Session 139: I'll Grow Into It One Day! (8/22/20)

Varony, Martenin the 15th, 888 ID

Finian Redfoot and Indrid Hosspotch are relaxing by the lakeside with a fishing rod and a pair of hammocks when Finian's 'benefactor' Harley Hosspotch arrives to ask a favor of the Sheriff. A trio of unusual dwarves arrived at Hobfast the previous night, and the Last Eidolorn Guard couldn't be bothered to investigate, since they've paid their way and not stirred up any trouble. Curiosity has the best of the Hosspotch family, however, so Harley wants Finian to look into it. The Sheriff agrees, and they head directly off to The Crimson Harpy, where they make the acquaintance of one Lester Cretch and his two strange, non-talkative companions. The dwarves hail from the city of Stavewulf to the north, and have been sent to Floivin Province by their king, Umbrek, to track down and recover an ancient lost heirloom, a shimmering garment of inestimable value. Its precise location is unknown, but judging by the old skin map Lester was given, it appears to have been aboard an old barge lost somewhere along the Tooth Marsh coast, in the days before the Vernal Valley was annexed by the Eidolorn Empire. The PCs offer to take the map and ask around town for any information that might help their guest.

Indrid first inquires with Borys at Hosspotch Holdings, who seems to think dwarf folklore is beneath him, but offers to purchase the garment if the swashbuckler should end up finding it. He then heads to Roy's Rods, Reels & Rubbers, but the owner keeps random hours and hasn't opened up yet. Finian has better luck at the Angler's Guild when several of the local dwarf fishermen tell him the position on the map where the vessel was last seen appears to be Stumptown, a grotto of wooded caverns on the banks of the Well, roughly a mile north of the village. At the barracks, Finian speaks briefly with Lt. Keira Silverstring, who tells him that there are notes and requests awaiting him in his office. The Sheriff looks these over, and finds one of immediate interest, sent from a random member of the Hosspotch family. Several tribute baubles that were recently left by the local shrine to Crake have been removed, and there is concern that someone is stealing the offerings, which has upset the halflings, even if the act itself seems in the spirit of the Crow-god's portfolio. After a little verbal scuffle over the Lieutenant's over-sized armor, and a bruising of her ego, Finian leaves to meet up with Indrid.

The pair then seeks out Rutteneker Roy, a cranky local frog vendor, who more or less confirms what the Anglers' Guild told the Sheriff. En route back to Lester Cretch, Finian and Indrid make a brief stop at the shrine, where they encounter the young deaf-mute Rori Knotwise. They manage to communicate with the boy by drawing stick figures, and determine that the youngling wasn't responsible, but that he had seen a man prowling about at night who was probably responsible. After tipping the lad, the duo heads to The Crimson Harpy, to return the skin map and relay the information. Cretch is alone, his strangely 'allergic' companions and their weird dietary needs seeing them retire early. He is thrilled at their discovery, and offers to pay them handsomely if they will accompany him to this 'Stumptown'. Indrid prompts Finian to agree, and the dwarf gives them an advance payment of 100gp for supplies, which they pocket directly! The Sheriff rounds up his weapons and armor from the barracks, and his canoe, and the three of them paddle off, first making a stop back at Roy's Rods, Reels & Rubbers where they parlay with Rucifer Roy and grab some mosquito netting for the trip.

They journey north, carefully scanning along the Tooth Marsh coastline for any wreckage, but they find nothing that would match the description of an ancient dwarf barge. Inevitably, they arrive at the caves called Stumptown by early evening, where they moor up the canoe and have a look around outside. A trio of giant killer frogs ambushes them as they're searching about the wreckage of some rowboats called Ol' Hemteats and The Twilight Trawler, but while the amphibians do some some nasty claws and bites in, the PCs and Lester manage to destroy them without too much suffering. They find a gem and some freshwater pearls that the frogs must have been hording, and note that one of the pearls vibrates with a strange energy. Next they examine a large clump of roots and weeds that has accumulated near the caverns' entrance, and Indrid dives under to discover a pair of halfling corpses chained to an old chest. They can't identify the bodies, due to decay, but the Sheriff suspects they could belong to the Scarlett siblings, a pair of Hobfast criminals who disappeared before his tenure. They shore up the bodies and discover the chest contains silver bars, minted in Floivin Keep, which were wrapped in thick oilcloths to preserve them underwater.

