Author: Follow Me, And Die!

Session 36 3 Dec 2014

All of us who are able to complete our training get trained.

We end up with over 905 gold each!

Finklemur trades the value of his training, which he can’t use for 3 identify spells and we learn that Thorfus “matrix” sword is +2 with some other undeciphered qualities. The two potions we have are clairvoyance and extra healing.

Brice tells us of her visions and Thorfus reveals the key and she confirms that it is the one in her vision. She says she will meditate on the meaning of the ABCDEFG.

The dragon orb we had briefly from the Kobolds is blue and not the fire in Brice’s visions. Brice is willing to help retrieve an ancient dwarven artifact. She says that she is to accompany us to Xen Kehl.

We learn that the bargemen watched our misdirected and actual inn, while we hid in the Lone Barrel Inn.

We finally learn a possible fate of Em. Supposedly she ran off with a young man and got married to Aubrey. Aubrey took up with Adman who also went by the name of Reynaldus. We have heard the name Reynaldus before, we think in Midmark….

Perrette shows up at the Lone Barrel, and hilariously, Finklemur casts darkness on him. He has a sealed letter from Lord Thornton, and Perrette fills in the gaps of our knowledge. the elections for Lord Mayor are at the same time as the elections in Vargen. Judge Grell is one of the candidates. Haldor is dead and his role in the slaving is not known and Grell is lifiting him up as a hero.

Perette is planning to go to Cargan to investigate “Grell’s Lambs” which we believe to be a euphemism for slaves.

We then hear that all the key people of the bargeman’s guild have descended on their fortified compound and Arman gets a promotion to their arms master, and Barnier showed up with the dragon ball. 

Rotho & bargemen hiring mercenaries, but none of the attempted mercer plants can get in.

Flowernave, the boss of the ferry is in town too.

We then learn from Adelard that the kobolds sent an emissary to the mercer troops guarding the ford seeking to trade proof of the bargemens activity in the slave trade for the dragon ball.

Starchy’s Boyz also get their new S/B cloak clasps/medals, now that they are trying to lay low.

We decide that we need more information on the dragon ball and surmise that if we can get it, it will thwart some big plan of the bargemen. We learn that they are packing barges with enough equipment for some sort of expedition with very large size shackles, for a dragon??

Our plan is for Perrete and Brice to grab a teamster, or other person who has access to the bargemen compound to see what we can learn. 

We want to do both get the dragon ball and investigate Grell’s Lambs in Cargan, how well our investigators do at gathering information will determine our next course of action.

Session 22 – August 27, 2014

That accused pounding in my head finally stopped! Thank the roots of the mountain!

We delayed too long to get all the platinum imperials, the grey cloaks beat us to them. Get the loot at all costs first from now on, I say!

We spoke to captain Gosprin and learned that pear-shaped Apidius spiked the portcullis shut and ran off across the rooftops with a story and hasn’t been seen since.

We got over to Dell Gate and hired a street boy, Flan, who showed us to the alchemist shop of Tobertus.

We pretended to rent the room over Tobertus’ shop. It was very clean. Virgil, the young cleric paid 5 sp for a week’s rent to get Tobertus out of the way. We found where a chest of something had been and an area where loose boards had been repaired. We did find 15 platinum imperials in the cupboard.

That old wizard Finklemur magicked Tobertus, the Alchemist to make him friendly and tell us what he knew. That his renters disappeared and that the gray cloaks ransacked the place and took all the furniture and gave him enough money to buy a new bed.

I offered gold to Flan for information on Apidius the pear-shaped man and to leave a message with Tobertus.

We then visited Thornton’s place. He was out and we dealt with Perrette. He gave us 75 gp for the platinum imperials. He said that they found about 200 imperials and a couple of spell books. As it was all evidence, poor Finklemur couldn’t get the spells for his own books.

We traded the two tapestries and 3 large sacks of 50 books  and the caretaker’s notebook to Aldus Runnelbrook and gained over 7,000 gold to split amongst us.

We returned to the shop of Tobertus and found we had a message from Flan. We found Flan and learned that Apidius and the archer from the ambush Saiden fled the city. Flan gave us the impression that it was too dangerous to ask about Richie and Aliva.  We paid him 3 gold for his information and offered more to keep his ears open and stay out of trouble to get us more information on the imperials, including Vardin. Flan is to leave a message with Tobertus. Who knows how long until we get back?

