Adventure Notes – The Adventurers 47

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  • DM Note – I actually thought this week was the Off Week Game, so I’d spent time thinking up some one line ideas to throw at the Off Week Game; and then literally two hours before this game started, I realized it was the regular work week. All I had planned was that the players would leave Lakefront and head for Redstone, their next major stop. But I had zero planned for what would happen in between (usually at one of the stops along the way). What happened was pretty incredible as everything was completely made up on the spot, and the party ended up doing some incredible roleplaying throughout the session where it literally wrote itself based on the characters’ reactions.
  • Adrian knows that he has a date with Isabella Crowfeather, the potion maker – so he heads for the flower shop where he meets a male, wood elf named Dorn Greenleaf
    • Adrian mentions to Dorn that he’s got a date with Isabella and Dorn knows who she is and confirms the flowers Adrian found (high Nature) in the shop
    • Adrian asks if Isabella is allergic to any types of flowers; and he says she’s not, she handles all kinds of flowers, plants and weeds, being a potion maker
    • Adrian heads to the wagon, and changes out of his armor and into his normal clothing
    • He goes and finds an area to wash his clothes and himself in a small, outside bucket shower (though many of the residents who keep the water supply for those wishing to bathe are rather nervous, after the Water Elemental surfaced last session)
    • Adrian then heads to the pop up tavern and purchases a full bottle of wine from the vendor, for his date
    • Adrian then heads to Isabella’s shop and arrives just as she’s closing the shop
    • The two exchange some words, and when deciding where to go – Isabella offers going to the pier to watch the sunset, or there’s a few farming areas that survived the black dragon’s attack that have some nice trees and gardens and hills; the two decide to head for the farming hills to spend their romantic dinner
    • Adrian tells her that he’s never seen such beauty before, and the two begin talking and realize they’ve endured some common pains; both suffered an attack by an evil dragon (Adrian had been with Wood Elves where Emereth attacked and he was the sole survivor; and Isabella lost her mother who was buried alive at the bank when the undead black dragon, Ebony the Black, attacked, and her father’s body was never found – she assumes he was probably near the pier and his body was knocked into the ocean)
    • Things continue to go very well for Adrian, as the two embrace, and share a very intimate night together
  • Meanwhile, Buppido says that they need to keep up their facade and head to the sewers and just stand in there for an hour or so – so that if they’re being watched by Kraun’s men, it will look like they were legitimately down there
    • The party (minus Adrian who is still on his date when this is going on) decides that giving the gem skull to Kraun is going to be the best bet
    • They know Kraun has a Chest of Holding (which is exactly like a Bag of Holding) that will displace the gem’s powerful lure in another dimension
    • The party’s plan is – since Kraun is also going the entire way to the Broken Lands and plans to sell it – Kraun will be able to keep the gem safe all the way (and it might be hard to hide it from Kraun who has wizards employed) – and that once he sells it, the party can try to convince the buyer to hand it over – or simply steal it from the buyer – so that they can destroy it
    • As the party approaches Kraun’s caravan that evening – Raganroc looks down at his skin and sees it glowing extremely brightly (Disadvantage on all Stealth Checks during Full Moons) – and even more awkwardly, all of Korra’s clothing disappears – leaving her blushing – but her quick reflexes allow her to cast Disguise Self before too many people notice (both of these – as well as Adrian, during this time smelling far more like blooming flowers under the full moon)
    • Kraun – who, for perhaps the first time ever – is stunned into brief silence – and as he realizes it – he suddenly shakes his head and starts shouting at his guards to stop gawking – before leaping off his wagon and extending his arms with a wide smile, “My friends – my friends – I see you have your two comrades! Bristor told me what happened! It’s so good to see them unharmed. Does this mean you were able to retrieve a specific… item?”
