The Age of Worms / Rakthar's Way pt.1 / Eire the 6th through the 23rd, 3592 CE / 11-10-19

General Summary

Rikit and Lulu are hiding out at Eligos the Sage's manor after discovering that the alien Zyrxog was hired to kill them by none other then Loris Raknian, owner of the Free City Arena. This combined with the fact that the plague Lulu passed to the doppelgangers is now spreading like wildfire through the city, leads Eligos to conclude that it is best for Rikit and Lulu to travel to the isolated city of Cauldron and lay low. After identifying some of the strange items recovered from Zyrxog's collection, the pair retire for the evening, rising with the dawn to be secreted across town by the thieves guild, acting on the request of their friend Tirra and as compensation for the salvage the guild received from Zyrxog's lair. As the party cross the morning market place on the way to the docks, they hear a disturbing and familiar voice: the Rain Barrel Man, railing once again with his strange prophecies. Though unable to actively seek revenge for the death of their companion Drask, Rikit gets some small satisfaction from observing that even in his human form, the Rain Barrel Man bears the scars of his battle with the deep gnome. Once safely stowed on the Mermaid's Tale, the pair reach Cauldron in a matter of days, where they are met by Jenya Urikas and Ruphus Laro, the priests of Jeda whom Rikit met on his previous expedition to Cauldron. They tell Rikit and Lulu that the two are welcome guests of the Church of Jeda and that their room and fare have been paid for at the Drunken Morkoth Inn. Over the next week, Lulu spends time getting to know her new home away from home, exploring the respective temples of strange foreign gods such as Jeda, Peladon, Grom, and Akuras, attempting unsuccessfully to access the library of the Blue Crater Academy, and tracking down the Foreigner, who now works as a teacher in a school founded by a local doctor. Rikit in the meantime has been spending time at the local alchemists shop, Vortimax's Elixirs, owned by a curmudgeonly man who nonetheless finds a kindred spirit in Rikit's love of science and experimentation. He suggests Rikit meet the local doctor, another relatively recent newcomer to the Cauldron, and gives him directions to the inn where she is staying, but Rikit, hesitant to patronize an establishment calling itself the Slippery Eel, sends Lulu in his stead. At the Slippery Eel, Lulu makes the acquaintance of the doctor, a female tiefling calling herself Marrow, and takes her to meet Rikit. The two begin a lively debate on their respective scientific theories, reassuring Lulu that Rikit has found a new friend. From that point forward Marrow, despite the best advice of her head teacher, the Foreigner, begins to spend time regularly with these strange visitors from the mainland. Thus she is present with them one day at the Drunken Morkoth when Rikit begins telling Lulu about the Church of Jeda's holy relic, a blessed mace named the Star of Justice that has certain powers of divination. The pair have recently received a missive from Eligos in Kedesh that bears grim news: the plague has continued to spread, to the point that the Champion's Games have been delayed as the city undergoes quarantine. Ophedes Ruperil, the head curator of the Arcanum of the Seekers, has succumbed to the plague, and his position taken over by the wizard Vuldagan (actually the doppelganger leader Telakin in disguise). The doppelganger disguised as their dead companion Drask has also died while in custody, revealing to the city that they have been infiltrated by the shape-changing criminals. While this potentially clears Rikit and Lulu of the murders for which the doppelgangers were attempting to frame them, it does not alleviate the issue of Lulu potentially being blamed for the plague that is ravaging the city. Therefore Eligos ends the missive by insisting they stay in Cauldron. Based on these dire warnings, Rikit pushes for Lulu to utilize the Star of Justice's powers of divination in order to determine when the plague might abate. Lulu is reluctant, concerned that utilizing a holy item from another church may displease her own quixotic patron, but finally agrees, and the pair, accompanied by Marrow, journey across town to the Church of Jeda. Priestess Jenya Urikas is also hesitant about enacting Rikit's plan, but acknowledges the church remains in their debt after Rikit and his companions saved the orphans from slavers during their last visit. Standing before the Star of Justice, Jenya translates Lulu's carefully worded question to the relic, but before the answer can fully form on her lips, they are interrupted by Terseon Skellerang, captain of the town guard, who urgently wishes to speak with Rikit. Before the party departs with the captain, Jenya reveals the message the Star of Justice bestowed on her: "you must speak with the red-eyed dwarf, but do not believe his lies." Outside the temple, Captain Skellerang briefs the party: goblins, a creature virtually unheard of in the insular community of Cauldron, have been attacking citizens at night and attempting to bite them. While there have been no fatalities thus far, Captain Skellerang is concerned that if the goblin attacks are not stopped soon, they will only escalate. He even shows them some of the graffiti he says the goblins have been leaving around town. Using magic, Lulu is able to translate some of the golblin scrawl, including the unsettling phrase "wolf Rakthar hunts." The party agrees to help investigate the menace of the goblins, asking if they can speak with one of the victims. Captain Skellerang promises to locate one and bring them by the Drunken Morkoth later that evening. Back at the inn, the party interviews not one but two victims of the goblin attacks, a guardsman named Nilas Varkazi, who was attacked and bitten while off-duty, and Tygot Mispas, the elderly gnome proprietor of Tygot's Old Things, the local antique store. Unlike Nilas, Tygot was not bitten, a guardsman having come to his aid and scaring away his attackers before any real damage could be done. The gnome recalls hearing the goblins mention some kind of animal, a dog or rat or bat, but his knowledge of goblin speech is not enough for him to be sure. He also tells them that it seemed as if the goblins' eyes were glowing. Nilas on the other hand can only tell them that a goblin tried to bite him, gesturing towards his neck. When Marrow asks to inspect the bite marks, the guardsman tells him that a cleric of Grom healed him and the wound is gone. Nilas seems extremely nervous around Rikit. When Lulu presses him on why, Nilas tells the questioners to meet him later at the Slippery Eel before storming out. Rikit, ever suspicious, trails Tygot when he leaves, but only observes the gnome returning to his home and the happy woof of some faithful hound. Later the party makes their way through town, attempting to draw out the goblins by using Lulu as bait, but without success. At the Slippery Eel, Lulu and Marrow search for Nilas while Rikit hides outside. Though they are unable to locate him, they are confronted by a mysterious woman who tells them that the goblins are coming from Orak's Bathhouse. Lulu suspects the woman may be a member of the local gang, the Last Laugh, especially as she seems to have knowledge of Rikit, despite the deep gnome not being present in the bar. Acting on the woman's tip, the party travels to the bathhouse, but finds it closed for the night. While investigating another way in, Lulu is suddenly attacked by three goblins, one of whom bites her on the neck. While Rikit rushes to aid her, Marrow is confronted by a man on the street who begins transforming into a wererat. Rikit drives his sword through one of the goblins, but watches in surprise as it transforms into a mist the flies away. Lulu realizes with growing horror that the goblins may in fact be undead. The party finds themselves locked in a battle on two fronts with the goblins and the wererat.

Character(s) interacted with

Rikit Bhang, Lulu Victry, Marrow, Eligos the Sage, Pollard, the Rain Barrel Man, Jenya Urikas, Ruphus Laro, the Foreigner, Felkur Hran, Vortimax, Alek Tercival, Terseon Skellerang, Nilas Varkazi, Tygot Mispas, Slim Willy, Jil, Black Tooth, thieves guild members, Mermaid's Tale sailors, clerk at Blue Crater Academy, bar patrons, goblin vampire spawn

Report Date

10 Nov 2019