We then returned to the town house and made arrangements to rent it from Elspeth for four additional months, just in case our efforts at Xen Kel take longer than expected. She will stay in there occasionally to make it look like we are still in town.

We tracked down Kottar and Sturloc. They have four friends that they will try to convince to join us. We agreed on a price. 5 gp per week each plus meals for Kottar, Sturloc and Talon, their former commander. 5sp each plus meals for their other three friends.

We agreed to meet by the Low Gate the next day to head out.

We bought supplies a cart and animals to help with the journey.

We then went to the Seven Brass Tavern and spoke to Roger Salford, who Elspeth directed us to.

Roger suggested we talk with Saunder Worksworth owner of Worksworth Hauling. We plan to meet him the next day with our men. he is paying each of us who met him 1 gp per day, and at least 5 sp per day for the others. We have no problem letting our men get paid again by someone else for the same job, it should make them even happier to work with us.

We returned to the city, 7sp to go in and out of the Low Gate, what a racket!

I look forward to one last night for a while in my own bed.

Fresh bread sounds good, but it is late. I wonder how the baker and his family are doing?

Session 19 – August 6, 2014.

Oh my head…. I can’t believe we still live. We managed to live through that damn tomb, only to die by a second ambush.

I suspect that Grell is getting serious and returning the sword wasn’t enough. He wants my head and those of anyone associated with me, I just know it.

I was so surprised to awaken in Thornton’s kitchen. Never thought I’d be glad to be there….

Somehow that strange old human wizard managed to survive and convince the guards to bring us here.

It’s a small comfort that the two who downed me only did so because of their magic armor and swords. I really wanted their heads, but I know that we need information from them.

Thornton questioned us pretty thoroughly about what we found out and who we talked to. He doesn’t seem to think Grell is involved, but I’m not so sure.

We got lots of information about what appears to be an imperial spy/assassin named Nigel who supplied them with magic weapons and platinum. I sure want some platinum. It would be a big help in my plans.

We got the names of others who attacked us, all stooges of Nigel.

Nigel had them kidnapping people, we later learned why. Poor souls.

It is some small comfort that the two would-be assassins are left in Thornton’s dungeon. They just might be wishing I’d made a quick job of it with my axe, or my new sword.

At least I got a new magic shield and some nice armor, and now most of us at least have a magic weapon.

I was sad to see Ir’Alle leave us. Not many humans truly understand the way of dwarves.

Thornton liked the idea of the devil fish to steal the imperial roll and destroy it, as it was a weapon that would destroy enemies, allies, and the food supply. I think that is a good idea. Keep it out of the hands of the imperials too.

Thornton has a nephew who is an acolyte in the Ark cathedral and Thornton convinced him to help us. Thornton provided us with priestly robes of the Ark for the humans and the elf, and for Xen’Teler for Axel and I. Mother always wanted me to join the priests, like her brother, but I have other plans.

It was into the sewers again then up into the cathedral with a man on the inside to get us in. Poor lad, will be in a lot of trouble.

We managed to get all the way to the reception room to the vault and that old man, Finklemur, is at least a good enough wizard that he charmed the priest with the keys. That poor fellow never knew what hit him, and got us the volume we asked for and we managed to walk out with it.

I had just relaxed the grip on my club under my robe, when we were found, but Thornton’s nephew managed to think quickly on his feet and convince them he was the lad who helped us in from the sewers. 

We managed to walk out into the streets unopposed, and hopefully, unobserved.

We split up and doffed our robes and made haste back to Thornton’s.

I neglected to mention earlier that that pear-shaped lieutenant of the city guard at the gate to new town raided the tavern with the printing press and started a riot. The new town area was locked down. Thornton was given until tomorrow to have proof that the rebels with the printing press were not behind the assassination of the Lord Mayor.

Thornton gave us his coach with Perrette to drive.

Perrette drove through the streets like a madman and got us as close to the gate as possible. The angry crowds of natives trying to get home, but locked out and more rabble rousers like that fool Grell’s nephew were about with more fires.

