Welcome to the Sunpetal Tavern!

Dungeons & Dragons meets Stardew Valley in the Sunpetal Podcast, featuring the Stewpot TTRPG by Evil Hat Productions. Join the story of Senán, Odysseus, and Delores in the Sunpetal Podcast.

[sunpetal-tavern]

Character Highlight: Odysseus

Mother and Father, I will never send this letter. Should you ever read it, know it is against my will. I despise you. The pain you have brought me is immeasurable, your words and distaste swimming in my head even after years of freedom. You cannot pretend to have loved me. I was simply a pawn on the board meant to bring you more power and more authority.  The time I spent on the Fey Realm was miserable. I was your talentless child, the one you desperately wanted to get rid of in the most convenient way. I hope I brought you trouble when I left. I hope alliances crumbled because you could not marry off your least favorite “daughter”. If there were one thing I could say to you, it would be this. I am better now than I have ever been, and it is no thanks to you. Your son, Odysseus

Ody attempted to write a few letters to his parents. Just like this one they were never sent. Join us Monday for the conclusion of Ody's arc in the newest episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Character Highlight: Odysseus

Odysseus - Sunpetal Tavern

A playlist for Ody, the lonely goat of Solana's Sword from the Sunpetal Tavern podcast.

You've heard Ody portrayed through words now listen to him potrayed...in song form! After listening to this fun playlist for our lonely goat, check out our podcast, Sunpetal Tavern, with new episodes every Monday!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Character Highlight: Odysseus

Entry 1 Vallion got me a journal, said it'd be healthy to record my thoughts. He's nice like that. I've been travelling with Atlas, Vallion, Sen, and Del for a while now. It's strange to me, to be so willing to trust them as I do. Somehow I never doubt that they're on my side, always willing to stay. I've never had friends before this. It's different. But it's really nice. I just hope they don't grow tired of me. I don't know what I'd do then.

So much has changed for Ody and the team since this was written and so much will change moving forward. Don't forget to listen to the newest episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern to see what will happen next to Ody and the rest of Solana's Sword!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Character Highlight: Odysseus

Take a look at the character sheet of Ody, the marvelous merchant with a passion for pegmatite! He maybe small but his Geomancy packs a punch! Join as we get to know this dazzling druid better and listen every Monday for new episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Tune in Monday for the next episode of Sunpetal Tavern! Not caught up? Listen to it on the following platforms and follow us on tumblr and bluesky for updates and bonus content!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Tales from the Tavern

#4 Sanctuary

Solana's Sword was more than just her party. The group were more than just her friends. They were her safe harbor from the chaos and torture her patron put her through.

Read time: 12 to 25 minutes

Del had been traveling with Odi’s party for a few weeks now. She had translated the writing in the cave for them, but they still suggested she stay. There might be more text in the future that needed translation, Valion had said, and it would be good not to have to track her back down. That made sense Delores supposed, and she didn’t mind staying with Odi for a while longer. Senán was great too, they seemed a bit flighty at first, but was so curious and fun to talk with. Even Vallion was welcoming, healing her injuries, and always happy to engage in some soothing chatter while on the road. Atlas… she was still unsure. He had worried her a lot, what with implying he might kill her when they first met, but he seemed to trust her, maybe. He was stern and inscrutable, Odi tried to assure her that he was always like that, but she couldn’t help but suspect her presence caused him some consternation, and that made her nervous. Overall though, she liked it here with these people.

Misavain though, that might be another issue. She had snuck off from the group a couple times to run his little errands. The collection of a contract for Misavain was disguised as a short diversion from the group for some spell components. The group knew about her contract, but Delores wasn’t sure how they would react to her actively taking souls, but she was damn sure they wouldn’t take it well. Usually, warlocks only gave their souls up, but Misavain was crafty, why only get one soul out of a contract when you could get loads? It was a clever strategy, Del had to admit. All the contracts she had a hand in appeared as a page in the back of the tome she carried, the tome she drew her powers from. As more pages appeared, she swore her fire had a little more heat to it, her magic a little more power. Sometimes she would flip through the pages, looking at the signatures of people from all walks of life, all over the realm. They did agree to it, it was their choice, and there was some kind of reward for the signatories. Still, she rarely sought people out anymore, like she did in the beginning. Now she only brought people to Misavain as he requested (lately more so ordered) it. 

He seemed- more tense recently, the kind that hinted at a storm of anger that could burst forth at any point. But she didn’t feel his presence very strongly when she was with the party, not the way he did when she was away. It was still there of course, but muted, limited to flickers at the edge of her vision and the like. Something about Atlas and Vallion maybe. She hated to admit it, but it was kind of nice. 

