Verget the 9th
By the light of the morning, our heroes more closely examine the 3-D map they found stashed beneath Boyl's Baubles, and realize that it must belong to the Crowslode, the dangerous cavern network in the northern Vernal Wall of Floivin Province. It's a miracle of fine glass and stonework, and each of the nine layers is labeled differently, from initial cavernous levels to an underwater lake, a massive bridge through the underdark, a maze of crystals, and an Illithid city! They decide to bring this to the Eidolorn Guard, specifically Lt. Silverstrings, who says they can keep it. She ultimately hides it for them in one of the barracks until it can be transported to the Gravers Guild in Floivin Keep, but not before Indrid and Finian carry it back and forth to their river barge...
Which they find has been broken into by some creature dragging mud and lakeweed behind it. Finian climbs above Roy's Rods, Reels & Rubbers to get a better look, and notices that the strange muddy tracks are all over the docks, not just on their own vessel. Indrid rushes back to warn the Lieutenant again, fearing that these might relate to the lake creatures that Gary had a brush with on their way over to Hobfast a day or so before. Supplies are gathered, and the PCs head west from Hobfast to try and locate the dwarf Brofous Bellowbroth, to whom Finian is supposed to deliver the volcanic axe-head artifact.
After some hours of travel, where the Tooth Marsh darkens beneath a thicker canopy, they run across some mounds of orc corpses forming little hills. It turns out that they are being 'worn' by large, turtle-like creatures who try and add the PCs to their collection! However, using a flurry of blades, arrows and druid magics, the creatures are rather quickly dispatched...other than one which has the common sense to surrender, as they possess a limited speech and intelligence. The creature, retreated into its shell, begs for its life by giving them information...it knows a bit about the dwarf Brofous, and also warns them away from Cheeky's Hollow, a location they were headed towards.
They let the creature (a graveshell) go, and head west anyways, thinking they will find Saffron, a local druidess who can guide them, or perhaps Brofous himself, but when they arrive, the Hollow has been covered with thick vegetation and a pulsing plant door which is sealed. They encounter a strange old man, the 'Trufflefinder General' of the Eidolorn Empire, who doesn't seem all that right in the head. He attempts to enlist the trio into helping him break into the plant-crusted marsh hill where he might find some exotic specimens of mushroom for the Royal Table of Emperor Borth, but they turn the man down. Regardless, in exchange for some shroom-scavenging, he directs them closer to wear Brofous is holed up near Midge Creek, where he assists orc refugees fleeing from Sothos Karr into the Empire.
The trio parts ways with the mysterious elder, and travels several hours more into the evening, when they encounter thick, rolling fogs across the reedy, tree-speckled marshes. As they pause to set up camp, there is a steady, heavy thumping that shakes the earth nearby!
PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch
Eriel Swann (half-elf female): A striking, lithe young woman with delicate
features, her ears just pointed enough to reveal her elfin heritage. Bright
blonde hair serves as a contrast to the full set of black leather armor, boots
and gloves that she wears, and her satin cloak is deep purple. She carries a
mandolin of finely carved birchwood, and a bone-hilted saber hangs by her side.
Grum'brol'so (graveshell female): A large, turtle-like predator with a spiked shell, small but bright yellow eyes and a curiously shaped, toothy maw twisted into a perpetual grin.
