Session 166 - Crawl, Walk, and THEN Run (8/18/24)

Verget the 18th.

The PCs express their concern that their might be a vampiric incursion upon dwarvenkind within the Province, and decide to amass silver for their weapons and warn the populace. Url Gnarlbottom, feeling guilty that he was partly responsible for selling the black urns over to Silester Strex, offers to fund them some coin for their purchases. They head out to acquire some silver weapons at Dronn's arsenal, but it turns out it would take longer than they'd like to finish, so they get what they can. Finian expresses a desire to return to his halfling form, but postpones it for the time being. They round up their cart and Gubbily, head out towards Livenoak before evening arrives.

It eventually does, and they spot a strange blaze coming nearer the shore of the Well. Gary flies over in owl form to check it out, and then fetches the others. A boat full of orc refugees has been dragged from the lake and burned, as if to hide evidence. After tracking to its source, the PCs find that several tracks and boats were moored nearby, and there's an abandoned campsite with a half-finished wooden carving of an orc female. They surmise that some refugees must have been murdered by those who don't want them here, and also find a cruse, serrated weapon similar to a khopesh sword which they think must belong to someone from Sothos Karr. They ride into Halehusk and once again spend the night, but in their cart at the stables.

Verget the 19th.

The PCs visit Ofra again to warn her about the refugees and the potential vampires, and then Finian speaks with Private Popper at the local Eidolorn tower. Gary gives the soldier the carving, and Popper confirms that the murdered refugees might have been the work of Verglu, a notorious mercenary and bounty hunter who bears the favor of Dror Gheel, the SlaveMaster of Sothos Karr, active in Floivin Province for some time.

The PCs decide to purchase some guard dogs at the local racing track and encounter a young man named Giri Groslin, who promises to get them some older dog that isn't racing anymore and is obedient and attentive. Finian wants some more aggressive, younger dogs so they approach Giri's brother and talk the drunk into giving them some bulldog pups. They also hire on Giri, after a rousing speech from Gary convinces them. The boy is curious about the higher pay he might gain in their employ. It's agreed he can work for them on a probationary basis, tasked with watching the dogs (three of which they acquire), though Finian doesn't think highly of him.

The PCs then go to Smeltbelly's warehouse to acquire some silvered items, and once Giri joins them with the three dog recruits, they mount their cart to finally head to Livenoak and find Oatmeal for the Guild, and then ultimately to make their way to Skachalo and the next Dig.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

NPCs

Bethel (female greyhound): A proud but old ex-racing dog missing a left ear, gray with streaks of brown on her coat, extremely well trained and behaved but possibly a little deaf.

Giri Groslin (human male): A teenage lout who works the fields surrounding the Groslin Dog Racing track in Halehusk, he has swarthy features, messy dark hair, and is missing the middle and ring finger on his left hand. Crudely charismatic, he manages to talk himself and his cutting shears into the employ of the PCs after a beautiful speech from Gary Greasewax.

Grag Goslin (human male): Taller, older brother of Giri, somewhere in his 20s and a village drunk about Halehusk, cannot even really be bothered that his sibling will be traveling off with stranger.

Middle (male bulldog): A gray-white bulldog around a year old, 'purchased' from the Goslins to train as a guard dog for the party. Named for one of Giri's missing fingers by the PCs.

Private Popper (human male): A human male in his late teenage years, with thick and muscular arms that contrast his chubbier stomach and legs. He has the stubble of a slowly emerging beard, matched in color by long hair that he has tied back in a ponytail. A chain shirt bearing the symbol of the Last Eidolorn does its best to conceal a growing gut, and in one hand he tightly clutches a pair of leather bull whips, one of which has a number of barbed lashes as its ends.

Ring (male bulldog): A dark brown bulldog around a year old, 'purchased' from the Goslins to train as a guard dog for the PCs, who named him for one of Giri's missing fingers.

Session 165: The Quarrel Over Quarrels (6/9/24)

Verget the 18th.

Gary extracts the corpse from the Halewatch basement, but stirs up enough noise that the soldiers within are awakened. Finian moves to cover for him with some nonsense story, but the guards don't trust him, and soon they face Captain Caiman and his men in the street, with the two drained corpses present. Caiman seems ignorant of following up on the murders, so he grants the PCs the bodies to do with as they wish, and they return them to Ofra, who positively identifies them. There is mention of a strange necromancer named 'Silester Strex' who was in the area at the time of the murders, with some silent companions. They decide they need to head back once again to Floivin Keep to report this, even though Ofra sends a messenger raven ahead. They fetch Gubbily from his chamber and head to Camm's Bit & Bridle where they speak with Pinyon, who also shows them the location where the barrel of corpses was find. They find a pair of thick 'rubber' gloves there, then get some rations from The Blind Vixen and steer their wagon back to the city.