Tonight though… tonight she had to see him, his instructions were clear even through the haze of her dreams in which he appeared. 

The group set up camp for the night and put together a quick dinner. As they readied for bed and Odi got ready to take the first watch, Del excused herself, claiming she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to take a walk out away from camp. It looked a smidge suspicious, but who cared honestly? Hells it wasn’t like she could just go “Oh off to pop off and visit my evil patron who you hate so much you think my existence is a crime! I’ll be sure to say hi for you!”. They probably suspected it was something with Misavain, but they had the tact not to ask. Del walked across the trail into the woods they were camping nearby until she came to a rock formation that had been shown to her last night. She took a piece of charcoal and drew Misavain’s symbol on the stone wall.

The drawing blazed to life with orange sparks as Misavain appeared before her. Delores sunk to one knee, bowing her head. 

“Sir, you wished to speak with me.”

The devil towered before her, black eyes boring down into her, “Yesss, you’d been… less reachable than I like you being Hightower. You know how I hate those damn sunshiney Solana people. They make it so much more difficult to get through you mortals’ thick skulls.”

Delores tensed as Misavain sighed, huffing a cloud of smoke in annoyance, “Anyways,” he said in the same tone you’d use to announce dinner plans, “you need to kill them.” 

Del’s jaw dropped “What?!?” 

“Yes yes Hightower, kill them. Or get their souls, honestly, that works too. Though I don’t imagine the big one would be too crazy about it, him you’d have to kill for sure, his hubby over there, probably kill, but I do see something… ah nah just kill him. The other two, 50/50 honestly, I don’t give a shit.” 

Her eyes grew wide, “I- I- I can’t, you don’t… N- no.” 

Misavain let out a snort, “No? Delores Brigid Hightower, I own you. If I’m asking you to jump, you say how high sir, if I’m asking you to kill that fucking paladin, you ask how painful to make it.”

“I can’t…” Delores’s voice was small, desperate, “I can’t, they’re my friends, they’ve been nothing but good, Odi’s my oldest friend, he trusted me-“

“Please,” the devil interrupted, “quit being so pathetic, just be glad I’m even giving you the option to keep that stupid little goat alive. Now, I want them dead or signed over to me, and I’ll be watching and making damn sure you’re gonna do it.” He crouched down next to her and snarled in her ear, “And trust me, I’m gonna be turning your life into a living nightmare till I get what I want.”

With a flash of fire and heat, Misavain vanished, leaving Del to stumble back to the camp, feeling sick and confused. Her head swam with thoughts, but when the fire came back into view, Senán sitting beside it chatting with the air, one string of thoughts overwhelmed everything.

“LookAtThatStupidMeliaeYouShouldKillThemLookAtHowPatheticYouAreDeloresYouCowardDoWhatYou’reTold—“

Delores let out a yelp, and Sen turned around in surprise, “Del? Are you okay? What happened?”

All the blood had drained from her face, this must have been what Misavain meant when he said he’d make her life a living hell. 

Sen walked up to the edge of camp where Del had sputtered to a stop, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sick? You look terrible!” Del looked up at their friend only to see their mouth oozing blood.

She jumped back in terror before the red staining Sen’s face flickered away. Misavain’s tricks had never been that strong before, he was determined to get Del to comply on this. 

“Del?” The usually light and airy Sen grew serious, “What is going on? Do I need to get Atlas or Val? Maybe Odi?”

Del shook her head emphatically, trying to drown out the string of threats racing through her brain “No. No no no I’m fine I don’t need anything, I just- I just think I’m starting to get a migraine, yeah, must be the seasons or something.” She gave a weak smile.

“Oh…” Sen said, still uncertain, “Why do you think you have a migraine?”

Del gave a quiet nervous laugh “oh who knows, maybe got hit a bit harder than I expected last fight, or maybe it’s climate related, air pressure you know?” Her words tumbled and piled together, speeding up as she tried to pull away from Senan “I’m just gonna go to sleep! See ya…”.

She fumbled with her pack, trying to set her bed roll up close to where Vallion and Atlas slept. The string of thoughts running through her head faded to a relentless buzzing, but each time she glanced over, their sleeping bodies were lifeless. First, they were burnt to a crisp, then Del’s daggers were sticking out of their backs, then they lay splayed on the ground like they had fallen off a cliff. 

Delores curled into a ball, digging her face into her hands. She dozed off, but never for more than a moment. As soon as sleep took her, she’d be in a faint fuzzy dream, and she would be standing before someone, and she would take a dagger or magic or some other new and awful thing and kill them. It was Atlas it was Odysseus it was Sénan it was Vallion it was herself, and always there was him laughing and laughing and laughing. 

