Session 158: He is Risen. Again. (11/13/22)

This is the first session in which we switched to the Pathfinder 2nd Edition rules. 

Verget the 6th

After a hardfought victory against the Hosspotch traffickers and Low Crow slavers, Finian is relieved to find his parents and siblings in the quarry, along with two strangers, one of whom turns out to be a fugitive of the Hare Runners tribe of Vandrokk, and the other a former barmaid at the Crimson Harpy who was kidnapped after being caught taking from the till. The PCs find keys to free them all, and then searches throughout the quarry, finding several bags of treasure on a mine cart behind a false wall (that leads to a somewhat-intact shaft into the earth), a few chests of fancy wardrobe, an old ballista, and some weapons and coin on the fallen enemies. They gather everyone up, mend any wounds they can, and march at dawn, hard to the Pinewater, where the Garbal awaits.

Verget the 7th

A bit indignant that they're traveling with a corpse, Gary's remains are moved to the rear of the barge while Finian's family occupies the cabin. They pass through Cedarway where Billfro, Finian's rash younger brother, decides to get off and explore. They continue south onto the Well and towards Great Axe Isle, where they seek to have Gary raised at the Hall of Mercies. En route, they are surrounded by a trio of scaly, sinewy humanoids, but a confrontation is avoided. At the stone docks north of the Hall of Mercies, they purchase some fish and converse with a local angler about the Isle, before Finian, Blake and Indrid head off with the corpse to the Hall. They are met by a number of heavily armored dwarf sentries, who are confused as to why Finian cannot speak Dwarven (being a Dwarf) but his human and halfling companions can. 

Eventually, after being thoroughly vetted, they meet the Lady of Life, who turns out to be the same priestess that awaited them at the tent outside the Dwarf Lords' Rest. She knows that Finian and Gary are not who they seem to be, not dwarves, and that Finian carries the head of the Axe of Dwarvish Lords upon his person. In return for bringing back Gary, she requests that the Axe-head be brought to its rightful bearer, Brofous Bellowbroth, a charitable paladin who roams the western regions of Floivin Province. He feels highly compelled to comply with her wish, and after some further discussion, they leave the Hall back to the docks. It is decided that Finian's family will remain and take up residence in an abandoned guard shack not too far from the shoreline, and that Tarkys, the ex-Vandrakki, who has blood oathed himself to the PCs for freeing him, will protect them, at least until things cool down with the renegade Hosspotches. Fond farewells are said.

Back at the Garbal, Finian, Indrid, Fest, Tab, Blake and Myrsha wait, until Gary at last arrives, having been raised by the Lady and several of her acolytes. They embrace, although the druid is fairly weak as he adjusts from his death-state. They set out in the late afternoon to Tarndim, and arrive as darkness falls once more. Blake, his privates and Myrsha all say their fond farewells to the PC, welcoming them back whenever help is needed. The trio then decides they will sleep at the docks after Indrid gets them some finger foods, coffee and liquor at the nearby Alebraids Brewery.

Verget the 8th

The PCs set out west to Hobfast, hoping to clean up some loose ends and find Brofous Bellowbroth, when they find themselves surrounded once more by the scaly things, only MORE of them. The creatures once again decide against confrontation and swim off East toward the shores near Tarndim, so Gary transforms into a bird to fly off and warn the soldiers. First he swoops low, to try and communicate, but is met with a nasty barbed spear throw that thankfully misses. He finds Private Tab at the Wellwatch Tower, notifies him of the potential threat, and then heads back towards the Garbal. Though they are nervous about what these watery raiders might be up to, they continue west towards Hobfast, where their adventure began...

PCs: Blake Bauerkroft/Gary Greasewax, Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch

NPCs

Alba Redfoot (halfling female): The kindly, frail matron of the Redfoots, Finian's mother is missing most of her teeth beneath a silver bun of hair, but that doesn't stop her from being one of the best home cooks out of Hobfast.

Billfro Redfoot (halfling male): The brash, younger brother of Finian, with unkempt hair and sideburns, swings a sling around as he struts and has an attitude that can rub nearly anyone wrong, also feels he is in constant competition with his brother, tries to be interested and complimentary but is constantly looking to make some snide boast or insult.

