Chapter VI. Jupiter
Session 68. South Sky Sea Sentinels
*9 Everbloom 312 (Day 64 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (March 12th, 2026)
The Soul Shepherds begin their voyage toward Jupiter, marking their 64th day as a group. As they navigate the South Sky Sea, they pass two massive Giant Statues locked in an eternal gaze across twin islands. Silas identifies them as legendary warriors memorialized in stone, though Virtus remains skeptical of the history lesson. To avoid a treacherous Cloud Sky Whirlpool, Diallos advises the crew to ascend from the Zephyrs air-zone to the Tradewind Zone, ensuring clear skies for their transit.
Continuing their journey south, the Shepherds reach the Theus Skyfjords, an impassable mountain range stretching through the Skyway zones. As temperatures plummet and snow begins to fall, the crew dons extra layers and prepares for the freezing climb ahead. After two long days of travel, the party settles in to relax as night falls over the icy peaks.
Session 69. Do Not Zoom In!
11 Everbloom 312 (Day 66 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (March 19th, 2026)
As the deep chill of the mountains settles in, the evening aboard the A.R.K. is marked by quiet preparations. Bartholomew spends the night training young Meek Jr. in the ways of a kobold swordsman to honor the boy’s father, though it quickly becomes apparent the kipp’s true talents lie in trap-making and inventing. Virtus wisely advises Bartholomew to focus on teaching the young kobold how to survive. Nearby by the kiln, Virtus and Silas pore over an arcane tome, working together to decipher cryptic texts regarding the raw power of blood.
Up in the “Angel’s Nest,” Thirteen (Steve) and Silas stand watch over the long, cold night. Below, Diallos hears the eerie bellowing of drums echoing through the anchored mountains, though the sound soon vanishes into the dark. Later, after the crew has retired, Silas spots a dark ship approaching. Before he can ring the alarm, a fomorian abyssal hyena, triggers his brand. Thirteen swiftly intercepts and slays the beast while Silas hurls a Firebolt at the alarm bell, jolting the entire crew awake to an ambush.
The attacking vessel belongs to Sovereign Cloudbeard Territory, commanded by the Basalt Stone Giant Corsair, Gunhild “Runemaiden” Stormson. Roaring for tribute or a glorious battle, she begins hurling Abyssal Hyenas directly onto the A.R.K. Her crew consists of four Hill Giant “Goons” manning the oars and Freezle the Measle, a kobold arcane fuelman and Enlarge potion addict. Held captive below the enemy deck are Milodius (locked in a cage) and Joy, the Scholar of the Frozen Shell. Joy is bound to an interrogation chair, missing her left arm, heavily scarred, battered, and starved, yet entirely defiant in her refusal to give up the location of her resistance base on Jupiter. Milodius promises to write a song of her persistence before Freezle lets the bard out to play battle music for the giants. Tragically, Joy is the presumed-dead lover of Whimsical, believing Whim perished long ago on Jupiter, completely unaware that her lost love is on the ship currently under attack.
Awakened by the bell, Virtus, Whimsical, Bartholomew, and Diallos rush to the Top Deck, dispatching the infiltrating hyenas. Silas channels one of his souls’ powers to amplify his blood, unleashing a devastating 6th-level Lightning Bolt that sets the enemy ship ablaze and instantly incinerates several giants and hyenas. The sheer force of the blast destroys Milodius’ cage below deck, allowing him to escape and grab his gear just as more hyenas attack him. A second Lightning Bolt from Silas wreaks even more havoc, allowing the injured Joy to break free. She and Milo attempt to flee but are intercepted by Freezle. Thanks to a distraction from Milo, Joy shoves the kobold down the stairs, leaving Milo to engage Freezle in combat beneath the burning deck.
