The guards start shooing people away. Four gnomes with MTA livery show up and examine the hulk's corpse. Some half-orc MTA agents arrive shortly thereafter. We head over to the building where the umber hulk burst out. It's a warehouse. The swath of destruction goes to the center of the room where there is rubble. The crates in the room are all marked Maavu. In the center of the room on the ground are several sigils. They are an infernal summoning circle of some kind.
Several half-orcs enter and ask us to leave. Maeglin shows his guard badge. The half-orc apologises and says he'll post guards outside.
Aidan notices one of the crates holds some sort of magical items of illusionary magic. None of the remaining boxes hold magic. Opening a crate, he find a collection of broaches. When he takes it out, he looks slightly more attractive. Some sort of beauty enhancing magic, probably for nobles. Kyrin guess's it's silent image.
I suggest that the circle might have been used for a delayed summoning or to trap the hulk for a while before releasing it. Kyrin, Aidan, and reconsider it. Indeed, several symbols are designed to hold summoned creatures. It might also have delayed the summoning. Definately a delayed trap.
Jenya arrives, having wondered where we were. We discuss the situation. Most of the group would prefer to not share what we know with the guards and my association the MTA. Everyone is afraid of the government. The tax increase, the MTA, the half-orcs, and the unseen Lord Mayor are putting people on edge. Jenya says she has something she needs to tell us and we should go to the Slippery Eel Tavern to talk. Outside Sargent Skylar Krewis is organizing things. Maeglin warns him that it may have been a distraction, but sounds like Krewis is on it already.
The Slippery Eel's door and windows are full of people watching the excitement outside. We sit down in a booth to talk. Aidan heals Kyrin's wounds.
Jenya tells us of new news. The churchs are no longer tax exempt. They're being taxed as merchants; fifteen percent of the church's income. The taxes will be delayed, but it's coming.
Maeglin asks about the Lord Mayor. Jenya saw him three weeks ago. He wanted to talk about recent events, especially the disruption of the flood festival.
There is some discussion over the missing Alek. Jenya didn't know that there was no possession in Redgorge and that no one in Redgorge had seen him. Jenya has never known Alek to lie. Alek had confided to Jenya that his family had financial problems. It's possible he lied to cover up some other activity to help his family.
We head to my house to speak. An impatient courier is waiting on my porch. He bears a message from the Lord Mayor's office. I tip him and he heads off. The note says Celeste and Davked, associates of the Lord Mayor's office invite us to the Cusp of Sunrise for evening meal tomorrow. The Cusp is a nobles club and the nicest place in Cauldron.
Aidan has faintly heard of Davked Splintershield. He is an old dwarf. His clan is respected in the region. One of the Splintershield helped found Cauldron with Spellmason.
We split up for the evening. Rassi, Kyrin, and Aidan head to the Temple of Lordly Might, the church of Kord. Verana and I head to speak with the Tercivals. Maeglin goes to the Drunken Morkoth to learn about the Cusp of Sunrise.
(The Temple is a combination temple and training ground. Some acolytes are training with staves. The high priest, Asfelkir, is a half-orc with two broken tusks. His nose has been repeatedly broken. He doesn't know anything about Alek Tercival. He doesn't admit to an opinion on the new taxes on churches. Asfelkir knows that Embril is evil, but doesn't hold it against her. He would prefer that the church of Wee Jas were not so large. Aidan invites Asfelkir to regular discussions between themselves and Jenya. He agrees to try it once.)
Rassi: "I hear the churches have to pay taxes." Asfelkir: "Yes. " Rassi: "What's up with that?" Asfelkir: "The churches have to pay taxes." 2006-01-29
Aidan: "Have you never noticed that Embril is..." Asfelkir: "Evil? Yes!" 2006-01-29
"It's like blaming a wildebeast for being completely inappropriate for me to mention." - Asfelkir 2006-01-29
Verana and I arrive at the Tercival's. Lady Ketra answers the door. We tell her what we learned. She is a little surprised, but she isn't worried. Lady Ketra believes Alek can take care of himself. He had been in Redgorge several weeks prior. He met with a family whose daughter was acting strangely. He headed back to Redgorge to deal with the possession and to look into things "down the river." We offer our assistance if she needs us and we head off.
(Maeglin heads off to chat with Swillmore. Swillmore is at a desk job today. He takes a break and the two head down to D.O.B., a eatery attached to a bakery. Swillmore is covering the desk because someone called in sick. Swillmore says the Cusp of Sunrise is owned by the Aslaxin family. It has private security. It has an open air atrium, musicians, and waiters.)