Del laid in her bedroll long after everyone got up, not sleeping, just trying to avoid looking at anyone. People moved quietly, trying to respect her “migraine”, but eventually they had to go. 

When she packed her things and stood to leave, she saw him. At the edge of the forest, leaning on a tree, was Misavain. When their eyes met, he waved a red-clawed hand and winked. No one else saw him, but she knew, this was real,  he was here. Maybe proximity to Solana’s holy people could protect her if he was gone, on some other plane trying to peer in, but if he was following them directly, there wasn’t much that could protect her now. 

He followed them for three days. The worst three days of Del’s entire life. She couldn’t look at the party members without seeing them gravely injured. She didn’t sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. If she let her mental guard slip for even a second her brain would be racked with

“WorthlessCowardDoWhatYouMustItWouldBeFunItWouldBeEasyYouCouldBeDoneJustDoItItCouldAllStopThey’reOnlyInYourWayYouWantToDoItTakeTheDaggerTakeYourBookTakeThatFlaskPushThemShoveThemPatheticWeakWilledStupidStubborn—” 

Sen, Odi, and Val tried to push, ask what was wrong. She didn’t tell them, they wouldn’t… no, she just couldn’t tell them. She pushed them back, claiming poor sleep, illness, and eventually just snapping, “I’m fine damnit! Just leave me alone!” The concerned words turned into tiptoeing around her. Odi especially was worried sick, kept leaving her extra food and handling her with kid gloves. Sen kept glancing around her head, like they were trying to find whatever spirit was making her act this way. Vallion tried to calm her edginess, give warm reassurance that she completely ignored. As much as Del should have appreciated them, it only grated her more. They couldn’t possibly know what she was dealing with, their pitying glances just made her hackles rise. Gods, why weren’t they terrible? If they were terrible this would be so so easy.

The only one that didn’t change was Atlas. He saw her changes, but kept the same space he always did, no closer, no further.

Finally, one night everything all caught up to Del. Her mind under constant siege, she had barely slept in over 48 hours. She lay, head swarming with violent thoughts, bloodshot eyes staring past the fire, past where Atlas kept watch, to Misavain. He sat on a rock, lounging back. The bastard looked so pleased with himself, picking at the grooves of his obsidian black horns. 

Del turned on her back and slammed her fists into the dirt, then stood up, eyes fixed on the spot about 100 yards away where Misavain sat. Atlas looked at her strangely, but she didn’t care. She marched over to where the devil was standing, and he stood up, grinning at her. 

“So, Hightower,” he asked as she rapidly approached, “you finally ready to—”

“FUCKING STOP IT!” Delores yelled at him, face bright red, eyes welling with tears.

Misavain was shocked, she had never even come close to speaking to him that way, no one had, “What did you just say to me Delores?” He asked, his voice dangerously low and level, 

“I can’t…” she gasped, breath ragged, “I can’t do it, ok? Kill me. Kill me if you want, but I can’t do it. I can’t hurt them.” She sank to the ground, arms curling around her knees “I won’t kill them.” 

She braced for some unholy wrath to come down on her, but instead, felt someone behind her lay a hand on her shoulder. 

“Oh hells,” Del heard Misavain mutter, annoyed.

Delores glanced up behind her. It was Atlas.

“Who are you talking to Delores?” His tone was calm, matter of fact, “Who can’t I see?”

“Aww, poor baby needs someone to save her?” Misavain cooed mockingly, “Come on, you know what ends this Delores.”

Del sat, frozen on the ground, until Atlas asked, “Your patron?”

She nodded, Atlas continued “What does he want?”

“To kill you.” She whispered. 

“But devils can’t act in the mortal plane to that extent.” 

“But she can glowy-boy!” Misavain exclaimed bursting into visibility, “At least, she could if she wasn’t such a sentimental dipshit!” 

Atlas seemed… shockingly unfazed at a full-fledged devil popping into existence before him. He rose to his feet and stepped forward, “I imagine you’ve been behind what has been happening to Delores in the past days. Devils such as you rarely come to this plane of existence, why do you wish me dead so strongly?”

“Weeeellll-” Misavain said sing-songily, “it’s not just you, it’s your little husband over there and the goat and the forest thing too. And if you’d want I don’t have to make her kill you.”

Atlas tensed at the mention of Vallion and the others “Oh?” 

“Yeah! I can just take your souls! Can you imagine how much power, how much infamy that would give me? Either I get to have the blood of two to four of Solana’s little pets on my servant’s hands, ooorrr, I could have your souls! I’m so good with either option honestly.” He cracked a fanged grin, “If you want me to leave the kid alone, you could go ahead and sign over everybody’s souls. Easy peasy no sweat! You saw how mopey Hightower got, she was in agony! You don’t want her to be like that do you?” 

