33. Teeth for Tat Report

General Summary

6th Nymm, 998 YK

• Terfel commissioned a carpenter to make Llyr a flat-packed fort for his birthday (13th Nymm)
• Dax' Athla acquired some crocodile bones from a butcher and made a hidden knife.
• Kalshana got a Hunda Stick
• Warden went out into the swamp to acquire a plant. He picked up a Pawpaw sapling. It'll take 3-5 years to bloom, and when it does it'll smell like rotten meat.
• Terfel gave his gift to Bava to give to him on the day.
• Dax gives her gift to Llyr before they leave, and tells him to twist it to open it on his birthday, when he's alone.
• Kalshana gives Llyr his gift before they leave as well.
• Warden presents Llyr with the tree sapling before they leave, explaining how to care for it. Llyr is a bit tentative about it.
• As gifts for Tzaryan Rrac, they decide to get one of Bava's paintings. They buy a painting of the Floating Towers of Arcanix for 100 gp.
• They also purchase a painting of the night sky over the Shadow Marches for 150 gp, but they aren't taking it with them. They ask her to hold onto it until they return.
• Dax purchases some rations, as she wants meat and not goodberries.
• They depart Zarash'ak on the Lightning on Water.

• They arrive in Vralkek. It's a shadow compared to Zarash'ak, and the waterfront is mostly empty. It's got a wild west vibe to it.
• Natrac informs them that the warlord of Vralkek is a fire giant named Gorodan Ashlord.
• They ask around and get pointed to a relatively reputable tavern, The Barrel.
• On their way there, there is a confrontation in the street. An ogre approaches and gets in Ashi's face and tries to pick a fight.
• There is a stand off, but the ogre breaks before a fight breaks out. "Girl is pretty. Just sayings girl is pretty! Don't see human girls so pretty and so toughs."
• They aren't bothered again as they head to the Barrel.
• Within the barrel, the bartender helpfully explains that the most commonly accepted "currency" in Droaam is teeth. The more dangerous the creature it came from, the more valuable the tooth.
• Handily, they had some bags of teeth they looted from the gnolls that attacked the Shining Valley!
• The bartender asks what they're doing, and they say they're going to go to Tzaryan Keep. She offers to send over some guides for them to interview.
• They sit down with their ales, and the bartender sends over some people.
• The first of the guides, a female half-orc named Ryl seems fairly competent. Once she finds out that Tzaryan Rrac isn't expecting them, though, she says she'll only take them within sight of the keep, no closer.
• The second guide, a mangy gnoll named Kagishi sits down and giggles that he works for cheap. When they tell him Tzaryan Rrac isn't expecting him, Kagishi wishes them a nice day and leaves.
• The third "guide", a shifter named Talon sits down and states that what they really need is protection. Luckily, he just so happens to know a gang of people willing to help! Geth tells him to leave and there is a bit of a stand off, but Geth wins and the shifter runs.
• The fourth guide is a scarred female goblin named Moza. They open that Tzaryan Rrac isn't expecting them, but that's not a problem for Moza. Moza asks what they want with Dhakaani ruins, and Kalshana notices that Moza is receiving cue's from a hobgoblin woman.
• Kal waves at the hobgoblin, who then leaves.
• Moza gets nervous and spills the beans. She was paid some teeth by the hobgoblin woman to ask them about what they want with the ruins.
• Terfel gets up to follow, when a contingent of armoured ogres enters The Barrel.
• One of the ogres introduces himself as Chuut.
• "By orders of The General, you are invited to travel with us to Tzaryan Keep."
• Chuut asks which one of them is the "chib", and they say Terfel. He then takes Terfel to speak to The General.
• Chuut takes Terfel to another inn, The Lame Pony, and to the General's room.
• The General is a human man, well dressed in sturdy clothing, and wearing scarves around his upper torso and head, concealing his features. He seems to have suffered some sort of injury.
• He listens to Terfel explain what they want with Tzaryan Keep, to explore the ruins. He warns Terfel that Tzaryan doesn't like treasure hunters, and he won't help them if they loot the ruins.
• He also informs Terfel that Tzaryan Rrac spends most of his time in his observatory.
• Nothing else in Terfel's story alarms him, so he'll take them to the keep.
• Terfel will ride with The General at the front of the column. The others in the middle.
• Chuut returns Terfel to the others, and he explains the situation.
• They have until tomorrow to make preparations.
• They sell their rowboats for 3 displacer beast teeth.
• Terfel trades the irontwist cord net and 2 lengths of irontwist cord for a giant lizard, which is untrained and lacks a saddle.
• Terfel also acquires some leather for Dax to make a saddle, he pays 7 wolf teeth for it.