# Session S00
> [!overview]
> [campaign:: [[The Friend, the Fiend, and the Shadow of the Night]]]
> [session:: S00]
> [next:: [[2024-08-11_S01]]]
> [session date:: 2024-08-04]
> [campaign date:: ]
> [my pc:: [[Elsa Johansson]]]
> [dm:: [[nellufy|Nell]]]
> [player:: [[reyescion|Reyes]], [[elcucuy| El Cucuy]], [[jim0phee]], [[Leah Ferguson|Leah]]]
> [pcs:: [[Dr. Niklas Windell]], [[Oskar Brodd]], [[Charles]], [[Elsa Johansson]]]
> [active npc:: [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]], [[Anders Johansson]], [[Erik Lindquist]], [[Linnea Elfeklint]], [[King Lord Plop]], [[Algot Frisk]]]
> [discussed npc:: ]
> [active locations:: [[Linneas Botanical Garden]], [[Castle Gyllencreutz]]]
> [discussed locations:: ]
>
> ---
>
> (tldr:: Summary.)
## Session Zero & Character Creation
- Session zero thresholds
- No details on violence towards children
- 19th century Scandanavia
- Uppsala, Sweden
- 1864
- We all have the Sight
- The trauma is what triggers our Sight
- [[reyescion|Reyes]] » [[Doctor]]
- [[Dr. Niklas Windell]]
- Middle-aged, 35
- Memento: Strange animal preserved in a glass jar
- [[jim0phee|Jim]] » [[Vagabond]]
- [[Charles]]
- Middle-aged, 33
- Was an officer, but now living in the streets
- Memento: Golden box from a foreign land
- [[elcucuy|Peter]] » [[Servant]]
- [[Oskar Brodd]]
- Middle-aged, 49
- Memento: Powder compact with sleeping pills
- These are Elsa's, but she doesn't know that
- [[Leah Ferguson|Leah]] » [[Occultist]]
- [[Elsa Johansson]]
- Young
- Aged based on when servant killed the changeling
- Memento: Her journal
## Prologue
- September 1864
- Extension of the [[Linneas Botanical Garden]] has been approved
- A group is opposed to the expansion
- Friends of the Linnaeus Society against the expansion
- Charles is on the streets having slept in an alleyway, looking for work for the day or beg for money
- Sees a group of people walking towards the Botanical Garden
- They look fairly wealthy (notices a pocket watch)
- Charles follows what he assumes is a wealthy couple
- Elsa is out shopping, and not paying attention to the politics of the time or place
- She's more focused on buying book supplies for the coming academic year, than any politics
- Her father has mentioned the Botanical Garden in passing, but she's not focused on the economics or political side of things
- Does not pay attention to the seedier sides of life
- [[Oskar Brodd]] is by her side, keeping an eye on both her and the surroundings
- Dr. Windell is friends with [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]], the president of the Botannical Garden
- Good for her reputation if she's seen out socializing with the academics
- Makes herself look more presentable to be outside
- Exits her office and onto the street
- We're all on the same street together
- Charles exams the crowd, but no successes as the crowd gets thicker
- Botanical wonders around…
- A stage, with tents leaning towards the stage
- Dr. Windell drags himself through the crowd, trying to make it seem like he wants to be there
- Mr. Brodd is a tall large man, but looks a little rough
- Brodd convinces Elsa to introduce herself to Mr. Windell, and they awkwardly talk and he escorts her up towards the stage
- Mr. Windell is courteous but definitely glances back towards Brodd
- Charles wears a suit that once looked good… so doesn't look entirely unreasonable » wears clothing that was fashionnable in England maybe 10–15 years ago
- Goes to the refreshment tent, maybe looking for a job
- Continues to notice nothing in the tent or crowd
- He stumbles, and catches a worker's attention (Lars)
- Tells him to look after a city planner, [[Anders Johansson]]
- The three enter the area
- Stage with red velvet curtains
- People seating themselves
- Brass band
- Familiar face to Dr. Windell near the stage » [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]], 60, talking with the Mayor of Uppsala
- They see Charles downing one of the drinks on his way out, the other drink is on a tray
- Brodd keeps his eye on Charles, does see other waiters and gardeners, but they're on the outside of the area
- Brodd also see security and policemen
- Charles sees the Friends of the Linnaeus Society unfurl a banner by the stage
- Elsa has continued to make small talk with Dr. Windell, while Brodd goes to the refreshment tent to get himself a beverage
- Dr. Windell walks her towards [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]] and the Mayor
- [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]] is sharp but kind
- Mayor is stern, tall, and distinguished » [[Erik Lindquist]]
- Squints his eyes at Dr. Windell & Elsa
- Lot has been vacant for five decades
- The Mayor wants to improve it
- The Mayor and [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]] head to the stage, going through their notes
- Dr. Windell and Elsa had to seats
- Mr. Brodd overhears two men talking about the lot, and the Friends of the Linnaeus Society
- Their leader has been in the asylum for the past two decades
- Female lady, has been writing letters to mayor and city planner » [[Linnea Elfeklint]]
- Has gone mad with grief since the death of her father 25 years ago
- The men are scoffing at her
- Dr. Windell and Elsa sit, Mr. Brodd stays on the periphery keeping watch
- Proud of himself for creating a meet cute
- Back with Charles… [[Anders Johansson]] is pacing back and forth, is very nervous
- Charles walks up to him and hands him a drink » he immediately downs it
- Anders takes a deep breath and calms himself, introducing himself
- City planner, working with [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]], approved by the Mayor
- Expand the garden exhibits
- 3 successes » [[Anders Johansson]] is nervous, but the way he's looking at the empty lot… he's not happy, Charles can tell there's fear there, like there's something wrong with it
- Charles notices by his feet, faint arcane symbols carved in the ground (he's at the perimeter of the empty lot)
- Some places of the dirt doesn't cover… arcane symbols carved into stone
- Charles notices a coldness emitted from the empty lot
- Lot has been empty for fifty years… but can't remember what was in the lot before
- Struggling as if trying to remember
- They plan to put a "tropical" house there to improve the lot
- Vigilance
- Windell & Elsa » 1 successes
- The ceremony is going well, grand band
- The Mayor & [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]] give respectable speeches
- Jeers from the Friends of the Linnaeus society
- …the band isn't playing, but we hear music playing (violin, but no violin around)
- See a shadow of the band, that's where the music is coming from
- Notice the crowd is becoming uneasy from the sound of the violinist
- Brodd » 2 successes
- Brodd sees the bow of a violin within the shadow
- A man with distinguished clothing and bare feet in the shadow, long black and wet hair
- Charles fails, so doesn't notice
- Mr. Brodd's eying the shadow man, and creeps along the edges of the garden away from the seating
- Mr. Brodd sees him directly
- One person gets up from the crowd, concerned from the sound, and then people start to follow and leave
- Nell rolls and says "interesting"
- Charles, what is your biggest fear? » not being able to get his medicine for a prolonged period of time…
- He feels that all of the people *know* about his medicine, and purposely keeping it away from him… they want him to suffer.
