Session 149: Dwarf Lords' Unrest, Part I (6/20/21)

Martenin the 26th.

A dozen spears spring down from the blunted stalactites in the cavern ceiling, targeting the area where Finian is attempting to turn the dials. He is impaled twice, but thanks to his plate armor survives where anyone else in the expedition might have fallen. After some healing, the Gravers' Guild determines how to go about the puzzle. Sir Stratton asks Gary to perform some recon and examine the tracks, so the druid transforms into a fat robin and flits about the ceiling, discovering that there are markings which seem to note which of the symbols on the dials to avoid. Meanwhile, Finian recalls several of the dwarf deities' holy symbols and realizes that each of the dials corresponds to a choice involving one of Moradin, Berronar Truesilver, Dumathoin Brightmantle or Clangeddin Silverbeard. He once again clears out the cave and turns the dials, and this time the vast old stone door opens at the seam! The Gravers take a minute or two and then pass through after the Sheriff, just in time before they slide shut! The PCs note that on the reverse side, there are no dials, but instead 12 impressions where runes bearing the same symbols must be placed.

They proceed into the next chamber, with four columns carved into bas-relief of historic scenes, four angelic dwarf maidens atop them, and a red 'X' pattern that joins in the center of the floor. There are three exits, which Mel translates to read 'Stimmy' (to the East), 'Grizzlebeard' (to the North), and then the trio of 'Krennyk', 'Soldergard' and 'Gnarlbottom' (to the West). The historic scenes on the columns seem to represent things like the Annexation of Floivin into the Eidolorn Empire, the assault of the White Dragon Woe upon Wintersbreath, a sole dwarf facing down a titan with but an axe, and a scene of dwarf knights driving robed cultists and demons back across a bridge to an ancient city-keep. On one of the columns, Finian and Stratton notice that the dwarf's axe-head comes loose and is the right size to fit the indentation on the back of the door in the previous area. As it is removed, the dwarf maiden statues twist and come to life as some sort of gargoyle, and a dangerous combat ensues. Sir Stratton traps one of the creatures in his hat, and the other three are eventually brought low, bursting into dust and rock once slain. The trapped gargoyle is also dispatched, and then Stratton manages to use his thieves' tools to open a sliding stone panel at the center of the 'X'.

Within they find an old, sealed stone urn, with Gary opens using stone shape after it proves too stuck and heavy for the rest of the party. It turns out the thing is full of copper coins, as well as a golden statue of Moradin, a pair of black boots with white fur trim, a silver drinking horn, and a flail with a head meant to resemble a fun, its spiked shaped like wavering, sharp sun rays. They empty the urn, deciding to come back for the coins later. Stratton decides the golden statue should be given to the Gnarlbottoms and thus has Oatmeal place it within the bag of holding. Indrid then hoists the stone urn itself from the pit, deciding it could be brought to the Gravers' Guild-house as a decoration. The PCs then choose to travel into the crypt to the west, which is the Krennyks.

Within this area are a trio of alcoves...one empty, one with a sarcophagus, one seeming to have been destroyed by some seismic activity, a natural corridor now crushed open further west. The eastern walls are covered with sepulchral drawers built into the eastern walls. Each is labeled with both a symbolic suite (Axe, Helm, Shield or Sword) and a number, and they are laid out in eight columns. At the bottom of the empty sarcophagi, Gary finds a series of four 'coordinates', or pairings of the drawers that are marked off, and the PCs decide to start opening them in this order...once the first two are opened, and it must be simultaneous, eight more of the drawers open to reveal shambling dwarf zombies which strike at the party! They manage to take down the undead, receiving only moderate damage, and then they heal up some more, finding a new coordinate (symbol and number) in the drawers they just open. As they activate the second set of drawers from the sarcophagi, a robed corpse rises briefly and lays some sort of curse upon the party, holding most of them, except for Indrid, Tess and Sir Stratton!

Try what they might, their fellow party members can do nothing but stare forward, as if they are in some sort of suspended animation. They rifle through the cache to see if there are any items which can help, and ultimately decide to just proceed to the next set of drawers, hoping it might free their friends from this strange paralysis. The next set of drawers also triggers another eight, from which large undead limbs crawl, to form into two giant monster zombies! Oatmeal seems to suddenly break free from his paralysis, but now the smaller party of four is left to deal with these mighty new threats...will the rest of the group come back to their senses in time?

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch

Session 148: Captain Crossbro's Arrival & Departure (5/23/21)

Martenin the 25th, 888 ID.

After staying a night within the Hanging Tree outside Livenoak, the PCs decide to do some healing, freshen up and head back towards the road with their new recruit. Once there, they head south for a few hours before they are beset upon by a wagon full of crossbow-wielding halflings, with a ballista and a pet ogre! The ranged mercenaries, who their leader refers to as 'CROSSBROS, AIM!' get the jump on our heroes, but aren't very successful, despite firing a ballista bolt directly into Gary's chest. Mel and Gary use magics to summon an illusory serpent and a spiritual hammer to harass and frighten their assailants, while Finian exchanges projectiles, and Indrid closes with the approaching ogre. The unfortunate Crossbros are having terrible luck with their shots, and its not long before the PCs turn the battle against them, when Gary attempts to calm chaos on the situation, causing most of the combatants to stop in their tracks and glance about confused...

...except Indrid, who pressed the attack, savaging the ogre and freeing it from the spell. The two trade blows (well, not exactly, Indrid delivers blows) until the ogre is slain, which frees up a number of the others. One Crossbro decides to change his life and leaves the scene, crossing the Crown Pasture to the East, back to his family. The rest eventually are picked off, with minimal damage done to our heroes. They load up the halflings' bodies and the ogre's severed head to the cart. They find chests full of payments and money belts, and a note from an 'H.H.' to a Captain Corlic of the Crossbros mercenary organization out of Nobbish, requesting the 'hit' upon Finian, Gary and Indrid. Finian had already shot one of the horses drawing the wagon in its leg to prevent them from bolting with the wagon, so Gary takes its place in horse form, and they tie up the wounded creature to canter along the best it can. This slows down the journey back through Halehusk to Floivin Keep a good deal.

Once they arrive, the Last Eidolorn Guards at the Eastern gate of the Keep are suspicious of the wounded horse, ballista, blood spatter, and pile of corpses in the back of the wagon, and decide to impound it while several escort the PCs to Armory Square to Major Winch, with whom they request an audience. First the wounded horse is dropped off at Runibald's Rest for patching up. Soon after, Winch hears them out, and offers to inter the dead mercenaries and provide the PCs a writ to get their wagon back. They do so, and then drive it past the Hosspotch Manor in the center of the city, glaring menacingly at the gate guards. One of them seems to recognize Finian and Indrid and heads into the manor house, while the PCs steer on to leave their wagon and healthy steed temporarily at Armory Square. They head off to do some errands, getting some of their new items identified, including the monocle of accuracy, some scrolls, boots of varied tracks, and the owl-headed footman's mace +2, the last of which they sell to Teven.

Next they retrieve the enchanted leather armor Indrid had commissioned, and head to the Cathedral of Blades, to which Gary donates liberally for numerous healing spells upon him. as evening is setting upon them, they arrive back at the Gravers' Guild to find Sir Stratton, Oskar, Creth, Tess and Oatmeal waiting for them. Sir Stratton introduces himself to Mel, who immediately attempts to pickpocket 'The Hat', but is caught by the superior scoundrel! He doesn't seem happy, and the gnome offers up all manner of nonsense for an excuse, but keeps his life. Probably because Sir Stratton thinks his gnome racial senses and knowledge of the Dwarf tongue could help in their venture. The Chapter Master asks if the PCs are well enough to head out that evening, and Gary thinks another morning of healing and night of rest would be best. Stratton agrees, and they all head to sleep, Oatmeal in the chair near the hearth, and Indrid gives Creth his room, staying in Finian's instead.

Martenin the 26th, 888 ID.

