Mon 13th Jul 2020 01:25

Session 9 Part 1: The Sweet Smell of Gun Powder and Cocoa Beans

by Kepharel

The drums are beginning to get more annoying than when Ava wants me to do something. Every night they seem to come back, and I'm trying to do my best to focus, stay in control while I sleep, but this a force I'm just not used to. Part of me questions if this is something that we will ever be able to get fully rid of.
We started our day early by getting over to the Baron's estate. I've heard a bit about it from Siona, and it is really a sight to see. The organization of the plants, the construction and adaptation of the buildings. It is amazing to see how Baron McDuffey has built into the surrounding jungle.
It is little surprise, but the Baron is a pretty powerful magic user, and shows his abilities over the plants in the area. It is even of less surprise that he has done a bit of research on each of us. He says it is from reading the local articles, but I doubt that, he knows things that are not published. I'll have to make sure in the future to be careful of what I do or say in the city in case someone is watching.
After a bit of discussion the Baron made an offer to the group. We become what Crestin has called "Fiddletown Rangers" for him and he will fund the explorer's guild in our attempts to venture north into the mountains. It sounds like a hell of a deal, though I once again feel a bit at a crossroad. Siona's family is clearly against what the Baron wants, but I also don't feel comfortable living between them. I worry I have placed myself in between a rock and a hard place so to speak. I can't really imagine how I could make that worse.
 
After discussions with the Baron we made our way back to the guild hall. We found a request from WA about a caliper tree that showed some massive decay. After some discussion we took it on with some help from the guy who spotted the tree. It seems like the group is being a lot more careful about what mission to take. Sprig was unable to join us for this one, so we made sure to bring more people to fill in for her.
It was about 4 days travel. The tree was hundreds of feet tall and even from miles away you could see how sickly it was.
The goal was to determine potential causes and take samples. Upon getting about 2 miles away we found human tracks. We spoke to a monkey who told us some vague information. Further in was a camp site. It appeared that someone was collecting cocoa beans. There was a cart in the campsite which we all instantly mistrusted. I don't think I can ever trust a cart again.
The footsteps went further towards the tree. We followed for another mile. I cast Clairvoyance to see at the base of the tree and from there we learned the tracks were made by Arturo, the dude that was making the chocolate truffles that weren’t good but we all told them they were to keep his spirits up. He was captured by two cave fishers and was still alive. We picked up the pace and made it to the mouth of the gave below the base of the tree. Getting closer we really started getting a feeling telling us we shouldn’t be there. Of course, we went in. Began a fight with what turned out to be 3 cave fishers and a real nasty like undead creature called a Badok. The thing didn’t even need to attack, it would just look at you to do damage. I imagine Ava is out there smiling after killing that thing. It just felt unholy.
Arturo nearly met his demise by the Bodak and a well placed fireball, but we healed him.
We also found 4 magic items.
After that we traveled back and I need to talk with Siona right away, there is a lot on my mind and I need to know where we are at with things.

Continue reading...