Myrsha (human female): A freckled young woman with dirty red-orange hair, she wears little more than a large burlap sack and a pair of wooden sandals.

Quintin Redfoot (halfling male): The patriarch of the current Redfoot family, well into his years, Qintin is a portly fellow, balding with gray flops of hair over his ears and wireframe spectacles, who hobbles about on a walking stick. 

Shar, The Lady of Life (dwarf female): A striking female dwarf, barefoot and dressed in a diaphanous gown steps towards you across the polished stone of the Hall. Her eyes are unusual, seeming to change color before your own, never quite locking down on a particular hue, and her flame-colored hair is set in an elaborate pattern of braids that hangs behind a central bun. Strangely, she has grown carefully groomed sideburns that creep along her jaw-line, beset with jeweled rings, but not giving off the masculine appearance that a full beard might. 

Tarkys (human male): A tall human with a limber but powerful frame, he wears little more than a pair of leather shoes and filthy cloth breeches. His exposed chest, back and arms are criss-crossed with what look to be ritual scars, and his long sandy hair hangs down his back and also into his steely grey eyes. He is chained much more severely than the other prisoners in the quarry.

Winipeel Redfoot (halfling female): Perhaps the sanest or most grounded of the Redfoots, an anchor for her family, she is gracious and favors floral-patterned dresses to sway about with her red-brown hair.

Session 157: Where the Wind Crows (5/31/22)

Verget the 5th.

The PCs manage to butcher the first of the lake trolls, sending the other fleeing out (presumably) into the lake. They search through the remains in their lair to not much avail, and then decide to gather up Gary's remains and head back to Tarndim on the trail of the Hosspotch smugglers they saw fleeing earlier. The locals who saw them claim that the halflings continued eastward across the Skunk Ridge. Blake musters a pair of soldiers to accompany them in case they need some manpower. They decide to take out the E.E. Garbal, the barge they purchased, so they can keep a close scan on the shoreline for the fugitives while they head towards the meeting place where Finian's family might be held captive, and possible make a stop off at Great Axe Isle and the Hall of Mercies, to potentially raise Gary.

En route, as they near the point where the Pinewater joins the Well, they spy a rocky promontory, where a massive figure sits by a firelight talking to something else...presumably a pet. Indrid and Blake creep up to scout out the situation, when soon a booming, threatening voice greets them, and an eviscerated cattle is launched down upon them, missing as it rains its insides out over the hillside. The pair decide it wise to retreat back to the barge, and the group continues on towards Cedarway up the Pinewater.

Verget the 6th.

They moor the Garbal in Cedarway and ask around, but none have seen the halfling smugglers. They check the Bounders Meet campsite where they meet the centaur Nazlareth Moontemper of the Bounders, who trades them a few healing potions and encourages them on their way. They get back on their barge and proceed north until a point near the map they saw, and then moor the craft, stowing Gary's remains on board. After a brief journey, they arrive at a quarry which is heavily guarded by a mixture of cloaked, secretive halflings and savages of the Low Crow tribe from Wintersbreath. They plan out a grand strategy but it is quickly abandoned when they are spied by a mutant dire crow that serves the tribe.

A ferocious battle ensues, as they face down not only a cabal of murderous criminals but a Low Crow shamaness and several chakram-hurling Vandrakki. Soon the battle is joined by another trio of nefarious figures...Harley Hosspotch, Masaka/Gary's cousin Balo Reddenbalm (who turns out, is not so dead or kidnapped), and a gaudy looking halfling wearing purple with all manner of tricky magical abilities. Miraculously, the PCs persevere and whittle down the array of enemies, slaying their treacherous cousins and routing the Low Crows. The purple-garbed bard manages to vanish when the tide turns, and a few smugglers potentially scurried off into the hills, but the threat to Finian's folk has been quelled...for now.



PCs: Blake Bauerkroft, Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch

NPCs

Balo Reddenbalm (wood elf male): A wiry, handsome wood elf with a head of short, stylish hair that looks as if he’s constantly groomed it. Tattoos cover a part of his neck and look as if they extend down his arm, and he wears a fine green cloak with a golden trim. Daggers and vials are stuck through a bunch of loops in his belt, and he absent-mindedly fidgets with a thin, coppery sword.

