Adventure Notes – The Adventurers 59

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  • Lilli says that she wants to go with the caravan and head to Drastor, as she’d asked before, because she wants to follow up on any information she can find out about her father (who had been heading for Drastor to find an “eccentric” individual – according to what Orius had told her foster parents)
    • DM Note – Just because of how I ended up piecing together an origin for Lilli pretty much last moment and tying her to Orius – who was tied to Adrian – as well as Danela the Dryad, whose demise inspired a number of other stories in various campaigns, the idea of a Half Human/Half Dryad hybrid character and what she might to story wise, I had her come along for the adventure, just to see what I might come up with her later. The eccentric individual she seeks is an idea that’s been in the works for quite some time…
  • After a few days of travel, the party arrives at Drastor and can see elegant temples and buildings rising out from the endless golden dunes just as the rising sun breaks over the horizon
  • The captain of the caravan makes his way down the caravan and warns each and every one of them (though some had been here before) – that what they’re about to see may seem barbaric and outlandish according to their laws; but in these lands, these people have their own laws and to break them is of great consequence
  • He explains that the caravan is intentionally brought through where some of this punishment is dealt to show newcomers not to mess with their laws
  • With this warning said, the captain of the caravan returns to the front and pays the city guards of Drastor the entrance fee and the caravans are led through
  • Along the way they see a series of men and women getting their hands severed for stealing
  • Along the way they see several men and women getting their tongues cut out for spouting dishonorable lies about a family
  • They also see a number of men and women being hung for various crimes
  • The caravan is then led through a series of twisting and turning passage ways, that several party members recognize as a defensive measure, that prevents invading armies from directly running into the city
  • The caravan is finally brought to an upper edge where they can camp for the night
  • As the party gets out of their wagons and stretches, after seeing what they did on the way in, Buppido recalls how Ragnaroc had confessed to killing Dollen, the brother of Bristor, who worked for the Tiefling Kraun and smirks, “This should be an interesting town for you.”
  • Several of the first time caravan vendors in Drastor are shocked at what they’ve seen and begin to question whether this was the right choice
  • Ragnaroc taunts Korra into trying to steal and apple to prove that she’s better than the people of Drastor, but Korra wants nothing to do with it
  • The party realizes that they will need to get a room rather than sleep in their wagons; which will also mean getting stables for their horses
  • As the party wanders around – they see that there’s a massive wall around the city – and the closer you are to the wall, is the cheaper area, while the center of town seems to be exquisite and expensive
  • The party finds horse care takers that will stable the horses for 100 gold, per horse, for one month – to stable the horses, feed them, give them water, etc
  • The party has three horses in total (two who pulled the wagon and Don has his own horse)
  • The party finds an establishment to stay at themselves, called Alashamar Alkalhara (which translates to The Eternal Sun) for 100 gold, for one month (which includes food and refreshments – breakfast, lunch and dinner) – with each room holding three people
  • It works out that: Adrian, Don, Ragnaroc and Buppido in one room, and Sephrenia, Korra and Lilli in the room across from them
  • Korra asks about laundry services, which the establishment has and gathers her clothing that she wants cleaned
  • Adrian asks the employee who escorted them to their room about bathhouses, and he explains that there is one just down the street called Das’hunar Kaldhabi (which translates to The Golden Showers… not that kind of golden shower people, the kind where the sand is golden)
  • The party places their weapons and armor inside the room safes and head for the bath house; Buppido keeps his armor on, despite that most people walking the streets, don’t have armor on, except the guards
  • Sephrenia explains she plans to stay in the room and recover from the heatstroke from the last leg of the journey
    • DM Note – This was an easy excuse to explain why Sephrenia wasn’t with the party, since the player missed this session
  • The party arrives at the bathhouse – and the center room, after dressing down to towels – each side separates for a male and female side
  • After some time in the bathhouse, Korra asks one of the employees for a massage, and they are escorted to an exquisite hot stone massage
  • Everyone gains Inspiration for being so rested!