The PCs attend to last minute errands, such as Gary heading off to cast a weak cure light wounds on the wounded horse from the Crossbros' wagon. Once they all gather back at the Gravers' Guild, Sir Stratton asks Oatmeal to pull along something he refers to as 'The Cache'. Tess covers up her skeleton features the best she can, and the Guild marches out of the Keep to the Crown Pasture. After a few more miles they set up a camp, and Stratton opens 'The Cache' to reveal all the implements within: healing potions, tools, rope, wine and ale and water, and various other things that might be needed on the 'dig'. He also hands Oatmeal a fine leather bag and tells him to protect it with his life, as it will help him with his carrying capacity significantly. Once evening rolls across the grasslands, they pick up and travel once more to the foothills of the Vernal Wall, where they find a Last Eidolorn watch tent right near the entrance to the Dwarf Lords' Rest.

They meet with the elder Url Gnarlbottom, who is their contact with the Hall of Mercies and Monch Gnarlbottom, and fills them in on the details about what his clan is expecting from their finds. He says it's likely to be a dangerous place, but he has no maps or plans since they were lost in the Keep many years ago. He tells them that the last person claiming to have been in the Rest was a mischievous half-orc wizard who was once a hero of sorts in the Province, who claims to have teleported in and then back out again once he surmised where he was. Url sees the PCs off, and they put themselves into a marching order and approach the cavernous entrance to the Rest. Within is a cobbled floor with a facial pattern on it, in the center of a large, natural cavern. To the South a stone wall stands with strange dials and runes upon it. The PCs decide they need to match the rune on each of the four dials with one of the runes surrounding it. They leave Finian to do so while they retreat to the entrance. He tries several combinations and notices only a shifting in the space, a humming in the earth and walls. Finally, he comes upon a combination that showers spears down upon the cavern from stalactites above!

To Be Continued...

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch, Mel Sundersinch

NPCs

Fank (ogre male): A bald ogre wielding a spiked club, with a massive paunch, wearing only fur boots and a loincloth. Fank seems to have some sort of body dysmorphia and identifies himself with his halfling Crossbro squad-mates. He is slain brutally by the swordplay of Indrid Hosspotch.

Sheshoc (human male): A tall, lanky man in his late 20s with a long mullet of brown hair, he's a groom at Runibald's Rest who places great care and concern upon his equine charges...possibly TOO much.

Url Gnarlbottom (dwarf male): An elderly dwarf leaning upon a finely carven wooden walk-stick with the head of wood hammer. His whiting hair and beards are endlessly knotted in bad braids that cover half of a mouth void of any teeth, and his nose has at least two prominent, whiskery warts. He glares at you from beady green eyes behind a pair of spectacles, the left lens looking as if its misaligned, and a pungent smelling pipe hangs from the side of his mouth. He doesn’t look as if it could possibly be safe for him to be out here by himself.

Session 147: Hard knocks and heavenly toes (4/25/21)

Martenin the 23rd, 888 ID.

The PCs decide to hold their ground and not engage in the grasslands melee between the giant weasels and vipers, but that choice is taken away from them when one of the serpents goes exploring. In the confusion, they are able to pick off some of the vipers while others are still battling the rodents, and fairly easily win the day without taking too much damage, other than Gary who had some of his blood drained by a weasel that attached to him. They realize that the pelts of the creatures might fetch some coin at the local markets, but decide to leave them for later, and get the children back to their home before it becomes too late.

Their 'home', as it turns out, is a comfortable cottage nestled beneath a hill with a vegetable patch atop it, and a sheep pen. Lethys and Blinden tell the PCs they'll speak with their parents first before any further introductions, and it becomes clear why...Marbo and Sennya are goblins, ex-Skull Collars, who have given up their violent life a decade past and live as civilly as possible, hiding out in the Pasture. They took on the human orphans at a young age, and these days send them on errands to Halehusk and surroundings so they won't be discriminated against themselves. The goblins are courteous and warm, offering the PCs a meal and lodging, the least they can do for returning the children and clearing out the dangerous snakes and weasels. Indrid gives them some spices and also some of the honey they procured when rescuing Blinden from the ruined farm. A good nights' rest is had for all.

Martenin the 24th, 888 ID.

The PCs awaken to a breakfast of gruel and stew from Marbo, while Sennya is off 'praying'. She returns and uses curative magic on the wounded PCs, who discover that she was once a shaman for the Skull Collar tribe (Marbo was a warrior). Marbo tells them he has some items he'd like them to have out of both gratitude for their deeds and because they are some of the last attachments he has to that old life. The PCs receive a fancy pot-helmet, an enchanted cleaver and a black-lacquered skull which allows the user to communicate in the Goblin tongue, once used during parlays with other humanoid tribes. Marbo and Sennya thank the PCs again, profusely, and then they head off to speak to the children and travel the short distance to Livenoak.

They arrive south of the tent-village and attend the Roadside Bazaar, where they are unable to sell the pot-helmet. Gary gets himself a pedicure from another half-elf. They inquire at Eidolorn Customs with Captain Kittery about the whereabouts of any travelers from Toul Tabor, but he says they might want to dig up some further details to help him remember. At the Leaping Knuckle Lodge, they learn that there was in fact a gnome magician sort staying until about 3-4 nights ago, when he disappeared. Dumple, the bartender, allows the PCs to stay in Mel's room in case he returns. They investigate but find little of interest, their quarry keeps all his gear on his person. When asking at Tarr's Apothecarium, they are given a surname, Sindersunch, and D'Loss says he had numerous conversations with the fellow gnome, but hasn't seen him in days. They return with this information to Captain Kittery, who remembers there was a gnome, new in the village, who was chumming around with some local con-men named Rosh and Jarles, who are known to squat out at old Sollick's Mill on the west end of Livenoak.

They approach the Mill, calling out for 'Mel', but there is no answer. The door seems stuck from behind, and the windows on both floors covered up, allowing little sunlight into the structure. Gary shifts into a salamander to crawl through a crack in the old waterwheel, and spies that there are indeed two men inside, sitting and laughing quietly at the other PCs futile attempts to get through the front door. He heads back to gather up Indrid, since the halfling is also small enough to crawl in, and then he casts silence on them both. They enter the Mill and sneak up on the two posh looking criminals, and Indrid approaches one with a blade on the shoulder. They don't seem terribly surprised, and react by shifting themselves into grotesque, hybrid bat forms! Gary races to try and move the heavy wooden dresser that blocks the front door, but is pursued by Jarles. Indrid faces off against Rosh, and Finian is forced to break in through a window, cutting himself, to join the fracas!

After a brief melee they manage to take out Rosh without killing him, and Jarles, also wounded, surrenders, transforming back into his dwarf form. He gives up that the pair eventually robbed Mel, knocked the gnome unconscious and then disposed of him at the old Hanging Tree several miles west of Livenoak. Indrid loots their belongings, finding a bag of coin and another sack of equipment that were labeled and belonged to Mel. He also finds some bottles of brandy, a non-functional golden timepiece, and a small cherrywood case containing a deep-orange-tinted monocle with a silver frame. They pack it all up and take the bound werebats over to Kittery, for another, hopefully more permanent trip to a locked cell. The Captain confirms there's an old cottonwood tree where early settlers used to cage up criminals, off on the grasslands, but it's been abandoned forever.

The PCs head off and find the place with little trouble, and notice that one of the cages is occupied by a bushy-haired gnome. It's also guarded by a manticore that flits about the fields near the trees, and it spots them easily and fires off a volley of tail-spikes at them. They engage the beast, attempting to switch between melee and ranged as it lands and takes off again. A lot of missed shots and swings later, the creature's 'keeper', a half-giant with a massive, gnarled axe steps out of a door on the southern side of the massive tree's trunk, and the creature seems disturbed that they've set upon it's pet 'Yooki'. Gary faces off against the new threat. Meanwhile, Mel, seeing some hope of escape, speaks with a fleeing squirrel and bribes it to try and chew through the old rope that suspends his cage from the tree. It takes some time, but due to the age of the hemp, it's eventually successful, and the cage crashes to the ground, the gnome tumbling to safety.