    • The party informs him that they were successful in their mission. Kraun calls for Bristor who comes around from he back of the wagon carrying the large, arcane chest – he presses and moves the rubies and jewels in a specific order and the chest opens. The party dumps the skull gem from Buppido’s bag into the chest. Kraun then calls for his main human wizard, a man named Krauss who casts Identify – and upon completion nods to Kraun who then gestures to Bristor to close and lock it up. Kraun turns to the party and says, “This is wonderful. Now I did say I would reward you – Bristor – take the wagon to theirs and unload the chest into their wagon.”
    • The party is rewarded with 6,000 gold (1,000 gold per character) and Kraun bows and says, “Perhaps we can do business again. It’s a long journey ahead – who knows what else I might… hear about… that could use your specific skill sets.”
    • Ragnaroc approaches Bristor and says, “I would like to donate money to your brother’s funeral when they find him.”
    • Bristor looks at him and says, “800 gold and the location of my brother’s body….”
    • Ragnaroc nods, “Well, here’s 1,000 gold” and reveals where he’d killed Bristor’s brother, Dollen – letting him know it was a few days back (travel wise)
  • The following morning, the party awakens and notices that Adrian is not around (and all hope he’s with Isabella and that they don’t need to go rescue him if he’s been abducted like Ragnaroc and Sephrenia before!)
  • Buppido heads for the armory where he meets Zaren Stormclaw, a male human, who offers to resize some armor for Buppido
    • Buppido points out that he had single-handedly taken care of the wererat problem down in the sewers and Zaren says he’s thankful, because the next two nights being a full moon is when those damn wererats lose their mind and go around attacking and stealing before disappearing back down into the sewers – and with no real guard – well, until Kraun recently employed some here – no one has been brave enough to chase them down into the sewers
    • Buppido assures Zaren, there’s no more wererats, just glowing Warlocks and Nudist Genasi
    • Buppido asks Zaren to make the symbol of the gnome god – the triangle gem symbol
  • Korra takes the Displacer Beast hides they’d managed to skin (back in Session 36).
    • The tanner, a human named Crenshaw Cutlight, is amazed that Korra has not just one – but two hides
    • Crenshaw looks, “Are you looking to make a very specific cloak?”
    • Korra nods and says, “Yes, I’ve heard they can be made into very effective cloaks.”
    • Crenshaw winks, “That’s what I thought. What are you willing to pay?”
    • Korra offers 800, but Crenshaw takes 400 – and says he can make one cloak out of it, and he’d like to keep the scraps of what’s left over
    • He says to come the following night and he should have it ready
  • Adrian awakens in Isabella’s store
    • Sephrenia heads for Isabella’s shop to get some healing potions and is surprised to see Adrian behind the counter – his hair disheveled – and his shirt unbuttoned
    • Sephrenia says, “So that’s where you got to. It’s great to see you didn’t get abducted. Did you have a wonderful date?”
    • Adrian blushes and says, “Let me go get her.” Adrian fetches Isabella and she and Sephrenia talk, while Adrian exits the room
    • Isabella looks at Sephrenia and whispers, “So you know Adrian?”
    • Sephrenia confirms she does, explaining she’d joined them at Spire’s Edge and been traveling with them since then; and that Adrian is a good guy
    • Isabella then asks, “Do you know if he plans on leaving with the caravan?”
    • Sephrenia suddenly feels uncomfortable, “Um, you’d need to ask him.”
    • Isabella offers to sell them to her for 25 gold, since she knows Adrian; but Sephrenia offers to pay the full price to help restore her store
    • When Sephrenia leaves, Adrian comes out from the back and the two talk – and Adrian offers to commit himself to her and that he will come back for her, then heads back to the wagon to meet with the others
  • Ragnaroc and Don head to the pop up tavern to get some food
    • The pop up tavern is full of many caravan travelers knowing that they’re going to be eating rations for the next three days, since the caravan is about to leave soon
    • Bristor sees Ragnaroc and approaches him and Don and shouts, as he clanks his mug against their table, “Allow me to get a drink for you, wizard.”
    • Ragnaroc declines, and Bristor shouts loudly (so others of Kraun’s caravan sitting near by) hear him as he says, “You’re going to refuse a drink from me?” and he has a wide smile, expecting as much
    • Ragnaroc adds, “I just suspect you would want to hurt me.”