Above the flames, Gunhild narrowly steers her massive ship to avoid crashing directly into the A.R.K. Seizing the moment, Thirteen teleports aboard her vessel and delivers a powerful slash to her hand. In violent retaliation, Gunhild hurls Thirteen off the ship, sending him plummeting into the dark abyss of the Skysea! Back on the A.R.K., Whimsical flies into a giant-sized rage, hoisting Bartholomew onto her shoulders to charge into the fray. Below them, Virtus shatters the ship’s windows to line up a shot into the pitch-black night. Praying to Tekk to guide her aim, her deity answers; the Guiding Bolt strikes true, illuminating Gunhild in a blinding flash. Using the radiant beacon, Diallos flies across the gap and brutally stuns the giant commander with a flurry of astral fists!
Session 70. Legends of the Theus Skyfjords
11 Everbloom 312 (Day 66 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (March 26th, 2026)
The chaotic battle over the Skysea rages on! Bartholomew unleashes a barrage of Eldritch Blasts while Whimsical hurls her “Knock Ya” pan and various debris at the Stone Giant Corsair, Gunhild “Runemaiden” Stormson. Plummeting toward the icy depths below, Thirteen (Steve) miraculously sprouts wings just in time, arresting his fall and flying back up into the fray. Aboard the enemy vessel, the Misty Stalker, Milodius and Joy manage to escape to the main deck. They desperately call out to Diallos to retrieve the Rune Key from Gunhild to unlock their anti-magic shackles. Diallos deftly snatches the keys from the giantess and tosses them over. Enraged, Gunhild chases him down but instead grabs the two escapees, keeping a firm hold on her favorite bard, Milodius, and viciously hurling Joy off the side of the airship! As Joy falls, Whimsical throws her trusty pan to intercept and slow the descent, allowing the ascending Thirteen to swoop in and catch Joy mid-air. Meanwhile, the Enlarged Kobold fuelman, Freezle the Measle, lobs a firecracker at Diallos, deafening him, though Milodius counters by doing a little dance to grant the deafened monk Bardic Inspiration.
On the opposite side of the A.R.K., a second boarding party strikes from the darkness, led by an Ice Giant Corsair named Air Hjorgin Stormson, accompanied by more Hill Giants and Abyssal Hyenas. The veteran Emerald Scourge kobold, Frederick, heroically holds the line against the giants and beasts, while young Meek Jr. swiftly sets up traps across the ship. From his vantage point, Silas channels his Blood & Soul magic to amplify a massive Fireball, hurtling it into the second ship to incinerate most of the crew, though Air Hjorgin extinguishes the residual flames with a freezing cold storm.
Seeing an opening, Virtus and Silas coordinate a devastating Unity Attack. Virtus unfurls her Glidecloak, soaring down onto the Ice Giant’s ship, tumbling into a landing and readying her Spellmirror Tower Shield as the towering Hjorgin scoffs at her size. Hundreds of feet away, Silas unleashes a legendary Lightning Bolt that pierces straight through Hjorgin, reflects flawlessly off Virtus’s Tower Shield, and strikes the Ice Giant in the back of the head, inflicting severe damage twice! Staggered but furious, Hjorgin engages Virtus in a brutal duel. Virtus forces the giant to his knees and slashes his face with her Boomerang Shield, but Hjorgin retaliates with devastating sweeps of his enormous Ice Axe until Silas forcefully teleports Virtus back to the safety of the A.R.K.
Realizing his crew is annihilated, Air Hjorgin dislodges his ship’s harpoon, retreats, and begins a dark chant that triggers a massive avalanche from the Theus Skyfjords! The crushing wave of snow and ice slams into the A.R.K., striking Silas and Whimsical, and completely burying Virtus. The crushing weight incapacitates her and leaves her with a permanent facial scar. Desperate, Silas frantically digs through the ice, tearing up his own hands until he uncovers Virtus’s arm and channels healing magic to revive her. Battered and her pride wounded, Virtus stands steadfast as captain; recognizing victory is near, she marches to the Helm.
