Session 0: Choosing The Azure Return
September 5, 2026 | Session 0
The Adventure We Chose
The Saturday group chose The Kingdom of Nwt: The Azure Return. We are heading to Astrousia for an expedition campaign: dangerous travel, ancient ruins, rival adventuring companies, discoveries, and the mystery of the Azure Sovereign. Expect foraging, exploration, and time away from towns. The world is magical, but supplies and magic items will not always be conveniently available.
Our planned first scene is a beach after a shipwreck, with room for someone already ashore to discover the survivors. We have not played that scene yet. Everyone should have a reason to be traveling to the region and a reason to cooperate with the others.
The blue-lightning funeral, speaking dead, stolen archive, and lost royal road remain the campaign's central mystery. When that event happened relative to the voyage, and how each character connects to it, are still being worked out.
The Party Taking Shape
These are the ideas shared at Session 0, with details still open to change.
| Player | Character idea |
|---|---|
| Angela | A wizard born in Astrousia and raised in Delphi, returning to a homeland she barely remembers. |
| Jofuss | An Oath of Vengeance paladin disillusioned with his noble family, determined to lead by example and help make a troubled world better. A young adopted companion was discussed; arrangements remain to be settled. |
| Kristina | An Astrousia-born former bounty hunter and adventurer who has returned from death and is finding her direction again; considering Wild Magic or Fae Warped sorcerer. |
| Mark | A scout-oriented character who left a corrupt detachment, balancing stealth and survival. Exact class, ancestry, and faction connections remain in development. |
| Jim | A human druid from a distant land, recently arrived and fascinated by the local culture. |
Making Characters
The starting assumption is level 1. Multiclassing is allowed when its prerequisites are met.
At Session 0, the new race/ancestry system was still undergoing final review. We agreed to work on everything else and finish race-dependent choices with the reviewed rules. Check Jax's latest rules link before finalizing that section.
- Ability scores: Either use standard point buy or roll 4d6, drop the lowest die, repeat seven times, and choose six results. Do not reroll ones. Once rolling starts, the results normally stand; exceptionally poor results can be discussed with Jax.
- Ability adjustments: +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1.
- Feats: Choose a level-1 feat. Jax will review the character and backstory and select or adapt an additional personalized feat. Companion arrangements may affect that additional benefit and need individual discussion.
- House rules: Proficiency with a weapon gives access to its special abilities. Use the setting's references for the expanded classes, subclasses, spells, feats, and backgrounds.
- Sheets: Any readable format is welcome. Share the sheet and backstory before the next meeting, even if the race section is unfinished. Send an updated copy or photo after level-ups.
- Miniatures: Distinctive, preferably painted miniatures are encouraged. Loaners, printing, and a possible painting session were discussed for anyone needing help.
How We Play Together
Humor and serious moments both have a place. The general tone is PG-13, with romance fading to black. We agreed to avoid on-screen child harm/endangerment and graphic depictions of animal harm. Wild-magic effects must respect the same boundaries; details of the expanded table and effect durations still need review.
Keep conflict within the party limited and discuss incompatible goals before they become a problem. Different personalities and motives can make good roleplay, but routine party theft and exploitation are unwelcome.
Jax will make workable rulings to keep play moving and revisit questions afterward. Genuine mistakes or misunderstandings can be corrected; completed combat actions are not routinely rewound. Private concerns can go through the one-on-one Discord channels.
We will begin with short recaps, with players welcome to contribute or take turns. The gem-inspiration introduction was simple: bank up to three inspirations and use inspiration for advantage. The full colored-gem system remains available in the rules reference.
Recording was discussed as a way for Jax to review sessions and prepare notes. Session reports will help the group remember events and let other wiki readers follow the adventure. Questions about recording or sharing can be raised directly with Jax.
Stars and Wishes
We practiced the closing round we will use at the end of sessions: a star for something enjoyed and a wish for something to see or explore next. Try to offer a distinct example rather than repeating the previous person's.
The group was excited to hear the character concepts and start exploring a new region. Jofuss looked forward to starting play and seeing the ancestry system come together. Kristina and Jim were especially interested in how these contrasting characters would interact. Angela wanted to explore the unexpected homecoming. Mark hoped to develop a character that would be fun and fit comfortably with the group.
Next Meeting
No game Saturday, September 12. The next planned meeting is Saturday, September 19, 2026. We will finish characters for as long as needed, then begin the opening scenario. Confirm the time and venue in the group channel.
We will continue with one player absent and suspend the campaign session if two cannot attend. Zoom is an option for remote attendance. If someone is more than 15 minutes late without a message, the group will start. Give advance notice of known conflicts; local football games may require the alternate venue.