They stop at some stables to inquire about the 'undead' horses that drove Silester's cart, and then head over to report all their findings to Major Winch, and how they resemble the corpse drainings they discovered early on when working for Lester Cretch. They visit Teven the Worm and trade him a libram of magical findings from the Dwarf Lord's Rest, in order for the location of the Flabbergast Manor, where they have heard Silester Strex has a membership. He uses divination to find the place, which is currently moored below the local bowyer, and they even earn some credit to use later. They head off to Bowyer Bigstrings, asking for the 'triple crossbow', and end up inside the Manor, where they speak to Edlund the receptionist of the Arkana Arkiva, and Dean Schnoo the Sorcerous himself. They know little of Strex's personal life, only that he's a paid member who once studied necromancy there for a few terms. They also hear that Strex was stopping by the area for a business opportunity involving the Gnarlbottoms and some relics they've uncovered.

The PCs feel these must have been the creepy urns they have encountered numerous times, first the ones given to Cretch before he left for Stavewulf, and later in the Saint's Acre and the Dwarf Lord's Rest. Gary uses his occult knowledge to discern that Strex's amulet, which had been described to him by Ofra, means he's a member of the Cult of the Unspared, followers of Tomas the Unspared, ruler of Vhorinyr, a frightful kingdom to the north of Wintersbreath, who had a hand not only in the taking of that province but an unsuccessful invasion of Floivin Province those same two decades ago. The PCs head to the Seven Floods Inn to speak with Url Gnarlbottom, who confirms that the man Silester Strex purchased several of the urns that his clan excavated from the Rest after the PCs had cleared it.

PCs: Finian, Gary, Indrid

NPCs

Private Elsmuth (human male): A middle aged, grumpy soldier with graying hair who serves under Captain Caiman in Halehusk, wears a sword to the exclusion of other standard issue Last Eidolorn weaponry.

Session 164: Cat Calls and Corpses (4/28/2024)

Verget the 16th.

Our heroes decide to make preparations before heading out to retrieve Oatmeal and then head to their next Gravers' Guild expedition at Skachalo. They first head over to speak with Major Winch about the missing Crethrien and her possible connection to the Thorns of Arjun, they also pass on a tip about the Thorns' possible contact at Hobfast. After this, they head to Tevan the Worm to get their weapons imbued with the striking runes, and the stables to get the wagon they procured from the Crossbow Bros. after their failed assassination. The stablemaster is only too happy to rid himself of that, sells the PCs some horses and sends them on their merry way.

The PCs roll into Halehusk in the evening and speak to a lazy private outside the guard tower, then speak direction to Captain Caiman, warning the lizardman of the rumored activities of the Thorns which might have passed through the village en route to Toul Tabor. They hear some rumors about recent murders and such, but head over to stay at the Lone Wheel Inn. They speak with the barkeep and meet a gnome who has had some trouble on the road and wishes seek travel to Skachalo, the PCs agree but only if they can bring him along to Livenoak in the meantime. As they are taking their meal, Gary notices a strange exotic cat roaming about the bar freely.

Verget the 17th.

As the PCs are settling in on the second floor of the Inn, there is a scratching at the shutters, and they realize it's the same strange cat (a caracal), trying to get their attention. They decide to follow it when it leaves, Gary also transforming into the same breed of cat, which freaks out the original. It leads them into the Blind Vixen, where they speak to the jungle elf proprietor Ofra, to whom the caracal is an animal companion. She is concerned about the bodies that were discovered at the stables in recent weeks, and asks if the PCs will investigate since the Eidolorn Guard seem to have given up on it. She believes the corpses are still kept in the basement to the Hale Tower.

The PCs debate just asking Captain Caiman once more, or taking the law into their own hands, and they decide somewhere in the middle, sending in Gary in an insect wildshape to stake out the corpses while the others watch, and then plan to confront the Guard if they intervene. Gary heads into the bulkhead to the disconnected Hale Tower cellar, and finds two bodies stuffed into a barrel...they appear to have been drained of almost all their fluids, and when he flattens out the bodies on the floor of the cellar, he notes that they have puncture marks upon them...

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

NPCs

Artur Runibald (human male): Despite his obvious age, well over 70, this portly human dyes his shoulder-length hair and well-trimmed goatee to appear as if he were much younger, but can’t hide the cracks on his face and the lilt in his step. He wears fine boots with steel heels and carries about a switch with a brass pommel. 

