Campaign summary of Clockwork Dawn, set in the World of Kiynan (5E compatible, based on Wizard of the Coast’s SRD 5.2.1).

The session began with the party needing a discreet location to question their two captives. After securing a temporary hideout in a nearby warehouse—thanks to Shep’s bizarre but successful attempt to convince the workers they were a traveling theater troupe—the party prepared for interrogation. They split into two teams to employ a prisoner’s dilemma strategy. Bitoh and Ethane took on the more dangerous mercenary, with Bitoh quickly resorting to brutal methods to extract information. Meanwhile, Oren and Shep handled the grenadier; Shep, in a display of grim creativity, used his elemental magic to repeatedly waterboard their captive until he broke.

The interrogations were a success. They learned that Aldred, along with the leader of the Serpent’s Head, a man named Jaq, had taken the Zephyr to a secret base located in Whisperwind Canyon, deep in the Silver Sands desert. Their plan was not to use the airship itself as a weapon, but to leverage Aldred’s genius to mass-produce powerful explosives for sale on the black market. After a debate on the fate of their captives, they opted against executing them and instead turned them over to the Inventor’s Guild authorities.

With their next destination clear, the party took time to prepare for the grueling journey ahead. While Oren unsuccessfully attempted to craft chemical supplies, Ethane explored the markets, purchasing a uniquely flamboyant and erotic lighter. Bitoh upgraded his arsenal, and Shep, in a moment of charity, gave his spare coin to the city’s poor, inspiring hope.

The journey across the Silver Sands desert proved to be arduous. Despite Oren’s attempts to impart his desert wisdom, the group struggled against the harsh conditions, with Bitoh in particular suffering from exhaustion. Their trek was interrupted by several dangerous encounters. They were ambushed by a monstrous trapdoor spider, a fearsome apex predator of the desert. The beast nearly killed Ethane with a venomous bite before he was saved from the brink of death by Shep’s powerful healing magic. The party fought back fiercely, driving the wounded creature back into its lair. They also narrowly avoided a sinkhole thanks to Oren’s keen eye and weathered a blinding sandstorm that delayed their progress.

Nearing their destination, the party was intercepted by a group of Valkans, Oren’s estranged people. What followed was a delicate process of earning their trust. Oren opened up about his past as an outcast, while the others contributed in their own unique ways. Ethane respectfully adopted their custom of wearing a loincloth, and Bitoh quietly earned goodwill by using his mending magic to fix a child’s broken toy. Shep’s attempt to introduce the concept of a ‘trust fall’ was met with confusion, but the Valkans were ultimately won over by a magical feast provided thanks to Shep’s seed-growing magic.

Having successfully won the trust of the Valkans and secured their aid, the party was flown the remaining distance to Whisperwind Canyon on Valkan kites, bypassing the final days of their trek. They arrived to find signs of recent human activity and a mysterious column of steam rising in the distance. Two Valkan hunters, who remained while their tribe moved on, promised to scout ahead and assist the party when the time is right. The session concluded with the heroes reaching their destination, ready for the showdown to come.