2021-03-24 - A Helping Hand Report

General Summary

We pick up with our heroes as they've barricaded themselves in the abandoned study away from the goblins and the rest of the temple. Each settles down for a long rest. There is unrest, Belus has made it clear that he doesn't want to leave the princess and he is willing to fight alone if the rest of the party leave to pursue Khalitharius. During the second watch Merosh broaches the topic with Belus, his own commitment to their direction wavering and the conversation wavers from the will of the gods to the search for glory. Together they sat, peering out into the darkness, the shuffling of undead creatures always in the background. Khalitharius had offered Merosh glory and yet he believed that they could reach their own glory without accepting such an offer.  He voiced his concern that if they waited Khalitharius would get stronger, but Belus countered that they would also get stronger. Merosh mulled it over.   "I imagine my story needs a chapter about saving a princess."   Grim found himself unable to sleep, the prospect of abandoning Belus and the desire to bring righteous vengeance gave him a fitful sleep. When he awoke in the morning, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and began his ritual to speak to his god, Assuran. He set his glaive on the ground and kneeled, seeking some answer. As he sought his god's will a memory surfaced, a sailor, Sven Eriksen had once been swept out to sea during a storm. In that moment, without hesitation, Grim leapt into the water as he tied a rope around himself. He saved the sailor. He had his answer from Assuran.   Grim likewise wanted to seek a path. The conflict he felt with Belus choosing to stay and his desire to bring vengeance to Khalitharius left him adrift. He set his glaive out and kneeled, beseeching Ausurin for direction. A memory surfaced, a sailor swept over the edge of the boat. Without a moment's hesitation, Grim leapt into the water, tying a rope around himself as he fell. He rescued the sailor. He had his answer.   Fye was not troubled by sleep. The gnome slept well, quite content to leave the princess to her fate. Nothing good would come from her pursuit and besides it was impossible to tell if she was even good. They'd been tricked before and a princess smelled like a trap. When she woke she began to pull her equipment and when she inspected the violet wood of Bezeal she noticed that the stick had begun to sprout a little bud.   Her first impulse was to blame Merosh, but this kind of trickery was out of his domain. She searched it for meaning and was able to sense that this did not have the fingerprint of Smeloch.   Once the entire party had roused they talked about saving the princess, this time Belus, Grim, and Merosh were all intent on saving her. Fye was incensed by the very thought.   "Peaches spoil easily," she spat, but already could see that Merosh had made up his mind. While a part of her knew that she was right, someone had to watch the foolish bard. That was her burden.   After some rather heated debate, the party agreed to save the princes. Khalitharius and the stones would wait.   They headed toward the stench of the goblins, intent on convincing them to open the door under some food delivery service, but not before using a worm to scout out the area first. The worms report was not exceptionally helpful and Thallan openly voiced that he did not trust the worm.   When our heroes knocked on the door it was opened freely and Mongo and his goblin friends greeted the party. The goblins had been enslaved for quite some time, forced to dig beneath the slaver's guild. Together both groups determined that they could lure the drow into the room and battle them with surprise on their side. So off they sent Mongo to raise the alarm.   Within a few minutes, the sound of giant spiders flooded the room as two large creatures roared into the opening looking for the next meal. The party was prepared to battle the creatures as they came through the door, unaware of the planned assault and unaware of the little halfling rogue in the corner. It was, however, Merosh who dealt the final blow to the second spider - not with his weapon - but with a rotten chicken and a dirty plate.   Arrows came soaring in through the hole as a drow warrior stood in the shadows, peppering the heroes. Grim and Belus rushed into to battle the vagabond but his swordsmanship appeared to be on the level if not better than that of the two seasoned warriors. He deflected and dodged every attack. The drow could sense that the tide would turn quickly once the others joined and so he turned on his heels and fled, deeper into the Sandvoyager's Guild underground. The pursuit was on.   Fye switching from semi-giant Spider, dropped to the ground and called lightning to herself striking the fleeing villain, the smell of cooked drow flesh rippled down the hallway and Grim using the long reach of the glaive brought the attacker down.   The party then spread out looking for the princess or for more clues, Thallan acquired a crystal ball as he and Cramus explored a study of some kind. Grim, Fye, and Merosh killed a bugbear jailor and liberated Tolnus Granicus, the old guild master of the Sandvoyagers. He told them how the drow priestess had taken over and how they had ousted him when he refused to deal in slaves.   I'm a secret room Thallan acquires a crystal ball and Thallan, Belus and Merosh find the original guild master who tells of a drow priestess who holds sway over the guild and is amassing slaves.   Floki and Belus travel down a hallway and at the end they find the priestess, Mongo and another spider crouched along the wall.   "Well, well," the priestess Zamara motioning with her spider leg-like protrusions that rest over her shoulders, "what has the spider caught?"

Rewards Granted

• XP: 2400xp (Combat) + 2500xp RP = 4900xp (700xp)
• Crystal Ball