  • The party decides to head back to their hotel – where they head into the bar area to get some dinner
  • Lilli excuses herself and explains she’s just going to go upstairs and pass out, because she feels so relaxed
  • Buppido is quite excited to see that sand sharks are on the menu and orders the rubbery meat for consumption
  • They learn that fruit is extremely rare here; and considered a status, if you are seen eating fruit or if someone is feeding you fruit
  • Buppido approaches what is clearly other adventurers in the bar and asks them about their success here
  • He approaches a table, of what appear to be companions, who have cuts and bruises on them, as if they’d recently come in from “The Gold Coast”
  • The one who speaks to him is an Aasimar, who explains that a temple rose during the night that they were able to get entrance into – where they were able to recover some gold and weapons; they’re having the weapons checked to see if they’re magical or just ornamental
  • Buppido asks about where they go to get things identified and the Aasimar explains if he heads straight into the middle of town – there’s a large wizard’s tower in the center – and plenty of wizards who will identify for a cost, so that they can afford to continue doing their research and scribe work
  • The Aasimar goes on to explain that they go directly from the hotel out into the desert and don’t spend much time in town, for fear of breaking some law
  • He also warns Buppido to be on the watch out for “The Scorpion People” out in the sands
  • Buppido returns to the others and tells them what he’s learned – and that perhaps if Kraun is looking to sell that cursed skull – he may be going there (party learned of it in Session 45, party has the skull and debates what to do with it in Session 46, and finally sell it to Kraun in Session 47, with the intention of getting it and destroying it later)
  • The Korra and Lilli go into their room when they get back to their hotel, while the men head into theirs – surprised to see a “guest” staring out the window
  • The figure is large, and appears disfigured
  • Buppido calls out, “Listen, if you’re here to deliver fingers or something – we don’t want any fingers.”
  • The creature turns – and the men gasp – never having seen such a large, ugly humanoid toad – but more jarring is that it has a thing in its mouth which it regurgitates – spitting and vomiting out the remains of a bronze Dragonborn – whose musical instrument is wrapped around his throat
Not again…
  • Adrian gasps – quickly recognizing that as one of his former companions, Rex James!
  • “What the Hell?” Buppido shouts seeing the digested Dragonborn’s deceased form
  • “I knew him,” Adrian explains – realizing – this is further evidence that the Coven is still after him
    • DM Note – The party had been manipulated by a green hag back in Session 7, defeated the hag in Session 8 – cutting off her hands, party learned in Session 31 that the Coven were after those who murdered their ‘sister’, the hags captured the wizard who had been in the party and killed him, first sending his fingers to Adrian in Session 47 as well as Dick’s severed head, – another group would learn that the spirit of the deceased green hag had been resurrected and seeking revenge and fought that band of heroes
    • DM Note – Normally I don’t kill people’s characters who have left the game or if they’ve swapped characters – except in this case, I don’t see either of the players who control Dick Poop and Rex James ever playing in the game again, so I took the opportunity to use their characters’ demise as a plot point for the Coven of Hags
  • The men quickly realize – they’re not wearing their armor, but some have their weapons
  • Meanwhile in the girl’s room, after checking on Sephrenia who explains she’s just exhausted, Korra and Lilli begin talking to one another, and the very different lives in which they led – where Korra comes from the Plane of Air, while Lilli herself was half human/half Dryad, but spent most of her life growing up with foster parents in the Gold Coast, unaware that the boys have found themselves in the middle of a fight
  • Buppido casts Command and tells the creature to grovel – however, the creature shakes off the effect with a load croaking sound and a lick of its tongue across its lip
  • Korra hears Buppido’s spell go off from her room – but just decides that she will give it a minute knowing that he’s a prankster and messing with Adrian again (See Session 48)
    • DM Note – Had I not just given them Inspiration – I would have awarded Korra here, for knowing as a player that combat was happening, but remaining in character – and ignoring it – and referencing how Buppido, who she heard casting, was messing with Adrian as he’d done before!
