical from Nieros. He then opens it, and a giant creature made of fire pours out, until Saar convinces it to get back into the flask. Raymond, Elowells, and Nieros stuff a bunch of books into Aedris’ bag of holding. Dec. 29th The party gathers in the Highland home the next morning and discusses the need to visit the dwarves and Draconia, and how to release Lunara from her imprisonment in the Black Temple, Kil Jaeden’s plane. We did find a book with a spell that can bring us to the Black Temple, but we are not yet a high enough level to cast it. Aedris begins to examine the six magical books that he, Saar, and Nieros grabbed from the Highland library. Saar prays to his goddess, and an eagle lands in his window and then flies off to the west. Through her hangover, Kit prays to Velen for strength and guidance. Tessa joins morning prayers with her family, and while her father is pleased to see her, her mother and sister are not. She learns that Lissandra will be marrying Stega’Agar in approximately 2 months/7 moon cycles, and that this marriage will help solidify business dealings between the two families. The party heads to the Nine Hells Academy to do some research, 2 families away from the Highland estate, a massive building of jet black stone with a sharp, jagged appearance. The library is staffed by Transmuted Horrors, twisted masses of flesh and human body parts created by Domina Experiyankas as servants. Raymond develops a permanent fear of them. While at the library, Saar researches Kil Jaeden’s plane, the Black Temple. After the God Wars the gods all chose to stay in their own planes as an act of neutrality. Saar intuits that Kil Jaeden probably switched places with Lunara somehow, willing to bide his time in the Feywild to have someone release him. Using this method, he could avoid the gods detecting him as he entered the Material Plane through the Maelstrom, breaking that neutrality. This means that Lunara truly is trapped, since gods cannot willingly leave another god’s plane. He also learns that the plane is inhabited mostly by yuan-ti and lost souls, and the Temple itself is guarded by a hydra. Kit researches Velen’s beginning and tenets—Velen and his brother Virtus were part of an adventuring party (including Dhal Ul, Leolothwyn, Perthamal, Shallisara, Drasta Stormscale, Agnizarro) who helped out in the chaos before the God Wars and rose to fame and glory. Somehow the two brothers ascended to godhood after slaying Neshrac, although the process is unknown. The group leaves the library and goes to buy some magical items (at a shop next to the smithy where Galadia worked), including a cloak of fear for Aedris. He decides to test it as we leave the shop, catching Eloells unaware and causing him to shoot a Transmuted Horror in his confusion. Bystanders cry out at the incident, and the party scatters in fear. Several party members duck into alleys, but Saar and Aedris attempt to rush past some guards and are captured and brought to the Hall of Justice. Tessa, back at the shop, explains what occurred to a guard, then goes off to find her father to speak on behalf of the prisoners. We are all brought before the High Judge, Domina Justicar. We are ordered to pay 40,000 gold (10,000 for attacking a guard and 10,000 per soul for the three souls needed to make another Transmuted Horror). We take 10,000 gold out of the bank and Domina Highland pays the other 30,000 in exchange for a 90% share of Thoss’ hoard. Tessa parts on worse terms with her family than when we started, and we walk the 16 days back to Zanarkand. We pass a caravan full of caged animals on the way, and Saar learns that the creature in the flask he received can grant three wishes, but accidentally wastes one wishing it back into the flask. Back in Zanarkand, Kit goes back to the weaponsmith where she bought her bow, learns that the material is called steelwood, and has it engraved with a stylized version of Velen’s shield and the word “sacrifice”. We get on our repaired boat and sail 13 days towards the islands of Arathaal (sp?). Tessa learns that there is a holy temple of Bahamut somewhere on the island. We see that the HIrstfall islands are ringed by a combined Caspian and Draconian fleet, not allowing other ships close. Saar communes with Palloeson’s soul, and it does answer his three questions about the inhabitants of the island, but it appears to release him from some sort of prison and his oily black horse form gallops towards the island. It leaves large puddles of blackness on the ship that swallow anything thrown into them and causes necromantic damage. Saar uses one wish from the djinn to wish the souls of Tazak, Marikiel, and Aethis/Skully peace, and tries to include Palloeson, but his soul does not respond. He uses the final wish to wish us capable of handling the threat that is Kil Jaeden. Kit has a vision in her seasickness of “our party” (viewing this as Velen) holding a black crystal with a red center. I stab my brother and pour his blood over the crystal, and then do the same to myself, and my vision goes to black. We make our way to the island Palloeson ran towards to find a giant black ooze where a building once stood, and some of the party follow the horse’s black hoofprints to a hill. Saar traps Palloeson in the now-empty flask, and they battle the Briar Knight and his briarbeasts, barely escaping with their lives.

