Session 144

General Summary

• The party rushed to the crocodile carcass, where the dwarf from BFI was already squabbling with a tiefling from the House of Cards about harvesting it for resources.
• Some guards also arrived to try to take control of the situation, but when weird Turmoil stuff started happening — such as a lit stick of dynamite falling from the sky and exploding near them — they decided to clear the area before it got worse.
• The party informed the guards about two persons of interest, Riley Ellasandra and Maedia Widelove. The guards seem to already have an opinion about Riley, claiming that she's involved in a troupe "doin', like, the same thing [the party is] doin'".
• The party pushed on without fully resting. The next night, during Dwardazik's and Theran's watch, "Barf" triggered an illusion that made the rest of the party see Theran's face as something evil, making it very tense until Dazki saw through it and calmed everyone down.
• Not long after the landscape changed from "lots of trees" to "lots of felled and stumped trees", the party reached Tenderlove Research Facility, where they were welcomed by a dwarf named Knuckles Baredragger.
• He offered them a place to rest, for a "modest fee", which Dazki haggled down to being even more "modest".
• They were warned to stick to a particular area of the outpost, and especially to avoid a particular road leading up to a more active area.
• Following the forbidden road led to a line of large commercial buildings, each one dedicated to some different form of production. The party (minus Dwardazik and Kesmet) entered one with a sweatshop of Kenku workers copying various writings, but Marvin got caught by a lizardfolk before they could investigate more.
• The lizardfolk was more interested in berating Marvin for being bad at stealthing than reporting him to anyone else, so the party was able to escape any serious consequences, but Dazki did get seen at the last minute while they were already making their escape, so any more snooping is likely to be much more difficult.

Full Recap

The party scrambles to come up with a plan for how to respond to the giant crocodile carcass that fell from the sky, talking as Dwardazik puts his armor on. They decide to approach conspicuously.   A dwarf from BFI makes it abundantly clear that he has the claim on the resources from the carcass, seemingly more concerned for the profit opportunity than anything else. A tiefling from the House of Cards likewise decides to focus primarily on... correcting the dwarf's misunderstanding.   As the party are about to leave, a small group of guards — accompanied by Fireguard — stop everyone to investigate what's going on. Surveying the situation, the dead fish around the area don't look "right". Dwardazik picks up one of the fish, and some sort of "fish essence" remains on the ground. He drops the corpse.   Dazki strongly recommends, repeatedly, that everyone leave the area, as a lit stick of dynamite falls from the sky as well. Theran surmises that the phenomena in the area are probably related to the watering hole emptying out, as they had thrown a lit stick of dynamite into there earlier. After the explosion, they leave, with "Barf" carrying the ghostly fish essence (which nobody else can seem to touch). "Barf" eats the "fish".   Safe from danger, they discuss packing up camp and moving on, but the guards nag them a little bit to ask for any information they might have. Dazki mentions Annu's shortlist of suspects, naming Riley Ellasandra and Maedia Widelove and preemptively acknowledging that Maedia is suspected to be a ghost.

Guard Captain: Well, I can't stop a ghost. And I ain't stoppin' Riley!   Dazki: Oh, so you know Riley?   Guard Captain: I mean, kinda everyone knows Riley.   Dazki: All right, so what can you tell us about her and some of her recent, uh... "dealings", I guess would be the polite way to put it?   Guard Captain: I think she and her troupe are doin', like, the same thing you're doin'? I'm surprised you haven't interacted yet.   Dazki: We've been mostly in Ashport and also way off by the Invictus Una, until a couple of weeks ago. So it's a bit challenging to have run-ins and communications with people over here, on the other side of the continent. But yes, we do think they are somehow involved. If they are investigating it, then that would explain quite a bit, and our two groups might be able to work together.   Guard Captain: Well, I don't know if you're gonna want to work with her...   Dazki: Why not?   Guard Captain seems very reluctant to respond. A different guard steps in.   Different Guard 1: Because she's a fuckin' bitch!   Dazki, shrugging his shoulders: Well, "want to" and "need to" might be two entirely separate things. And I've been known to be kind of an asshole myself.   Dwardazik: I doubt we're here for the exact same mission, though.   Dazki: Regardless, we definitely need to speak with her and with any other friends or contacts she might have. If they're investigating, and we're investigating, then it stands to reason that we should pool resources.   Guard Captain: All right. Well, I'm out here trying to do my job, so I don't know what they're doin' over there. But that troupe of theirs has been mighty valuable in the woods.   Dwardazik: We need you here, to keep the front secure. You're the line of defense that keeps the people safe. Stand firm.   Guard Captain: Will do.

They press forward, exhausted. They make it through the barricade without issue, but the oxen need to rest, so they set up camp. BFI has a dominant presence in the area, and they see some caravans moving back and forth.

"Night"(ish) 1

Watch 1: Theran and Dwardazik

Taking note of the stars, Dwardazik and Theran share stories back and forth about what the stars mean to them. As they do, "Barf" growls at Theran, and Dwardazik sees Theran's face start to "melt off, as if made of strawberry jam". Dwardazik rushes to grab his face, and though Theran tries to reassure him that it's "weird Turmoil stuff", the voice sounds all wrong. The dwarf charges him, and this wakes everyone else, who also see the warped version of Theran's face... until Dazki actually investigates it, seeing it for the illusion that it is. He blames "Barf", who is still barking. Dwardazik (Animal Handling 16) calms it down, and the illusion fades.  