Back at the bow, Milodius frees himself from his shackles. With his arcane magic fully restored, the Wandering Titanborn Bard casts Polymorph on Gunhild. The fearsome Stone Giant Gunhild fails her save and transforms into a harmless turtle! Tossed overboard, the Gunhild-turtle comically glides down into the Skysea on her oversized glidecloak, living to fight another day and passing Thirteen and Joy as they finally land back on the deck. The only remaining threat on the burning Misty Stalker is Freezle the Measle. Thirteen and Diallos make quick work of him as Milo ferries Joy to safety. With his dying breath, Freezle triggers a Contingency Fireball, exploding into a fiery grave in a final attempt to take Thirteen and Diallos with him, but the two survive the blast and fly back to their ship. Amidst the ashes, Whimsical finally locks eyes with Joy, recognizing her presumed-dead lover– but the battered Joy does not recognize Whimsical in return. Heartbroken but resolute, they vow to speak later.
Below decks, Meek Sr. rescues the downed Frederick, bringing him to Bartholomew for revival. Frederick fought valiantly against impossible odds, and Meek Jr. beams with pride, noting that one of his traps successfully killed an insurgent giant. Handing Bartholomew a Wyvern tooth for good luck, the warlock takes to the skies, gliding down to Hjorgin’s escaping ship to finish the fight. This triggers a fierce, honorable duel that delights the Ice Giant’s warrior pride. Hjorgin charges with blinding speed, but Bartholomew, bolstered by Silas’s blessing and Milodius’s woven tales of heroism, deflects every single strike with uncanny mobility. Their legendary clash reaches its climax against the icy cliffside of the Theus Skyfjords. Bartholomew delivers several lethal blows, granting Hjorgin an honorable warrior’s death. With his final breath, Hjorgin makes one last request: that Bartholomew tell his captain, Admiral Cloudbeard, the tale of their legendary duel!
Session 71. Navigating the Gales of Ikaros
*13 Everbloom 312 (Day 68 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (April 10th, 2026)
The Soul Shepherds successfully integrate the three Serulinite Power Gems into the heart of the vessel, restoring the A.R.K. to its full, shimmering capacity. Utilizing the debris recovered from the brutal avalanche and the biting winter storm, the crew diligently patches the hull’s deep scars. Within the recovered Martian Imperium crates, the party secures 1,500 gp worth of unrefined Orichalcum and a significant 1,000 gp haul of Adamantine Ore. Virtus intends to transform this adamantine into tempered ingots for future legendary weapon-forging. The loot includes two Potions of Enlarge, two Potions of Reduce, and a potent Scroll of Chain Lightning, which is rightfully bestowed upon Silas to bolster his arcane arsenal. Bartholomew takes possession of Air Hjorgin’s Helmet and Boots, accepting the physical weight of the fallen Giant’s final request as a solemn honor.
Milodious makes his formal introductions. As Joy recovers within the A.R.K.’s clinic, a devastating truth strikes Whimsical: the light of recognition is absent from Joy’s eyes, as she harbors no memory of their shared past. But Whimsical then reveals herself to Joy as ‘Whim’, a ginger Dwarf and her former lover; the two share a tender moment. Then, bowing tearfully before the Soul Shepherds, Joy recounts her crushing defeat by Admiral Cloudbeard and her clandestine role among ‘The Scribes’ and the hidden coalition of Jupiter’s Titanborn. She piteously begs the Scions to infiltrate Carapax and bring an end to the Pirate Lord’s tyranny.
The A.R.K. navigates toward Carapax, now transformed into a frozen citadel of ice and suspended within the heart of a titan-spanning Winter Storm. Visibility vanishes amidst the crystalline husks of shattered airships that failed to reach Jupiter’s surface. Virtus wrestles with the wheel, performing desperate banks to evade jagged ice boulders. Diallos scans the debris field for structural weaknesses to guide the ship through the safest path. Thirteen unleashes a barrage of attacks from the Arcane Cannons to disintegrate incoming ice before it can Broadside the hull. But then, the air temperature reaches absolute zero, threatening to freeze the A.R.K. in mid-flight. Whimsical and Bartholomew override the power gems to channel volatile heat through the vessel, while the Deckhands hack away at the ice jams forming on the rudders. Milodius weaves a booming shanty to stave off the magical lethargy of a freezing slumber. They ascend to the Tradewinds Sky to escape the chilling frost.