Be me, Sebris McFugu, Triton Warlock
Or Sacrifish, as everyone calls me
Be not me, Rizcor (Halfling Rogue), Analisa (Halfling Rogue), Scott Bric (Human Rogue), Clara Vincent (Half-Elf Druid), and Argus (Dragonborn Fighter)
Also Hibki (Naga Ranger), Vyu (Dragonborn Bard), And Tree (Awakened Tree), But they weren't in the town at the time
So, as some background, one of our former party members (Roy, a Tabaxi Fighter) had spontaneously transformed into a devil and teleported us to another world
He had marked 10 people as targets that we had to kill before we could leave
We had a mark on our hands that allowed us to go into dungeons to find out where the targets were
Also the longer we take to find them, more people go murderously insane and the world risks falling into space
So no pressure
Onto the story, the tavern we were in had just closed because somebody went insane and started beating people up
As the voice of reason of the group, Analisa decided to go find a place to rest
Through reasons only known to myself, I decide to go to a gambling hall
Argus goes with Analisa, while Rizcor, Scott, and Clara come with me
We arrive at the gambling hall, and I sit down at an in-progress game and wait for it to finish so I can play
Rizcor decides to pickpocket some people
ohno.jpg
She fails the roll, and barely gets bailed out by Scott saying she's his insane daughter
She hides in the crowd and tries again
She fails the roll again
I bail her out by using telepathy to scream into the guy's brain until he goes insane and gets hauled away by guards
Scott decides to show her how it's really done, and pickpockets a guy's money pouch
Clara comes up with a plan to help Rizcor pickpocket better
Said plan is me causing a distraction so nobody notices Rizcor stealing from them
whyme.png
I decide to make an illusion of a giant monstrous worm
It works, everybody is panicking and running around
After we all pickpocket a few times, I realise that we could get a lot more money if we just stole from the tables directly
It works, and soon we've robbed almost all the tables in the casino
I then notice the vault in the back
epicheist.rar
Clara transforms into a lion to scare off anybody who hasn't already left, and Scott cracks open the vault
We are now rich beyond our wildest dreams
Everybody is running around outside screaming
Devil Roy appears and nods in approval of the chaos we've caused
We all disguise ourselves just in case someone recognises us
I use polymorph, Clara bandages her face up, Scott put scratches and dirt all over his face, and Rizcor just hides
Meanwhile, Argus and Analisa have been on the other side of town looking for an inn this entire time
They have no idea about the chaos we've caused
I find them and tell them "Hey, it's Sacrifish. We just robbed a casino so we need to get out of here immediately"
Scott finds some horses and we ride out of town, after picking up Hibki, Vyu, and Tree.
We make plans to do heists in other cities
We are going to save the world, and be hated by everyone by the end of it

Be me, still pretty new DM, running campaign for 6 months now
Was supposed to be a simple campaign about killing evil secret Yuan-Ti controlling a small town, but party derailed plot by befriending a Bone Naga.
Lots of stuff happened, but party ended up getting split.
Have to now run 2 campaigns in the same setting.
ThisIsFine.png
Skip forward, more people join in the campaign. Going to run a small one-shot involving 2 new people and 1 of the older players to get them into the plot.
tl;dr Kobold drug dealers are causing havoc in capital city. Drug is so potent some people just die.
Party is a Human fighter, a pink Loxodon Monk and Dwarf Druid.
They meet in a tavern.
How Creative.
Anyway, human girl almost dies in the tavern due to the drug. Got her ass saved by the monk's medicine check.
Party decides to go bust some Kobold skull opens, mostly for the money that's on their head.
Well except for the Monk, he just HATES evil.
Bust open abandoned building that used to be a casino, now a drug den.
Okay so Kobolds hear the door getting busted open, get ready to kill them.
Fight starts off good, most of them just die in one hit, to be expected they're level 4 and most of these are just regular kobolds.
Except 2 of them... They're Dragonshields. Read a bit over them, thought to myself "Okay, so slightly stronger CR1 Kobolds. What could possibly happen?"
A LOT
Fighter is tired so I have to DM control him while the Player decides to sleep
Literally never used a fighter before. Have only really DM'd, played a rogue and cleric for a bit, but don't really have combat experience.
And as a new DM, I struggle keeping combat balanced, some combat encounters I made were very enjoyable, but most just ended up way too easy.
One of the Dragonshields attacks the monk.
Crit.
Rolls maximum damage.
Monk suddenly loses half his HP.
Decide to go give the attack a ridiculous over the top name: GLORIOUS TIAMAT HIDE SHREDDING HEAVEN PIERCER.
Battle suddenly starts snowballing from there.
half the kobolds start to shoot from a distance, pack tactics negating disadvantage.
Monk goes down from the projectiles, did stay around longer than expected.
Druid decides to moonbeam the Dragonshields.
They keep just making their saves and only take like 3-5 damage a turn from it.
I'm a shitty DM-controlled Fighter, but I basically always miss, so fuck.
Fighter is Glorious Tiamat Hide Shredding Heaven's Pierced.