(After seeing Swillmore, Maeglin heads to the Drunken Morkoth to talk to Meriam. A package is waiting for Maeglin. It came from a caravan. The package is labelled to Maeglin and Verana Telemaite. It looks like their mother's handwriting. Meriam doesn't know much about it, although he suggests taking Shensen along.)
Maeglin is concerned about the food and suggests that Aidan and I memorize detect poison.
(That evening the Telemaite's open the package. It is a beautiful carved box. The Telemaite family crest is carved into the top. Inside are three items wrapped in a single piece of silk. There is a roughly foot square piece of leather. The surface has been scraped to look like Meaglin and Verana. There is a nice pair of dark leather breeches with red leather threading for Maeglin. There is a dark green with red accent bodice for Verana. A note wishes them a happy birthday.
12th of Readying
(Shensen knocks on the door to the Lord Mayor's Suite. She looks like she has been up all night. She has a gift for the Telemaite's. It's a pine cone on a leather strap. It smells of forest. She says it will make the place smell nice for several months. She was up all night making it. Maeglin invites Shensen to dinner and she accepts.)
The company regroups before dinner. Aidan casts and augury. It suggests mixed results. We pick up Shensen en route. Everyone is well dressed.
We arrive at the Cusp of Sunrise. The front is well lit with lanterns. There is a central dome; windows on the outside reveal plentiful light inside. Upon knocking, the door is immediately opened by a huge, bald man in blue robes. When he sees out invitation, we're welcomed inside. He calls us "the umber hulk people". The walls are covered with bookshelves and wheeled ladders. A few nobles are reading, but more are chatting, a few gambling, and some eating. There is an unused harpsicord. Blue robed people bustle about. The person who brought us in is Renjin. Celeste and Davked are in a meeting; they'll let us know when they are done. Renjin heads off. Another blue robed fellow shows up and takes drink orders. We all order a drink.
While we eat, we notice Lord Ankin Taskerhill chatting with several other nobles. Everyone seems interested in Ankin. In another corner the Lathenmeirs are playing chess. Lord Vhalantru is reading a book. He catches my eye and indicates that he would like to chat. A dwarf approaches us. One of his eyes has been replaced with a translucent blank gem. He has a leather half mask. He is loud and happy to chat with us. He first greets Aidan. His name is Adric Garthun. He briefly confuses us with the Stormblades, but thanks us for dealing with the umberhulks. As we chant. Two lithe halfling bodyguards in elven chainmail move into position behind Adric. He is on his way out, but wanted to thank us. He heads out.
There are six gambling tables for Gemsnatcher, two each lined with silver, gold, and platinum. One of the gold and platinum tables have players.
I head off to see Lord Vhalantru. I chat briefly with Lord Vhalantru. He puts down his book, a history of Cauldron. He thanks us for dealing with the umber hulk. He invites me out to dinner at some future occasion. I accept. I head back to the group.
(Kyrin heads over to speak with Ankin Taskerhill. As he approaches, Taskerhill applaud's Kyrin's actions. He offers Kyrin a reward, but Kyrin refuses. Kyrin realizes that it's a bit of an insult to off him money. Taskerhill excuses himself from the group to speak with Kyrin alone. He is angry at Kyrin's performance at the Tip Tankard. Kyrin didn't perform at the Tip Tankard and certainly didn't intend to be insulting. Apparently Taskerhill heard this from Zachary. Kyrin mentions the mockery that Zachary and Corah have done to Annah's performances. Taskerhill apologizes.)
(Shensen and Maeglin go watch the Gemsnatcher game at the platinum table. The game is is played with a variety of different dice. The nobles alternate telling funny anecdotes and rolling dice. Another noble tries to open a new game. Maeglin passes, Shensen is interested. Maeglin provides Shensen's platinum piece ante. Each player rolls a four sided die. The other player explains the rules to Shensen. Whenever a player rolls a one, they move up to the next larger die. A one on the twenty sided die wins the pot. Telling anecdotes is apparently a key part of the game. What a stupid game.)
After a bit a blue robed figure arrives with out drinks and announces that Mistress Celeste and Master Davked Splintershield are ready to receive us. We're lead through the east door to a beautifully appointed conference room. There is a circular table. The walls are lined with tapestries. A beautiful human woman with long blond hair and long, white haired, emaciated dwarf wait for us. The dwarf is quite old, his skull is faintly visible through his skin.
(Zenith Splintershield was the dwarven statue we found and robbed the eyes from in the Malachite Fortress.)
