Session 14 picked up at sunrise, still brushing ash from the wreckage of the night before. The battle with the fire mephits was won, but embers still smoldered in Trollskull Manor — and so did questions.

We opened with a literal cleanup effort. Lif, true to form, remained unseen but far from inactive. Players noticed his silent gestures: doors closing, tables adjusting, a faint scent of aged wine in the air. The manor is listening.

Kiril, Maple, and Raven set off for Phaulkonmere to follow the mysterious feline emissary. The journey took them through the spring-dappled streets of North Ward, culminating in a warm encounter with Melannor Fellbranch, who welcomed them into the Emerald Enclave’s fold. The party received word of a nearby farm threatened by unnatural forces. It was the beginning of the “Dark Harvest” arc, and though they don’t yet know the shape of the threat, the players leaned into the quest’s tone with curiosity and a touch of caution. The decision to investigate was not immediate, which felt natural — they have tavern duties and local mysteries to weigh.

Meanwhile, back at Trollskull Manor, Doc and Clover uncovered the next clue from Lif’s mysterious ledger: the riddle of the kitchen. The puzzle played well — props to Clover’s player for running with the poetic metaphor — and led directly to the next manifestation of Lif’s legacy: a swarm of animated kitchenware gone haywire. What could have been a throwaway combat instead became something strangely melancholic, especially once Doc realized that the swarm was defending a hidden drawer sealed by magical sigils.

After the fight, the discovery of Lif’s Tavern Ledger served as both narrative anchor and roleplay prompt. We ended the session with the first entries in the old ghost’s meticulous records. Guests from long ago, supply costs, a scribbled note about a regular’s favorite wine. It was haunting in the best way: nostalgic, unfinished, and begging to be explored.

Behind the Screen: Reflections

This session was less about revelation and more about reverberation — echoes of Lif’s past, of Aryssa’s lingering curse, of water splashed on fire. The players continued to deepen their emotional investment in the manor as more than a set piece. That’s paying dividends now.

Pacing was slower than expected, but not in a way that required adjustment. In fact, the calm moments between puzzles and faction quests gave breathing room to both drama and laughter. A surprise highlight came when Doc lectured Clover mid-fight about respecting the legacy of the tools they were bashing. The group was cackling. But the message still landed.