Fighter eventually goes down.
Druid decides to Fog Cloud.
Literally everyone expecting him to use the Joestar Secret Technique.
Decides to instead stay and take on the remaining 50% himself.
Takes down like 2 of them.
Suddenly random Kobold does find him in the fog.
He gets critted with a dagger. Resulting in Glorious Tiamat Heart Devouring Hell Stab.
Druid is still missing.
Kobolds find him again.
Gets critted.
He just drops dead.
Party is just TPK'd by Kobolds. Their organs harvested to sell on the black market.
Haven't had a single party member die ever, but dear lord have I tried.
TPK an entire party in what was supposed to be the easiest encounter of the one-shot.
Just end the session confused. Everyone, even those not involved in the encounters, who were just watching it happen are confused.
Write in Tiamat worshipping Kobold Maffia into the plot.
Players tell me to make this into a greentext on Reddit because my last greentext 3 months ago was well liked.
And what did I learn from this? NEVER UNDERESTIMATE KOBOLDS. Also that I really need to work on writing combat.

Gaming operator Sands China indicated today that it recorded some US$1.06 billion in profits in the first half of this year, reporting a 9% year-on-year increase.
Sands China (1928.HK), the owner and operator of integrated resorts, retail malls and casinos, is planning to renovate and rebrand the 1,200-room Holiday Inn at Sands Cotai Central in Macau as The Londoner, a higher-end 600-suite hotel, in line with brands like The Venetian and The Parisian. This will be central to a larger expansion plan costing over USD 2 billion. The new development features a replica of the Big Ben.
Analysts view this positively. The upgrade is important as some Sands properties are aging. Sands have also been more successful with city-branded properties. The upgrade will also draw in a more premium segment of the market, attracting higher-end gamblers and thus enhancing gaming revenues. Sands China has profit margins above industry averages and is in good shape to fund the project.
[Special Delivery]: Could This Conglomerate Offer You A Good Opportunity
Sands believe the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the expected increase in traffic will contribute positively to the business.
Casinos are becoming a more competitive business in the region, with countries including Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and Cambodia all seeking to gain market share.
Nevertheless, Sands recognise such threats, which is why they have been serious in the non-gaming businesses. The same cannot be said about some of its competitors. To provide some context, over a quarter of Sands’ global revenue is from non-gaming sources, including retail property, hotels, conferences and exhibitions. With Sands, investors can expect to be dealt a good hand.

Like this Article? Check Out: Top 4 Gold Stocks To Watch As Gold Price Tops $1,500

[Read More]
Higher visitor numbers push up casino shares
NagaCorp Ltd (HK:3918) is Set to Keep Growing

Gaming operator Sands China indicated today that it recorded some US$1.06 billion in profits in the first half of this year, reporting a 9% year-on-year increase.
Sands China (1928.HK), the owner and operator of integrated resorts, retail malls and casinos, is planning to renovate and rebrand the 1,200-room Holiday Inn at Sands Cotai Central in Macau as The Londoner, a higher-end 600-suite hotel, in line with brands like The Venetian and The Parisian. This will be central to a larger expansion plan costing over USD 2 billion. The new development features a replica of the Big Ben.
Analysts view this positively. The upgrade is important as some Sands properties are aging. Sands have also been more successful with city-branded properties. The upgrade will also draw in a more premium segment of the market, attracting higher-end gamblers and thus enhancing gaming revenues. Sands China has profit margins above industry averages and is in good shape to fund the project.
[Special Delivery]: Could This Conglomerate Offer You A Good Opportunity
Sands believe the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the expected increase in traffic will contribute positively to the business.
Casinos are becoming a more competitive business in the region, with countries including Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and Cambodia all seeking to gain market share.
Nevertheless, Sands recognise such threats, which is why they have been serious in the non-gaming businesses. The same cannot be said about some of its competitors. To provide some context, over a quarter of Sands’ global revenue is from non-gaming sources, including retail property, hotels, conferences and exhibitions. With Sands, investors can expect to be dealt a good hand.
Like this Article? Check Out: Top 4 Gold Stocks To Watch As Gold Price Tops $1,500
[Read More]
Higher visitor numbers push up casino shares
NagaCorp Ltd (HK:3918) is Set to Keep Growing

Welcome back oh brave Tamrielic Travelers!
In this volume, we continue our journeys, leaving the urban sprawl of the great Imperial City and heading south, along the River Niben, deep into the tropical heart of Nibenay, to the Blackwood and to the great city of Leyawiin. You are fortunate, my friends, for Leyawiin is from where I hail, and as a native, I can tell you much.
The best way to reach the city of Leyawiin from the Imperial City is by taking a boat or barge down the River Niben. This is the best way to both take in the sights, as you can stop on either bank to see what you will and also make good time. The fishing is good too.