- Takes one mental condition
- He checks his jacket pocket
- This is when the man stands up from the shadows so that all four can see the shadow man
- This is when hell breaks loose, people trampling each other to try and get away like something is chasing them
- The mayor, [[Dr. Marget Blumstahl]] and [[Anders Johansson]] hide in fear backstage
- We all pass the first fear test and keep our composure
- No one else seems to notice this man except us
- Dr. Windell pulls Elsa closer to keep her from getting trampled; Brodd comes running over to make sure she's okay
- Charles looks like a cornered animal, checking is pockets
- The violinist keeps playing until most have left, and then stops, putting the bow and violin down
- Takes in a deep breath, looks accomplished
- Dr. Windell and Elsa make eye contact with the shadow man, Brodd is keeping his eye on the crowd
- He has a large smile on his face, ears are pointed, skin is scaley, barefoot with gnarled toe nails
- "You can see me?"
- Windell steps between the figure and Elsa, but doesn't respond
- His eyes dart to the garden
- We have the Sight
- Place in the greenhouse
- Name doesn't matter, but the Order could be revived
- Empty lot is a holy site
- Shadow man asks Elsa her name, but she doesn't respond » Brodd steps in front of her
- A workshop at the back of the garden
- Will be watching all four
- If none are worthy, he will play again
- Charles introduces himself as Charlie
- We head towards the back of the garden, but stop by the empty lot to look at the symbols first
- Mr. Brodd keeps a small distance from the group, always watching
- It looks like the arcane symbols surround the empty lot
- [[Vigilance]] » Brodd & Windell
- See birds, including ravens flying, but avoids the empty lot
- Other birds behave irratically, and are able to dodge them
- [[Observation]] » Elsa & Charles
- Faint arcane symbols, and feel compelled to put a hand in the empty lot
- Feels a coldness, and then the arcane symbols start to emit a faint blue glow
- See an iron gate through a fog, with a pathway leading to an entrance of a castle
- Charles walks past the rusty gates that have an emblem that says "C.G."
- Charles sees a scampering of little feet poking out from a tree, looking like a large humanoid thing the size of a rat
- It wears a hat! It looks frog-like
- It entered a small door like it was built for it in the castle
- Mr. Brodd doubts Charles
- Elsa goes and knocks on the small door
- [[King Lord Plop]], "the king"
- Knows the man with the violin
- Owns a kingdom in the waters
- Drowns people
- Eyes Mr. Brodd, says he's of high society
- Mr. Brodd introduces Lady Elsa Johansson
- The tiny door close and the large double doors of the castle open
- The little frog man runs off saying they have guests
- Rushes upstairs
- A question for each
- What's the first thing we notice about [[Algot Frisk]], the butler
- Charles » He's far too large compared to the frog man (tall and wide), even taller than Brodd
- Dr. Windell » Two different coloured eyes » dark brown, or really vibrant green
- Elsa » He casts no shadow
- Brodd » He coughs into a small handkerchief, like he's sick
- [[Algot Frisk]] walks down the stairs
- Charles » he has been injured, favours one leg over the other
- Dr. Windell » he has a very nasal voice
- Lord Plopp changes his title from time to time, King Plopp
- "Are you friends with [[Linnea Elfeklint]]?" Elsa looks completely blank, having no idea who that is and probably has forgotten the name of the Society group…
- He walks straight up to Mr. Brodd, in his face
- Brodd: Of course… isn't everyone?
- Are you aware of the Order of Artemis?
- Brodd: Of course… isn't everyone?
- The violinist is just protecting people from this castle, just doing his job…
- We're the right people, and a good fit for the Society
- Recognizes that Dr. Windell is a doctor
- Castle is under the protection of a ward, to protect from people like the Rassenbergers
- Lord Plopp eats cookies. Charles tries to take one, and is denied.
- We need to report to [[Linnea Elfeklint]] for having found the [[Castle Gyllencreutz]]
- She's at the asylum
- Need to take the creed
- Session epilogue will be the beginning of next session…
- Will be a series of flashbacks
- Time skip of two years » October 1866
- Answer the questions
- Spent the rest of the skill points
- Choose a talent
- 10 XP for this scenario
- Could use 5 XP to raise 1 skill point
- Could use 5 XP to add a talent
- We each give two vaesen we have encountered
- What have we been up to in the past two years?
- Windell and Elsa are courting, but he's afraid to propose