Session 145: A desire to make cookies (2/21/21)

Martenin the 20th, 888 ID.

Bludgy rises to face Finian, and the rooster on his shoulder gives the halfling a dirty look. Five other patrons start to stir, several emptying mugs to hurl at the upstart sheriff. Finian wastes no time in rising to the challenge, immediately scrapping with his much larger opponent and shrugging off the objects that are thrown at him. He tries shouting to warn Indrid and Masaka of his situation, and sure enough the gorilla hears the commotion, racing downstairs with the swashbuckler. The combat is joined. With the exception of Indrid and one patron, no weapons are used, it's all brute fisticuffs, claws and biting. After taking quite a few blows, Finian finally falls under the pugilistic rain, but his companions save the day and clean up. There are no fatalities in the brawl other than Bludgy's rooster, which is skewered by Indrid's rapier, the halfling promising to cook the bird later. The barkeep of the Dirty Dagger Alehouse, Jek, seems awfully amused, thanking them for providing the entertainment, and pointing to where the sheriff left his weapons at the bar. 

They carry the sheriff back to the Gravers Guild, along with the whisky bottle that Bludgy had started in on, and the ingredients are complete for Oskar's 'scrying potion', which it turns out, is just a meal he is making from the grave moss, crow parts and electrum eel extract. While serving himself and the PCs for their good sportsmanship, they are introduced at last to Sir Stratton 'The Hat', the local chapter master of the Guild. He apologizes for the deception, telling them that they needed some way to test the mettle of the trio, and that they passed with flying, innovative colors. He reiterates that the Guild is short-handed, and so they can really use the help. A local sepulcher of olde, the Dwarf Lords' Rest, is the next 'dig' that the Guild has targeted, with the 'permission' of the local Gnarlbottom Clan. One Monch Gnarlbottom has given the green light to the operation provided that all religious items and artifacts be provided to the Hall of Mercies...purely historical relics or valuables can be claimed by the Guild in trade. Apart from the denizens of the Hall and the Guild, the 'dig' is to be kept secret.

Stratton says that of the remaining earnings, 50% will go the Guild itself, and the rest is to be divided evenly among those on the 'dig', apart from any laborers hired to come along. Speaking of which, he asks if they can hire on a linkboy and porter for the journey, to make the Gravers' lives easier as they are exploring the crypts. There was also supposedly a wizard or magical sort sent to Floivin by way of the neighboring Guild branch in Toul Tabor, but whoever it is hasn't shown up at the Keep. They often meet such prospects around Livenoak, and the Hat asks if the PCs can also make a road trip there to see if anyone fitting that description is loitering about. Masaka, Finian and Indrid are all given quarters on the second floor of the Guild after signing a contract ledger, and they decide to stay there overnight and tend their bruises from the Dirty Dagger scuffle and the tomb of Regnar Hammerbelt.

Martenin the 21st, 888 ID.

The next day they decide to deal with their foremost problems, the raising of Fleshless Tess and having a polymorph cast upon Masaka after he realizes he is permanently stuck in his gorilla form! Unhappily they trudge back to the insulting, bigoted dwarf Teven, to exchange some of their magical treasure for the necessary spellcasting. The twisted shopkeep uses identify to reveal a warhammer +1, cutlass +1, sword of chopping +2, amulet of insect repellant, iron ring of keys, and lastly the Stavian amulet of protection from good, which Teven seems particularly interested in due to its heraldry. It turns out that the old dwarf claims to have spent his childhood in Stavewulf, and hears the PCs tale of helping out Lester and what they found. The Worm informs them that the nobility of Stavewulf have long been suspected as vampires, and suddely Finian make a grim realization that Lester and his companions were not what they seemed...they trade away most of the items, as well as the holy symbol of Moradin and one of the two dwarven tomes they found, to cover the expensive spells. Masaka will have to return the following day so Teven can memorize the polymorph, but he raises Tess right back to her skeletal form.

As they exit and take Tess back to the Guild, she reveals that she is joining so that she can earn enough to one day bring herself back to life...apparently she was a soldier who was slain in a local conflict some two decades past. Teven had instructed them to make sure Masaka has enough constitution to withstand the transformation spell, so they head to the Cathedral of Blades to acquire a potion of endurance, and they end up trading their jeweled insect amulet in for just that, as well as a round of heals and a pair of cure light wounds potions. Finian then decides to head to Armory Square and speak with Major Rykki Winch about the revelation that the murders committed in Hobfast before they left might have been by vampires. She has received some notice about them but the cause of death was rumored to be a lizard man slumming around the town. Finian believes they refer to Zarzess who he knows to be a good bloke, and Major Winch promises to send some men with the new information that the sheriff has learned from Teven.

The PCs turn to head back towards the Guild again, but are distracted by a street urchin girl who tells them she has some information about their pursuers if they'll just speak to her in private. She leads them around an alley and then apologizes before fleeing...she has led them right to their quarry! Four tough and experienced looking halflings, each fighting with some sort of double weapon (quarterstaff, pair of swords, pair of daggers, and a strange pair of clubs attached with a chain), Hosspotch mercenaries through and through, let our heroes know that they've been ordered to rough them up...not to KILL them, but maybe make them bleed a little unless they swear to leave the Province. The PCs refuse, of course, and a brutal melee ensues. The fight is close, Masaka and Finian nearly being brought low, but they manage to knock out one of the enemies, and Indrid slays another with a deft strike of his rapier. The other two (bearing the swords and strange multi-part staff) flee, one heavily wounded. They look about for the girl, but can't find her, and strip the two halflings they defeated of their weapons, coin and armor.

They return to Armory Square once more to speak with Private Haskydd, who takes the body to bury and then the other unconscious Hosspotch is to be hospitalized and then placed behind bars. He says he'll question him when awakened. The PCs use their newly acquired potions and head back to the Guild to rest again, licking their wounds. Oskar promises to keep watch in case the rogue Hosspotch elements attempt to breach the building and take revenge...

Martenin the 22nd, 888 ID.

By morning, that hasn't happened, and the trio heads back to Teven the Worm for Masaka's polymorph. He quaffs the potion of endurance to improve his chances of surviving the process, and so he does, and the Worm transforms him back into a half-elf...but not quite the same as his original form, since the old dwarf has nothing specific to reference from. While still handsome and charismatic, Masaka's new body almost looks like a caricature of a half-elf that you'd imagine from some fireside story. With darker hair and a twirly moustache (probably the Worm's idea of a joke), the druid settles into his new 'self', and the PCs prepare to set out and find the hirelings and wizard for their first Guild 'dig'.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Masaka Reddenbalm

NPCs

Sir Stratton 'The Hat' (human male): A middle-aged man just under six feet, his long brown hair has the consistency of straw, bristling down to his shoulders, and also from beneath the magnificent leather capotain he wears. A variety of knives and daggers are buckled onto this hat, and several larger blades are sheathed at his belt. He wears an attractive velvet cloak over a set of perfectly maintained, studded leather armor. His blue eyes have a friendly but exhausted look upon them and his smile is ever so slightly crooked enough to expose a few silver teeth.