He took a deep breath, “Are you aware of what our quest is?”

Misavain huffed, “No, you think I care? All you little Solana minions are the same to me.”

“Perhaps you should. Skotos is to return.”

Misavain raised his eyebrows, “Ooh, Skotos huh, she’s been ‘’coming back’’ since I was knee high to a hellhound. Even if she is, why should I give a shit? The hells’ll still be around, maybe we’d even get some extra territory, that’d be nice.”

“Maybe so, but do you think that devils will really get to stay atop that hierarchy when Skotos returns? Do you think that she’ll be as easily impressed as your other devil friends?”

Misavain was quiet, his eyebrows knit together as he scratched his chin.

“If you want to stay in power, keep climbing the infernal ranks, it’s in your interest to keep the status quo. And if Skotos returns, the hells will be turned upside down, everything you worked for would be overshadowed, completely forgotten. Is that a risk you are willing to take?” 

Misavain sighed, “I suppose… it would be to my advantage if Skotos… stayed napping.”

Atlas nodded, “And we could not achieve this goal if the party is in danger from one of its own, so, if you release Delores from her current demand and the… motivation you have put on her-”

“Yes yes I understand, Hightower, you don’t have to kill those guys, or get their souls. I mean unless they want-“

“No.” Atlas firmly stated.

“Fine, fine, no souls. Unless you change your mind, doors always open, just talk to Hightower, she knows how to find me.” He gave her a wink, “And I’ll knock it off with my little nudges. Just try and make it so Skotos stays gone for, like, at least a couple more millenia.”

Atlas nodded wordlessly.

Misavain stretched out and cracked his knuckles, “Alrighty, if that’s done, I’m leaving this stupid plane now. Ugh it reeks, what’s that smell you mortals like? ‘Fresh air’? Forget that I need me some brimstone.” He disappeared in a flash of smoke, leaving Delores and Atlas behind.

Del sat on the ground, her mind stiller than it had been for days. Atlas sighed and turned around, offering her a hand. 

She hesitated for a moment, then took it. Atlas pulled her to her feet then turned around and walked back to the camp, their feet shuffling through pre-dawn dew. 

“Thank you.” Del said, “You didn’t… you didn’t have to-”

“No, I did.”

“Yeah,” she laughed a tired, congested laugh, “yeah I guess having some person with you wanting to kill the whole party and being totally useless-”

“Delores, no. You are a member of this party, just as much as Odysseus or Senán is. Just as much as Vallion or I am. If I have my reservations with what you do or how you do it, that’s entirely secondary to the fact that you are my party member, and for that reason we are going to keep you safe, just as I would hope that you would keep us safe.”

“I mean… it probably would have been easier…”

“Many things would have been easier, Delores, but none would have been right.”

Delores paused. Atlas had all the reason in the world to ignore her, leave her to the consequences of her choices, but he still helped her. He still stood before a devil for her, argued her case when she was too overwhelmed to speak, picked her up, and brought her back home. (Home, she really just thought of the party as home.)

“Thank you Atlas. Thank you.”

“Of course Delores.” 

They walked along in silence a few more beats.

“By the way, Atlas?” Del asked, “If you could call me Del sometimes, if you wanted to, I mean it’s not a big deal…”

Atlas smiled and nodded.

They approached the place where the party set up camp just as the sun was just breaking over the horizon. Vallion was sitting by the fire, seemingly he had taken over watch duty when Atlas left. He looked over at the two of them, and Atlas broke away to his husband.

“Is everything…”

“Everything’s alright sunpetal, I think there’s a town a few hours along the road. We should probably stop there and resupply. Maybe take an extra day to rest and recenter.”

Vallion glanced at the exhausted Delores and nodded “yes I think that sounds like a good idea. I’ll get some breakfast ready so we can leave as soon as Ody and Senan are awake.” 

“Actually,” Atlas interjected, “I can take care of breakfast, would you show Del some of the warding prayers that you do, I feel that might be of some help in the future.”

“Oh, um, of course dear, I’ll show you where the food pack is.”

Delores smiled, watching the sun break through the trees. Odysseus turned over in his sleep, muttering something about crystals of cheese. Senán curled up in their blanket, the spray of golden hair the only thing showing from under the covers. Vallion fussed good-naturedly at Atlas over the right way to use his good skillet. The sun spilled towards them, bathing the meadow in light that washed over her party. It was all so peaceful.

It's quiet tragic isn't it? The party brought Delores peace but it didn't last forever. To see what happened after the party broke up and why listen to the Sunpetal Tavern every Monday at 5:00 am and follow us on the following to get updates and bonus content.