Eventually, the PCs manage to bring down the two adversaries, and amidst the fresh carnage, they exchange introductions with Mel. Finian decides to skin the manticore for its valuable pelt and wings, and Indrid and Gary search through the hollowed-out tree lair, where they find a pair of scrolls, a mace shaped like an owl's head, some coin, and gray leather boots. Mel is given his possessions and re-equips himself, then rewards his squirrel savior with a full ration from his supplies. Since the skinning of the huge manticore takes several hours, the four decide to hole-up in the tree for the night.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch, Mel Sindersunch

NPCs:

Captain Kittery (human male): A handsome middle-aged man clad in scale mail and a Last Eidolorn tunic, his long hair and braided moustaches are a rare shade of strawberry blonde and his eyes are a bright green. His left hand is severed at the wrist, but he wears a special hook that allows him to draw and fire the gorgeous ash bow that he carries. A longsword hangs by his waist, with a pommel in the shape of a golden gull.

D'Loss Tarr (gnome male): A tiny man with a frilly, half-buttoned crimson shirt over black silk breeches and a leather top hand adorned in brass belts. His hair and moustache are a stark white and he wears circular glasses with silver frames, that cover his strangely pink-tinted eyes.  He smells of cloves and berries, and when he smiles, his teeth are stained as if with too many glasses of wine. He leans on a black iron walking stick crested with a dog’s head, and there’s a series of loops on his belt which can each store one of about a dozen vials.

Dumple Ogre-Son (half-ogre male): This broad, hulking man has to bow his head just to fit within the tents of the Leaping Knuckle Lodge where he works. He wears a white apron over his a functional, loose set of clothes that seem to fit him. He must stand at least 7 feet tall. His face is slightly disfigured, as if he had some stroke that remained permanent, and the thick yellow teeth in his mouth are comically sparse. Still, his thick brown-gray brows, light blue eyes and smile give him an affable demeanor, and he mixes drinks with a force that shows he takes his barkeeping seriously.

Jarles (dwarf/werebat male): An unnaturally tall, hunched dwarf with a massive, droopy grave moustache that covers his mouth. His hair is perfectly parted and greasy beneath a leather cap, and he wears a checkered coat over a stained white tunic and pants.

Marbo (goblin male): A stocky goblin with skin of brown and orange, he wears a stained hemp apron and little else to cover his hairy and muscular little arms. His yellow eyes are misshapen and wide, with the left seeming to squint due to a disfigured brow, and he ties his chalky hair into a topknot. A pair of shears and a carving knife are tucked into his belt.

Rosh (human/werebat male): A swarthy, short gentleman with an upturned nose and thick black sideburns, he wears a fanciful but filthy frock coat and breeches of matching burgundy, both covered in patches from many rips and tears. His black-gray hair is balding in the center but long on the songs, flopping about as if he had wings on his temples.

Sennya (goblin female): A plump goblin woman who walks with the assistance of an old oak cudgel since her right foot is missing below her ankle. She has a colorful shawl strewn from various colored corn-stalks and her chestnut hair is elaborately braided with beads of orange, brown and green. Her catlike green eyes glint with wisdom and she has a severe underbite which gives her a prideful appearance.

Session 146: Porter and link, hounds and honey (3/21/21)

Martenin the 22nd, 888 ID

The PCs decide to focus in on recuperating and upgrading their equipment before trekking forth to hire additional hands for their first Graver's Guild expedition. Masaka distributes some goodberries and casts some low level healing spells. Finian heads out to Dronn's Arsenal to trade some weaponry and armor, while Indrid and the newly polymorphed Masaka head to the Twin Lizard Tap which is purportedly a good place to track down some laborers who might hire on to the upcoming dig at the Dwarf Lords' Rest. En route, Masaka tells Indrid that he's choosing an alter ego to match with the new appearance he received from Teven's polymorph. He believes 'Gary Greasewax' to be a better fit. As Finian presents some items to the clerks at the Arsenal, he realizes they have more value than they had expected, and decides to wait for the others before finishing transactions.

Indrid and Gary hear through the grapevine of Twin Lizard Tap patrons that there's a hearty and fit half-elf known as 'Oatmeal' who might be a good fit for their porter needs, and they track down the brawny, charismatic pipe-smoking elf at the Eastern Market nearby. He agrees to tag along for the fee of 4gp per week, despite finding Gary's appearance a little unusual. The two have apparently not met. When they ask Orlann 'Oatmeal' for a potential lantern-bearer, he claims to have seen a girl around fitting that description, named 'Creth', although he doesn't know much more about her, figuring her for a night watchman, courier or burglar of some sort. The pair thanks Oatmeal, and they meet back up with Finian. The three then travel to Dronn's Arsenal, Hondo's House of Mail, and Bowyer Bigstrings to trade in a bunch of their lesser magic items for some upgrades. With the inclusion of the broadsword of chopping +2 that they found in the dwarven crypt between the Saints' Acre, they end up a number of new weapons, including a rapier +1/+2 vs. crustaceans, and a scimitar +2. The trio then trades in some gems to Flitz the Jeweler.

They decide to reconvene at the Guild-house and wait until evening to go and seek out 'Creth' at the Eastern Market. They do manage to find the down-trodden, blue-cloaked girl, and while she seems quite shady and suspicious, she also seems over-enthused by the prospect of joining up with the Gravers' Guild in any capacity, and agrees to accompany them for the rate of 2gp per week. She also warns the PCs that she's heard of them, and that the Hosspotches, embarrassed by the failed mercenary ambush within the Keep, not wanting to get their hands directly dirty, have decided to 'outsource' the problem of our PCs, who had caught them red-handed in some of their dealings. With this warning, the trio returns to the Guild-house, and after a brief conversation with Fleshless Tess, who swears to guard the stairs to the second floor as she doesn't sleep, they turn in...

Martenin the 23rd, 888 ID

Oskar had promised the PCs a breakfast of potato pancakes, and they await our protagonists in the morning, along with some flattened road-sausages, whatever those are made of. Finian peaks out into the street to check if the Guild is being watched by their Hosspotch adversary-kin, but instead sees a flash of blue cloak which might belong to Creth. They head out to finish their dealings at Royal Leathers, and while Gary is able to acquire a suit of enchanted studded leather right there, the suit requested by Indrid will have to be picked up later as it will need some adjustments.

The trio strikes out on the Great Westermarch, taking in the sights about them, hoping that they might make Livenoak by nightfall. After a few hours, they find a dirty peasant girl who is looking for some sort of official help. She was foraging through an abandoned farmstead with her younger brother when a bandit and his 'wolves' arrived. She, Lethys, was able to escape, but her brother was left behind, and she fears he's been captured and potentially harmed, or eaten. The PCs agree to help her out, wary that it might be another Hosspotch trap like they fell into in the Keep. It turns out legit, and soon a battle ensues at the farmstead in question with a half-dozen mangy dogs and their master, a whistling brigand who seems to hold some sway over them, while fighting with an exotic crossbow.

Indrid, Finian and Gary (in the form of a black bear), manage to slay four of the dogs with ease, and Gary changes back to human for to use a silence spell, and later a hold person spell, to deal with the bandit that has already been shot with a few of Finian's arrows. The other two dogs have fled after seeing the rest of their pack slain, and not being able to hear the instructions of their master. They bind the interloper, looting his disc crossbow and wealth, while Finian searches the damaged buildings nearby, and finds the girl's brother, Blinden, stuck in a trap door that leads to some old cellar. Indrid manages to free the boy, and then searches the cellar, finding a number of canisters of sealed honey in various sizes. They grab a bunch of them, gather up the children and their prisoner, and make for Halehusk.

They arrive a few hours after that, and head straight to the Hale Wower, where they meet up with the local officer Captain Caiman. It turns out this particular bandit had been wanted for some time, and the PCs receive the 100gp reward for turning him in. They purchase a new doll and some sweetened corn candy and caramel apples for the children, and then bring most of the honey canisters to the Lone Wheel House, where they sell them off for a good price to the barkeep Crussock. At the risk of running late to Livenoak, they decide that rather than leaving the children up to the Last Eidolorn for safety, they will personally guide them back to their parents' farm. As they leave the main paths through the Crown Pasture, as the sunlight begins to dwindle, they come across a dangerous situation, a pair of vicious looking, man-sized mammals are engaged with a number of serpents in the grasses...neither party seems particularly opposed to adding the five travelers to its target rich environment...