Nazlareth Moontemper (centaur female): Standing 7’ tall, this creature has the body, legs and tail of a horse with a coarse, brown-black coat. From the waist up she is an exquisite woman, full-breasted with a muscular torso and arms. All her skin is dyed with some pale white pigmentation, with black tribal designs including star and moon shapes that surround her violet eyes. A thick mane of black-gray hair is braided elaborately down her back, and she wears a mail brazier, plated shoulder pads, and a violet and gray shawl over where a saddle might normally be slung. A knotted oak spear the size of a man is clutched in her right hand, its head of sharpened bone or ivory, and a longbow and quiver of arrows are carried over her shoulders.

Private Fest (human male): A thickly moustached infantryman of the Last Eidolorn Guard, he serves under Blake at Tarndim, and is one of the two mustered to accompany the PCs towards the slave tradeoff.

Private Tab (human male): A young crossbowman of the Last Eidolorn Guard, he serves under Blake at Tarndim, and is the other of the two mustered to accompany the PCs towards the slave tradeoff.

??? (halfling male): A flamboyant, well-dressed halfling in purple frills, with a fancy tophat and a slender parasol crowned with a gilded weasel’s skull. He dons a colorful thespian’s mask over his face, flanked by deep auburn mutton chops. Around his neck hangs what looks like a silvery hybrid of flute and whistle, and the backs of his black leather gloves have thin blades wedged into them. A strapped-shut book hangs on a waist-chain.

Session 156: Claws - The Revenge (5/1/22)

Verget the 4th.

The night before setting off for the smugglers' caves with Mayor Bauerkroft, the PCs decide they're going to do something with the animated golem arm they found in the Dwarf Lords' Rest. They get Indrid quite drunk, while Gary has healing at the ready, and decide to saw off the halfling swashbuckler's arm, much to the chagrin of the innkeeper. The process is grueling, and despite their preparations, blood gets all over their rented room, before finally they get some rest. During the amputation, the PCs think they notice someone is by the window.

Verget the 5th.

After the traumatic ordeal the night before, the PCs awaken for some breakfast at the Steady Oar, and then head out to meet Blake, who it turns out is already waiting for them. Indrid notices that when he focuses, the arm seems to pay attention to his sword swings and other moments, but when it is idle it tends to still have a mind of its own. He will have to master its use. The Mayor leads the trio to some lakeside caves a few miles west of Tarndim, and they find that the place has several tracks which have been used, but enough of them that they are individually hard to discern. The entrance they use is heavily trapped with shards of sharp wood, hidden broken glass beneath the sand on the floor, and bucket swings, but the group manages to navigate through it.

They find a massive, flooded cavern and Gary changes shape to swim about and explore, but the party is ambushed by a trio of massive freshwater crustaceans! The slippery floors they are standing on make the fight much more difficult than it would be otherwise, and Gary wild shapes into a giant crab to match up with the crayfish, but he is sadly taken to pieces by several of their brutal attacks. Indrid, Finian and Blake finish the fight, avenging the fallen druid, and then claim his remains. After a brief mourning, and a vow to have the lost one returned beyond death, they explore deeper into the caverns, finding a smugglers' niche which looks as if its been recently used.



There are several maps scribed onto the rocks, as well as ledgers of transactions between Harley Hosspotch and a gang of his smugglers', apparently working as a splinter group of the Hosspotch crime family and committing acts repulsive to even Grandfather. Finian finds traces of one of his siblings' clothing, and they note a bird marked on one of the crude maps near where the Vernal Wall and the Pinewater River meet north of Cedarway. They find an exit out onto the Skunk Ridge above, but turn back to finish exploring the caverns while they are still here.



Where the water enters the cave, they find some shallow waterfalls in which glint coins and other baubles, almost a trail which continues up the top and back through the stream. A splintering tunnel reeks of raw death, and after traveling down it they find corpses of many lake and shore creatures, as well as some humanoids...and lairing near the remains, a pair of hideous lake trolls!

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

Session 155: Downtime, Down the Hatch (2/6/22)

Martenin the 31st-Verget the 3rd.