The winds harmonize as lightning crackles through the frost, manifesting the colossal, bearded visage of Admiral Cloudbeard that dwarfs the A.R.K. itself. He taunts the “ants” who dared slaughter his giantkin, inviting the “Sun Zealots” to test their strength against his gales and pray to their “pretender Gods.” Silas conjures a hallucinatory cloud above them to avoid Cloudbeard’s gaze. Devastasting lightning bolts get launched at the ARK – Thirteen climbs the railing to the Angel Nest of the Ship and raises his Soul Sword, prepared to tank the pirate’s celestial rage. Suffering through currents of intense pain, Thirteen barely survives six lightning bolts that would’ve devastated the ship’s defenses. He falls unconscious and is rescued by Silas – the Soul Shepherds escape from Cloudbeard’s Giant Face, seeking safety in one of Carapax’s orifices ( a secret entrance into Carapax that Joy advised them about. )
Session 72. Arrival on Jupiter
14 Everbloom 312 (Day 69 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (April 16th, 2026)
The Soul Shepherds enter one of Carapax’s orifices, the ship arrives at a tunnel leading to Kelda-Dhrum, a once thought abandoned Dwarven Fortress in the South of Jupiter’s Undershell. During their rest, Virtus forges her very own Adamantine Plate armor. Silas focuses on talking to his Souls. Bartholomew and Milodius talk a bit. Diallos meditates, and Whimsical and Joy reconvene. Virtus leaves Beppo and P-Sowen in charge of the ARK - the crew venture deeper into Undershell with Joy in tow.
They arrive at the fortress and Milodious clears debris in the way with his wings. The Shepherds find ‘Forvivlad’ Dwarves slaving away in the heat of the fortress mining ore. They seem to be on the verge of insanity, as their blood is tainted (Silas surmises). Whimsical, Milodius, and Bartholomew defuse their antagonism by fooling them that it’s their lunch time. Before they leave for lunch, the Forvivlad Dwarves go pray to a statue of the late King Dumaclath nearby, they say that they do not do this out of fear, but rather out of devotion.
A nearby Giant Abyssal Chicken then spots the party and captures Silas, taking him away. The Abyssal Chicken requests Souls from Silas, but he refuses to give it to the abyssal creature. Silas realizes there are towering stalagmites rising from the sludge that are indeed the calcified ribs of the Titan tortoise.
Meanwhile, Diallos investigates the way forward: a massive Adamantine Door. Superheated and completely sealed, it featured five circular slots but no visible keyholes. Whimsical translates the cryptic Dwarvish inscription above it: “As Above, So Below, The Work is Never Done.” Diallos deduces it is a complex Valve Puzzle. To unseal the gate, the party would need to reach five separate rooms and turn heavy release valves to fill the door’s slots with lava. However, turning the valves would cause the toxic sludge in the chamber to rise, making the activation order critical.
The moment Diallos pulls the first lever, he is immediately ambushed by a magma-dwelling Vorthropod erupting from the lava. Simultaneously, the Forvivlad Dwarves, entirely unsatisfied by the simple meal Whimsical had provided, finally succumb to their madness and charge. The battle for Sul Kelda-Dhrum has begun!
Session 73. All in a Day’s Work
15 Everbloom 312 (Day 70 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (April 22nd, 2026
The Soul Shepherds defeat the Forvivlad Dwarves (incapacitating them as to spare them) and the Vorthopods. They find a magic chest and inside some Spell Bolt Wraps (for Diallos), Gold Ingots, and a map of Carapax’s Undershell. They plead the remaining Dwarves who are mining for Adamantine to abandon Sul-Khelda Dhrum, the Dwarves tell them they cannot until they finish mining each and every last vein of Ore. Silas convinces them after Whimsical turns into a Behemoth and destroys the last remaining veins of Ore - the Dwarves pack up and load the Adamantine onto the Mine Carts.
They discuss how to open the Adamantine Door and find all the levers to do so, but the last lever will trigger the Lava to rise, so they must be strategic with which ones they open. Virtus Sol-phones Beppo to raise the lever while the rest of the party rushes in - closing the door behind them. The Door opens and the Soul Shepherds head in, ready to venture deeper into Carapax’s Undershell and find the Scribes / Bhan Embers resistance base.
