Session 39: A Father & Daughter Reunited, Briefly Report

The Menagerie Find Solec, Sas' Father

General Summary

10/8/2022

The Mighty Menagerie (3)

Lowsun 6, 2023 KC, Late Afternoon

River's Keep, Skola Vale The Dark Rain Forest, Kampos Realizing that the entry was clear, and they had taken a short rest -- they are ready to go check the hallway. Shadow listens at the door.. hears something one-sided. "Shadow..." muffled. Not just from the door but muffled for some other reason. Shadow opens the door and learns it was not trapped, and not locked, nor needed the key they found. Sees a Goblin & Orc Sleeping. The Goblin (boss) is speaking in his Sleep about "Shadow... gonna kill you."




Orc
Goblin

The Battle:

She looks around and studies the two sleeping creatures. She moves up to the Orc. The see a table covered in weapons, a waiting room for reinforcements and seems a bit better lit than the previous. Shadow tells the others she wants the Goblin boss alive, and then she goes to stab the Orc in the belly and it tries to grab at the flaming sword. It dies. No reaction from other sleeping creature. She then goes to Goblin who screams and moves, but dies with a shrieking scream. Bastion takes out some rope and ties up the Goblin boss... (used his reroll on his first roll)...



☠️ ☠️ Shadow
 
Captured 1, Bastion Bladesinger




t Combat Experience: 350 (70 each) | Total: 35,070 (Next Goal: 48,000) t

they then begin to loot the Dead and prisoner. They find.




25 gp, 3 sp, Potion of climbing (it is actually labeled)

they go through the gear and find an ornate Gold ring etched with Silver, and another one of the black stones they found earlier. There was specks of Diamond dust everywhere.




Ornate Gold ring etched with Silver, Chardalyn

Barlo gags the Goblin boss and sits on him, checking to see if it wakes up... it isn't talking anymore.

Barlo, in Goblin "wake up, lover boy, wake up...." Shadow in the Snow pours water on his face and he wakes up. He is surprised, scared and notices he is tied. Barlo: "What's your name? Don't yell or scream." points to Shadow. Their intimidation succeeds. He is panicked but willing right now. Seeking escape, but not too agressive. Barlo (in goblin) "no screaming", and removes the gag. Goblin: (in goblin): "What ? who are you? How did you get here?"

They discuss the Blood Hand Orcs. He is one. He speaks, in Common Tongue, how they guard the slaves and fight shadows in the north tunnels. Sometimes they send in the "Finger Tips" (new recruits). The established blood hands get intricate red tattoos on their palms. There is a well with shadows that they keep watch on. Some shadow Beasts come from it. It seems Jacoby is doing research of some kind here. There are tunnels and hideouts all over the globe that the Orcs use to hide and transport their slaves. These slaves are kept on drugs to stay compliant and not remember things. They hire out the services or use them for their own goals. This is one of many places they store their slaves. They are here with Jacoby who is doing some studies. They have locations in Kampos, one was destroyed years agon on "tortle island". 5 years ago was cleared out by do gooders somewhere. He says they have a Tortle. He wants to go, and doesn't want to tell them unless they let him go. He begrudgingly points out the door. They do have a Tortle, he is important and they don't know his name. Barlo asks if it is trapped, yes it is the Goblin says. Barlo inspects the trap and notices it is a double trap. Canisters of a gas and explosives. it looks disconnected and the door is unlocked. They see a short hallway that turns. The party goes down through the dimly lit halls to a chamber with 4 prison cages on the left. Each has a sleeping occupant. To the right they see 3 Troglodytes and a Goblin boss, all sleeping. In the first chamber, an elderly Tortle -- tired, weary, and a damaged shell. Sister of Barlo, Mellow Robin "Mellow" is in the second chamber. The third is a large Leonin, and a smaller skinnier (well-muscled) Leonin in last one. (These are Kryrez Roughpride and Bajol. Sas is sure it is him, but it's been a long time. The shell looks purposefully damaged for some reason.

They bring in the Goblin boss. "why is everyone sleeping? I remember Gurruk came in and said we were being attacked... then you all came in." "wait... that asshole. Jacoby. He betrayed us. Why? He wouldn't... " he begins mumbling to himself. Bastion: "Do you know where Jacoby is?" Goblin: "he's usually in his room or the well. He was outside with that Mindflayer..." They point out the direction to what should be Jacoby's room.

Barlo uses the key on Mellow's cage. no investigation. Tosses the key to sas. she opens the first one. These Iron bars are the "newest", probably only a few years old. They go all the way up and are well supported in the walls.

Barlo: "Mellow" and shakes her awake. Mellow, wakes up "Smiles? Smile? What are you doing here?"

He asks about Jacoby, she remembers not much. The last thing she remembers? She was supposed to get a book. She was working with a Satyr working with a book and they were supposed to get a book. She realizes who Shadow is as they talk. She says she was Beast on the job, but the memories are vague. She remembers working in a salt mine, some attack, working on ships and being caged in ships. Barlo brings up her art and why she was doing this -- she wanted money. Her and Beast went to get a book, He said he would get the book. Shadow asks if she was part of it, she wasn't supposed to get hurt -- but Beast felt Shadow would help more than Mellow. Why the book? The Satyr and Wizard work with some secret organization that is sure some secrets reside in the book. She realizes she has been drugged for a long time...