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Character Highlight: Odysseus

Our first Character Highlight is on the opalescent Odysseus! Join us as we get to know this dazzling druid better and listen every Monday for new episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

The 9 Great Gods (Part 1)

In the last few episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern podcast we've mentioned the gods of this world a few times. Here is some information on the three that are perhaps the most important in the lives of Solana's Sword.

If you want to learn more or see how these gods play a role in our story check out the Sunpetal Podcast on any of the following platforms. New episodes every Monday at 5:00 am.

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Tales from the Tavern

#3: Atrophy

We can't choose how we come into the world but we can choose who we allow to experience it with us. Ody choose the members of Solana's Sword as his new family but when the party drifted apart what became of Odysseus?

Read Time: 1 to 3 minutes

Odysseus was awoken by a tap on the shoulder.

“Sir, you have to leave. We're closing.” came the tired voice of the barmaid.

He mumbled an apology, dropping a hefty handful of coins on the counter for her troubles.

Stumbling out into the cold air, he cursed himself for forgetting a jacket. And maybe he cursed himself for a few other things too, but that was neither here nor there. His cart wasn't far, he'd made sure to park close to the tavern in preparation for this exact walk back. That didn't stop him from tumbling face first onto the snow. He considered just staying there for a moment. Plenty of drunkards slept by the road, what's one more? Not like he had a whole lot of dignity left.

Nevertheless, he pulled himself up onto his hooves, and kept trudging through the snow. His cart wasn't a great deal warmer, he hadn't bothered to insulate for winter. But the worn mattress was ever so slightly more forgiving than the frozen street. He pushed a few empty bottles away, accidentally crystallizing one or two, and fell into an uneasy slumber.

Waking up with a hangover was not unusual for Odysseus. That didn't make it easier. He knew he needed money if he was going to buy any breakfast, so he whipped up a handful of sapphires and headed for the market, his stride slow but more steady than the night before. The jeweler wasn't surprised to see Ody again. He'd arrived every morning this week to trade his gemstones. And whether he'd been seen spending all the coin he received at the bar, was none of the jeweler’s business as long as the stones were to his liking. 

---

He wished he could stop shaking. Another night of remembering the betrayals of the past. He was making a fool of himself, he knew. Surely he looked ridiculous as he threw bundles of crystals against trees, dissolving the pieces before they hit the ground just to conjure another handful to throw. He shouldn't worry about looking silly. There is nobody there. There is never anybody there. He wished somebody was there.

---

Odysseus crumpled another half-written letter, tossing it aside.

“Dad Atlas,”

Wrong.

“My friends,”

Wrong.

“I miss you”

Wrong.

“Please come back.”

Wrong.

There is never anybody there. But by Solana’s light, he wished that anybody was.

Wouldn't it be great to see Ody finally able to meet his friends again? Listen to the Sunpetal Tavern podcast Monday to hear the reunion of Solana's Sword! New episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern Podcast come out every Monday. Check out our accounts here on Tumblr and on Bluesky for more updates on what we’re doing and bonus content.

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Thanks so much to Goose for the amazing art of Atlas and Vallion and @3rdteen for our wonderful promotional art and logo!

Do you have art of our characters you would like to share or a questions you would like to ask? Contact us on Bluesky, send us an email or an Ask here on Tumblr.

If you haven't listened to our first episode yet make sure to check it out on any of the following. A new episode will drop every Monday morning!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Tales from the Tavern

#2: Full Disclosure

Anemond the All-Knowing is the god of justice, of divinity, of truth. In his city, Delores learns the hard way what happens when well-kept secrets get revealed.

Read Time: 8 to 10 minutes

A harsh rapping at the door yanked Delores out of her doze. She looked out the window, early morning light barely filtering through the blinds. No one was supposed to be here for hours. 

She rolled over on the cheap collapsible cot, pulling her face off the book she’d passed out on. An ink stain had seeped into the back of her shirt, must’ve rolled over onto a pen again.

The knocking grew more insistent. Del quickly stood up then folded the cot and slid it behind a file cabinet, and pulled a blazer on before answering the door to her office. 

Before her stood Holone, a fellow student at the law school, and Tanyth, the night librarian, flanked by two guards and a priest. 

Del’s blood ran cold, if the Anemeon Guard was at her door… nothing she was doing was illegal… at least technically… 

“Holone… Tanyth…” Del asked apprehensively “what’s going on? Why are they here?”

Holone tilted her chin up, “You know why we’re here Delores, don’t play coy with us. We know what you have been doing.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve done nothing illegal, you… what do you think I’ve- Hey!”

The priest stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, his hand heating up and emitting a faint white glow.

Tanyth stepped forward and took a deep breath, “Ms. Sola, I am formally accusing you of commiserating with devils and seeking to destroy our holy city.”