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Gary Greasewax (formerly Masaka Reddenbalm)

NPCs:

Blinden (human male): A small boy with spikey black hair wearing grubby clothes and shoes with the toes worn-through. Brambles and dirt, he has a look of unceasing curiosity at everything around him and this has obviously gotten him into a lot of rough patches.

Captain Caiman (lizardfolk male): The captain stands nearly seven feet tall, his suit of studded armor modified to fit his frame and tail. His scales are an ochre color, with faint red bands down his spines and back. His eyes are narrow and light green, his tongue flicking as he contemplates you, and his taloned feet broad and sturdy. He hefts a jagged spear in one mighty arm, and a silvered steel shield emblazoned with the Imperial Seal. Into a sash over his shoulder is tucked a sling and a band of sharpened bullets.

Creth (human female): A teenage girl wearing a long blue cloak over a suit of padded armor, its stuffing torn and hanging out in several places. She herself looks as ragged as her clothing, with patchworks of red scars on her face, oily long hair and old stains on her clothing. She carries a backpack, hooded lantern and a short sword with a serrated blade. Her no-nonsense glare marks her as a survivor, probably of many things that she doesn’t look willing to speak of.

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.

Lethys (human female): A waif stands by a branching path in the Westermarch, with a desperate look about her. A rail-thin girl, not yet eight summers old, with dirt-matted brunette hair hanging scraggly below her shoulders. Her feet are bare and half-sunk in a patch of mud by the roadside, and her cheeks streaked with dirt and scratches from the nearby cornfields. She clutchs a torn cloth doll with corn-cob hands and nose.

Oatmeal (half-elf male): A burly, fair-skinned half-elf, six feet tall and just past his teenage years. A thick paunch is poorly concealed beneath his studded leather vest, offset by the massive biceps on his tattooed arms. He’s got a crop of brown hair combed to the side of an otherwise shaved head, a pair of black leather bracers on his wrists, and is constantly taking drags off a pipe carved to look like an elf maiden. A club and dagger reside in a belt hanging from shining black breeches.

Old Madly Arcott (human male): Arcott is an elderly human male somewhere deep in his 60s, with a shock of gray-white hair, shaven at the sides of his head, and a pair of copper-wire spectacles over bright green eyes and a heavily scarred nose and chin. He wears the standard brown attire of a local peasant, over which hangs an apron stained with several splashes of various-colored dye. A small figure of a girl fashioned from twine and husk encircles his neck, and he has various pockets stuffed with other natural baubles of corn and feathers.

The Whistlin' Man (human male): A scarred, slick-haired man, wrapped in piecemeal leather armor, wielding an unusual crossbow whistles firmly into the breeze. The bodies of the dogs seem to undulate with each note carried on the winds, as they scurry at your location.

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.

Session 144: The Hammerbelt Haul (1/30/21)

Martenin the 20th, 888 ID.

A lengthy battle with the four 'dreads' ensues, due to the PCs limited ability to deal them damage. They eventually take control of the fight, but not before Fleshless Tess herself is reduced to a pile of her constituent bones. The party decides to leave her for now and then gather her up when they exit the tomb. They attempt to crack open the four sarcophagi in the chamber, and only manage one, which is empty, but causes a hidden door on the north wall to slide open just a bit. Through sheer strength, they manage to widen it enough that a halfling can enter, and they discover a timeless looking broad sword of intricate dwarven craftsmanship. They also notice more of the empty candle sconces, and decide to use the candles found in the corpse's bag to fill them all. Eventually they discover one in each of the five rooms, and fill all these sconces, and the five empty impressions on the altar, with lit candles, which causes a hidden shelf to open on the altar to Moradin. Within are a pair of fancy warhammers, a golden holy symbol necklace, and a pair of dwarven tomes.

Before leaving, they dip into the well from which the ghouls erupted, that the sheet phantom had been covering, and find a low-ceilinged natural cavern in which the tormented undead must have been held in for a long time. In addition there are some scattered coins and a strange ring of 10 featureless keys. Masaka discovers that he seems to be permanently stuck in the gorilla form that he adopted to face the skeletal 'dreads'. The PCs gather up the bones and armor of Tess and depart through the entrance to the dwarven tomb. They get lost without the skeletal soldier's guidance, but inevitably emerge from another loose grave into the Saint's Acre. They sneak their way back over the northern wall, and decide to head straight for the Gravers' Guild to report what happened. Although it appears closed, they cause a racket until Oskar lets them into the first floor. He serves them some thimbles of nasty whiskey, and they leave Tess' bones by the hearth for the time being. Masaka and Finian decide to rest in the store room, and Indrid heads back to the Seven Floods.

When the swashbuckler arrives, he is told that a note was left for him under his door in room #8, but when he gets upstairs, he discovers that his inn room has been thoroughly ransacked, and the note that was delivered has been shredded to pieces. The vandals appear to have arrived by his window. Indrid gathers up what gear he has, and heads down to the clerk to complain, get a meal and his bath drawn before resting himself. He is recompensed with coin and given a new room (#25) without window access. Hours later, Finian and the gorilla awaken and head off to find Indrid, only to discover themselves what has happened. They barge in on their companion, even though he's blocked the door to #25 with furniture, to wake him up. Afterwards they head to Sheoldred the Sage, fearing that whoever sacked room #8 might have tracked the note back to its source, and as they arrive they realize the sage's shop is closed up and even more disheveled looking than normal.

They decide to head off to speak with the Last Eidolorn about their situation, fearing that they're being stalked by Hosspotches. They are given audience with Major Rykki Winch, one of the 'honest cops' on Clodio's list, and she takes their grievances and then assigns Private Haskydd (another 'honest cop') to accompany them back to Sheoldred's. They climb the building to the second floor while Haskydd controls the crowds outside, and find the old man in the loo as he often is. He tells them to exit and he'll meet them downstairs, and then he tells them that he was in fact visited by a quartet of heavily armed, threatening halflings who were asking about the PCs' business there. Haskydd tells the sage that he'll have a few soldiers keep watch there that night, and Sheoldred tells them the name of the crypt they had already plundered, belonging to one dwarf priest Regnar Hammerbelt and his sons. He cannot help them identify their items but tells them to seek out either Teven at Teven's Tomes, or try to track down the Arkana Arkiva for their assistance.

They first visit Teven the Worm, but the bigoted, unusual old dwarf manages to infuriate them to the point they won't use him to identify their items. They storm out, but notice over their shoulders that one of the spiked armor suits on display out front of Teven's shop seems to swivel its helmet towards them as they leave. They next stop at the Cathedral of Blades, but are not permitted to enter with Masaka as a gorilla. An acolyte named Breglan tends them on the steps, casting a detect magic which reveals that the broad sword, two warhammers, and the ring of keys are indeed magical. Since they don't have enough to coin to pay for healing, the calm priest trades them his daily array of curative spells for one of the warhammers. They are offered healing potions for the other, but they decide to hang on to it for now. Next they ask about for 'electrum eels' at the Eastern market, and are directed towards the brewery at the Twin Lizard Tap. A barkeep there tells them that they don't use the eel's oil for their own brews, but some moonshiners or shady brewmasters use the substance in strong rums, some of which might be sold at seedy establishments like the Dirty Dagger Alehouse.

The PCs make their way to the notorious basement tavern, sending Finian in unarmed while Indrid and Masaka remain outside the bulkhead entrance. Apparently the last bottle of rum which would have included the electrum eel slime was just sold moments before to a rough cut character named Bludgy. Finian approaches the brute to see if he can purchase the rest of the bottle, but is then told to 'fock off', a fork being hurled at him. The halfling deftly catches the utensil, but an unseen, familiar force chooses that moment to hurl a glass at Bludgy from the bar. This angers Bludgy, and a bunch of other afternoon drunkards at the Dirty Dagger decide to enter the fracas themselves...

