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skulldaughterHere we begin the first of many recaps of Gang War! This is a D&D 5e campaign that started in July 2024 and went on break in November 2024 so we could play a chapter of a different campaign we have ongoing in Pathfinder with a different GM. This first arc lasts nine sessions, and concludes with our first major boss fight of the campaign. When we get back to this campaign in January, I will begin posting recaps as we play! I'd like to get the first nine up here by then, which shouldn't be too difficult since they aren't that long.
Set six years after the previous campaign Faction War, this campaign follows some new heroes and a couple familiar faces as they form a new group of adventurers: the Shadows, who strike out at the corporate overlords of the Planescape Corporation set up by the Dahlia to rule Sigil.
Each session begins with a vignette; sometimes these are flashbacks to offer context to present events, and sometimes they are windows into the present showing what the heroes of the last campaign are up to offscreen. This first recap includes another introduction of the new team:
Our Heroes
We begin four years after the previous interstitial adventure, and six years after the Sigilettes saved the city of Sigil from Rowan Darkwood. Five people, through different avenues and for different crimes, have been imprisoned by the Dahlia Sophia.
Avery Brightweave, AKA Diving Light (Human Paladin, she/her) is a member of a new religious order: the Order of the Triumvirate. This organization aims to smooth over the distance separating the two main Umbra-kai communities of Sigil. She is eager to help people, and more than willing to pick a fight to do it, but her ability to accomplish both are the only things propping up her self esteem.
Grimulf (Shifter Rogue/Ranger, he/him) is currently known to the people of Sigil as the man who killed Trokolius. He’s a gloomy sort who typically keeps to himself, and seems to have little interest in being “personable” or “charming”, but he is a peerless killer, preferring whenever possible to strike from the shadows.
Lyn, AKA Evelyn Brightweave, AKA Rising Whisper (Astral Elf Artificer, she/her) is an inventor of arcane devices. She grew up on the streets of the Hive before being adopted at age 9 into the Umbra-kai. She and Avery were close once, but something happened during Rowan Darkwood’s Faction War that caused Lyn to leave her without a word. She hides from confrontations–and her own feelings–behind an distant, nonchalant attitude.
Minx Ermine (Weaselfolk Bard, she/her) is a lounge singer, a criminal, and a terror. She combines a haughty expectation of respect with a downright horrifying way with words that often leaves her victims unsure of exactly how deep into their heads she can get. Alongside Paz, she does jobs for Shemeshka and the Wilderhood. While she can hold her own with a blade in a pinch, she truly shines in arenas where words are traded and papers signed.
Topaz Claw, AKA Paz (Tabaxi Druid, she/her) is the only member of the Sigilettes to wind up in prison. She is working for Shemeshka now, and seems to hold an animosity of some kind for Grimulf, though she won’t talk about why. She has all the grace, ego, and sloth of a richly pampered cat, which she likely is, and other than her interactions with Grimulf, she has a knack for remaining utterly unbothered no matter how tense the situation.
Session 1: Jailbreak
In the sixth year of the Sigil Era of the Umbra-kai Planar Calendar, we open on the arrest of Minx & Paz. The two furries break into a building and are immediately caught. The other members of their Wilderhood crew, Lenny and Boarson, were arrested at a later date.
Lyn & Avery are in prison, and Lyn is about to sell a communication device that she fashioned out of spare components. The buyer tries to take the device by force with the help of two goons, and Avery trounces them. Reading a newspaper, Lyn & Avery hear that Trokolius has been murdered.
Grimulf enters the tower, convicted of the murder of Trokolius. He is confronted by Minx, who seems to get a good read on him and deduces that he did not actually kill Trok. Then he is accosted by Avery, who demands an explanation for Trok’s death. He doesn’t give one.
A mysterious green-haired woman named Kane visits the cells of these adventurers, and leaves them tools to escape. They fill a glove with beans and put a ring on it to short out a circuit and escape. The team has dreadful vibes in this first moment of cooperation.
After gathering supplies in a guard’s armory, the anti-magic field in the prison drops, and chaos reigns. The team rides an elevator down, headed out of the tower, and they encounter several guards along the way.
First is Makoto, a tortle who was tortured in his past. He is accompanied by two guards, who are lulled into passivity by Minx’s calm emotions spell.