Behind them, the soldiers remained expressionless, but their grip on their polearms tightened.

“No! That’s completely untrue!” Delores protested, but the priest's hand around her arm pulsed, searing hot enough to burn her skin. She yelped in pain.

“See!” Holone cried triumphantly, “She lies!”

The priest held up his free hand, “only partially madam, if she had lied fully there’d be little skin left for me to hold onto.”

He turned to Delores, “If you wish to keep that from happening again I highly suggest you tell the full truth.” 

“What evidence do you have of this alleged treason? Tanyth,” she turned to the pale, tired-eyed librarian, “Tanyth what are you talking about? What do you think I did?”

In a soft voice, Tanyth began, “you had always been interested in contracts, so when you started pulling out documents from our  infernal collections, I did give you the benefit of the doubt Del. But there was too much… you came back smelling of sulfur, disappearing whenever demonic councils are said to be meeting, you met with people known to be bound to devilish powers.”

“Tanyth, that’s absurd, what does that have to do with treason? It proves I have contact with the infernal sure, but that’s hardly against the law, where did you even get treason?”

“Well, with all that poor Tanyth noticed” interrupted Holone, “we couldn’t let the chance that someone was using our own resources to take us down go uninvestigated. So, we reached out to a oracle, and requested a look into you and your past and future dealings. In this, albeit limited, vision, you were seen consorting with devils, devils that are known to be a great threat to our city, and devils that have and are currently working against the interests of our city. So we petitioned for a warrant to search your office, and found troves of contracts spanning over 15 years, all to the devil known as Misavain, a devil who is known to be working against our interests. Clearly, you are working with him, planning to use the people in these contracts as pawns to overturn us.”

Del let out a long breath, “I… I do understand how this appears. I am connected with this devil,” 

Holone’s eyes lit up as she opened her mouth to proclaim victory, but Delores put up her free hand, stopping her, “I signed a contract with him when I was young. I cannot deny that he still has some slight sway over me, despite my best efforts. I also cannot deny that in the past I have worked with him willingly, often to ends that you would consider detrimental. However none of this was done during a time when I was under your jurisdiction.”

The group waited expectantly, seemingly expecting the priest's hand to flash with heat and send Del withering to the floor. But nothing changed. No lies were told.

“But…” Tanyth stammered, “ But what about all the stuff I saw now? The books, the meetings, all of that?”

“What about the contracts?” demanded Holone “Why would you have them if you aren’t working with him?”

Del bit her lip, “When I was in Misavain’s service one of the primary things I did was bring people to him to sign contracts. Typically to give up their souls. Often under ethically and morally dubious circumstances.” She took a deep breath, regaining composure, “There is never a moment I don’t regret this. I was able to significantly weaken my own contract through massive errors and oversights on Misavain’s part. I have a copy of each contract I had a hand in and I hope to find similar ways to help the people who signed them, and potentially people in contracts with other devils as well. For that reason I used the detailed records kept by the Oracles of Anemond and the legal school to find as many examples of infernal contracts and how they have been applied as possible. To fill in blanks I met with those who have lived experience with infernal agreements.”

The heat and light of the priest's hand remained steady. No lies were told. 

Finally, he dropped her hand, the burned skin angry red and blistered. 

“She has done nothing actionable. There is no reason to bring her into custody or to take any further measures in the eyes of the law.”

The eyes of the guards, as well as Holone bore into Del. Devils were considered the peak of evil to them, to work with one, even unknowingly, was considered the most shameful decision a person could make. For a person to work with a devil, willingly, for years on end, exploiting innocent people, she could only imagine the disgust building in them. But it was not explicitly illegal to be in a contract with a devil, and anything Del might have done was done long before she began living in the city and was subject to their laws. Still, even if she was immune in a court of law, the court of public opinion was another matter entirely. 

… It started slowly at first, in the next days Delores noted a few sideways glances and nasty whispers, mostly from Holone’s circle. Then it grew, people she had never even seen before avoided sitting near her in the library or cafes. Then came the letters. The professor at the law school who paid her to mark essays stopped sending them to her. The people who hired Del to check over business agreements or other legal documents sent notes stating her services were no longer needed, even at the steep discount she offered. Soon the letters morphed, becoming vicious, anonymous threats, calling her a monster, devil worshiper, hellspawn. She tried showing the letters to the authorities, hoping they could do something about the unyielding harassment, but the guard didn’t seem interested in tracking down the culprits. In fact, she swore she saw one of them tear up her complaint when they thought they were out of sight. 

…. Weeks later, sandwiched between an eviction letter and stacks of harassment and terminations, was another letter in a thick parchment envelope with a return address in a town called Maplebrook.  With the name Hightower circled with a question mark next to it, likely from the confused building supervisor.

