The Age of Worms / Flood Season pt. 1 / Eire the 25th through Galen the 17th, 3592 CE / 3-15-20

General Summary

In the aftermath of the battle with Rakthar, the party has completed negotiations with Xoden Nightshield, the dwarven leader of a band of half-orc mercenaries who have taken over the tunnels underneath Orak's Bathhouse. After a successful parlay in which Lulu agrees to leave the disabled corpse of Rakthar to the mercenaries as well as not divulge their existence to the authorities, Xoden agrees to peacefully escort the party out of the tunnels and back to the bathhouse. On the way, Lulu and Rikit overhear the dwarf tell one of his soldiers to inform "Chorlyndyr and Kallev" to stay put, but those names mean nothing to the Adventurers, and so they ignore the clue for now. Xoden declares that the tunnels are off limits on threat of trespassing, but that he has no problem with the party taking control of the temple complex directly beneath the bathhouse. After the dwarf and his soldiers return to their tunnels, the party goes to investigate the goblin coffins to deduce the fate of Rakthar's remaining vampire spawn. They spot two clouds of pale mist floating above the upturned and braced coffins, apparently unable to enter. Marrow informs the group that if a slain vampire is not able to return to its coffin in time, their destruction will become permanent. Her prediction proves correct when within the matter of a couple hours, the two clouds of mist burst in a violent explosion before the party's eyes. Back up top in the light of day, they seek out Captain Skellerang to negotiate a reward for completing the task. The Captain agrees only to original reward of 800 gold pieces total, but gets permission from Lord Vhalantru and Mayor Nalivant to give some additional boons, namely granting Marrow full ownership of the land on which her clinic is built, and gifting Milton Butters the deed to Orak's Bathhouse. The remaining four party members split the reward equally, after which Jennie and Nova take their leave. Milton receives healing at the Temple of Jeda for the filth fever he contracted, and within a couple days has fully regained his strength from the vampire bite he received. In the days that follow, the party trains and increases in abilities. Milton re-opens the bathouse as "Butter Bath," and even hires a manager. He also purchases two of the poppets Rikit has begun creating for additional help. Rikit gifts another of his creations to Lulu, who uses it initially to exchange messages with Xoden in the tunnels until the dwarf makes clear his distaste for the bizarre little golem. Lulu also attempts once again to gain access to library at Blue Crater Academy, but after being rebuffed, decides the knowledge they offer probably has little value to her. As the days pass, the party observes the citizens of Cauldron making preparations for the annual Flood Festival. As they are sitting one day conversing in the tap room of the Drunken Morkoth, they are confronted by cadre of local Adventurers, all noble-born of Cauldron, who call themselves the Stormblades, and who have taken exception to the reputation these outsiders have been building for themselves. Milton, though unassuming in appearance, proves as valiant a verbal opponent as a martial one, and puts the Stormblades in their place with an appropriate tongue-lashing. Overhearing the exchange, the party is approached by a teenage girl and her companions, a wyrwood and a raptor. She introduces herself as Nari Ashida of Four Trails, and has soon struck up a lively conversation with the group, though Lulu is more than a little uncomfortable when Nari reveals the nature of the prophecy that has brought her to Cauldron. Suddenly there is a roar of approval in the tavern and across the city as the first rains of the season begin falling. The Flood Festival has begun and will last for the next 8 days. The barkeep at the Drunken Morkoth immediately commences a drinking contest known as Drink Down the Flood. Nari, Milton, Kade, Jozu, and Marrow all agree to participate, with only Marrow failing to maintain her composure, as she collapses in a drunken heap while attempting to empty her boot of alcohol. On the way back the bathhouse, Lulu is handed a tract that hints that Baalites may be hiding under Cauldron and using the Flood Festival as a front to stage a full scale attack. Though she doesn't take it too seriously, she nonetheless sends Rikit to inquire with Xoden to see if he can shed any light on the rumor. Day 2 of the festival begins with a game called Crater Lake Monster Hunt, and though Lulu attempts to discourage the party from going out in the rain, Milton will not be dissuaded from seeking glory in the contest. They assemble on the shore of Crater Lake, where representatives of Blue Crater Academy have arranged over a hundred single rower boats along the shore of the lake. Milton and the other contestants row out into the lake, and after a while, Milton spots a tentacle. When he is unable to hook it with the fisherman's hook provided, he uses his psychic blade to slice the tentacle in half, revealing it to be a prop planted in the lake for the purpose of the contest. After some mishaps attempting to retrieve the pieces, Milton is saved from possible drowning and brought back to shore to share the reward. The contest is hailed as the most entertaining in years. The party is then rushed back to the Drunken Morkoth for the second day of Drink Down the Flood. This time it is Nari and Jozu who are unable to hold their liquor, and all assembled are astonished to see the young woman transform into a tiny fox before the pair take a nap under one of the tables. Marrow overhears some locals muttering that they think the local churches have lost the Wands of Sacred water that traditionally kept the flooding at bay, though no one has had to use them in years. As they prepare to make their way back to Milton's bathouse with their drunken companions in tow, the party is told by their fellow revelers that the next day's event will be a Street Performers Contest.

Character(s) interacted with

Lulu Victry, Milton Butters, Marrow, Rikit Bhang, Nari Ashida, Nova, Jennie Three-Sheets, Xoden Nightshield, Terseon Skellerang, Jenya Urikas, Annah Taskerhill, Cora Lathenmire, Todd Vanderboren, Zachary Aslaxin II, Kade, Jozu, half-orc mercenaries, vampire goblin mist, Cauldron guardsmen, Blue Crater Academy proctors, Drunken Morkoth barkeep, other Monster hunt winners, Cauldron citizens, poppets

Report Date

15 Mar 2020

Primary Location

Cauldron