    • “Hurt you,” Bristor laughs, “Why would I hurt the one who murdered my brother but was kind enough to pay for his funeral?” His eyes focus on Ragnaroc seeing if he will react to that
    • Ragnaroc ignores Bristor who returns to the others and they all laugh and clank their mugs together
  • Everyone meets back at the wagon – and all are there except Korra (someone’s always missing!)
    • Adrian asks about the skull gem and if they got a reward
    • Sephrenia begins drilling into Adrian about how she seems like a very nice woman, and that he’d better not think about visiting brothels – and if he might lose favor from his goddess – and that Sephrenia promises to be Adrian’s conscious from here on out
    • He explains that his goddess understands when love happens; but that he will still need to support her temples with donations to brothels
    • Don confirms that Kraun had given them 6,000 gold (which came out out 1,000 gold each) and that Adrian’s portion is still in the chest in the back of the wagon
    • Adrian pays back the money he owed Sephrenia; and heads back into town and looks for a jeweler but doesn’t find any; he ends up going to the armory where he meets Zaren Stormclaw, who offers to make a simple steel ring – and he uses some gem fragments he has left for a suit of armor he’d made for a gnome (Buppido)
  • Meanwhile, Korra meets with Kin Ravenclaw down in the sewers and offers her allegiance to him
    • Kin is happy to hear it, and explains that there’s a constant flow of Ravenclaw who go to and from the Broken Lands, trying to either gather information or artifacts to sell and earn some money to rebuild their guild
    • He says if Korra goes out there, she should be able to make contact with some and be able to send back items or information
    • However, he points out again that the guild known as The Forgotten Sands rules in the Broken Land (and even has political positions) – and are sworn enemies of all other guilds – and their leader Nineswords is incredible resourceful and dangerous
    • Kin gives Korra what seems to be just a plain, golden pin of raven’s feet and says to wear this so others of the order can easily identify her; but keep it hidden in the Broken Lands, because the Fogotten Sands guild will look for it specifically – and… things will not go well.
    • Kin also tells her next time – don’t bring her friends down here – they’ve changed their traps to ensure those unwelcomed down here – don’t ever get to leave
  • Korra returns to the wagon and goes to speak Sephrenia
  • DM Note – I decided to roll to see if anyone’s complication came up – and Don rolled the highest – and his had been he recognized a female rock gnome he knew back on the main continent named Eldeth Hammerlight – ironically, Buppido’s complication was seeing a former lover – so I had made them one and the same person.
  • At the wagons, a female gnome’s voice calls out, “Don! Don Kannin! Is that you?”
    • Don turns and sees a rock gnome Eldeth Hammerlight; she runs and hugs his legs
    • Buppido smiles, “You missed.”
    • Eldeth Hammerlight turns – surprised to see Buppido. She stammers, “Wait! You know Don too?” Eldeth being a bard had been traveling the lands, hearing and telling stories, when she met Don also traveling the land. The two became friends, sharing weeks together, traveling and becoming friends. She’d mentioned an old lover of hers who had been too religious for her – then went the other way and dove head long into magic – and that, Don realized – had been Buppido.
    • Don explains, “Buppido and I became fast friends as well, Eldith. We’re as thick as thieves.”
    • She asks what brought them here – and Buppido says that he’s seen a magic pool and he seen where the star pieces are – he knows where they all are – well, vaguely – seen them – all in a special pool
    • She explains that she’s headed all the way to Drastor – which is the big city in the Broken Lands – and she’s heard stories about temples that have popped up
    • Buppido tells her to not listen to every temple story – the last one they checked out – it was full of a big slime monster – so they’re not all cracked up to be
    • Buppido embellishes his stories, which Don completely corroborating the embellished stories which makes her enamored with Buppido all over again
  • Meanwhile, once the ring is done being forged by Zaren Stormclaw, Adrian returns to Isabella’s shop and offers the ring to her as a promise ring – that he is serious and he will come back for her
  • Korra and Sephrenia speak about trying to recover Sephrenia’s brooch from a human woman, Kaliea Moonguard, who has stolen Sephrenia’s family brooch
    • Korra stalks and observes Kaliea’s behavior (Natural 20)
  • Korra returns to Crenshaw Cutlight, the tanner
    • He slides her cloak over his shoulder, and instantly his body seems to shimmer and displace itself
    • He laughs, “Here’s your cloak! Is it what you expected? Does it work?”