From her posture, it's clear that Celeste finds Davked slightly disquieting. Celeste says she is here as a favor to the Splintershield family.
Davked wants us to rescue his son from the Underdark. A decade ago Davked's son, Zenith Splintershield recruited a company to purge the Underdark of evil. Zenith was lord of the Malachite Fortress. Davked tried to dissuade his son. Davked was a harsh father and all three of his sons were estranged. Davked's wife Marta died last year. She cursed Davked for driving her sons away. Davked will waste away unless he reunited with his sons. He has reconciled himself with two of his sons.
Divination has revealed that Zenith is being held in a kuo-toan shrine called Bhal-hamatugn. Zenith had jet black hair and left with the banner of the Splintershield clan. We will be paid 36,000 gold pieces if we restore Zenith.
I ask about the location of the shrine. This is problematic. The Stormblades have sealed almost every entrance into the Underdark. There remains a fissure to the north of the city. The hermit Crazy Jared knows the way to the fissure. Celeste will give us a map to Crazy Jared.
Kyrin asks about Celeste's relationship with Davked. She offers to escort us out. On the way out, she says she is a friend of the clan. Kyrin probes. She appears to know the family, but doesn't say much else. She mentions that she is staying at the Coy Nixie. Splintershield has an apartment in town.
We stop in the main room to have a bite. The main course is venison stuffed with blue cheese. Everything is delicious. Afterward we head out.
(At some point Maeglin successfully makes a Will save against an unknown source. He doesn't know it happened.)
13th of Readying
After breakfast, we buy some supplies, then head north. Travel is slow and rough through the mountains.
14th of Readying
Halfway through the day, a shadow falls over us. A roc swoops out of the sun toward us. It's bird-like, but the size of a small building. I throw a fireball at the roc but it avoids most of the blast. Kyrin hits roc with a scorching ray, but a second ray goes wild. The roc swoops down on Maeglin, grabbing him. Aidan blasts the roc with burning hands, then summons a giant eagle. Verana throws a dagger at the roc distracted grappling her brother. The dagger sinks into the roc's eye. Shocked, the roc drops Maeglin. Two more scorching rays from Kyrin strike the rock. I hit the roc with a pair of scorching rays. One burns through the roc's neck. It plows into the ground, then slides down the mountain out of sight.
|
4,200 |
700 |
22,502? |
C |
|
16th of Readying
Around mid-afternoon we see a hut in the distance. The hut is pretty large, more of a small building. A thin column of smoke is visible. As we approach, we see a huge red dragon hovering over the building. The dragon breathes flame onto the hut, setting the thatch ablaze. An older man with a curly white beard and mostly bald head and wearing tattered robes comes running out shouting, "My knights! To me!" Crap! I enlarge Rassi. Kyrin shouts that we should spread out. He moves to the left and electrocutes the dragon with a lightning bolt. Rassi charges toward the dragon. Maeglin moves to flank on the left. Verana flanks right. The dragon cries out, "No son of Hookface will be felled by such as this," and closes on Kyrin. The dragon bites Kyrin with a nasty blow. Kyrin protects himself with a blue fire shield, then retreats. I call Rassi to me. As he retreats, the dragon lashes out, striking Kyrin, but suffering frostbite from the magical shield. Aidan summons the giant eagle again. The eagle is unable to pierce the dragon's tough, scaly hide. Aidan follows up with magical briar web which shoots out of the ground and grabs for the dragon, but it pulls free. The crazy old man pulls out a silver rod. Suddenly he is wearing kingly robes and a crown. Again he cries for his knights. Maeglin bounces an arrow off the dragon's hide. The dragon rends the giant eagle wing from wing. This isn't going well. I pull out a scroll of fly and enchant Rassi. Kyrin hits the dragon with four magic missiles. The crazy hermit begins singing a song of bravery. Crazy old man. Rassi chargesthe dragon and drives her sword into the dragon's back. Maeglin and Verana fit arrows at the dragon. Maeglin's shot bounces off the scales while Veranas digs in. The dragon turns to face Rassi and attacks with all of its appendages, badly injuring Rassi. A final swipe with its tail leaves Rassi reeling but still concious. "Gottrod will have your flesh!" Kyrin and I hit the dragon with volleys of magic missiles. The dragon is barely managing to stay aloft. Aidan attempts to leap up to Rassi to heal her, but he can't leap high enough. Rassi strikes the dragon for a final blow. The dragon falls to the ground with a thump.
"Okay, none of you can laugh. (beat) Jared starts singing." - GM 2006-01-29
|
2,100 |
350 |
T |
C |
L |
huge red dragon |