Session 74. The Deep Roads
15 Everbloom 312 (Day 70 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (April 30th, 2026)
The Soul Shepherds climb down a long stairway, the Forvivlad Dwarves take their Mine Carts down with their ore. Silas sings a song in the dark descent very much to Joy’s amusement. Diallos encounters an Undershell Hare, who disappears back into the darkness. Whimsical tells Diallos of the tale of the Hare and the Tortoise - Carapax told the Hare that if he can get through all of the Undershell before Carapax sails through the Entire Skysea, the Hare would be crowned the fastest on Jupiter…
The party reaches downstairs into the Ore Storage and Entrance to the Deep Roads. Silas asks one of the Forvivlad Dwarves, their name Ribny, to come with him to the Resistance Base so he can potentially cure them of their ‘Forvivlad’ curse. The rest of the Forvivlad Dwarves say they will gather their ore and venture towards the Capital. The Soul Shepherds encounter a magical stone door with ten chimes they must ring with different weapons.
The door opens to the Deep Hall of the Regents where Dwarven Kings are lined up, the 1st pedestal is missing, the 2nd pedestal is King Raynar the Unbroken: Holds a massive pickaxe; first to break the Uppershell. The 3rd, Queen Orga the Deep-Seer: Has gems for eyes; first to map the labyrinth of Carapax’s organs. The 4th, King Horn ‘Iron-Lung’: Wearing a heavy brass respirator; survived the first toxic marrow-vents. The 5th, King Morgan the Builder: Holds a blueprint scroll; architect of the Dhrumway. The 6th, King Borin the Silent: His mouth is carved shut; reigned during a dark, forgotten era of the Undershell. The 7th statue, King Dumaclath, is missing. Silas realizes that the Souls of the Dwarven Kings remain, he asks Whimsical if its okay if he asks them if they wish to fight for a future on Jupiter; Whimsical gives the ‘ok’ and both Queen Orga and King Morgan oblige, and Silas carries their Souls with him. Milodious is disturbed by this, but pushes past the Hall. Thirteen writes his observations in his Solari notebook.
The party then ventures into a mysterious subterranean lake after climbing a moss covered, slippery tunnel cliff. Thirteen and Bartholomew receive visions of a golden key underneath the lake. Diallos prays to Tekk an augury as to whether it’s a worthwhile use of their time to obtain the key and ultimately decides they can always come back later. Silas fishes for fish in the lake, he catches a mutated fish and saves it for later, he then casts his line out again and gets pulled in by a large creature, but he lets go of his fishing rod and loses it to the water to something quite large. The Soul Shepherds rest at the lakeside with Joy and Ribny. Silas repairs the rotting scaffolding leading up the Inverted Temple while the rest of the party rest. As they climb up the scaffolding, Joy and Milodius share some talk of the resistance. Bartholomew notices that there are Dwarven names etched onto the Temple Shaft they’re climbing. Joy tells Diallos that the names are of Dwarven resistance fighters that have been lost in the fight against King Dumac, their bodies were never given the chance to turn to Stone. The party arrives at the Inverted Temple.
Session 75. Blood & Stone
15 Everbloom 312 (Day 70 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (May 6th, 2026)
The Soul Shepherds arrive at the Inverted Temple gates and convince the Bhan Embers to open it after answering some allegiance questions. Silas attempts to start the healing process for the Forvivlad Dwarf Ribny - he sets up his own quarantined tent for him. Diallos diagnoses the Dwarven Bham Embers who had fallen in combat, some are missing limbs, others are not long for this world. Then, a convoy of more injured Dwarves arrive and the tent becomes chaotic and full. Diallos reads a Dwarves last rites from an unhealable poison in his lungs, but asks him if he would like his soul to become one with the Great Natu Tree - the dwarf declines, preferring to turn to dust and his soul to remain on Jupiter. Milodius and Silas work together to heal all the Resistance injured, casting a massive Unity spell to spread their magical healing to all. They save many lives and gain favor with the Bhan Embers & Scribes.
