Roster
Present
Impact of the Black Briars
Date: April 29, 2026
Summary
A quiet afternoon in Brittany’s shop turned into something heavier when Jack pressed her about why Eastguard’s mood always seemed to mirror her own. She insisted there was nothing supernatural in it — only people who wanted to see her happy — but then admitted she was old enough to predate the Cataclysm, and identified the preserved body the party had recovered as Penlai, a priestess of Mishakal she had trusted completely. Before she could say more, the town’s alarm bell cut her off: Eastguard was under attack.
The Black Briars poured through the South Gate, splitting into squads across the Market under a warlock named Varric Morn. Jack disguised himself in a stolen uniform and nearly got shot for it by his own side. Bimmi confronted Morn directly and got a flat answer: pay 100 gold per merchant per week, or the raids continue. One squad dragged off a carpenter’s family until the party paid to free them. Another squad walked into Aemon’s Curiosities and Pawn and never walked back out — Aemon had put down all sixteen of them by himself, without a scratch. By the time the party scraped together enough gold to cover the rest of the town’s shortfall, Morn had extended the deadline to a week and marched what was left of his raiders out of town.
With the immediate crisis handled, Jack turned to the bigger problem — finishing Eastguard’s unfinished protective ward. Brittany pointed him toward a rumored item, a quill, resting somewhere in a drowned city beneath the New Sea. Research through her books and the town library turned up the tale of a cursed oracle-consort, undone by jealousy and a court wizard’s curse generations before the Cataclysm, along with a rough map. With potions from Dera Nightfall in hand, the party set out to sea, weathered a storm by ducking into the abandoned warlock retreat north of town, and unofficially claimed it as their own before turning back for better charts.
Short
Brittany finally answered a question or two — her age, and the identity of the body the party recovered — right before the Black Briars hit Eastguard with an extortion racket. The party paid to save a family, discovered a local shopkeeper had quietly taken out sixteen raiders solo, and bought the town a week’s reprieve. Afterward: a lead on a sunken temple, a storm, and a new (unofficial) home base.
Classic
Last we left off, the party had just recovered a mysterious preserved body and were still working out what it meant. This session answered part of that question and immediately buried it under a bigger one: a raid on Eastguard, an extortion racket, and confirmation that at least one local shopkeeper is far more dangerous than he lets on. By the end, the party had a lead on something called the Quill of Harz Takta and a storm-battered claim on an abandoned warlock’s retreat.
Snarky
Brittany dropped one bombshell — she’s older than the Cataclysm, no big deal — right as the town alarm went off, which is objectively the worst possible time for a follow-up question. Then a warlock showed up demanding protection money like this was a normal Tuesday, a disguise nearly got Jack shot by a teammate, and a random shopkeeper turned out to have quietly handled sixteen guys in his own store without breaking a sweat. The party paid everyone off, went looking for a magic quill in a city that’s been underwater since before recorded history, and got rained on for their trouble.
Limerick
Brittany said she was old, quite a lot, Then the alarm bell rang — bad timing, big plot! The Black Briars came through, Wanted gold, past what’s due, And Aemon took sixteen down without being caught.
They asked about wards, and Brittany explained A quill ‘neath the sea might be what they still needed. So potions were bought, And a storm nearly caught, But the map was too rough, so back home they retreated.
Memorable Moments
Brittany reveals she predates the Cataclysm — moments before the town alarm cuts the conversation short.
Perfect timing. Absolutely perfect.
Aemon’s shop swallows an entire Black Briar squad and gives nothing back but silence.
Sixteen raiders went in. None came out. Aemon didn’t have a scratch on him.
Jack disguises himself as a Black Briar and gets shot by his own side for the trouble.
The uniform worked. Maybe too well.
Scenes
Brittany’s Confession
A quiet conversation turns into two big reveals, cut short by an alarm bell.
- Jack pressed Brittany on why the town’s grief seemed to mirror her own.
- She insisted it was nothing supernatural — the town just wanted her happy.
- She admitted she was old enough to predate the Cataclysm.
- She identified the party’s recovered body as Penlai, a priestess of Mishakal she had trusted completely.
- The town alarm bell interrupted before she could explain further.
The Black Briars’ Raid
An extortion racket hits Eastguard in force.
- The Black Briars entered through the South Gate and split into squads across the Market.
- Jack disguised himself in a stolen uniform and was mistaken for an enemy by a hidden ally.
- Varric Morn demanded 100 gold per merchant per week in exchange for “protection.”
- A squad seized a carpenter’s family until the party paid to free them.
- A squad that entered Aemon’s Curiosities and Pawn never came back out.
Aemon’s Secret
One shopkeeper, sixteen raiders, zero injuries.
- The party found Aemon unharmed behind his counter.
- He’d handled all sixteen Black Briars who’d entered his shop.
- The Black Briars withdrew from Eastguard visibly thinner than they arrived, deadline extended to one week.
Planning the Sea Expedition
A lead on a lost item sends the party looking for a drowned city.
- Brittany pointed to a rumored quill hidden in ruins beneath the New Sea.
- Dera Nightfall agreed to brew Water-Breathing Potions for the trip.
- Research turned up the tale of a cursed oracle-consort, generations older than the Cataclysm.
- The party set sail, sheltered from a storm at an abandoned warlock retreat, and claimed it as a base.
- Their map wasn’t precise enough to find the ruins — they turned back for better charts.
NPCs
Brittany Marginsong
Owner of Eastguard’s bookshop. Confirmed she’s old enough to predate the Cataclysm and that the body the party recovered belonged to Penlai, a priestess of Mishakal she had trusted completely. Still not saying much else.
Varric Morn
The black-robed warlock leading the Black Briars’ raid on Eastguard. Demanded ongoing protection payments from the town’s merchants and extended his deadline to a week after the party paid the shortfall.
Aemon
Runs Aemon’s Curiosities and Pawn. Turned out to be capable of handling sixteen armed raiders alone without injury — a detail nobody saw coming.
Dera Nightfall
Brewed the party’s Water-Breathing Potions for the sea expedition.
Locations
Eastguard
Under siege for an afternoon. The Black Briars hit the Market and several shops before withdrawing with a one-week ultimatum.
Aemon’s Curiosities and Pawn
Looked like an ordinary pawn shop. Turned out to be the site of the raid’s biggest surprise.
Abandoned Warlock House
North of Eastguard. Used for shelter during a storm and unofficially claimed as the party’s forward base.
Items
Quill of Harz Takta The Senseless
An item Brittany needs to finish Eastguard’s protective ward, rumored to be hidden in a drowned city beneath the New Sea. Not yet recovered.
Water-Breathing Potions
Brewed by Dera Nightfall for the party’s sea expedition.