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Masaka Reddenbalm

NPCs

Bludgy (human male): A swarthy, porcine man wearing a heavily stained butchers’ apron, Bludgy looks as if the right half of his face was caved in at one point in time. All the teeth on that side of his mouth appear to be missing, his chin and cheek are crushed and there are permanent purple bruises. He wears a floppy white cloth hat and a cruel looking rooster is perched on his fat shoulder, and looks as if its been roughed up more than its master has!

Breglan (human male): A soothing-voiced, but businesslike acolyte of Eleste, quartered at the Cathedral of Blades. Wears cream-colored robes bearing the symbol of his Saint, and has a smoothly-shaved head and face to conceal the graying of his hair. Possesses a strong loyalty towards the protocols of his faith and especially Regent-Archprelate Luciot.

Jek (human male): A man so fat his jowls have jowls, whose handlebar mustache gets lost in the folds of his face, Jek is the barkeep of the Dirty Dagger Alehouse in Floivin Keep. A decent sort for information, but the protocols of the tavern must be followed for him to serve any new clientele (a weapon must be jabbed into the countertop of the bar, to show the shady patrons there will be peace here).

Major Rykki Winch (dwarf female): A mobile suit of plate mail containing a freckled and friendly dwarf female face, the Major carries a lance bearing the Last Eidolorn standard, and a footman’s flail with three spiked heads. A tower shield is slung across her back, and she has a machinelike grace to her movements.

Private Haskydd (human male): A tall human soldier with a patch over his left eye, his gray hair is tightly cropped on top, but left long in the back, and the stubble on his cheeks and chin shows he’s not one for a regular shave. He carries a halberd and a pair of hand axes at his belt, and by the look of the rusted links on his mail, he doesn’t take very good care of it.

Sheoldred the Sage (human male): An aged man of 70+ summers, with the slightly dusky-hued skin of a Melethezsian. Has wisps of gray-white hair on his balding scalp, and wears plain robes and thin-wired spectacles on his gaunt frame and thin face. Sheoldred suffers from some degree of incontinence and stomach problems, and is often found on the loo at his shop. His areas of specialty include zoology, geography and geology.

Teven the Worm (dwarf? male): The oldest dwarf you’ve seen in the Empire, this emaciated, thickly robed man squints out of two hazy blue eyes. He carries a steaming cup of tea, laced with ‘something’, and his teeth are brittle and yellowed. More disturbingly, his right leg seems gimped to the point that he walks at twisted angles, and part of his jaw seems to have decayed due to some necrotic affliction, revealing bands of bluish-red muscle beneath.

Session 143: No relation...

Martenin the 19th, 888 ID.

Our heroes emerge from the Tooth Marsh to the Great Westermarch road west of Floivin Keep, where they run across some farmers harvesting their late summer crops. An unusual minstrel known as The Speckled Grouse is stranded with a broken cart, its mule having wandered off in the accident. He offers to perform some music for the PCs with his balalaika if they can help carry his luggage through the city to the Seven Flood Inn, and they agree, Masaka transforming into a mule to take the brunt of the load. They hike through the western gate of the Keep, met with the scents and sounds of the most populous settlement in the Province. After passing through the wealthier districts and the Cathedral of Blades, they arrive at the Inn, relieved to put down the Grouse's considerable luggage. The bard tries to put in a good word for them, but when the PCs ask for a room, it's still quite costly, so they decide on two nights. As they part ways, the Grouse tells them they can always track him down again for a favor if it's one he can provide.

After securing room #8 at the Seven Flood Inn, the PCs are given directions to the Gravers' Guild by a snotty waiter named Brand, who refers to the Gravers as a useless drunken rabble that won't last long in the Keep. Perturbed, the PCs head over to the Guild, to find the first level of the building nearly empty. An unusual bartender named Oskar Eelfingers is hiding behind the bar, but rises up to greet them, seemingly happy that a bunch of 'normal' folks have come petitioning for membership, for once. After fooling with them a bit, the eccentric man tells them there are really only two 'official' members at current, and then some others who have been interesting in pledging to the Guild. He claims they have a particular dig in mind to explore, but need to put together some sort of divination spell to scout the area out before they can commit to forming an expedition. He tells our heroes that if they can find a patch of grave moss from the tomb of a dwarven bishop, the eyes of a crow (or, preferably, the whole bird), and the oil of an Electrum Eel in the Well, his superior, and local Chapter Master, Sir Stratton 'The Hat', will undoubtedly offer them membership. Oskar gives them a few tips on where to possibly find these objects.

The PCs agree and head out to the Saints Acre cemetery, where they are later to meet with an informant and fellow guild petitioner named 'Tess'. She is found only after hours, so in the meantime they search for any graves of dwarven lineage which might have some religious symbolism attached to them. They also inquire nearby at the Cathedral of Blades, with Bishop Helix, who tells them that there haven't been many dwarven priests of Eleste for a couple decades, ever since the dwarven faiths re-emerged around the Gnarlbottoms and their discoveries, and the construction of the Hall of Mercies on Greataxe Isle. Unsuccessful in finding the 'bishop' they seek, they head over to Sheoldred the Sage's shop. The old man is occupied in some compromising position on the loo, so asks them to scribble a question on some parchment on his desk and where he can contact them. They explore his over-stuffed shop a bit before heading back out to pursue one of the other objects. They speak to a Last Eidolorn guard about a local raven messenger service run by one of their rank, a Sergeant Skarth. They're told the old man is quite protective of his birds but will often send messages for non-military.

They decide instead to head to the Floivin Pet Shelter to see if there are any crows available to adopt, and once again come up empty. Finian looks over the dogs, and notices they also have a strange lynx in captivity, as well as a large, thrashing reptilian creature kept in a large, boarded-up cage on the main floor. The creature is becoming increasingly restless as they talk to one of the volunteers, and decide to duck out before the thing might escape. They finally head over to the raven messenger Skarth, who resides on one of the Last Floivin guard towers surrounding the city walls. He tells them he doesn't have any dead birds to sell them, that he feeds them to the dogs. Finian decides to send a message off to Brofous Bellowbroth at the Hall of Mercies, informing him of his fallen cousin Thelgar. They then decide to take matters into their own hands, finding some chicken carcasses in the trash bins behind The Fiery Rat tavern and then heading out the East gates to the Crown Pasture. They dump the dead birds and lie in wait for crows. Indrid has to ward off a hungry, mangy mutt which smells the chickens, but eventually he and Finian are each able to net one winged scavenger with their bows: one a crow, the other a sort of crow-robin hybrid.

They take their trophies back into the Keep because the city gates are shut, and night has fallen, so they head to the Saints' Acre to meet their contract. They decide to sneak over the northern wall of the cemetery, since the gates are guarded and closed at night, and they are spotted by a young waif who blackmails them into some food for his silence. Masaka purifies some of the bird-chum they had from earlier, and Finian tips him a few silver, and the boy, named 'Silas', takes off. They try to scale the cemetery walls and fail, then Indrid remembers his gargoyle grappling hook and they easily get over the wall. They wander around a bit, Indrid calling out for 'Tess', when he's surprised by a bony hand clasping his ankle. It turns out that this is 'Fleshless Tess', an animated skeleton who is thrilled to discover that the Gravers found a use for her! When asked about any graves for dwarven clergy, she tells them she's unsure if it's a tomb for clergy, but she knows of a hidden dwarven crypt that isn't visible from the surface of the Acre. She takes them down through the grave she was squatting in and through a network of earth tunnels burrowed below the graveyard, and they come across a finished stone crypt with a dwarven symbol on the door.

They enter, and find that a large tomb and stone chest right in the central area. The cover of the tomb seems too large to slide, and the chest has already been looted and propped open by an unlit torch that some grave robber left behind. They head west to find an old well that's been covered by a strange sheet and some cobwebs, and to the south, another small chamber with a square sarcophagi that's covered in ancient dwarven markings which resemble those on the urns they opened with Lester. In that same chamber, Masaka finds the grave moss on the walls, but while he's scraping it off the sepulcher walls, his companions are attacked from the well! The sheet covering it animates, and several ghoulish undead with acid-dribbling tongues claw their way through the webs below! With the help of Tess and some sling action from the druid, they are able to drive back the quartet of undead assailants, but not without taking a few wounds. Masaka offers what limited healing he can, to himself, and then they decide to press on through a door to the north, making note of the tunnels they can spy beneath the well.



