Session 19 Report

General Summary

Ava and Huugar return to the Garrulous Cauldron. Walking in they discover Yemtoc awake and the children asleep in the room. He takes the two of them outside the room. They argue about who lost who. Yemtoc tells Ava and Huugar that they went into the catacombs to look for them, worried they had been taken and found children instead. He mentions that the plan is to find a way to get the children home and then continue investigating the other missing adults who they could not find.   Ava explains that they were also in the catacombs. How they were looking for Yemtoc when a priest found them and asked for their help. She explains how, the acolyte they had gone into the catacombs with previously was not well and the priest came to ask them what had happened and if they can do anything about it. She explains that walking around the catacombs they found a room where some enslaved people were being made to excavate something in the catacombs. Huugar clarified that after entering to look for the acolyte they found a room with several Drow forcing some people to excavate some type of monolith for them. However the priest wil be passing the information along to the guard and Duke Guias tomorrow. The room was found in the catacombs below Duke Guias' manor hosue. Now that the priests know what type of curse was affecting the acolyte they should be able to help. Ava was able to copy two of the letters, which the priest informed them were Abyssal in nature. Yemtoc had a message from Huugar (from the priest), and Yemtoc gave him a direction to bring sweets. Ava produced some sweets and cookies. Huugar hands Yemtoc one half of the Sending Stone pair he and Ava picked up.   Yemtoc explains how they came to end up finding the children.   They all settle in for the night.   The next morning they wake up to find Grim Eye is nowhere in the room. Yemtoc finds a note "Gone to do research. Do not follow. Hugs and kisses. (is that the proper way to say goodbye? One of the children told me it was."   Ava and Nedda start entertaining some of the children. Zita sends Zeno off to get himself some food and goes to join Yemtoc who is getting food from Alric for the kids. Zita and Yemtoc discuss how to find a way to get the children home to Steepguard. Yemtoc wonders if Ava and Huugar may be able to get the church of Moradain to transport the children safely.   Yemtoc leads an effort to get the children cleaned up, before giving them breakfast. Following a group effort they get the kids washed and bring them down for breakfast.   The group decides to bring all the children with them to the church. While they are discussing this, a red-skinned tiefling, the shopkeeper from the Arcane Apothecarium arrives to hand over the remaining 3,000 gold.   The group leads the children through town. The kids are vary obedient, and Ava is able to keep track of any straglers. Yemtoc notices a goblin child following them, and slinking into the shadows he separates from the group. When the child loses track of Yemtoc, he begins to panic. Yemtoc announces his presence, and the child quickly approaches and hands him a flyer for the Leaky Aristocrat. The flyer has, in theives cant, "What did you do!? Lots of activity."   Arriving at the Temple of Moradain the doors stand open. Entering they find the priest from the day before. Ava approaches, and the Priest assures her that things are in better shape with Norie, the Acolyte. He asks if Huugar and Ava would be willing to accompany him to speak with Duke Guias, as a first-hand account of what they saw would be welcome. Ava explains that they are actively trying to return the children to Steepguard. He is a bit concerned about the logistics. Eventually he suggest that one of the Guild Heads, but Yemtoc mentions Duke Guias - which inspires the Priest. Since he was already heading to speak with Duke Guias. Yemtoc suggests meeting with the Priest in two hours at Duke Guias' manor house.   Yemtoc leads the group to find Lowfan's home. Yemtoc reatorites to the group quietly on the way that Duke Guias was in the temple a week ago, along with the Drow who attacked part of the party the day before. Arriving at Lowfan's home, they bring in the children. He asks Lowfan to watch the children for a bit. The youngest start acting agitated, staring at Lowfan's brother, Efan. Efan looks exhausted. Yemtoc takes him aside into a separate bedroom. After a brief interaction a frightened and confused Efan, they shuffle him out the bedroom window and send him on his way.   Free of the children the group starts debating how to get the children back to Steepguard. Yemtoc suggests the party join him on a visit to the local underground. Leading the group back to the Leaky Aristocrat they are met by the goblin barkeep who leads them into the back room. Raymond Lillie meets with the group. He mentions that activity around the manor house kicked up the past evening, and a Drow they have not seen before arrived and comanded the subservience of the guards. They mention that they never left the house. Yemtoc asks a favor in exchange of a favor. The Ruby Trust commits to transporting the children to the Rael Orphanage in Steepguard. Yemtoc provides notes for the orphanage and for the children. Raymond asked if the group had found the other missing townsfolk, two of whom were found. He hands Yemtoc a list of seven names Alister, Ophelia, Arranis, Sarah, Elera. The remaining people who dissapeared in the past few weeks.   After leaving the Leaky Aristocrat the party drops off a note with Lowfan and say their goodbyes to the children. Huugar pulled out a note from the bag of holding that the party found when they were rescuing the children. Yemtoc tells the party to meet him at the manor house and slips off ahead to tail the priest from the church to the manor house. The rest of the party decides to try and tail Yemtoc rather than head to the manor house. In order to help with their tailing of Yemtoc, the two druids shift into cats, and Huugar, Zita, and Zeno follow along behind. After a bit of time on the path, Yemtoc notices the Zita and Zeno as well as two cats following along behind him. Watching from across the street Yemtoc sees Duke Gaius von Falken and Seraphus Priest of Moradain start speaking in the manorhouse. He identifies a back servant's enterance that is unguarded. Yemtoc doubles back on his group, and they gather in a group overlooking the back of the house. The cats decide to slip into the back door and attract the attention of the servants. They are let in, and given some milk. Ava nuzzles against the servant girl who let them in, but Nedda steals the saucer of milk. Needa overhears Seraphus, Priest of Moradain speaking to Duke Gaius von Falken where he mentions the challenges in the church the night before, but that some kind adventurers helped them out. He tells Duke Gaius that he wanted to warn him that some people are using the Von Falken family plot in the catacombs for some nefarious purpose, the excavation of some type of obelisk. He is abruptly cut off in his speach. Nedda slips back out to inform Zita and the rest of the group what she heard.   As Nedda leaves the room, Ava overhears a new voice critizing Duke Gaius, chastizing him for having two endevors uncovered in the same night, and expresses disdain for the group they are with. Duke Gaius returns the accusation, and refocuses their goal. The last thing Ava hears is a scraping sound and the sound of a latch from the next room.   Yemtoc indicates to Nedda that the cats should cause chaos. Ava and Nedda start raising a ruccus in the kitchen. Nedda joins her in causing chaos. Suddenly Zeno bursts into the room. The cats head into the next room with his distraction. They begin knocking all the books off their bookshelves. The group rushes into the next room. Yemoc notices scrapmarks on the floor next to the desk, and drops of blood on the floor. The party is able to shift the desk and discover a false floor pannel with a hidden staircase that leads down below the manor. The group heads down the stairs stealthily.   As they reach the base of the stairs they pass through an illusory wall, Ava and Huugar recognize the tunnel they were in before. At the end of the hall they spy the drow they had put to sleep the night before. He is bound to a tall post and writhing in pain.   The session comes to a close with the party standing in the hall, just inside the illusory door.