  • Adrian rushes up to the frog creature – a banderhobb – and his first swing hits the bulbous body but doesn’t do much – his second punch hits – and he expends a Divine Smite through his fist
  • Don manages to hit the creature with one of his energy arrows
  • Ragnaroc strikes with Eldritch Blast and he tries to shove him out the window – but the creature thrusts his arms out and catches himself from falling out the window
  • The frog creature then bites Adrian – Critical Hit! – doing significant damage (40 damage) – but Adrian manages to prevent himself from being pulled into the creature’s mouth (though he uses his Inspiration roll to pass)
  • Adrian slides over to the safe and begins trying to unlock it after using Lay On Hands on himself, expending all the points and casting Sanctuary
  • Don fires a Critical Fail – and hits Adrian, Ragnaroc also fires and Critical Fail – striking Adrian – Lilli and Korra join the fight with Lilli doing Healing Word and Korra firing off her crossbow at the toad creature – remarking how Adrian has a thing for toads
  • And it’s Korra who finally delivers the killing blow with her crossbow, sending the banderhobb tumbling backwards, out the window, crashing on the street below
  • Buppido makes his way down to the front desk to complain about the unusual creature that had been in their room – and that it’d vomited up a corpse that was now staining the carpet and stinking up the room
  • The Party Levels Up to Level 8
  • The hotel agrees to move them to a different room – sixteen doors down from the girls (Randomly rolled on a d20) and offers a free massage at Das’hunar Kaldhabi (which translates to The Golden Showers)
  • The party heads out and sees that a river touches against the western part of the city – and that massive pyramids were erected behind the city of Drastor
  • Eldeth who spots Buppido is excited to see that he and Don staying (Eldeth and Buppido had dated previously, and she had ironically met Don while he was roaming around and befriended him). Buppido goes on to explain how there was a weird large frog thing in their room that apparently spit out the corpse of one of Adrian’s old traveling friends
  • Lilli and Korra decide to go off from the boys and decide to go shopping for more local clothing, and other supplies
  • Parting ways, Adrian, Don, Ragnaroc and Buppido begin taking in the sights and the smells; as well as the numerous exotic belly dancers – but what they’re looking for is any sign of Kraun as the head towards the center of Drastor
  • Upon reaching the center of Drastor, there is a large tower in the center of town – supposedly dedicated to the mages – and it’s at that moment, Buppido spots Squeven – the halfling Cleric who worships Brezden, the evil god of Greed and was gainfully employed by the tiefling, Kraun
  • Buppido calls out, “Hey! Squeven! Magic Man!”
  • The halfling turns – upon hearing his name – sees Bupiddo and the others and almost instantly becomes visibly annoyed and makes no effort to hide it. “What are you doing here? What do you want? There’s no refunds on the Identify if that’s what this is about. I doubt any of you have anything worth selling or trading in the upper class area. You could maybe make some money at the lower end – where they buy cheap things you guys might have.”
  • Buppido nods, “Is Kraun around here too?”
  • “Not that it’s any business of yours,” Squeven shakes his head, annoyed, “but yes, he’s meeting some high end clients here.”
  • Squeven and Buppido go back and forth about trying to sell something high end, but Squeven doesn’t believe the party has anything of any real value
  • Adrian asks if Squeven is aware of any form of “fast travel” around here and Squeven thinks on it for a moment and says, “Well, if you believe the rumors. There’s a Tiefling – most believe is out of his mind – he’s an eccentric kind of man – who has supposedly – not one hundred percent successful – but managed to use some kind of … things he’s found in the ruins around here… to create portals. But like I said, from what I hear – most think he’s absolutely crazy.”