INTO NIBENAY
Nibenay as a whole is divided into four constituent counties or duchies: Bruma, Cheydinhal, Bravil and Leyawiin, each centered on a city of the same name. Additionally, the Imperial City is Nibenese in culture and character, but is considered to be set apart from Colovia and Nibenay. Most name the city and the lands directly around it the ‘Heartlands’, or the ‘Thronelands’. During the second era and other times of conflict and division, these Nibenese cities were either independent kingdoms or forged into the Kingdom of Nibenay. There are two principal areas of Southern Nibenay. The first of these are the Niben Bay, a large inland lake, which unfortunately gravitates on the city of Bravil, and is also affected by the winding ways of the Panther River. South of Niben Bay, the River Niben narrows somewhat and the terrain thickens and descends into the verdant jungles of the Blackwood. This area is thickly wooded with rainforest and travel here is much more dependant on the river, than on the Green and Yellow Roads, which run on either side of the River Niben. Find your river legs, for to traverse Nibenay is to know the river.
Languages spoken in Nibenay are extremely diverse. On any day, in the trade cities of southern Nibenay, you can expect to hear any language, but most commonly Nibenese, Imperialized Jel, Ta’agra, Dunmeri, Altmeri, Colovian and of course, the Imperial Koine or Common.
The character of Nibenay is chiefly notable for its commercial nature, as it is the economic workhouse of the Empire, and also for its ecumenism and cosmopolitanism, as anyone and everyone can and does come to Nibenay to make themselves a Septim or ten. Whilst the nobility, almost entirely comprised of great families of Merchant Mages, which my own family, House Mothril is a constituent element of, can sometimes be a little grasping and sometimes proud and overbearing, as a whole, the Nibenese are a cosmopolitan people happy to make newcomers feel part of the community. They are an open and welcoming people; open to all creeds, all cultures and all coins. Though the Divines comprise the most notable and powerful religious group, there are innumerable cults which call the Nibenese realm home, so those who keep a wise head and do not go out of their way to cause religious division should be fine.
TO NIBEN BAY
As we leave the gentle waters of Lake Rumare and proceed onto the upper Niben we pass by many historical and religiously important sites. The Western Bank of the Niben is where we end up gravitating toward, and Sure-Sail, our Argonian pilot, anchors us by the western shore for the night. Sure-Sail and his family are Argonian boat-folk from the Waterfront. Sure-Sail spent most of the first day and that evening babbling about his family and his people’s love of the river and the boat-trade. This is not an uncommon sentiment or occurrence among the Argonians of Nibenay, who love to brag about their mastery of the river and how much the “smooth skins” (pidgin-Jel for non-Saxhleel) need their skills to navigate the river. The Saxhleel call the Niben ‘Mother Niben’, and feel, probably justifiably, that they know the river best.
When you begin the journey down to Niben bay, you should make sure to beware of the Daedric Shrine to Hircine which is hidden deep in the Great Forest, to the north of Bravil, and not far northeast of a local inn, known as the Inn of Ill Omen. The Shrine is allegedly the base camp for sweeping, wide ranging hunts, known as Bloodmoons, beneath the dark and forbidding boughs of the Great Forest. Beware.
Another famed site is The Inn of Ill Omen, an infamous place, possessed of a macabre charm, and is said to be protected by Sithis himself. Allegedly, as the Third Era came to a close, the inn was the start of the ‘Great Treachery of Cheydinhal’, a shadowy conspiracy that brought the Dark Brotherhood onto the road to its current bleak condition. The Inn of Ill Omen is, according to rumor, a site of pilgrimage for members of the Dark Brotherhood and the Morag Tong. According to local legend, the ‘Dread Father’, as those in the shadows know Sithis, is beseeched for forgiveness by siblings of the Brotherhood, and praised and thanked by Tong members, for bringing low their heretical enemies.
The Inn of Ill Omen’s most infamous incident in recent years occurred on the ‘Night of Void’s Laughter’, shortly after the great riots of Bravil in 188, which apparently saw much suffering for the Dark Brotherhood. According to Nibenese gossip, the Black Hand called an emergency meeting in the Inn. When they finished their palaver, they exited the inn to find themselves face to face with the masters of the Tong. Then, beneath a rainy, moonless sky, Tong and Brotherhood danced with blades beneath the trees of the Great Forest. Corpses littered the inn’s grounds and were strung upon the eaves of the inn, the next morning. While the publican of the Inn of Ill Omen, Uvena Ules, is willing to trade these grisly tales with a shrug, locals will not speak of this subject.
Within Niben Bay are two main sites. The first, and more significant, is the Isle of the Big Head. The root of the name of this island is quite simple to see. On the island, little more than a rocky outcropping in Niben Bay, are three enormous monolithic stone heads, arranged next to one another. From this island, quite regularly, at no particularly specified interval, comes loud, unnerving, maniacal laugher, which echoes across the bay. Though it seems a jolly, manic location, there are chilling and demented undertones to the laughter as well. Keep your wits about you here and avoid too much Skooma.