Next, the trio enters Stumptown proper, a strange network of caves which contain rotted old trees that occasionally poke through the ceiling onto the surface of the Marsh. One can tell by all the water inside that these caverns must occasionally flood, but at the present they're somewhat dry. They find a satchel 15' up a tree which contains a trowel, a tiny bag of coins, a pair of unidentified glass vials containing red-brown liquid, a wooden scroll tube, and a water-damaged copy of Quilver Fnickett’s Studies and Travels, Volume III, the published journal of a gnome scholar and adventurer from Nobbish, printed in 874 ID at the Nestlebrush Press in some placed called Durmoral. The scroll tube contains a mysterious parchment which is pictured below. In the next cavernous area, they climb up one of the ledges within, where Indrid discovers an old smuggler's cache of liquor and supplies. Most of it has spoiled and rotted long ago, but there are two intact crates, one of which contains a dozen bottles of Braulish Whiskey, dated between 870-875 ID, from Madcask's of Nairnock. The other contains a hogtied, crusty old dwarf corpse, and the only key to its identity is an intact pair of boots, upon one of which is inscribed 'T Bellows' on the heel. As they carefully lower the remains, they notice something rising from a pool of water behind Lester Cretch, who was watching out below...

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch

XP Rewarded: 1000

Handouts



NPCs

Borys Hosspotch (halfling male): An older halfling with a mullet of tight, gray curls, he wears a thick pair of spectacles over a snub nose and weak chin. His garments are loose and flowing, scholarly rather than mercantile, and his pockets are stuffed with scrolled up parchments. He wears a fancy silver wind-up time-piece around his neck, a rarity in the Empire.

Garlo (half-orc male): The barkeep at the Crimson Harpy, and a loyal servant of the Hosspotch family. He wears his hair in a Mohawk and bears a patch over his right eye. As a former slave at Sothos Karr, his left eye was supposedly branded by a slaver’s hot poker. He carries an iron meat mallet at all times, which presumably discourages troublemakers in the tavern.

Harley Hosspotch (halfling male): A charming businessman based in Hobfast, with impeccable brown curls, stunning green eyes, and favors cream-colored robes and garments. Harley has a smug look about him which says he’d just as soon eat you as help you, and he carries a jeweled walking stick for no obvious reason than to show off the hilt of the blade concealed within.

Hogis Hosspotch (halfling male): A wan halfling in his 30s, he's a member of the Angler's Guild and quite friendly with Sheriff Finian. Claims the Guild is no longer of much relevance, he and the others just come there to hang out, repair boats and fishing equipment, and play cards.

Lt. Keira Silverstring (halfling female): A younger female halfling decked out in chain mail armor that is at least two sizes big for her, with a loose helmet hanging over her eyes. Her cherry-brown curls hang down past her shoulders, and she clutches a shield and short sword in a pair of silvery-white gloves that are also a bit oversized.

Lester Cretch (mountain dwarf male): A marble-skinned dwarf with a black, thickly braided bear and hawk-like brows. He wears a black cowl and cloak over chainmail, wields a warhammer with a scowling gargoyle face on its head. His fingernails are cracked and black, and he smells lightly of sulfur and cloves. Speaks in a strange accent and hails from the city-state of Stavewulf, west of Wintersbreath.

Rori Knotwise (halfling male): A silent young halfling with a bowl of hair and uneven sideburns. His bare feet are crusted with dirt and boils, and his humble clothing is torn through in a hundred places by thorns and brush. He has a melon tucked under his arm and a rusted knife hanging by a string from his left hand.

Rucifer Roy (hill dwarf male): This haggard dwarf has pockmarked cheeks, uneven teeth and a blunt nose beneath a soggy sailor’s cap. Each of his hands is missing at least one finger. He wears breeches and boots of rubber he has crafted himself, and they squeak when he moves. A pair of large fishing hooks connected by a leather cord is hung about his neck, and a blood-stained billy club is tied to a loop on his belt. His smell precedes him, a foul breeze of murky, fishy scents that gets worse when he speaks.