After forcing open the door bearing a holy symbol, they find a stone block altar with six impressions on the top, each containing a candle sconce. The third candle from the left is actually lit and emits heat! Confused, Indrid spies about the area, but no one in the group can actually read the dwarven script, so they decide to press on to the eastern side of the tomb. They push open a double set of stone doors and find another larger chamber with four more dwarf sarcophagi, covered in script and numerals, as well as a half-crushed skeleton draped over one of them, clutching a sack. Masaka moves to look at the sack, and finds it is full of candles and a few other decayed items, when a pile of bones in the corner of the chamber stirs, and four animated, flying sets of skeletal arms, each wielding a warhammer, lunge towards the PCs!

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Masaka Reddenbalm

NPCs

Bishop Helix (human female): A stern looking woman of some 40 years, she wears dense white robes of her faith emblazoned with six silver swords, each with an actual malachite stones sewn into its hilt. Her dense, graying blonde hair is hung back with several iron braids, and she wears spectacles with deeply green shaded lenses. She has a longsword slung at her waist, as well as an unusual Morningstar with a head shaped like a tower.

Brand (human male): A twitty, slender waiter of thirty-something summers at the Seven Flood Inn. He is known for a precocious attitude of superiority towards the guests, and harries them to vacate their tables so he can keep ahead with his duties. He is also known for his witty repartee with the clientele. Brand is about 5'10" with curvy dark blond hair and a straight, expressionless face unless he becomes heated.

Fleshless Tess (undead female): An animated human skeleton standing five and a half feet tall, wearing a female-shaped bronze cuirass and other random pieces  of armor that have formed a patina, and seem strapped to the bones. ‘She’ carries a half-rotten wooden shield, the blue griffon painted on its surface now chipped away in places. ‘Her’ helmet has a single spike, and she wields an unusual short sword and three javelins.

Oskar Eelfingers (human male): A short man, late in his 30s, with a curly mat of brown hair and a face like a patchy porcupine. His right eye is clouded and milky while the opposite is brown and piercing, and his smile reveals several missing teeth, and others on their way out. His stubby, ringed hands have a lot of scars and burns on them, and he wears a tight suit of leather armor that tucks in a developing beer gut. He sports a club which is fashioned with the upper body of a voluptuous woman, and a peculiar hand-sized crossbow hangs on his belt.

Sergeant Skarth (human male): An aged man with a thick mane of gray hair dangling over the back of his Last Eidolorn uniform, he keeps it tied up in a white headband and other strips of cloth. He has a messily trimmed beard and moustache and deep coal eyes. Various white splotches stain his hair and armor and he has about a hundred or so scratch marks on his cheeks, arms, hands and fingers.

Silas (human male): A bedraggled waif of no more than 10 years, with sandy blonde hair and dark brown freckles all over his left cheek and neck. He seems destitute and stalks the eastern district of Floivin Keep looking for vittles and drink for he and his sister.

The Speckled Grouse (human male): A long-nosed man in his mid to late 30s, he’s draped in a thick cape of dark gray feathers covered in patterns of white dots, with a pair of patches, copper and silver on the shoulder. He wears a black tudor flat cap slung with pearls, and a single, enormous white owl-feather above his matted, thinning hair. His deep green eyes are set a bit too close together, and he has several ratty gray strands of hair hanging from a weak chin. He anxiously chews a tobacco root, speaks in a strange accent and has a damaged balalaika hanging across his shoulder.

Session 142: Thumbs up, and thumbs off

Martenin the 17th, 888 ID.

While examining the scene of the gruesome murders at the Crimson Harpy, Indrid and Finian take the opportunity to speak to Captain Fowler on the side, filling him in on how they've run afoul of the Hosspotch family with Clodio Oakbottom's lockbox, and how they've investigated the missing carpenter's home and discovered his family missing too. They show Fowler the list, and he does confirm that it seems to be a bunch of soldiers, some of whom he knows personally, who have proven trustworthy, and not bought out by criminals. The Captain then tells them he's heard rumors that the Hosspotches have some private goings on in the cellar beneath the Tavern, and that he's planning to question the staff and customers, including some of their private guards. He'd like the two of them to sneak into the cellars and do a quick search, using the dumb waiter in the kitchen, to make sure there is no murderer being covered up for. Apparently the Captain has some arrangement with the half-orc barkeep and cook Garlo. Indrid then takes Fowler aside and gives him the ledgers from the lockbox.

The two halflings examine the crime scene further, noting that there are no major blood trails leading there, and that the victims are maids or room staff for the Inn upstairs. They note nearby windows of anyone who might have seen the crime, but realize it might not have been committed where the bodies wound up. Once Fowler has gathered up the masses for questioning, he signals Finian, and the two sneak into the Harpy's kitchen and down the dumb waiter. They exit in a butcher's block, where some of the menu is slaughtered, and discover a jar of pickled halfling fingers, taking it along with then. Next they find a common area where the Hosspotch guards must hang out in the cellar, and a sleeping area with one such guard snoring away. They proceed further into the cellars to find some locked doors and then a halfling sentry and war dog which must have been ordered to remain below while the others went up to speak with the Eidolorn guards. The two are quickly dispatched, and then bandaged before they could bleed out, and Finian takes the guard's keys. 

Indrid and Finian find a private gambling den with lots of fancy dice, cards, and such, and then the proper locked store-rooms for the Crimson Harpy: one with safes and fancy goods, another with a wine cellar, an ale store, and a large spice closet. Behind a sealed curtain, they find a small jail with five cells, two of which are occupied! Once contains the daughter and wife of Clodio Oakbottm, Marlene and Moki, to claim they were kidnapped just a few days ago in the night, but treated rather well with good meals and drink. A neighboring cell contains a strange half-elf named Masaka, whose window is boarded up. He claims he was also abducted, but from the road between Littlewolf and Livenoak, where he was helping a cousin deliver some baubles to market. Apparently the cousin was in on the heist, conducted by masked but dangerous halfling minstrels (known as Magpies), and they took a particular interest in an old family heirloom (a magic sling) that was in Masaka's possession. They were able to overcome the druid's abilities and lull him to sleep with a spell, and then he wound up where he is, also claiming to have been treated decently in the weeks since he arrived.

Our PCs spring the prisoners, and they all proceed to search the cellar some more, first heading back to some of the locked areas, which turn out to be the steam boiler room and Hildebold's private office. In the proprietors desk they find another set of finer keys, and also items belong to the prisoners, such as Masaka's weapons and armor. They then move quickly to search through the store rooms, where they end up finding a hidden cache of black powder poison in the spice room. After hearing that the interrogations upstairs are beginning to break up, Indrid takes the Oakbottoms and escapes...but not without being seen by Garlo the half-orc! Finian and Masaka decide to search the other empty cells in the mini-prison, but change their minds and also head out to the dumb waiter. En route, they find that the sleeping guard from earlier had woken up, and the Sheriff convinces the guard to check out one of his injured coworkers, then jumping him and taking him down from behind! They next rush out to the dumb waiter, but notice the other guards returning down the stairway. They escape in the nick of time, but Garlo also sees them...and tells them to inform Captain Fowler that they're 'square'.

Martenin the 18th, 888 ID.

Once outside the Crimson Harpy, they wait to signal the Captain, and tell him what they find, and that unfortunately they had to rough up a few of the Hosspotch guards, who are hopefully still alive. He realizes what a shitstorm has just been created (by his own actions), and he leads the PCs and the escaped prisoners back to the barracks, trying to avoid the Hosspotches. When they arrive, he gets ready to have the girls sent out with some soldiers to some safehouse. Finian and Indrid decide that they'd best confront Grandfather Hosspotch directly and air out the laundry, so as to avoid having knives at their backs. After an hour or so, with Masaka and the Captain, they head over to Grandfather's Manor, where they are met by a large host of Hosspotch mercenaries and war dogs. Harley comes out and then leads them inside. They are guided into the floor level banquet area where they meet with Grandfather and several other Hosspotch higher-ups. Harley is quite aggravated with Finian.