The other site is Bravil. It is a silly place. It was the idea of the early Septims, perhaps Tiber Septim or his direct successors, to channel most of the vice and corruption from the Imperial City into Bravil, which sits adjacent to Elsweyr, and give it more or less free reign there. Although this served to reduce the levels of crime in the Imperial City, it very soon took its toll on Bravil, which had previously been a pleasant city, turning it into a slum-ridden, skooma fuelled stinkhole. Though home to a chapel of Mara, few criminals take the time to make devotions, and the beautiful temple is visited by only the most determined of pilgrims, many of whom prefer Riften (curiously, another renowned Skooma town). It is a city of vice, o’er-run by gangs and ruled by the Skooma trade. Its hereditary counts, the Orums, even have roots in the Skooma trade. Don’t go there, unless you want Skooma. Then just get out quickly. The only reason you might have to stay for extended periods in Bravil is if you want a lot of Skooma. Then, you would be advised to stay in your room and off the streets.
As we move south from the smelly locales of Bravil, we begin sailing along a stretch of land with a controversial past. This is the Trans-Niben, a stretch of land claimed and conquered, during the second era, by the Khajit of the newly formed Elsweyr Confederacy, who settled on it quite extensively. When Tiber Septim began his unifications, the lands of Trans-Niben were among the first conquered during his campaigns in the south, but it was not until he had unified Tamriel that the Trans-Niben was ceded by agreement with the Mane, into Cyrodiil. Accounts vary whether it was Tiber, one of his early successors, such as Uriel I, the great Law-Maker, Morihatha I who reorganized the Imperial Province, or even Uriel VII, who made the arrangement. Suffice to say, the arrangement was made and the land along the western bank of the Niben and Niben Bay, south of Bravil, passed back into the jurisdiction of County Leyawiin.
The Khajit of Elsweyr by and large accepted this change, but not before a band of terrorists disavowed by both the Khajit and Imperials arose to cause chaos and stoke the embers of the Niben Skooma trade into wildfire. These were the Renjira Krin, who ostensibly devoted themselves to opposing the cession of the Trans Niben, the Caro and Mothril Families of Leyawiin, the Counts of Bravil and the Royal Septim, Mede and Ocato Families of Cyrodiil for their alleged ‘unrighteous tyranny’. In the Fourth Era, the Renjira Krin were pacified by both the brutality of the Emperor Antigonus Mede and also the conciliation of Emperor Attrebus Mede. The Krin finally met their vicious swansong however, when they decided to adopt the new goal of opposing the Thalmor, a pursuit in which they grossly overestimated their capacity for success.
INTO THE BLACKWOOD
First impressions count.
This is the truth, and it is a truth that has continued, in its own way, to vex historians and scholars of Cyrodiil to this day. When the legendary Topal arrived in the bay that would later bear his name, and began to traverse the river, finding, along the way, the numerous river-tribes that would come to be called ‘Nibeneans’ in later times, he first stopped in the region we now know as the Blackwood. For better or worse, perhaps due to oversight or loss of records, this area at the mouth of the Niben is the larger part of what remains from Topal’s descriptions in his journals. Later scholars overused the earliest descriptions of Cyrodiil he gave, neglecting the later entries, which admittedly, are less plentiful than the earlier chapters.
This reliance on Topal’s early chapters, led to the infamous controversy of Cyrodiil being described as a jungle.
Because a verdant jungle is exactly what the Blackwood is. And that is likely what your first impression of the land will be. Graced by only two roads, the Green and Yellow Roads, Blackwood is as verdant as Valenwood, and after the Great Forest, is the principal remaining woodland in Cyrodiil. Unlike the more temperate Great Forest, the Blackwood is tropical, humid and monsoonal in nature. Blackwood’s beauty is unsurpassed and rarely equaled in Cyrodiil and its charm is unique within the Imperial Province. Rain, which is a constant element of Blackwood life, and mist are the most common elements of Blackwood’s weather. Leyawiin boasts a very large and bright lighthouse, as to ensure that the Niben mist does not let ships go astray.
But be wary, oh traveler, for though Blackwood is both beautiful and bounteous in the gifts of Kynareth, it is treacherous and dangerous also. Terrible swamp creatures dwell in its depths, some unique, many common to the depths of Black Marsh; Blackwood is a place where folk have come from across Cyrodiil to test themselves since time immemorial. As we sailed further south, Sure-Sail kept as keen an eye on the riverbank and the water as he did on the condition of our vessel.