Crussock (human male): The portly barkeep at the Lone Wheel House is a broad-shouldered man just under six feet tall, with thick, tattooed arms that he displays under a cream-colored shirt and leather jerkin. His jaw is flat with a fairly severe underbite, and his thick sideburns are long enough to hang to the sides of his chin. Despite that, his hair is thinning into mere patches on the top of his skull, and he ties the rest into a knot in the back. A corkscrew and paring knife are tucked into his leather belt along with a number of pouches.

Gubbily Sturrow (gnome male): This three foot tall gnome is towered over by nearly everyone he meets. His thick spectacles accent his kind, blue-gray eyes, and his forehead is heavily sunburned to the point its peeling beneath his fluffy white hairline. He wears a thick coat and vest that are heavily weighed down by all manner of small tools and measures, and extended from his belt is a retractable spring-arm, firmly clutching a steaming cup of tea. He clutches a folio of loose, messy papers beneath one arm, and an unusual walking stick in the other.

Ofra Naande (wild elf female): An elven woman with an unusual bronzed caramel tint to her skin, and silky black hair tied into a long braid that hangs down to her waist, where it is tied off. Her age is difficult to guess, although she does have some cracks about her deepset chestnut eyes that would hint at a long and eventful life. She keeps a scimitar on her waist, dressed in an exotic scabbard of some brown & white leopard skin, and an extravagant shirt the shades of a peacock, above fine leather breeches. Her toenails are painted a bright, chalky pink which stands out against her sandals and skin.

Shekrazaa (? caracal): A 2’ tall wild cat with reddish-tan fur, a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears and long canine teeth. It glare at you playfully from amber colored eyes and rolls about the barroom, as if its beckoning you to rub its belly.

Session 163: Honor Among Thieves, Not Among Thorns (1/14/24)

Verget the 15th.

The PCs go about their tasks to gather up the porter and link-girl they had with them at the Dwarf Lord's Rest, so they head out to the Twin Lizard Tap where they expect to find Oatmeal. It turns out he hasn't been seen in a few days and is reportedly using his Gravers' Guild earnings to gamble, out in the village of Livenoak that the group has visited before. They also ask about Crethien's whereabouts, but run into more problems there. Knowing that she runs with a shady crowd, they decide to visit the Dirty Dagger Alehouse in order to find someone they could inquire with. The barkeep tells them that they should seek out Ivellio Roodeye, a local expert in the activities of thieves, that often frequents this very location. He's not present for the time being, so the PCs decide to do some further recruiting.

They head to the Cathedral of Blades in search of hiring on a clergy member for healing purposes, and it just happens that the place has attracted a crowd due to a visit by Regent Luciot Halfarne. Finian manages to make a scene, insulting the pompous leader, and continues to trade barbs until the clergy round him up and take him into an office. Finian tells them of his requests for a healer to accompany the Guild dig, citing that it's not merely a profitable venture but one that can help the Province in general as it will involve the mysterious sabotages at the Underway. The Cathedral is hesitant to offer any of their clerics in residence, but offers him a writ to get the services of one Everie Tasker, a soldier with clerical experience who is stationed at Skachalo, where the PCs are headed to begin with. Finian leaves the Cathedral after a few more choice words with the Regent.

After gathering some more information, the trio decides to head south of the Keep to possibly infiltrate the Floivin Sewers, where rogues are reputed to hide out, thinking that Crethien might be held down there. As it is heavily guarded, they change courses, staking out the Dirty Dagger Alehouse for Ivellio Roodeye, who they find and tail. He ends up spotting them and they have a conversation in a location away from prying eyes and ears. It turns out he is reforming his old guild 'The Stride' and doesn't know about the whereabouts of Crethien, only she is possible involved with the Thorns of Arjun, a secretive humanoid organization of assassins and criminals who Ivellio considers a rival to himself. He has a lead on the Thorns, an old woman by the name of Strekla who can occasionally be found at the Fish Market in Hobfast.



The PCs decide to chase that lead later, in the meantime they're to rescue Oatmeal from his vices and head off to Skachalo to recruit Pvt. Tasker and meet with Oskar and Tess.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

Ivellio Roodeye (elf male): A confident looking wood elf with handsome features and just a few tufts of grayness in his long blonde hair. He wears a fine brown cloak and breeches with a fine gold tunic, but a number of leather pouches bulge from beneath the tunic. A sheathed short sword and dagger are worn at his belt.