Watch 2: Theran and Kesmet

Theran is shaken up, worried that both "Barf" and Dwardazik's "guest" are trying to protect themselves and one another, but that they perceive him as a threat. He hopes that they will warm up to him with time.   He asks Kesmet to show him how to use Minor Illusion (which is a spell that's definitely distinct from Theran's "Play Pretend But More Real" spell) to imitate voices, which he does.  

Watch 3: Dazki

Nothing interesting.  

Watch 4: Dazki and Marvin

Dazki asks for Marvin's help, over the next few months, in practicing his speeches — giving him pointers, etc., something that Marvin immediately agrees to without any hesitation.   Then, Dazki brings up the community back at Sonta'ar's Workshop. He points out how they work together as a community just fine, even though there's no inherited power like his culture is based on. This is starting to resonate with him, and so he wants to discuss it more with Marvin: he wants to spread that around, but he knows that he can't be the face of it right away (lest it come off as just nobles squabbling over power). He wants Marvin's help, once they get back, in building formal alliances with settlements in other areas so that "the people" won't be "surrounded" once it kicks off.   Marvin approves of this idea.

Tenderlove

On the way towards the Tenderlove Research Facility, it's as if they're entering into an entirely different biome populated by felled / stumped trees. They discuss the "WINNER" diamond a little — mostly, Dazki wanted to make it abundantly clear to Theran that if it gets sold, then the profits get split among the party. Getting closer, there is a massive mill, behind which is a large fortification: Tenderlove Research Facility itself.   The welcoming committee — who calls himself Knuckles Baredragger — offers lodging at what Dazki judges to be a fairly high price. (Insight 27) He is not currently trying to swindle you: he genuinely believes this is a safe place, but he doesn't really care what happens to you... he just wants to make a deal. As soon as Dazki mentions the practical graveyard of felled trees, the dwarf is quick to point out that "it all goes back into 'research and development', let's say, and rehabilitation!", and that BFI have "research permits", whereas "felling trees is perfectly acceptable for research purposes". Nevertheless, Dazki haggles with him to get a better price. There's also a logbook and a contract that they need to sign to identify that they were here.   They are told, in no uncertain terms, that it's a "very delicate research operation", and that they are only permitted to visit the buildings along a poorly paved road that leads off to the side, and to especially avoid a particular road leading to where there seems to be lots of activity. The buildings themselves are of actually quite a nice design from the outside; inside the buildings, it's not quite as nice, but "definitely serviceable". Goblin and lizardfolk workers bring the cart and oxen in for boarding, and the lizardfolk responds "we don't accept tips" when offered coin.   They go inside and quickly decide to investigate the no-no road, Dwardazik and Kesmet hanging back because they are not stealthy.

Spy Guys

(Perception 22) It won't be an entirely easy recon mission, as the party clearly look their power level, and so the guards are on alert. However, the people in charge of guarding the area are... less than enthusiastic about going "above and beyond" in their jobs.   The buildings in the area are a set of purpose-driven warehouses and smaller service buildings, plus a large "what appears to be stables" surrounding a large building. Peering into the window of one of the warehouses, it's still fully active even in the middle of the night: rows of tables with Kenku are plugging away at paperwork and contracts, as gold dwarves pace up and down to check their work. The party sneak inside to get a better look. Marvin (Stealth 15) gets caught by a lizardfolk:

Lizardfolk: It was mistake to come here. You make mistake, you put some in danger.   Marvin: How are people in danger?   Lizardfolk: You snooping. Is not allowed.   Marvin: Have I put someone other than myself in danger? I'm just confused...   Lizardfolk: I see you. You are not alone. You put others in danger by being bad at stealthing.   Marvin: Oh, you're just taking a jab at me. OK. I'm OK with that.   Lizardfolk: You must do it better. Like this.   The lizardfolk shoves Marvin around the corner against a wall, almost knocking the wind out of him.   Lizardfolk: See? Is better.   Marvin, wheezing a little: You know, normally I charge people extra for this sort of attention...   Lizardfolk: I don't accept tips.   Marvin: Wow... OK... that just went right over your head, didn't it...   Marvin: So, are you gonna let me go, or...?   Lizardfolk: Yes. You should leave. Is dangerous.   Marvin: Yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah, that's what I want to do.   Lizardfolk: OK, go get friends. I find? I no tell. They find? They tell. You don't want them to tell. Is bad.   Marvin: Yeah, no, I do not want that. I do not want that.   Lizardfolk: We try make living here. You bad. You mess it up. I find you.   Marvin: Is he controlling you somehow? Is he blackmailing you?   Lizardfolk: Who?   Marvin: The dwarf.   Lizardfolk: What dwarf? No blackmail.   Marvin: Because why would you... why would you follow such stringent rules about not accepting tips, and doing such horrible work for such little pay?   Lizardfolk: Is not overly pleasurable. But, something said about "minimizing risk of retaliation".   Marvin: You deserve better! I saw how much work you and the others were putting in.   Lizardfolk: Modern society aggressive. Unwilling to adapt. You go. You leave bird people alone. They work hard. You ruin.   Marvin casts Dimension Door, poofing away.   Lizardfolk: ...where he go?

Dazki retreats back outside and checks some of the other warehouses before looking for a way back across to the other side of the gate. Other operations in progress include:

• Goblins affixing various metal bits to leather and wood
• Large ogres moving around boxes of material

Theran, still as a bird, works with Dazki to loop a rope around one of the spikes of the large gate barring his exit. (Athletics 4) He can't quite climb over the gate without getting caught — both literally (part of his armor gets caught on a spike on his way over) and figuratively (a guard sees him as he works to free himself).   They all escape back to the longhouse ready to regroup and discuss what they've learned.