The PCs spend a number of days in downtime, identifying items they acquired at the Dwarf Lords' Rest with Teven the Worm, getting Fleshless Tess raised back to her skeleton self, upgrading armor and equipment and dodging shady individuals that they think might be spying on the guild for the Hosspotches. Crethrien and Oatmeal disappear to their normal civilian lives, while Mel and Oscar hold down the Guild Business. Sir Stratton heads off to talks about the next potential dig for the Guild, wasting little time. There are apparently two possibilities, one at the new 'highway' being built between Skachalo and the provice of Melethesz (through the Vernal Wall), and another a mysterious cavern network that has recently been discovered near the recently built Fort Gurd in the Northwest of Floivin Province.

Verget the 4th.

A mysterious dispatch is received by Finian which puts him in a tight spot, as it appears that his direct family is in danger by some rogue continent of the Hosspotches...the note appears to be from Grandfather himself!

Finian, Indrid and Gary make haste to find a boat that can cross the Well, and finally meet a rugged man by the name of Garbal who they will pay to row them North to Tarndim. After heading back to tell the Guild their business, and gathering some supplies, they rejoin Garbal and set out. After a few hours, they find a mysterious black barge, which looks as if it had been burned and/or damaged, but they decide to ignore it for now. Soon after, as they are growing nearer the north shore of the Well, they encounter a massive, mutant catfish which assaults their watercraft. The fight is brutal, and Garbal is consumed in a single gulp by the creature, before the PCs manage to slay it with some clever swordplay and Gary wild shaped into a giant pike! The druid decides to tow the boat, AND the catfish prize, into Tarndim, where it attracts much curiosity. The fishermen on the docks carve it open and find Garbal's remains and some other items which they pass on to the PCs. Indrid and Gary travel to the Tarndim Shipyards just outside the village where they purchase a river barge for the morrow.

As evening sets in, the PCs get some free samples at the local brewery, and decide to pay the local Hosspotch Holdings a visit, which they do carefully. The local proprietor, Hurn, agrees to speak with them and aid them the best he can, but doesn't know much about where Finian's captive family might be held. He has been ordered by Grandfather to assist. Still not trusting the Hosspotch family, the PCs head to the Steady Oar to procure rooms for the night, where they make the acquaintance of the mayor, Blake Bauerkroft, celebrated hero of the Province. The mayor hears their grievances and says he does know of a lakeside cavern network where smugglers have been known to gather, and he himself will guide them there on the following morning.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

NPCs

Blake Bauerkroft (human male): Nephew to a former Regent Reginald Bauerkroft, Blake is one of the few non-military mayors in Floivin Province, assigned to the small fishing village of Tarndim to conduct affairs there. He's lightly bearded, with orange hair, and presumable in his mid to late 40s. He also looks as if he's seen a few fights, with scarring along his jawline, arms and hands. He wears a suit of well-kept but broken-in chainmail.

Garbal (human male): A muscle-armed, tanned man in his early 50s, with short curly gray hair and a matching chin goatee, he's the pilot and 'captain' of a rowboat named Lotty and briefly transported the PCs from Floivin Keep to Tarndim before being devoured by a giant catfish in the Well.

Gredgeon (human male): An exhausted looking man of some sixty years, with sad-ringed eyes and unkempt facial hair, he works out of the Steady Oar in Tarndim and constantly sports an apron smeared in fish grease. His left eye tends to wander out of its normal position from time to time, which can make conversation awkward.

Holby Hosspotch (halfling male): A stout halfling with a protruding belly so large that it almost gives him a spherical appearance. His dirty blonde hair is cropped short and slicked down with some manner of grease, and the top of his left ear seems to have been gnawed off by a wild dog or some other beast. He wears a cloth apron full of utilities, and chews on a wad of lakeside reeds.

Hurn Hosspotch (halfling male): A dour halfling male whose face resembles a block of wood chiseled with a nose, eyes, ears and brows. His dark hair is unkempt as a contrast to his ordered features, but cut right at his neckline. He wears a practical, deep green merchant’s vest over navy blue breeches, and has a ledger tacked to a wooden board, tucked up under his left arm. A silver windup watch on a chain swings from his opposite wrist.

Polma (human male): A filthy street urchin with a no-nonsense attitude, a tobacco habit, and poor manners who is often employed as a courier by various businesses and military personal within Floivin Keep. He's yet another commoner to strike it rich and the hands of Finian Redfoot and his propensity to over-tip the help.