Though they present evidence of the severed fingers, and kidnappings, the robust Grandfather seems to have excuses for everything. The women were being sheltered since Clodio was missing, and they didn't want anything foul to befall them. The jar of fingers was from the previous Grandmother's tenure, and he doesn't know who they belonged to. Masaka was simply taken into custody since he was in possession of a valued Hosspotch item (Finighan's Sling), which they believe the half-elf must have stolen from them. They are quite upset about their wounded guards, but mention that all still breathe, and make a deal that they'll forget about the transgression beneath the Crimson Harpy if Indrid and Finian turn over the REAL contents of Clodio's lockbox. It appears that Indrid's ruse was discovered after Borys and Harley Hosspotch conferred about what they felt was the contents of the box, and the coins the swashbuckler added weren't noticed when the Hosspotch Holdings' proprietor was shaking it around.

Indrid remains silent, not revealing that the VERY PAPERS they seek are within the same room, tucked into Captain Fowler's tunic! Indrid has become completely reviled by the behaviors of his family, not that he didn't always suspect them, but being confronted with their ignoble behavior he wants little more to do with them. After not turning over the implicating documents, they receive some threats, although Grandfather insists that violence and murder are not the Hosspotch way, and never have been, once again trying to justify the family 'business'. Finian hands over his Sheriff badge as he is obviously going to be stripped of the position, and the four safely leave the manor compound, although they are mocked on the way out by several of the house guards while Grandfather's laugh bellows out behind them. They return to the barracks to get some sleep and decide what to do...with the Last Eidolorn doubling down on guarding them for the night.

After awakening, Indrid, Finian and Masaka confer with one another on what to do next. Indrid wants to leave outright. Finian is conflicted, and Fowler asks if he wants to be deputized into the Last Eidolorn, because he has grown fond of the halfling and would like his continued help in the murder investigation and other matters. Masaka decides to go along with these new companions for awhile, since he's not ready to return to Littlewolf and face his treacherous cousin Balo. Ultimately they decide to leave Hobfast, at least for awhile. Finian bids a fond farewell to the local Eidolorn soldiers, while Indrid goes to receive the magical cutlass he was having repaired at the Swampers' Swap. Masaka transforms into a bird to watch from the air, still nervous that the Hosspotch will try something violent to exact revenge on the PCs. Finian bids his family farewell and gives them gifts of gold coin and his boat, and before leaving speaks once more with Harley Hosspotch, trying to bribe the halfling not to harm or frame his family. Harley claims he would do no such thing, sinisterly inferring that they've become like 'his own family'. The ex-Sheriff promises that if any harm should befall them, he will return and seek out Harley first.

The two halflings and their strange new half-elf companion decide to make for Floivin Keep along the Great Westermarch Road, guided by Indrid's long-held desire to sign on with the Gravers' Guild. The Captain asks if Indrid would like to deliver the incriminating ledgers on the Hosspotch dealings himself to authorities at the Keep, but the swashbuckler thinks they'll be safer with an official envoy.

The road awaits.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Mazaka Reddenbalm

Handouts

NPCs

Grandfather 'Jordyn' Hosspotch (halfling male): A halfling of later middle years, bearing a massive paunch and considerable jowls, all of which he carries well. He’s adorned in comfortable merchant garments sewn with floral patterns, and has beady eyes and an incredibly rare, sandy blond hair for his race. He carries a bag of seeds, and jovially reaches in for a handful every couple minutes, yet never seems to offer any to others. The back of his plump left hand is tattooed with a pair of crossed pickaxes, a reminder of his time working in the Taborlan mining town of Traeger.

Marlene Oakbottom (halfling female): A plump, cheerful female halfling of middle years with her orange-brown hair tied up in a bun. She wears a thick cloth apron well-used, with several broth stains.

Moki Oakbottom (halfling female): A young halfling girl of no more than ten summers. She wears a pair of oversized blue breeches beneath a gray shawl, all held up with pins. Her hair is stuffed into two messy ponytails, and has several teeth missing.

Session 141: Friends are friends, but Hosspotches are eternal.

Verne, Martenin the 16th, 888 ID.

Finian, Indrid and Zarzess manage to drag the life boat, oars, urns, and coffins back to the cavern where Cretch is lying unconscious, and then set watches to get some rest until morning. 

Martenin the 17th, 888 ID.

When they awaken, they are finally able to stir the foreign-born dwarf and show him that they've succeeded in acquiring the cloak. The four of them test out the ancient life boat and it seems to be in excellent condition. They load it up with whatever they can fit, while Zarzess will trail behind the boat. They leave behind a few of the corpses they can't carry. After setting off to Hobfast, they note a canoe with a pair of suspicious fishermen, most likely orcs or half-orcs, who seem to be curious about their arrival. Eventually, the orcs row towards the Stumptown shore, and Zarzess decides he'd be more comfortable following them to see what they're up to, than heading into Hobfast.

The remaining trio arrives back at the village and moors at Finian's usual spot, and then begin to transport their finds off. They then attempt to find some healing at the House of Herbs, where Samson Cutton is only too happy to accommodate them for a good portion of their Stumptown haul. After being patched up, Lester heads back to the Crimson Harpy to meet up with his Stavewulf companions and get the PCs the rest of their fee. Finian decides to check in on the local goings on while Indrid brings some of the haul to be exchanged at Hosspotch Holdings, including the key to the HH lockbox they found. When Borys Hosspotch tracks down the key's owner in the ledger, one Clodio Oakbottom, he becomes incredibly curious and offers Indrid increasing amounts of money to just buy the key off him. Clodio was another local, a carpenter up for the Sherriff position in Hobfast, but disappeared a month or so back. Indrid refuses for the moment, and instead trades some of the gems and valuables he salvaged. On his way out, he notices a runner leaving the Holdings store and headed towards Grandfather's Manor.

Finian heads to the barracks but they are relatively empty, and nobody has left him any notes. One of the Eidolorn soldiers tells him a rumor about a recent breakout at Diregate Prison in Olgest, Toul Tabor, and that some escapees have been picked up headed West, meaning its possible some have snuck into Floivin Province itself. He heads to the Swamper's Swap to pick up some supplies, including a halfling sized suit of mail for Lt. Silverstring, which he then leaves at her desk. Through some conversations at the Swap and Angler's Guild, Finian deduces that the dwarf corpse they found, one 'T. Bellows' is a Thelgar Bellowbroth from the legendary dwarven line, a smuggler of ill repute who must have fun afoul of some other criminals. He is informed that Thelgar's next of kin is Brofous Bellowbroth, a loner and righteous graduate from the Hall of Mercies temple on Greataxe Isle.

Seeking some privacy, Indrid opens the Oakbottom lockbox, to find that it contains a dozen or so incriminating papers that link the Hosspotch family to various kidnappings, hijackings, and traitorous information broking to the Empire's enemies and neighbors! Soon after he runs across Harley who is very curious about what Indrid might have found, en route to the Holdings.Indrid decides to get some supplies at the Swap, including a carpenter's hammer and some random old ledgers and newsletters from Floivin Keep, as well as some ink and a pen. He circles the Hosspotch name if he can find it on the papers, and makes some random markings and notes, and then replaces the contents of the lockbox and hides the others on his person. Indrid also commissions the cutlass they found for repair. He runs into a trio of local Hosspotch mercenaries who seem suspicious of him.

Finian makes a stop at the Shrine of Crake but doesn't notice anything fishy. After meeting back up with Indrid, they are approached by Harley once more who demands they meet with him at the Crimson Harpy in early evening to discuss their findings. They make a few more stops, once more to the barracks to find that the note the Sherriff left with the mail for Lt. Silverstring has been torn up. They leave for the Harpy and meet with Lester and his strange companions; the dwarf pays them the other 300 gold he owes and thanks them profusely for their assistance. It seems he had more on the line in finding this strange cloak than he initially let on. They take the urns up to Lester's room where they are cracked open easily by Lester's friends, and they note the six names on them. Strangely, three of them are full of sand rather than the expected ancient ash, and it does look as if the seals had been tampered with on those. One of those missing ash is a direct ancestor to Cretch.