Whimsical finds the eccentric Barracks Chef and tries his awful food, but offers to find ingredients to spice up the meal.
Virtus, Thirteen, and Joy go to meet up with Editor Rupert in the basecamp War Tower Inside the War Room; Scribe Rupert has an Oocoo Jr. with him. A historian and journalist, he is a veteran Dwarven scribe and Joy’s closest confidante. Then, a Scribe invention – a heavy brass “Ink-Radio” – suddenly sputters to life. The needle scratches glowing magical ink onto a spool of parchment, translating a broadcasting spell from the Uppershell. It projects the arrogant voice of King Dumac:
“My wayward children of the Undershell. Do you hear the thud of the forges? That is the heartbeat of a prosperous Jupiter! Do not weep for the ‘Forvivlad’, it is a blessing they have been given! They are elevated! They shed their weak flesh to become the indestructible Adamantine shields that protects our glorious kingdom! Do not cling to the ghost of my father, a coward who locked us all in the dark. I have brought you endless prosperity, the partnership of the Cloudbeards! Surrender the Scribe terrorists. Disperse. Do you truly believe you can hide in the deep dark? I will scour every cavern, every marrow-vent, and every rotting tunnel of this entire Undershell until I drag you out into the searing heat of my domain! To those who harbor these Bhan-Ember rats, hear my royal decree: Bring me their exact location, and you shall be rewarded with untold riches: a bounty of pure Gold & Silver enough to buy your family a life in the frozen paradise above. Defy me, and I will remind you that the furnaces are always hungry for fuel.”
Editor Rupert lets the radio transmission play out to show the Scions how vile the King truly is; he laments about how their odds are stacked against them in the fight against Dumac and Cloudbeard (they lost a lot of men to Fire Giants and are getting less recruits by the day), but with the Solar Scions help, they may stand a chance.
Virtus asks what will happen after they overthrow King Dumac and Rupert says that he wishes for the power to return back to the people through a Constitutional Socialization. Virtus then asks if he has heard the rumors of King Dumaclath being potentially alive; Rupert is aware of them and has chosen not to dedicate resources investigating it; naturally, Virtus wonders about the relationship Ruipert and King Dumaclath once had. Whimsical and Diallos arrive after dealing with stuff at the Base Camp; Diallos casts Detect Thoughts as Virtus and Thirteen question Rupert – in his surface level thoughts – Diallos sees a young Rupert and young King Dumaclath having a very close relationship, he attempts to probe deeper but Whimsical and Virtus threaten Rupert to reveal the whole truth. Rupert kicks out the Bham Embers and reveals that he and King Dumaclath were once lovers and that King Dumac is actually Rupert’s Son, but he left Jupiter long ago after he and King Dumaclath had a “fundamental disagreement”. The Soul Shepherds and Joy are surprised to learn the truth, but come to trust Rupert’s plight in bringing down his Son.
The Soul Shepherds head out towards the Inverted Temple’s Alchemical Library to meet up with someone named Groin the Brewer who knows more about Lake Ruthaba - but before they can venture up, they meet back up with Silas at the Medical Tent, who is amidst blood vials and transfusion equipment, preparing himself to try to cure Ribny of his Forvivlad curse. Silas asks his friends for help and looks at Virtus with a trusting gaze – if things go wrong, to strike him down – Silas begins the bloodletting process, for the first time, Silas overcomes his fear of blood and begins to stick his fangs in Ribny’s throat, desanguinating him to remove the infected Titanblood in him while supplying him with purified Dwarven blood from a nearby donor.
With the help of Milodius’ calming ballads, Diallos’ peaceful resistance magic, Virtus’ trusting presence, Whimsical’s reassuring words, Thirteen’s Warding Bond, Bart’s support, and Joy’s patience, Silas narrowly overcomes succumbing to his vampiric nature as he drinks the blood. The operation is a success and Ribny is cured, proving that Forvivlad is curable.
Session 76. ???
*15 Everbloom 312 (Day 70 since the formation of the Soul Shepherds) Game Date: (May 13th, 2026)
To Be Continued…