Giant snakes, Ogres, Jungle Goblins and fleshflies are not unusual sights in the Blackwood. Swamp trolls, which regularly reach at least two meters in height, sometimes three, are vicious predators, monstrously strong, but also blessedly stupid. Fire is the true tonic to the Swamp Troll. Naga-folk, which are kin to typical Saxhleel, but frighteningly serpentine and bestial, even to the many Argonians of the region, sometimes lurk in the jungles and waylay travelers. ‘Ware traveler, for the Naga-folk are expert ambushers and have none of the good humor of their Saxhleel cousins. The Wamasu is a quite large, and quite uncommon creature, rather drake-like in nature, but a vicious carnivore, with lightning based abilities. Sightings of the beasts are blessedly uncommon, however. Werecrocodiles are a hidden threat that stalk the waters of the swamp by night, instilling dread within all.
But most terrifying of all is the Swamp Leviathan, a legendary serpent that is covered in spines that ascends from the depths of the Topal Bay to hunt. If there are even rumors of a swamp leviathan in the area, travelers should ensure they make themselves scarce. News of a Swamp Leviathan is usually well spread on Leyawiin’s streets, and the Counts have been known to close the gates and forbid outgoing traffic, in light of Swamp Leviathan sightings. While all these beasts are terrible to behold, in the Blackwood, they have a certain significance in the lives of the region’s natives. One and all are aware of the power and danger of the swamp creatures; historically, it is not unusual for young people, especially those of tribal backgrounds, to seek a beast and bring it back as a test of strength and tribal worthiness, or among more Imperialized citizens, to bring back a pelt or corpse as an element of the trials of Imperial Knighthood. Generally, this involves killing a smaller, standard troll or Ogre, or perhaps, slaying a tribe of Jungle Goblins and avoiding the more serious beasts.
However, when I was to return home and take up my place as a Knight of Leyawiin, I was the first since the early Third Era to bring back a Wamassu. It is still a memory I recall with fondness.
THE TALE OF LEYAN AND JORMUNGANDR
The legendary founder of Leyawiin, Leyan Mothril, an Altmeri or Ayleid (the stories vary) knight in service to the Alessians, was charged by the Alessians to find the perfect spot for a port on Topal Bay, which could also command the entrance to the River Niben. Not only was there trouble from Black Marsh and Khajit soldiers fighting over the land, but the Nibenean, Argonian, Kothringi and Khajit settlers that lived at the mouth of the River were being harassed by a Swamp Leviathan of monumental size, which no blade could harm.
The chroniclers of that time, who were apparently accompanying the Alessian expedition, state that the beast was the spawn of Hircine; the Nords in the company named it ‘Jormungandr’, which is Nordic for ‘World Serpent’.
But according to the ancient tale, amidst an earth shaking storm on the Topal Coast, Lady Leyan, accompanied by her mercenaries, the Nibeneans, Argonians and Khajit, cornered Jormungandr, slew the great beast and put its Daedric thralls to rout. While hailed a heroine by the commoners, the jealous Alessians could not abide an Altmer ruling a Nibenese settlement. But the timely aid of Nocturnal allowed her to not only stay miraculously beneath the notice of the Alessians, allowing her to establish her family as a power in Leyawiin, the city she founded (but was not named Leyawiin until later) and the Blackwood, but the Lady of Night also gifted Leyan with a magical blade that let her pierce the beast’s hide and move through shadow. Though the Mothril family have always been patrons of the Chapel of Zenithar, there is an extremely ancient Shrine of Nocturnal deep within Blackwood, and it may well be that the Mothrils, who for centuries thereafter, ruled as Counts- later Princes- of Leyawiin, may have once paid tribute to the Lady of Night.
When the dust had settled, the mighty serpent lay dead. The tale is an interesting one, if not rather fanciful and almost certainly apocryphal, but its antiquity and popularity in Nibenay has given my family, the Mothrils, a convenient, if not popular, tale of origin with which to cement their place in the cosmopolitan, but often cutthroat fabric of Nibenay’s nobility.
LEYAWIIN, THE JEWEL OF THE BAY
Leyawiin is the jewel of the Topal Bay and one of the only two ports in Cyrodiil. Since the war with the Dominion has led to a far greater militarization in Anvil, which now plays host to one of the largest naval shipyards in the Empire, and greater walls, Leyawiin is the city with the more commercial flavor and is responsible for handling a greater amount of cargo. It is also one of the principal offices and the primary southern port of the East Empire Company, and is the home of my family, House Mothril of Blackwood. Although Leyawiin is a bustling port, and the hub for sea trade for the Nibenese, it is also the site responsible for the security and integrity of the Niben, and thus, both the fortifications of Leyawiin and who may enter the river are both serious matters. These are issues constantly addressed and readdressed, so as to ensure the best security on the most vital waterway of Cyrodiil. No one in Leyawiin has forgotten the terror of the Aldmeri arrival in the night outside the city, and none are willing to see that happen again, so expect tight security.
