Exhausted from the long campaign in Tosasth in the springtime, Tienarth’s Raiders were determined to relax over the warmer months. During this time, a few events in the area were noted along with some achievements from Tienarth himself. After weeks of study, the old elf worked at enchanting a dragonhide shield for Jerker using the wing recovered from the dragons killed at the pass. The shield itself was crafted by Raith, the armorsmith previously hired.
Disturbance in St. Orlan
While Tienarth toiled in his lab, Urgesh and Aderian amused themselves by drinking from kegs of ale. Intoxicated, Urgesh jumped atop a table and announced his intent to steal dragonhide and force the armorsmith to make a wineskin from it. The two drinking companions made an awful noise but managed to make off with a roll of leather at a late hour when Tienarth was resting. The elf did not enjoy being disturbed by Aderian, a pointless distraction for the half-orc who merely needed to snatch the material. Though unneeded, he also besoiled several glass vessels Ferris was using to brew potions.
Next, Urgesh was determined to meet with Raith immediately and headed into town. While banging on the armorsmith’s door, five guards arrived to calm the disturbance. Urgesh responded with violence which the guards gladly returned. Fists flew, and one of the guards poked Urgesh with a sword. Aderian pummeled a guard unconscious with the keg of ale he still carried. Urgesh dropped his own keg. The ale spilled over the cobbles. One guard dashed off for help while the rest lay unconscious. Urgesh managed to dismiss his rage, and Aderian led him back to the homestead.
The next day, Sheriff Bremlai arrived on horseback to scold them. He attempted to deal directly with Tienarth, warning him to keep his crew in check. Urgesh struggled to keep out of the conversation and more trouble. The sheriff complained at needing to come calling on his wedding day, a curious fact that did engender some sympathy. He rode off with a final warning that the deal struck between the various parties around St. Orlan could collapse if Tienarth’s Raiders create more trouble.
The Blue Mask
A month later, they heard again about Bremlai committing to marriage. The provocative aspect was this was his third wife. The more traditional folks of St. Orlan judged his harem-building as immoral, but few could challenge him as he ruled all life in the small town. And the recent news of a bandit called The Blue Mask terrorizing the road to and from Slateholm was of more importance. He was known to ride a gray mare, to strike with uncanny precognition of wagons carrying valuables, and to leave a clever calling card in the form of a poem.
Taking this news as a sign, Aderian asked Tienarth to scry for The Blue Mask. The crystal ball gave up no secrets. The pirate’s next plan was a decoy. They set off in their own wagon after spreading word that they’d be travelling to Slateholm with valuable goods. They met no attack on the road. Now in Slateholm, they visited their favorite establishments, Benabil’s Oddities and the Dancing Toad. They found the halfling’s shop closed up on account of a recent birth. At the tavern they heard the news that Owain the Gorgeous had taken control of Morgansfort from his deceased brother Halden. Owain carried a reputation as being foppish yet handsome.
They rode back home and discussed a quest for fireweed from which Ferris could produce self-igniting flaming oil flasks. They remembered that somewhere along the road to Tosasth fireweed grew. Ferris also explained he’d herd of fireweed growing underground. The talk was idle and the days passed by in revelry. In the ides of Octopus, they finally found motivation to head off for adventure again.
To Doukreg
On the 20th day of Octopus, the tenth month, they made for Doukreg, the ruined dwarven city over which Molokotu stood. After a night at the ruined tower, Urgesh lead them overland directly to Doukreg. They arrived as the sun was setting. All around the giant golem’s feet lay ruined buildings and gnoll corpses. Below the rim of the canyon they saw partial rooms sheered away. About one hundred feet down, boulders piled on the floor of the crevice.
The next day, they carefully climbed down over various shelves and half-crumbled stairs to explore among the boulders where Urgesh spotting a fine door. Perhaps it was been exposed only through the violence of Molokotu’s attack. It was not locked. Aderian pulled the door open. Inside was a long all with columns carved as statues of pathetic people, woeful of their task of holding up a 20 foot ceiling.
At the other end of the hall stood a door with a striking illustration. An elf was painted in a collapsing posture, a knife stabbed into his heart. A dwarf walked away with a sack on his back and an evil grin on his face. One of the party remarked, “that’s what you do to elves. Steal their gold.”
Behind the door was a circular room whose floor was a deep pool of murky water with a ledge around the edge. Two columns rose on east and west sides. Chains hung from the columns and were dismissed as a trap. Jerker tossed a grappling hook over a bridge that joined the two columns. Aderian scrambled up and met with some invisible force. He struck a few blows into his unseen foe but soon found himself tumbled off the bridge and down in the murky water.
He let go his shield and swam to edge with his dagger in his teeth. Once out, the felt the sting of a giant leech on his arm. He killed the disgusting parasite but not before suffering a wound. Not willing to lose his shield permanently, he wrapped the rope around his waist and dove back into the water. After several tries attempt where he came up with handfuls of copper coins, he managed to get ahold of his shield. Another leech attached itself to him and it was dispatched in similar manner to the first.
End Notes
- Treasure: none
- Combat
- 5 town guards (Urgesh and Aderian only) – 10 xp each
- 2 giant leeches – 240 xp each
- Characters
- Aderian (fight, lead) 108 xp
- Elgar 106 xp
- Jerker (fight) 107 xp
- Tienarth (avoid combat, acquires arcane) 98 xp
- Urgesh (fight) 97 xp