That old mage who joined us yesterday convinced Perrette to give him his gray cloak, so that he wouldn’t be picked out as helping the colonials. 

We found the outer portcullis and the gate closed and archers on the wall and at every arrow slit and murder hole of the gate.

That foolish lieutenant, Apidius, dared to not let us in. I challenged him by asking if he cared to tell Lord Thornton in person that he was the one who wouldn’t let us in.

He opened the gate just enough for us to crawl in and lowered it before the crowds decided to rush it.

We asked to see the captain, who chewed us out for letting Apidius in on the printing press in the tavern. We did get the captain to send word that if we had to go to the other gate to let us out.

We then entered new town and went to the area where we first met the woman who took us to the devil fish. She showed up and took us to meet him and that foul creature entered our minds again and was satisfied that we had done as agreed. 

It lead Finklemur to the head. It was most likely the head of Barron, but what we learned is that it had its skull opened like we have come to see all too often with a cube inside.

Now it appears that either Talisin and/or his new apprentice Jardin are in league with Nigel.

Now all we have to do is get this rotting head back to Thornton.

I hope it’s not too late and that we have time to hone our skills before we have to flee the city. I’d also like to sell our loot so we can afford to go elsewhere.

I have a feeling that going off after the item(s) in the other tomb for Desrick is in the cards now.

I could use a large amount of fine ale to ease this aching head.

Session 11 – May 28, 2014

In spite of a warning from an ancient dwarven family to curse and afflict us in this life and the next, the party continued into the room.

We found that the doors to the east and west of the bottom of the stairs looped around behind the stairs, and led to the southern door in the room with the rotating bridge. Our lantern was blown out by a rushing of wind when we pushed open that door.

After lighting the lanterns to learn what a “walking” sound was that we heard, we discovered a small “box-like” creature with a shovel-like “nose”. It is the creature that is keeping the floors so neat and shoving things up against the walls.

We attacked it, but it managed to pry open a stone in the floor, so we spiked the stone to wedge it shut. We also spiked the doors on either side of the stairs.

We then went down the east passageway, and came to an set of bars that would fall if triggered. We spiked that into the up position to avoid being trapped. Just past the intersection we found a tapestry with a door behind it. The door had a trap with darts that we assume to be poison, but we blocked the darts with a shield and safely opened the door. 

We found that the passageway behind the door was dirty, so the “maid” doesn’t do this area. We went straight through to a door to the east, and ignored alcoves to the north and south each with a brass plate 5′ high. 

There was another intersection, so we continued east. We marked another pressure plate trap, and opened a door that was a room with mechanical arms working furiously to build a dwarven automaton from parts in drawers. In one corner was the wrecked remains of what we surmised was one of the automatons we defeated.

We left that room going back west and took the north passage. We came to a room with three sarcophagi. They had clockwork lids and the buttons to activate them. They also had bas reliefs of automatons. We found cubes in the hands of the first dwarf, also missing his head, and when Thorfus tried to take the cube, wrapped in a cloak, the bas reliefs came to life. They were paper thin. Once we defeated them, even though paper thin, they were incredibly heavy. Some strange wizardry on top of the fine craftsmanship.

We smashed all the other bas reliefs before taking cubes from the other two sarcophogi, and there were robes with gold thread and some jewelry.

We went west and took the north passage and came to a room with a pedestal in the middle with an opening in the top big enough for the cubes we just found. It also had buttons around the lip on the outside edge. We put a cube in, but nothing happened. We did not mess with the buttons. We retrieved the cube and went east a bit and found another room with two sarcophogi. Again top of skull gone, and more cubes, gold threaded robes and come jewelry.

When we tried to take the first cube, eleven finely crafted mechanical insects as big as a hand attacked us. The did little damage, but had a paralysis toxin. The toxin was either weak, or weakened with age, as it wore off quickly. It took us a long time to defeat them, but we finally prevailed. We retrieved the remains of all eleven, hoping to sell them for a profit.

Several members of the party were hurt, it was nearing time to rest, and we were running low on oil, so we elected to head to the surface for rest, re-supply, and to sell or trade what we had so far recovered. 

We made it back to the area below the sewer cover when we left off. It was about 7:00 pm the 20th of Enrilden, only three more days until the dwarven festival.