Will Maplebrook be the chance Delores needs to start over? Listen to the Sunpetal Tavern podcast every Monday to hear about their adventures! And check out our accounts here on Tumblr and on Bluesky for more updates on what we’re doing and bonus content.

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Tales from the Tavern

#1: Homecoming

Not every adventure has a happy ending. See Senán in their final return to their old home as they’ve hit rock bottom.

Read Time: 8 to 10 minutes

“From around here?” Asked a man with more hair on his face than he had on his head and skin spread so tightly over his bones you would think he had never eaten a thing in his entire life. The old man drove an old creaking cart pulled by a single, weary mule. While the wagon was mostly empty now, bits of golden hay still lined the bottom. It wasn’t much of a cushion but the old man never intended to pick up a lone hooded traveler who was taller than the cart was long.

When there was no response the old man turned around to look back at the stranger. They had folded themselves into the cart with their knees to their chest and their head hanging low towards their lap. Since they’re back to the old man it was hard for him to tell if they had fallen asleep or if they were ignoring him. From the way their body swayed with every movement of the cart, the man assumed his passenger had fallen asleep but then the stranger slowly lifted their head and brought it back down in a thoughtful nod.

“Ei? Guess there all types ‘round Morning Creek. Used to be more back when that temple to Solona was built. That was a long time ago. Guess it’s too quiet even for monks and priests.” The old man chuckled to himself.

“You know, once there was this gnome fella used to live up by the graveyard. Really grump of a guy. Yes sir. But you could tell he was one of them that been through it. I always figured him to be one of them soldier types on account of all the scars and such. Never asked him about it though. Impolite. But it gotta be, you know? Too smart to be one of those adventurers. He was too particular too. But he was a good one. When some hooligans came and tried roughin up Widow Joan he stepped in and showed them what for. Shame about what happened to him though.”

“He always had some big old fey type with him. I think the kid’s name was…Sunny. Had golden skin just like the sun too. You kinda reminded me of ‘em. Know ‘em?”

The “fey type” the old man knew had long tight golden spirals that went all the way down their back and reminded him of maple leaves twirling in the autumn breeze. They were ever so kind and helpful though they rarely left the side of the gnome they lived with.

He looked back at the stranger to see if they would nod or shake their head but they didn’t do anything. Just swayed along with the cart. Had he offended the stranger? The old man wasn’t sure but he was wise enough to know that it was best to keep his mouth shut for a while.

As the cart neared a bridge, the stranger stood without a word, almost tipping the cart due to the sudden shift in weight.

“Whoa there!” The mule whined and complained as the old man forced the creature to stop. He turned around just in time to see the stranger leap from the cart and land, their hood falling back to reveal dark steel blue hair that fell limp and lifeless around their face. Their skin was a cold grey-blue like ice. They were like walking icicles with their chilly, passionless expression.

“I can take you into town proper if you…like.” The stranger was already gone, walking down a dirt path near the banks of the river that cut through the small hamlet that was Morning Creek.

“Odd one,” the old man said, shaking his head. “At least they paid me.”

~*~

While the path that led up to the old cabin across from the graveyard was very familiar to the tall pale visitor, it was rough and wild once it branched off away from the cemetery. The path was littered with rocks and roots hidden like traps ready to trip those not used to the difficult terrain. Even when the owner was still alive the cabin received fewer visitors than the graves across the way.

The cabin was in worse condition than the last time they were here. Without anyone to maintain it, nature had begun to reclaim it with the grass growing tall around it and moss growing on the walls. The wooden steps creaked under the weight of their footsteps as they walked up and unlocked the door using a brass key that hung around their neck.

The front room was covered in a thick layer of dust perfectly preserving the chaotic state that the place had been left in. Fragments of glass bottles still lay scattered across the floor from the last time the visitor came here. They had been in a rage and knocked the bottles once filled with oils, ointments, and potions used both medically and for ceremonies onto the floor. It hadn’t made them feel better at the time, only shame and even more anger.

In the present that anger had dulled into despair as they took an old broom and swept up the glass. They started with cleaning up the front room, dusting all the surfaces, and washing the countertops. They wiped off dishes that had been untouched for years and finally put them away and took the rug outside to air out.

As they went they remembered when they first arrived in the cabin. Somehow it looked worse than it did now. Back then the glass bottles that rolled around the floor smelled of liquor and there were no plates or dishes because the owner of the cabin never cooked for himself.