Since the Fourth Era began, Leyawiin, diverse and distant from the Imperial City, has been ruled not by a Count or Imperial Duke, but by a ruler known as the Archon, often chosen from the Caro family, but other families, including the Mothrils, have held the title as well. Unlike the other cities of Cyrodiil, Leyawiin was never conquered by force of arms by Titus Mede I, but swore vassalage to him in return for maintaining many of its rights and privileges won during the Stormcrown Interregnum. This autonomy of Leyawiin has persisted, despite the presence of the Legion in the region growing immeasurably since the Great War. Leyawiin is chiefly defended by the Leyawiin guard, a contingent of the Imperial Legion organized along the lines of the other town guards of Cyrodiil and also by the Knights of the White Stallion, a chivalric order devoted to the defense of the Archons and the removal of river bandits.
One thing you will notice about Leyawiin is that, excepting the Imperial City, it is surely the most diverse city in Cyrodiil, perhaps all Tamriel. As well as the ever present populations of Saxhleel and Khajit, both of whom are considered more native than migrant, Dunmer, Altmer and Bosmer, and every other race possible is found in this city. Whilst the city is built over two sides of the mouth of the Niben, the populace does not gather into differing quarters based on race, as occurs in some other cities in Tamriel. Despite the issues that have arisen between Dunmer, Khajit and Saxhleel, all of these populations, and others, are represented on both banks of the Niben.
Appropriately for the only seaport of Nibenay, the mercantile heart of Tamriel, thousands of shops are to be found in the streets of Leyawiin. The city is a commercial haven. Since the city is a port, many unique goods can be found, which are unique in all of Cyrodiil, even Tamriel. The heart of Leyawiin is the Grand Bazaar, which is not one cohesive structure like in the Imperial City, but centered on the Guildhall Square, and stretching along the Harbor Esplanade, and along the river, in a chaotic jumble of market stalls. The whole affair is chaotic, unweildy and entirely without planning’ many Khajit say it ‘feels like home’, but it can be confronting to those expecting Imperial City style orderliness. There are almost no areas of Leyawiin where there aren’t stalls and markets happening, which is appropriate, since there are almost always ships coming in with new goods. What makes the Bazaar and indeed Leyawiin in general, unique is that the bazaar is largely constructed as an under-cover market, so where it is impractical to construct walled roofed structures, great swathes of the market-orientated districts of the city are arranged under tarpaulins, which makes Leyawiin, seem to some, like a city of tents and beggars, as many merchants simply sleep on the street, behind their stalls. This is not the case however; Leyawiin is a city of commerce and of trade. But not even the Saxhleel enjoy being drenched all the time, so tarpaulins are a must, so people can continue doing business at all hours. Additionally, the haphazard nature of the bazaar’s layout can make Leyawiin’s streets seem narrow and unclear- it is a good plan to get a guide. Greasing a beggar’s palm should do the trick. Sometimes the streets can be elegant, colonnaded avenues constructed by the Mothrils in ancient times, but turn a corner, and the street you are on could merely be the small walkway between the hundreds of vendor’s stalls that stretch before you. There are no maps to Leyawiin’s streets. The truth is, as most Leyawiin locals will advise, that only Zenithar can steer you in the right direction to your destination- which you will reach after the right purchases.
Even though they aren’t an entirely necessary fixture- Leyawiin is already very humid, and the regularity of rain means many people who wish to wash off simply remove their shirts and stand in the downpour- Leyawiin does have a substantial bathhouse. The bathhouse, which is one of the larger structures within Leyawiin, is a massive columned structure, which sprawls over an area several city blocks in size. While it was originally built by the Mothril Princes, the bathhouse was expanded exponentially during the reign of the Akaviri Potentates, who enjoyed the comforts of the south and especially enjoyed steaming themselves in the great bathhouses of Cyrodiil and in baths they built within the elaborate palaces they built themselves.
Castle Leyawiin, where the Archons hold their court, is a mighty structure, built originally by my family, House Mothril, during the First Era. Although worn by time, it retains its charm. Constructed from black marble, in tribute to old Altmeri Styles with some Khajit influenced elements added as well, the building, though centuries old and covered in moss and vines still stands out, towering over the rest of Leyawiin’s buildings. Dinner parties here have a reputation of being exciting affairs, and once, under the dour countess Alessia Caro, Sanguine (or one of his agents) was held to have appeared in the castle and caused all kinds of raucous behavior. According to rumor, during the full moon, fine Elsweyr Skooma is served to guests who have done service to Leyawiin.
Another great landmark is the Great Chapel of Zenithar. The tower of the chapel looms over the buildings and jungle foliage and people of all walks of life come here to seek counsel with the god of labor and commerce to find out how to succeed in life and business. There are also, invariably, large numbers of hawkers who happen to occupy the chapel at some time or another, so don’t be surprised if your prayers are interrupted by a sales pitch. After all, the more times the peddler pitches, the more chances he or she has of making a sale. It is, however, considered poor form to drop profanities within the chapel, as irritating as peddlers may be, so keep your “Xuuth” and your “N’wah” to yourself, regardless of how you feel.