    • Korra smiles broadly, “It does – I see two of you!”
    • He chuckles, “You haven’t visited the pop up in yet have you? Some of their drinks cause that!”
    • He slides the cloak off and folds it in half and hands it to her
    • She offers her old armor to him and he offers to enhace it with some of the Displacer Beasts scraps (+1 Leather; but she’s already wearing studded so it would be the same armor class, so she declines)
  • Buppido goes and picks up his new armor and drops off his old armor, and Zaren laughs, “I can melt this down and make armor for my dog.”
  • Korra returns and asks Sephrenia if she’s heard back from the message she’d sent to the Couatl and her family; and she’s not
  • The party turns in for the night; and the following morning the caravan begins the next leg of the journey
  • It travels for three days when it finally reaches the town of Redstone.
  • Redstone is a city build into the side of a massive mountain. The legend behind Redstone is that a Celestial being fell from the heavens during some great war and was impaled upon the mountain’s peak. The Celestial’s blood seeped into the mountains; and now, all throughout the mountains there are red gems, some of which glow, some that don’t. The gems, if taken outside of the mountain, lose their red properties and turn into a regular stone.
  • The caravan settles just outside the town and the party heads in; they notice that the townsfolk seem to be very wary of new people – and there’s an overwhelming sense of some kind of lingering “superstition” feeling
  • The party heads into the main tavern, The Nightshade where they meet the owner, Bradbury.
  • The party splits the rooms – Adrian & Buppido, Don & Ragnaroc and Korra & Sephrenia
  • Bradbury asks for them to sign for their rooms – in the event anyone sends any messages they know what room to send it to (Adrian & Buppido end up in Room 2-34).
  • Korra and Sephrenia are happy to see functioning bathing areas in the room and begin to clean up
  • Adrian and Buppido head downstairs for a little while before coming back up; when they open the door – there is a bag on their bed, with a note that says “Dear Adrian” scribbled in horrible writing
    • DM Note – I added this part, just because he proposed to Isabella to raise the fear…
Oh, room service came?
  • Buppido peeks inside the bag and makes a face. “Hey, did you order extra fingers or something?”
  • Adrian’s face bleaches white, “What do you mean?” And he peeks inside the bag, suspecting it would be Isabella’s fingers – but these fingers, while they look fine, clearly do not look like Isabella’s – and look more masculine – and elven
  • Just then a knock comes to their room door, startling them both, as they call out to see who it is – and the answer comes back as room service – when they confirm neither had ordered room service – the person calls out that it’s for someone named Adrian; Buppido then opens the door and a trembling human quickly brings in a silver platter with a cover and says, “I don’t know what the deal is – but a creepy old woman told me to deliver this here – and I don’t know – I was terrified – my job is done – no need to tip me, I am out of here!” and quickly exits the room shutting the door behind him.
  • Adrian lifts the cover over the platter and takes a horrified step back as he sees the severed head of a former companion – the elf mage, Dick, that had traveled with him – and the elves’ eyes are gouged out – purposely so, so that in the afterlife, Dick will not be able to find his way to Aftgard and know true spiritual peace!
  • He quickly summons the others to his room – and explains that long ago that he – and some companions (Dick – the severed head of the elf wizard), a bronze dragonborn named Rex, Morsus – who all but Buppido know, and a goliath cleric named Apostrophe – all had gone to investigate an issue in the woods – and in the end – fought and killed a green hag – and that between what they heard earlier with the “shimmering old woman” (Session 31), he believes the Coven of Hags are sending him a message – and he fears for his other companions!

TO BE CONTINUED!