Rutteneker Roy (hill dwarf male): A somber old dwarf who sells frogs on the streets of Hobfast, his beard is so lengthy and filthy it hangs to the ground and tracks mud. He sells a variety of frogs and toads, including the common lakeside specimen found about Udders Well, and the Pearl-Toothed Leopard Toad, native to the Tooth Marsh. They’re kept in a pair of buckets that he carries on a shoulder yoke, which he can handily convert into a quarterstaff if he’s feeling harassed.

Ettenhead Map

Floivin Province Adventure Sites

Vernal Valley Map

Anwyl's Tomb: The resting place of Anwyl Bellowbroth, who many centuries past wielded the Axe of Dwarven Lords against the death titan Ulan Vhor. For many years, his extended family was also interred at this location in the Skunk Ridge, in a subterranean henge-like structure. Since that time, several adventurers have picked through the Tomb, but none have thorough explored it or the many connected, and trapped sepulchers and barrows that might also have belonged to important dwarves before the Dwarf Lords' Rest was built in the Vernal Wall to the South. There may also remain some hints as to what happened to the Axe once it parted ways with its valorous champion.

Cheeky's Hollow: The caverns known as Cheeky's Hollow lie partially obscured in a hillock set against the wetlands of the Tooth Marsh. It was so named for a criminal who once built a hideout here, and had connections with The Score, the organization of former Sothos Karr slaves who set into motion many of the turbulent events of 868ID. In truth, the place has changed hands many times, from bands of humanoids and lizard men to Last Eidolorn operatives, criminals, drug smugglers, and orc refugees from Sothos Karr on more than one occasion. While it's not the largest or most complex of dungeons, it's almost guaranteed you will find something exciting or unexpected there.

Crowslode: Located in the Southern face of the Vernal Wall, far north of Floivin Keep, is a walled off mining shaft where a substantial operation was once thriving. In the year 764 I.D., a band of over 40 human and dwarven prospectors were killed by what rumors insist was the poisonous gas vents and various natural deathtraps. Few of the remains were recovered, but those that were seemed to show not only signs of asphyxiation or burns, but other evidence of struggle. Regent Goosearm, the 4th to hold the title in the Province of Floivin, sent a team of seasoned adventurers from across the Empire into the mine to see if it was salvageable. When the team never returned, it was decided that the mine be sealed off. The last group of adventurers to risk the place did so 20 years ago, and some did survive, although they did not explore deep into the caverns. The only individuals to venture here today are foolish prospectors with no sense for self preservation, and an occasional foot patrol from Cedarway, checking on the area.

Dwarf Lords' Rest: The entrance to this vast mountainside tomb in the southeast corner of the Crown Pasture is flanked by a pair of great dwarven statutes, carved nearly a thousand years ago. It's a landmark so impressive that the Eidolorn Empire has ordered the team sealed off since they took over the Valley. Legend has it that the entire lineage of the Gnarlbottom clan, as well as their predecessors, are buried deep within the tomb, along with several dwarven shrines. While the 'official' word is that the vaults are guarded out of respect and the site's historical value, some speculate that the Last Eidolorn guard has long since plundered the graves of the kings. Of course, such speculations tend to arrive on the lips of the Gnarlbottom's bitter descendants who remain in the Valley today. The only thing for sure is that a patrol of 4-6 Eidolorn soldiers is found camped about the tomb at all hours of the day.

Floivin Keep Sewers: The sewers serve a vital purpose to Floivin Keep, channeling the waters of the Dimnesse down into what has become Udders Well, and then on out of the Province via Midge Creek and the Pinewater. For many years they were carefully maintained by dwarven engineers until they fell into a state of disrepair, in which monsters and criminals took residence among the various 'districts' of the Sewers. The Stride, a major thieves' guild in the area, once occupied a series of chambers connecting them to numerous businesses and residences in the city above. A clan of kobolds known as the Cleft Eye is also known to thrive therein. There was also a Flood Watch at one point which was both patrolling the underside of the city and guarding some hideous secret, a secret which was removed from the city when the army of undead attacked the Keep just to get it. Most of the Flood Watch were slaughtered, but there are rumors that Regent Luciot has put together a new unit to guard other potential secrets, old and new, that have been tucked away.