  • During this time Bupiddo hides behind Adrian and casts Detect Thoughts – which requires his Inspiration to be sneaky
  • Buppido comes around and says, “I wish I could be like Kraun. And be that successful. Making those big trades.”
  • As Buppido scans his mind – he sees that Squeven is thinking how these people would never be as smart or distinguished as Kraun – but he does a tunnel that’s dark and lit by candles
  • Adrian asks if Squeven plans on seeing Kraun again – and he says he will – and Adrian says to tell Kraun hello and Squeven mentions that Kraun – for whatever reason – likes the work that Adrian and the others do
  • Squeven departs and Buppido explains that he thinks Kraun may already be making the deal with the cursed skull – he’s not too sure
  • Buppido approaches a merchant and says, “Hey, I heard about this place – it’s underground and -“
  • The merchant quickly covers Buppido’s mouth and gives him a stern look and whispers, “What are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed? Why would you mention that out loud?”
  • The merchant lets go and says, “I have just what you need – but I will need to get it from my stock room. Come back and meet me here in two hours.”
  • Using his Detect Thoughts on the vendor – he sees in the vendor’s mind – an alleyway and then pressing a brick with a symbol on it – then a hidden passage way opening to stairs that descend into darkness
  • Adrian asks the vendor about magic weapons or armor, and the vendor mentions he has a Shield of Valor – where the shield has two tiger paws, which can be used for additional damaging when smashing a foe – rumor has it there’s a Sword of Valor that goes with it, but he’s not in possession of the sword
  • Adrian manages to persuade the man to sell it for 150 gold
  • Meanwhile, Korra and Lilli are having a good time shopping – and something catches her eye – a strikingly handsome local man, pulling on the reigns of a majestic black horse with glowing runes and a white horse with similar runes – down the street, with his small caravan behind him, as he turns and says, “We must hurry if we expect to make it to the boat on time!”
    • DM Note – This is me just throwing nods to my Servants of the Wizard game, which the player for Korra, Adrian and Buppido are all a part of – as being Ramgor who they they met with their characters in Session 7 of that game and met his horses in Session 8 of that game. It was a fun way to show the world is ever moving – so that she’s witnessing potentially the boat that will shipwreck him on Eaglerock.
  • Seeing that this individual seems well off – and rather striking – Korra approaches the man known as Ramgor Demun and asks him where she might find the best potion shop in the area. The man pulls his horses to a stop and says, “Hello, my lady. The potion shop I would seek is Vanara’s Potion Shop,” he says with a smile. Korra explains they’re new in town and so Ramgor calls forth his young assistant, Tykin Meradune, and tells him to go with Korra and tell Vanara that Korra is one of his people. Tykin bows and quickly moves through the streets escorting Korra and Lilli to Vanara’s Potion Shop – where, after Tykin explains that Korra is one of Ramgor’s people – Vanara offers to sell normal healing potions for a mere 5 gold per healing potions. Vanara explains she has 18 greater healing potions currently (I had Korra roll 2d20) – and Korra agrees to purchase them all – and she gives 3 greater healing potions to Tykin to give to Ramgor, who quickly bows and exits
  • Korra explains that she needs to send a magical message to her family that she’s recovered two of the magical Planes Rings
  • Korra asks Lilli what she needs; and Lilli explains that eventually she wants to find the “eccentric / crazy man” that her father came searching for 16 years ago here in Drastor
  • Korra and Lilli eventually end up in a temple – and make a shocking discovery that the people of the Gold Coast don’t worship gods – but rather idolize great heroes of the past
  • They also learn that though the people don’t have temples for the gods, the gods are prayed for, daily at high noon, with everyone on their hands and knees, head pointed west where the great sun rises
  • Korra and Lilli now need to find some place to send their Message/Sending spell
  • Meanwhile, Adrian, Ragnaroc, Don and Buppido hang around the center of town, waiting for the time to tick by, to meet with the vendor…

TO BE CONTINUED?