Jetta Mandas (human female): A wiry girl barely out of her teens, she nonetheless has strong hands and wears a mail shirt she crafted herself. Her hair is kept in a short, dirty blonde bowl, she has eyes of a piercing green, and she has three beauty marks on her right cheek which seem like points to form a triangle.

Session 154: Dwarf Lords' Unrest Part VI - Daylight (1/9/22)

Martenin the 28th.

The PCs put Oatmeal to work sifting through the bone-pile in the hook horrors' lair, while Finian and Indrid watch the baby hook horrors to make sure they don't cause any trouble. At one point, the porter stumbles across a steel-jawed dwarven trap that was also hidden in the bonepile, but manages to avoid getting snagged within it. They find a number of curious objects, some coin, and most importantly, a small coffer with the final entrance rune on the lid. Gary detects magic on the piles of goodies they have acquired in the last few areas. Then the group decides to rest for a day to get Gary back in working order. On Indrid's watch, he notices familiar blue glows coming from the wall of a nearby cavern, and thus Mel casts up another illusionary wall to obscure the group while they rest up.

Martenin the 29th.

The Guild rises and the awakened Gary casts a round of healing to help get the group back to the entrance, and they all decide what it is left they'd like to check out. They agree to avoid the chamber with the silver dust ward and vibrating obsidian urns, but they want to take a closer look at the natural cavern with the glass webs. As they get closer, the PCs notice there are other glassed sections deeper into the cave, but ultimately decide its not worth it to pursue searching the web itself. They continue on to the entrance area of the Rest, where they are once more confronted by the three blue-limned undead dwarves they had already defeated! The fell things get some good hits in on Indrid, but are unable to defeat the PCs who are now higher level and better armed.



At the entrance, the group decides to skip the rune placement, holding on to the dozen stone runes, and Gary uses stone shape to get around the entrance, sealing it up behind them. When they emerge, it is evening on the Crown Pasture. Url Gnarlbottom still waits for them, but he has been joined by a priestess from the Hall of Mercies. They speak briefly with the Guild, then load them into a covered wagon to take them back to Floivin Keep. Url tips off some soldiers and exchanges words, assumedly giving them the go-ahead to re-establish their watch tent near the Rest, and they roll off to the Guild. Oskar is elated to see them all again, embracing Sir Stratton, and the whole company enjoys a toast at their success before getting down to dividing their spoils...

The Gnarlbottom/Hall of Mercies contingent takes a few important religious relics and items of historical value, but doesn't argue much with giving the Guild much of the wealth. Oskar does warn the PCs that several rough-looking representatives of the Hosspotch family have been around inquiring about their whereabouts. Soon Url departs, and Indrid counts the remainder of the wealth, half of which will go straight to Mel, Tess and the Guild vaults, and the rest to the three PCs. At the request of the PCs, Stratton generously tips Crethrien and Oatmeal an additional 100gp, more wealth than they've owned in their lives, and they are quite happy. The Guild retires for the night, preparing for their shopping on the morrow.

Martenin the 30th.

The PCs awake to a nice breakfast cooked by Oskar. Sir Stratton has gone off for the day to discuss further expeditions for the Guild, one of which might be from the Skirkwhistle Mining Co. that are responsible for building the highway route beneath the Vernal Wall East to better connect Floivin Province and Melethesz for trading purposes. It appears that there are saboteurs and other dangers the engineers have come across that they can't handle themselves. The group heads outside to head off to Teven the Worm, and while they don't notice any Hosspotches nearby, Finian spies a group of rugged looking humans holding a conversation nearby that cast him some curious glances.

At Teven the Worm, the PCs begin the long process of identifying the properties of their magical haul from the Rest. There are too many for the Worm to handle in a single day, so they will return on the morrow, and they also trade him enough that he'll animate Tess again the following morning.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

Runcee (dwarf female): This stout dwarven woman wears a deep green cloak with a brass tinted trim of rune-shapes, and keeps the hood drawn over much of her face. There are similar runes, blue tattoos that are visible on her chin and cheeks, and she has surprisingly soft, wide eyes when revealed.