Finally, the ‘Eye of Zenithar’, also known as the Great Lighthouse of Leyawiin, is the giant beacon which serves as the guide to incoming traffic hoping to trade in Nibenay and as a guide to all who would traverse the mists of Blackwood that Leyawiin is near.
Since the end of the Great War, the chiefest controversy to strike the city of Saint Topal is the growing Thalmor Presence. The people of Leyawiin have played host to large numbers of Altmer, especially since many boatloads of refugees arrived at the mouth of the Niben during the Thalmor takeover. Though the Justiciars who come to the city, who have a manor in the noble district set aside for their use, claim only to be present to foster relations with their 'wayward Altmeri kin' and to reside in Leyawiin for purposes of the White Gold Concordat, the people of the city have been on edge at the newcomer's presence. This feeling is especially strong amongst the Altmeri residents, who fear their city will be the site of a repeated 'Night of Green Fire', the dreaded massacre in the streets of Sentinel. Thankfully, the vigilance of the Leyawiin guard and the Knights of the White Stallion have prevented this.
Staying in Leyawiin is a diverse experience. There are many, many varied accommodations to choose from, but there are a few rough guidelines to choose from.
The lowest form of accommodation is the barrel. And by this, I literally mean, a barrel on the street you decide to occupy. Pros: It’s free. Cons: It’s bloody cramped and you may have to fight a beggar for habitation rights. Court cases have been known to arise between barrel claimants, so be aware. But having spent some time living in one, it’s not an entirely bad deal, especially if you chance upon a Rum barrel, although without giving yourself time to stretch, it does get a little cramped. Be sure your barrel does not become the receptacle for stolen goods, which is unfortunately a favorite tactic of some of the local scallywags.
The second level of accommodation is the Skooma Den: these are not entirely reputable establishments, most often by the docks established solely for the purpose of tourists and locals consuming imported Skooma and Moon Sugar, often brought straight across the border from Elsweyr, Black Marsh or shipped in on one of the many Ebony Ships from Morrowind. They’re cheap, but divey and patrons frequently leave these establishments devoid of both memory and a pair of pants.
The third classification of accomodation is the pleasure palace. The outlook of such establishments is self evident. Gambling and prostitution are the order of the day- or night- in these dens, but rooms (with companionship) are available. These establishments can be found in every single district of the city, although some of them are certainly more reputable and classy than others. One of the most infamous and prestigious of pleasure palaces is the ‘The House of the Beautiful’, staffed by Altmer of Leyawiin’s large expatriate community and founded by a disinherited lady of House Mothril who returned to Leyawiin after being evicted by Khajit invaders and nonetheless made herself monumentally wealthy as a courtesan. The establishment is named not only for the beauty of its Altmeri courtesans (remember to use this term), but for the old Altmeri secret society which sought modernization in Alinor during the Septim Era. Many of the ladies or the families of the ladies employed here were driven from Alinor by Thalmor repression for one reason or another, but just as many are Cyrodiilic born. Allegedly, many of them had links to the group. In recent years it has become noted as a place of contention, since Thalmor officials are fond of patronizing the establishment, which has led to contention with the local populace, and at no time was this more evident than in 4E 189, during the ‘Golden Spires Massacre’. Allegedly, a pair of Thalmor Justiciars were murdered within and a large group of Thalmor Guardians arrived to drag the ladies of the house out for punishment. This evinced unchecked fury from the Leyawiin townsfolk, who impaled every one of the guardians on the lampposts of the street outside, resulting in an avenue of the eponymous ‘Golden Spires’.
The fourth classification are the inns, which vary in quality and cost. They range from vast, luxurious establishments such as the Saint Topal Inn, built in hybrid Ayleid-Imperial style, and which abuts the shores of the harbor and overlooks the mouth of the River from the bay. It also has a casino. Do not expect a cheap stay. In the middle are the inns for the middle classes. These are run by peoples of all races in Leyawiin, from Khajiit taverns run by resident clan mothers, to inns and cookeries run by respected Argonian Fishwives. At the opposite end of the spectrum from the luxury establishments are small bazaar flophouses, of which there are innumerable examples. Just pay a coin and ask a city bum for a good recommendation. Additionally, at the Topal Shores, just down the coast, east of Leyawiin, is a vast noble-orientated resort, where many wealthy and powerful of Cyrodiil come to spend coin and time in leisure.
Finally, if you are fortunate, or of high enough birth, you may be privileged enough to be invited to stay in Castle Leyawiin, as guests of the Archon. You might also be asked more forcefully to stay in Castle Leyawiin if you break the law.
CONCLUSION
So we come to the end of yet another journey and guidebook. Having sailed to the mouth of the Niben, where else does the intrepid traveler have to venture but out into the Topal Bay and thence into the trade lanes of Tamriel? Continue to venture with me, Rivalen Mothril, to see the sights of Tamriel.