The team disguises themselves as guards to avoid a modron patrol, but this causes a fire genasi named Ashnor Daikan to fight them, as he thinks they are guards. They escape, not killing him. Paz starts collecting explosive barrels, but we have nowhere to put them at the moment.
The elevator doors open again on the next floor, and the team is surrounded by gnomish sharpshooters…
Set six years after the previous campaign Faction War, this campaign follows some new heroes and a couple familiar faces as they form a new group of adventurers: the Shadows, who strike out at the corporate overlords of the Planescape Corporation set up by the Dahlia to rule Sigil.
Each session begins with a vignette; sometimes these are flashbacks to offer context to present events, and sometimes they are windows into the present showing what the heroes of the last campaign are up to offscreen. This first recap includes another introduction of the new team:
Our Heroes
We begin four years after the previous interstitial adventure, and six years after the Sigilettes saved the city of Sigil from Rowan Darkwood. Five people, through different avenues and for different crimes, have been imprisoned by the Dahlia Sophia.
Avery Brightweave, AKA Diving Light (Human Paladin, she/her) is a member of a new religious order: the Order of the Triumvirate. This organization aims to smooth over the distance separating the two main Umbra-kai communities of Sigil. She is eager to help people, and more than willing to pick a fight to do it, but her ability to accomplish both are the only things propping up her self esteem.
Grimulf (Shifter Rogue/Ranger, he/him) is currently known to the people of Sigil as the man who killed Trokolius. He’s a gloomy sort who typically keeps to himself, and seems to have little interest in being “personable” or “charming”, but he is a peerless killer, preferring whenever possible to strike from the shadows.
Lyn, AKA Evelyn Brightweave, AKA Rising Whisper (Astral Elf Artificer, she/her) is an inventor of arcane devices. She grew up on the streets of the Hive before being adopted at age 9 into the Umbra-kai. She and Avery were close once, but something happened during Rowan Darkwood’s Faction War that caused Lyn to leave her without a word. She hides from confrontations–and her own feelings–behind an distant, nonchalant attitude.
Minx Ermine (Weaselfolk Bard, she/her) is a lounge singer, a criminal, and a terror. She combines a haughty expectation of respect with a downright horrifying way with words that often leaves her victims unsure of exactly how deep into their heads she can get. Alongside Paz, she does jobs for Shemeshka and the Wilderhood. While she can hold her own with a blade in a pinch, she truly shines in arenas where words are traded and papers signed.
Topaz Claw, AKA Paz (Tabaxi Druid, she/her) is the only member of the Sigilettes to wind up in prison. She is working for Shemeshka now, and seems to hold an animosity of some kind for Grimulf, though she won’t talk about why. She has all the grace, ego, and sloth of a richly pampered cat, which she likely is, and other than her interactions with Grimulf, she has a knack for remaining utterly unbothered no matter how tense the situation.
Session 1: Jailbreak
In the sixth year of the Sigil Era of the Umbra-kai Planar Calendar, we open on the arrest of Minx & Paz. The two furries break into a building and are immediately caught. The other members of their Wilderhood crew, Lenny and Boarson, were arrested at a later date.
Lyn & Avery are in prison, and Lyn is about to sell a communication device that she fashioned out of spare components. The buyer tries to take the device by force with the help of two goons, and Avery trounces them. Reading a newspaper, Lyn & Avery hear that Trokolius has been murdered.
Grimulf enters the tower, convicted of the murder of Trokolius. He is confronted by Minx, who seems to get a good read on him and deduces that he did not actually kill Trok. Then he is accosted by Avery, who demands an explanation for Trok’s death. He doesn’t give one.
A mysterious green-haired woman named Kane visits the cells of these adventurers, and leaves them tools to escape. They fill a glove with beans and put a ring on it to short out a circuit and escape. The team has dreadful vibes in this first moment of cooperation.
After gathering supplies in a guard’s armory, the anti-magic field in the prison drops, and chaos reigns. The team rides an elevator down, headed out of the tower, and they encounter several guards along the way.
First is Makoto, a tortle who was tortured in his past. He is accompanied by two guards, who are lulled into passivity by Minx’s calm emotions spell.
The team disguises themselves as guards to avoid a modron patrol, but this causes a fire genasi named Ashnor Daikan to fight them, as he thinks they are guards. They escape, not killing him. Paz starts collecting explosive barrels, but we have nowhere to put them at the moment.
The elevator doors open again on the next floor, and the team is surrounded by gnomish sharpshooters…