There are some shenanigans with the haunt that seems to have followed them from Stumptown, and occasionally causes trouble by throwing an object around or playing a prank. Eventually the dwarves leave for the North, taking their shimmering prize. Indrid gets a room and he is about to discuss the lockbox with the Sherriff when Hildebold Hosspotch, the manager of the Harpy bangs on their door, also quite curious about the contents to that lockbox! They inform the rugged woman that they're to meet with Harley and she can join in. They meet with both the Hosspotch higher-ups in the common room and present them with the fake papers Indrid put in there with some coins. Harley seems stunned and confused. Finian decides to take the fake papers for now and investigate Oakbottom's home, but Harley demands he return the papers to him tomorrow. On the way out of the Harpy, Indrid and Finian run across the same three halfling mercs, who offer their assistance. Our heroes refuse.

An elderly neighbor of Clodio's tells the PCs that Oakbottom's family has been absent for a week or so, but helps them pick the lock to the home! Within the humble abode, they find that whoever left did so in a hurry, leaving something on the firepot and letting the fire burn itself out. After searching about, Finian finds a bag of hidden coins in the hearth, as well as a ledger listing a number of Eidolorn soldiers, including Captain Fowler and the General of Floivin Province, Scott Morrow. He takes the letter but leaves the coins. After another near altercation with the halfling merc trio, they head back to the Barracks, where they discover that Captain Fowler has been called off to the Harpy on some urgent business...the soldiers at the barracks are headed over themselves and our heroes follow. Once they arrive, they discover that a pair of servants at the Harpy have been half-devoured and hidden in an unused wooden tub outside the Harpy's bathhouse! 

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch

Reserves: Zarzess

Handouts

NPCs

Captain Basyl Fowler (human male): A tall human male with a drooping, graying moustache, and a stoic countenance, his voice has a gravelly undercurrent that seems incapable of humor or compassion. His chain mail is rusted in patches, his helm missing a single spike, but both otherwise well maintained, and his halberd is hung with the Last Eidolorn standard. A heavy crossbow and a drinking horn are slung across his left shoulder, and a pair of broad knives is half-tucked into his belt.

Felgram (human male): A sharp-chinned human of three decades from Floivin Keep, he has a moustache and wears spectacles below his dark hair. He sells and repairs weapons and armor at the Swamper's Swap, and seems to want to get some favors with the Sherriff.

Hezwell Hosspotch (halfling female): A gaunt, bent, elderly matron with braided white hair, she lives near the abandoned residence of Clodio Oakbottom and seems to have a rather peculiar skill set.

Hildebold Hosspotch (halfling female): A stocky halfling with graying sideburns and hair tied back into a bun behind her head, she’s wearing a fine leather apron over a shirt and breeches decorated with square patterns. She is clearly getting on in years, but her thick arms and unflinching demeanor betray a warrior’s pose, and the half dozen or so scars on her neck and right cheek seem to enforce this.

Samson Cutton (halfling male): A halfling male with the most swole upper body you’ve seen for his kind. His biceps are larger than most muscular humans you’ve encountered, and he wears nothing below his leather jerkin, clearly proud of showing them off. His trim brown beard seems at odds with the rest of his appearance: busy, unkempt hair, filthy boots and breeches, and an earthen scent which clings to him like an aura. A small sickle and hand rake are tucked into his sash, and he wears a bandolier of small pouches full of herbs, seeds, and small herbalist tools.

Session 140: I'll Collect My Rapiers (9/26/20)

Varony, Martenin the 15th, 888 ID

A pair of bizarre hounds comprised of mud and branches and other swamp stuff rise out of the murk behind Lester, and they attack the dwarf before Indrid and Finian are able to get near and assist. The dwarf takes enough damage to go unconscious, but the halflings manage to bring down the creatures. Since they have no obvious way to mend Cretch, they decide to leave him on the ledge where they found the corpse of the smuggler and the bottles of alcohol. They attempt to scale the ledge in the southwest but find its too slippery to get a good purchase, so they head back to the north and other caverns they noticed. En route, they are surprised to find a lizard man trying to hide in one of the pools on the floor!

The creature can speak, and announces that he's been following them ever since he noticed Finian outside the Anglers' Guild, checking the stolen bait, which it had stolen to eat. The lizard man, Zarzess, a local scamp from the Tooth Marsh, thinks he might be able to help out the Sheriff in exchange for some food. After some communications, and after deeming him harmless, the halflings agree to bring Zarzess along. They head northwest to a huge cavern, but find as they proceed through that they feel unease, and then eventually start taking damage from some gas or force within the area. They then turn to another cave to the north where they encounter a nest of stirges, which they manage to destroy with the lizard man's help. They also find some treasure among some refuse, and a locket containing a key to #247 in HH, whatever that may be.

They decide that they are damaged enough to return to Hobfast and rest, but when they head outside of Stumptown they discover that their rowboat has been destroyed, and the corpses they had dragged out from the lake had been chewed on! There are some sunken footprints nearby but too muddy to really track. They instead decide to rest inside Stumptown, on the ledge where the stirges made their nest. They relocate the unconscious Lester Cretch, and then Zarzess watches while they all sleep, trying his best to repair the boat with wood from other the scuttled boats outside, but failing miserably. At some point in the night, there are wet footsteps heard nearby, but nothing approaches the cave.

Verne, Martenin the 16th, 888 ID

After a day's worth of rest and healing up slightly, even risking a few draughts of the potions they found, the PCs decide to head back to the slick ledge and see if they can make it up with Zarzess' help. Zarzess finds a rusted cutlass in the pond beneath. After some struggling, and a few nasty falls, the trio makes it up to find another ledge with an old, ruined campsite. They find a sheaf of old letters from a girl named Enja to her father Elebard Getty, and some other curiosities, like some loose coins, and a strange grappling hook with a miniature gargoyle attached to it. After rummaging about the place for a few moments, objects begin to fly randomly at them, sometimes harmlessly striking them, and they come to the conclusion the place must be haunted. Indrid decides to climb up and out of Stumptown through one of the small openings on the ceiling here, and he is surprised to find that when he hurls the grappling hook, the gargoyle comes to life and flies the hook up to attach it safely!

The trio climbs up to the top of the Stumptown caverns, where they notice a large clump of rootfall and rotted timbers. The halflings deduce this must cover an area they haven't been able to access through the large leeching cavern, but can't manage to dig down below it. They decide to go back to the huge cavern, and slowly creep their way around the edges when they realize that there are a number of large insects and lizards scuttling around an alcove in the north of the room. They safely navigate much of the cave, but on the far side, before they can get around to the ledge in the south, they start to feel the same pain from earlier! Out of desperation, they decide to throw the gargoyle hook to the ledge in the south, and then rush through as fast as possible. They do so with minimal damage...

The next ledge has a natural lattice of creeper vines with an armored skeleton caught within, but before they can examine that the party is attacked by a pair of large poisonous snakes! Fortunately they can dispatch one with ease, and the other flees off to wherever it lairs. The skeleton's armor is useless but they find a jade hornet necklace. They manage to climb their way up past one more ledge to the south, and finally find what they seek...an ancient barge of strange construction that must have been left here when the Well waters receded in the past. The barge is half-smashed up, but there are lots of obsidian urns lying about with their caps on, and several coffins within, containing the ancient remains of dwarves. One of the dwarves has a hunched form, elongated jaw and strange protrusions from its back, and this one wears a shimmering green garment which they believe is what Cretch is looking for.

One of the two rooms in the ancient, intact cabin of the vessel also contains spare boating supplies, like oars, crates and even a lifeboat! The PCs gather up the urns, the garment and a lifeboat to replace their own ruptured vessel, and slowly make their way back to the mouth of Stumptown, so they can show Cretch once he's awake.

PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Zarzess

XP Rewarded: 1300