  1. Background
  2. Session 1: Oozing Excitement
  3. Session Two: One Flew Over The Kruthics' Nest
  4. Session Three: Maybe Someday, I Gotta Go See About a Girl.
  5. Session 4: Toads?! Where We Are Going We Don't Need Toads!
  6. Session 5: Sabertooth Tigers, and Dinasours, and Merfolk! (Oh My!)
  7. Session 6: Is that Superman? No, just Glark Kent.
  8. Session 8: I can Finally Tell You that Hanging Out with This Group is a Blast.
  9. Session 8 Part 2: The Binds that Tie Us
  10. Session 9 Part 1: The Sweet Smell of Gun Powder and Cocoa Beans
  11. Session 10: I Came in like a Fireball
  12. Session 11: We Went and Built an Outpost
  13. Session 12: The Harrowing Tale of Rhinoman and T-Rex-Boy
  14. Session 13: The Demise of King Less-Talko-More-Leave-o
  15. Session 14: Our First Glimpse of the Mountains
  16. Session 15: A Roc and a Hard Place
  17. Session 16: Symbolic Confusion
  18. Session 17: Our Return Home
  19. Session 18, Venturing to the Falls
  20. Session 19: Traveling Through Merfolk Land
  21. Session 20: Risen from the Earth
  22. Session 21: The Ancients
  23. Session 22: Venturing into the Volcano
  24. Session 23: Completing The First Trial
  25. Session 24: Second Trial, Mossglimmer Valley
  26. Session 25: Mossglimmer Valley Part 2
  27. Session 25: Mossglimmer Valley Part 3
  28. Session 27: The Near End of Baron Maltrix
  29. Session 28: Rooth Upper Vault Part One
  30. Session 29: Rooth Upper Vault Part 2
  31. Session 30: Rooth Upper Vault Part 3 (Dragons Hurt, Man)
  32. Session 31: Returning North
  33. Session 32: Valeun Upper Vault Part 1
  34. Session 33: Valeun Upper Vault Part 2
  35. Session 34: Valeun Upper Vault Part 3
  36. Session 35: Valeun Upper Vault Part 4 and Next Steps
  37. Session 36: Our Adventures into Unknown Lands
  38. Session 37: Enemies from Above
  39. Session 38: Enemies? From Above
  40. Session 39: The Golden City
  41. Session 40: Fuck this Jungle and the Shitty People in It.
  42. Session 41: Onto Our Next Trial
  43. Session 42: Tempestan Upper Vault Part 2
  44. Session 43: An Interesting Offer
  45. Session 44: Aquos Upper Vault Part 1
  46. Session 45: Aquos Upper Vault Part 2
  47. Session 46: Aquos Upper Vault Part 3
  48. Session 47: The Welcoming Committee
  49. Session 48: Tectan Upper Vault Part 1
  50. Session 49: Tectan Upper Vault Part 2
  51. Session 50: Tectan Upper Vault Part 3
  52. Session 51: Tectan Upper Vault Part 4 and Returning Home
  53. Session 52: Head Out of the Clouds
  54. Session 53: Removing the Mining Camp
  55. Session 54: Meeting My Future Father-in-Law
  56. Session 55: Heading East
  57. Session 56: Overstaying Our Welcome
  58. Session: 57 Boglun Lower Vault Part 1
  59. Session 58: Boglun Lower Vault Part 2
  60. Session 59: Mapping Lake Bart
  61. Session 60: Death of a Merfolk and Our Return to Fiddletown
  62. Session 61: Trade Routes Open
  63. Session 62: Norhm's Second Miracle and Tectan Lower Vault Part 1
  64. Session 63: Tectan Lower Vault Part 2
  65. Session 64: Tectan Lower Vault Part 3
  66. Session 65: Next Steps and Holy Shit We (Norhm) Got a Dragon
  67. Session 66: Killings Some Kobolds
  68. Session 67: More Kobold Fun
  69. Session 68: The Archimedies Conflict Part 1
  70. Session 69: The Archimedies Conflict Part 2
  71. Session 70: Tempestan Lower Vault Part 1
  72. Session 71: Tempestan Lower Vault Part 2
  73. Session 72: Bag-o-Beans and Traveling Further East
  74. Session 73: Dealing with the Xorn
  75. Session 74: Traveling Towards the Magmos Lower Vault
  76. Session 75: Magmos Lower Vault Part 1
  77. Session 76: Magmos Lower Vault Part 2
  78. Session 77: Magmos Lower Vault Part 3 and the Return Home
  79. Session 78: Magic Swords are Dumb
  80. Session 79: Rooth Lower Vault Part 1
  81. Session 80: Rooth Lower Vault Part 2
  82. Session 81: Rooth Lower Vault Part 3
  83. Session 82: Rooth Lower Vault Part 4
  84. Session 83: Where to Next?
  85. Session 84: Down By the River
  86. Session 85: Drastically Changing an Ecosystem
  87. Session 86: Bright Light in the Darkness
  88. Session 87: Outside Our Next Trial
  89. Session 88: Valeun Lower Vault Part 1
  90. Session 89: Valeun Lower Vault Part 2
  91. Session 90: Valeun Lower Vault Part 3
  92. Session 91: Valeun Lower Vault Part 4
  93. Session 92: Returning Home
  94. Session 93: Finding a Potential Cure
  95. Session 94: Aqous Lower Vault Part 1
  96. Session 95: Aqous Lower Vault Part 2
  97. Session 96: Aqous Lower Vault Part 3
  98. Session 97: Aqous Lower Vault Part 4
  99. Session 98: Aquos Lower Vault Part 5
  100. Session 99: Back Home for a Minute
  101. Session 100: Tectan Deep Vault Part 1
  102. Session 101: Tectan Deep Vault Part 2
  103. Session 102: Tectan Deep Vault Part 3
  104. Session 103: Tectan Deep Vault Part 4
  105. Session 104: Tectan Deep Vault Part 5
  106. Session 105: Tectan Deep Vault Part 6
  107. Session 106: Saturday Knight Live
  108. Session 107: Fright Knight
  109. Session 108: Knighty Knight Time
  110. Session 109: Next Stop Crimes Against the State
  111. Session 110: The Not so Great Heist
  112. Session 111: HE'S GOT A SISTER?!?
  113. Session 112: A Fight for a Holy Book
  114. Session 113: More Minor God Fun
  115. Session 114: Magmos Deep Vault Part 1
  116. Session 115: Magmos Deep Vault Part 2
  117. Session 116: An Evening with Some Vampires
  118. Session 117: Getting to Know Our Vampire Selves
  119. Session 118: The Fall of Knight Volsaid, Long May She Reign
  120. Session 119: The Fall of Lord Crestin?, Long May He Reign?
  121. Session 120: The Fall of Queen Velshava?, Long May She Reign?
  122. Session 121: End 0f The Vampire Era
  123. Session 122: A Rose Without a Thorn, or Something Like That
  124. Session 123: From The Ash
  125. Session 124: Starting Over
  126. Session 125: The Forge
  127. Session 126: Onward to Our Next Trial
  128. Session 127: Aquos Deep Vault Part 1
  129. Session 128: Aquos Deep Vault Part 2
  130. Session 129: Aquos Deep Vault Part 3
  131. Session 130: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 1
  132. Session 131: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 2
  133. Session 132: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 3
  134. Session 133: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 4
  135. Session 134: Tempestan Deep Vault Part 5
  136. Session 135: Dealing with Political Bullshit
  137. Session 136: Next Deep Vault New Problems
  138. Session 137: Rooth Deep Vault Part 1
  139. Session 138: Rooth Deep Vault Part 2
  140. Session 139: Rooth Deep Vault Part 3
  141. Session 140: Rooth Deep Vault Part 4
  142. Session 141: Rooth Deep Vault Part 5
  143. Session 142: Going After the Chalice