Back then it took months of work to clear a path to the second room that would become the visitor’s room. It wasn’t the cleaning that was hard, it was gaining the owner's trust. The owner of the cabin, a bitter old gnome, had been suspicious of everyone and everything and nothing escaped his notice. When they first started living together the visitor felt like they had to be careful not to upset him due to putting a book on the wrong shelf or dusting in a way he didn’t like. Eventually, they would learn there was a reason behind his vigilance. It was instincts developed over years of combat experience. They never knew the extent of things but it was clear that what he had been through had scarred him physically and mentally.

As a previous tenant, it was easier than expected to clean up their old room. Everything had been packed away waiting for the day they returned home but the planned pleasant reunion never came and the room stayed untouched until now. They dusted off the desk they used to sit at and study old tomes until their candle burned out and cleaned the sheets on the bed. There wasn’t much in the room; a bed, a desk, and a cabinet that should have been filled with clothes but was mostly books and a few abandoned garments that hadn't fit in their rucksack.

If you spend all your life with the dead you’ll end up just like them.

This was what they were told the day they left. It hadn’t made sense at the time especially since they had been taught how to be a Spiritcaller, a bridge between the living and dead. They had begun to understand now that they were alone, separated from friends they had made on their journey and the last person they could call family.

The sun had crawled across the sky and had nearly disappeared over the horizon by the time they got to the last room. It was easier to pretend that nothing had changed if the door stayed closed. As long as it remained just as it was they could forget. Well, they could try but it was a reality they couldn’t run from now that they had come this far.

With a deep breath, they entered the room. There was an enchantment on the room and as they stepped inside they felt the familiar magic accept them though it was much weaker than before. How much longer before all traces of him disappeared?

The room looked simpler in design than their room with only a bed and a locked chest but that was by design. There were traps hidden throughout the room and one by one they dismantled the traps with a bit of pride and fondness. They were shown how to do it properly once and only once. It still took time to get it all right and a few times they found themselves tied up or trapped in a net when simply trying to wake him or hand him breakfast in bed. Would he be proud now, to see that they still remembered?

Once safe they swept the last of the dust away and changed the sheets. Their eyes stung as tears blurred their vission. They kept telling themselves it was just the dust as they opened a window to let fresh air in. They were almost done switching out the old sheets for new ones when they noticed a hidden compartment under the chest.

They stared at it in confusion for a while before leaning down and pushing the chest out of the way. They couldn’t figure out how they missed it after all the years they had spent here. The compartment was locked both with an enchantment and with a key. It was easy enough to bypass the enchantment and the lock was opened with a simple spell. Compared to the usual forms of security it almost felt too easy.

Inside was an envelope, a dagger, an old bottle of wine, and a leather drawstring pouch filled with gold coins.

To Senán.

Senán traced the letters with their fingers before carefully peeling open the envelope and reading what was inside.

It had been a letter akin to his will, bequeathing everything he had to Senán. He told Senán the truth he had been holding back for so long out of shame and fear.

Senán wished they found this sooner. Before they sullied their hands with blood of the wicked and the innocent. Before they broke the balance of life and death, first out of desperation and then out of spite. Now the two, teacher and student, were more similar than either would have wanted.

“Cyril, you should have just told me. All this secrecy. All of these lies. Did you ever intend to honor your promise to outlive me?”

Saying it out loud made it sound ridiculous but it wasn’t until they had seen his grave that they realized how impossible that promise was. It had just been sweet words to comfort a grieving child.

Reality didn’t make the pain go away nor did it help the feeling of emptiness vanish. It just made the cabin feel all the more silent and the distance between this building and the next seem lifetimes away.

Want to learn more about Senán and see how they turn things around? Listen to the Sunpetal Tavern podcast every Monday to hear about their adventures! And check out our accounts here on Tumblr and on Bluesky for more updates on what we’re doing and bonus content.

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Wake up with the adventures of Solana's Sword in our debut episode of the Sunpetal Tavern! Follow the team as they achieve a feat that will forever mark them as heroes. But what is the price of becoming a legend? Listen to the adventures of Odysseus, Delores, and Senán every Monday with new episodes of the Sunpetal Tavern.

Check us out on the following platforms and tell us how you like the show by sending one of the characters a letter!

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Tomorrow is the release of our premier episode of the Sunpetal Tavern Podcast. Tune in Monday for the start of a tale about how a retired trio of adventurers come to a little place called Maplebrook to take over the tavern of an old friend.

Want to get to know more about our heroes? Check out the following platforms to listen to our trailer and a teaser episode.

Pinecast ~ Youtube ~ Spotify ~ Amazon Music ~ iHeart Radio

[sunpetal-tavern]

Wait did we just make an episode by mistake?

Please enjoy our warm up of the first time Solana's Sword went to a tavern together as we wait for the official first episode scheduled to lauch febuary 24th.

Teaser episode

A blast from the past!

[sunpetal-tavern]