Haunted Horrn: High in the Vernal Wall, towards the West of the Valley, and beyond the sheltered community of Hud Horrn, lies a ruined dwarf stronghold which was razed by predators from the depths of the Underdark, 50 years before the Empire arrived to claim the region. This site is very popular with adventurers, who come far and wide from all the Seven Provinces to test their hand in its dark chambers. Through the years, several of the upper levels of the Horrn have been 'cleared', only to restock themselves as more powerful creatures move up to replace the weaker. Though it has been assaulted several times by adventuring groups, it is still considered one of the most dangerous places in the Vale. The Last Eidolorn keeps a constant vigil that the denizens, which now include a potent warband of bugbears known as the Blooded Lash, do not expand their territory beyond the ruins.

Krar's Claim: Krar the Crooked, a grizzled prospector, was the last claimant to these silver mines a few decades back, and to him it is still named. Although the creatures inhabiting the lode were at that time cleared out, the prospector, who was quite old at the time, was unable to drum up much interest due to the conflicts in the nearby Hud Horrn, Haunted Horrn, and Shark Dunes. So he dug up what he could, retired comfortably and passed about a decade later. By that point, new residents had already taken up residence within the caverns. The few eyewitness reports drifting into the neighboring towns and Floivin Keep claim that eerie, slender pitch-black beings have been spied in the areas near the caves, and on more than one occasion within them. There was also Krar's other claim, the one he made on his deathbed...that the mines have false walls and naturally hidden passages and might be larger than originally thought.

Mimresh: A tower of obsidian and steel, which was once the property of the Gnarlbottom dwarves who used it as a defense against orc invaders from the Fyreklaw barrens beyond. When the Gnarlbottom Clan attempted to stave off the Eidolorn Empire's advance, they drew forces from the tower, leaving it relatively weakened, and it was then that the orcs would strike in vast numbers, under the guidance of then-warlord Fharkkas the Gnawer. Realizing too late their mistake, the Gnarlbottom Clan surrendered to the Empire that they might drive out the orcs and spare the dwarf families a life of harsh slavery. But while able to free the Valley of the Gnawer's invasion force, the foul creatures had successfully captured and defended the tower, now known as the Mimresh, and they hold it to this day, though they serve a new master, Dror Gheel, the Slavemaster of Sothos Karr. The tower is 60' feet of fortified stone and steel, with twisted, barbed coils of mesh that lie strewn about the pass before it, and over 100 orc troops that will defend for fear of failure. After some unrest with the Sothos Karri some decades ago, a large encampment of at least 100 Imperial soldiers called Reedrustle is found a couple miles to the north of the Mimresh, should the brutes decide one day to again attempt a violent expansion.

Murklyre's Maw: A known Skull Collar stronghold, in the west of the Tooth Marsh, beneath the Vernal Wall. This serves as both a plotting point for the goblins and bugbears to stage their raids, and a hatchery where they breed and feed some of their hydra pets. The area has been raided several times, and with the losses the Skull Collars suffered in the War for Floivin Province in 868ID, it was thought to have been abandoned, but the humanoid tribe has sprung back and now occupies the caves in numbers much greater than before. Some even whisper that the Skull Collars' mysterious new leader, who has begun to organize and escalate the goblinoids' threat level, is hiding out here. the Last Eidolorn patrols from Reedrustle regularly scope out the place, but a direct confrontation seems too risky for the time being. Perhaps a smaller, independent group of mercenaries or adventurers might be better suited to taking action.

Old Pager's Farm: The site of a large battle between Last Eidolorn operatives and the Skull Collars back in 868 ID, there were prisoners being stored away on the property for torture or ransom. Since that time, the Farm has remained abandoned, the crop around it grown out of control, and many rumors started that the place was haunted. Whether this is by the spirits of the goblins or their victims, a bunch of living Skull Collars who are just spooking away interlopers, or some other supernatural force is unknown, but it's gotten to the point that even the neighboring farmers have pulled up roots and moved further away when possible.

Vernal Valley Map

Tarndim Map

Stuckle Downs Map

Skachalo Map

Reedrustle Map

Livenoak Map

Littlewolf Map