Usila's Lair
The party returns to Usila’s cavern. Varis asks about the cult, the crystal, what do do with the prisoner, and if she is single?
Usila reveals the Cult of Shak’Ta was once a large and powerful organization that conquered many lands. However, the people came together and overthrew the cult and it’s so called demon shark god. The world thought them extinct. Recently, though, small sects of the cult have begun to reform and cause chaos wherever they are. Usila offers to take care of the prisoner as she “has a few things she wants to test out.” She says the alternative is to take him to Ur where he will be hanged for crimes against the state. The party agrees to leave him there as long as they get a sample of whatever it is she tests when she is finished with it. As to the crystal, she is unsure what to make of it. She offers to study it and will send word to the party when she uncovers more. And it’s it not the party’s concern if she is single. Besides, Varis has eyes for someone already, doesn’t he?
Bosa
The party leaves and returns to the the Inn of the Sea and speak to Keller. They eat and drink and even get a free night at the inn.
Gavin: “Where is, what’s her name? The archeologist.”
Keller: “Melody Rivers?”
Gavin: “Yeah… (OOC) Wait… what was the inspiration for that name?”
Dm: “... spoilers”
Keller: “Melody left to go on one of her adventures, but she’ll be back.”
The party rests then packs up to travel back to Ur. On the way out of town they notice a small ceremony happening at the plaza and ask about it. The driver explains that Calypso (benevolent goddess of the sea) is revered in the Isles and each morning a small ceremony of remembrance and honor is done at the shrine. Major events occur on the solstices and mid winter and sometimes major events.
Ur
Upon returning to Tempest Manor, the party knocks and is greeted by the same servant as before.
“Just come on in. Who cares about protocall anymore. Would you like an escort there as well?”
Moana: “Why don’t you do it?” *servant refuses to leave post* “I’ll give you 15GP. *servant still refuses* “So loyal, I’m going to let the Regent know you should be promoted.”
The party enters the throne room, and Esmeralda waves away her advisers and servants to meet with the party. Varis rolls a 20 for charisma and says the smoothest and most provocative “hello” imaginable. Esmeralda is flustered and is falling for Varis. She pays them 75GP each for their service and says a letter came for them from Merle. He has made progress on that symbol dropped by Zelena. Gavin asks for the letter as proof they should be there XD.
Khadgar says they should give Varis and Esmeralda some space (as they leave but are all pressed up against the door). Esmeralda and Varis discuss and she gives him and extra 20GP and a card with her seal on it so he may return and see her whenever he likes. They both walk to leave the room and the rest of the party falls flat as the door is opened. Varis kisses her hand and turns and walks away. The party wants details! Varis puts up his hood and stealths away. They regroup at the docks and head back to Mespirita.
Mespirita
It is dusk by the time they return and they make their way to the library (also Moana has the trident now from the previous session). Moana barges in and begins to play with Monty. Merle has cleansed and ensured there are no curses on the mark and that it is safe to handle, however since it is the only one they have, he wants duplicates made, and very convincing duplicates. Gavin recognizes it is very familiar to other ancient symbols, all dark and all relating to the Underdark. The party must head East, past the Lake of Diamonds to the edge of the Forest of Ages. On the outskirts there is a tower, and inside is a man known only as the Cartographer. He is expecting them.
Khadgar and Gavin head towards the Laughing Pelican to get rooms for the night. Moana, for some reason, follows Varis to his tiny home near the fish market and warehouses. Moana barges in and expects to have the bed for himself and Varis can sleep on the thin mat on the floor. “It’s my house! I own the bed. Why don’t you go to the tavern?” “Why don’t you? I’m sure you’ve slept there enough.” “No, I always manage to stumble back home.” “Do you stumble home to your mat?” Moana then offers 15GP for the bed. Varis takes it and sleeps on the mat. Gavin and Khadgar pay much less for a tavern stay.
In the morning, Khadgar and Gavin order breakfast from Edmund, Melissa’s husband. Moana wakes up, emerges from the bedroom and apologizes for the drool. Varis and Moana then make their way to the tavern for breakfast. Moana pulls Edmund aside and gives him 38GP and asks him to have Melissa buy Varis a new bed. Khadgar’s detect magic on the trident and informs Moana he will have to attune to it in order to learn it’s secrets. The party then leaves and heads East.
Lake of Diamonds
They reach the edge of the Lake of Diamonds, named for the way the light glistens on the water in the early dawn light. Moana, thinking there are really diamonds down there, is the only one who remembered each character has a spare water breathing potion.
Moana dives and swims deep within the lake and finds a patch of small clear gems (diphite) that he believes are diamonds. He returns with 5 gems and one is used by Khadgar attempting chromatic orb to see if it is genuine. It fails, but he decides not to say so. The party continues on after that 45 minute break towards the great stone tower in the distance. Upon arrival, they knock and receive no answer. Moana throws his harpoon and it shatters a second floor window and latches on the sill. Khadgar… opens the door. Moana scales the tower while the rest of the party enters and climbs the stairs past doors on each floor. Around the 4th floor they here a dull thud. Unbeknownst to them, Moana scaled the tower, cut himself on the broken class, enter a very old looking room, took a magical looking book, found the door locked and failed to kick it down. The party descends to the second floor and finds the door also locked from the outside.
Varis picks the lock, opens the door to let Moana out, then locks the door again (the harpoon left inside). They ascend to the highest room of the tower, and when they knock, a small voice from inside informs them to “enter.” Inside is a room full of maps, chronicles, parchment, books, etc. The Cartographer, an ancient looking elf, glances up from his work, asks what they want, and returns to the map he is working on. They say Merle sent them (Gavin shows the letter), and they ask his name.
The Cartographer: “No one alive knows my name. Even I have forgotten. It is simply lost to time. Everyone just calls me, the Cartographer.”
The party decides to nickname him Carter. He makes 15 duplicates of the symbol, hands the original back to Varis and the duplicates in a pouch to Khadgar. Gavin asks if they could possibly get a map of the area. To which the Cartographer pulls up a blank piece of parchment and quickly maps out the surrounding area and the basic layout of the Kingdom or Merridorn. Khadgar commissions a world map, which would take at least 3 days to make and 30GP for the roughest of general maps.
With their business completed, the Cartographer returns to his work, and the party returns to Mespirita. They leave the duplicates with Merle and are able to keep the original. The party then splits to spend some down time as they choose before their next adventure begins.
Comments