"My understanding is that they know it. So I guess that they work with some group of wizards, some who were evil kind of organization thing. And yeah, they believe that there was secrets that were in that book that that's as much as I ever really learned that some secrets in the book and that they can figure out how to unlock it. It would help them..." ... "I mean. I mean, we both made the decision. I did, but I just. I thought that we would be able to. To get some money out of it. I also I don't know, feel like my genie kind of led me astray."
— Mellow

It wasn't Beast, but Mellow who got them into this whole affair. She wanted to get more money, and let her Djinni let her down into this trouble. She got greedy. Barlo asked if she was going to go home, she said she wanted to go find Beast. They told her he was in Skola Vale. She says they should do something about the sleeping guards. Barlo & Shadow go to help move the guards after putting the first Goblin into the cage. As they pick up the first one, his head slips and it hits the ground. Barlo goes to cover the mouth and now he is trying to slip out. He is on his knees, he looks at them. Disengage. Barlo goes to grapple him. Drags him to the cell, a contest of strength and so he starts to scream for help. the others begin to wake up.




Orc
Goblin
3x Troglodyte

The Battle:

R.1

Barlo contested Grapple, took Troglodyte to the cage. and closed the door. Calliope polymorphed to Vampire Bat. the roof is 15 feet high. She goes high. The sleeping guards and prisoners begin to wake... It's a surprise round Sas grabs one of the guards, the Prone Goblin boss. free action to open/close the door Retcon: Troglodyte stink... it gets to Barlo finally. Shadow: attacks trog, knocks him out says we need to tie him up. tied up Goblin boss tries to use his scimitar to cut his way off...and wasn't succesful. Tries to crawl past Troglodyte.. his resistance keeps the trog stink from affecting him. Bastion Attacks with rapier, kills him. Right through the head (troglodyte?) Two Ray of Frosts through the bar, kills Troglodyte. "Get me out!" the prisoner says and wakes up the penultimate prioner through the bars.

R.2

Barlo hits Troglodyte through the bars, hits. Goblin boss attacks through the bars and misses Calliope tries to bite through the bars. The Leonin wakes up and moves to the gates. Goblin bosses backs up and are locked up...



☠️ I believe that they all were locked up.




t Combat Experience: 700 (140 ea) | Total: 38,160 (Next Goal: 48,000) t
 
t Milestone Experience: 1480 | Total: 39,640 (Next Goal: 48,000) t

combat over. they are locked up... Sas talks to her father and when she says her name there is a bit of magical steam off the shell. His eyes glow. He says "So it is time then..." Before going into it he worries about getting too much into it right now. The prisoner at the end yells for release. Solec says he is her father and how long ago he and a friend did something very risky and he left because he has knowledge he had to protect. So he was captured with his memories erased until he saw her again -- because the friend was very certain she would rescue him. The memories are starting to come back from before he was a prisoner, but those memories are lost...

"Where are we? This part of the plan was never told to me. I know we need the book and I need someone who can cast Mending."
— Solec

Bastion is able to do it so he casts it on the Tortle's shell. The shell begins to fix itself, and he continues to cast it around 5 times to fix the shell. shadow perception

Shadow noticed the last prisoner paying attention.

Bastion notices

you see a strange set of runes on the shell, it takes you back to a lesson you once learned. Was it at the school or was it Grognard? Who knows... there are symbols of power called a "Contrivance Sigil" that can store knowledge or secrets. It takes something to be a "key" to unlock those secrets.

Calliope is keeping an eye out. Barlo starts releasing the Leonins The last one says how his friend doesn't speak, but is great for the labor. They were captured some time ago and have long been slaves. He starts signing to the big one.

Kryrez Roughpride: "I see you got that Tortle shell fixed, always wondered what happened there." Barlo: "my name is Barlo, What's your name?" The one that can talk says "Kryrez, and his name is Bajol" Barlo: "you say you are from the kingdom, do you know Reginald?" Kryrez: "I know of him, but not personally." Shadow: "Pretty great that Zirin Shadowtooth..." Kryrez: "Not sure where you've been. Zirin Shadowtooth has moved on and Reginald Ivoryclaw has been in charge for the past 3 years. Looks like you got them all captured. "

Barlo yells at Mellow for getting too close to a cage. She brings up how she wants to find Beast. She is fine they got the book, she doesn't care about that.

The Leonins start moving through the group and as he gets to the end: "You can do whatever you want here, but the only thing I need to do is ... Well thank you for fixing the shell, I think I can get the book later..." He reaches out and grabs Solec then disappears.

Shadow was tracking... Calliope uses the echolocation... They are gone. Shadow saw the arm go up, she pulled her blade up and it was too late... Barlo to the mute: "You've got some explaining to do." Shadow asks about the shell, and Bastion tells them about how there was thin pieces of Metal in the shellwork which created a Contrivance Sigil once the shell was mended a few times.

**Left at River's Keep dungeon -- about to clear it out **

Rewards Granted

25 gp
3 sp
Potion of Climbing

Ornate Gold ring etched with Silver
Chardalyn

Experience

t Combat Experience: 350 (70 each) | Total: 35,070 (Next Goal: 48,000) t

t Milestone Experience: 1480 | Total: 39,500 (Next Goal: 48,000) t

t Combat Experience: 700 (140 ea) | Total: 39,640 (Next Goal: 48,000) t

Missions/Quests Completed

The party cleared out more of the dungeon
The party found both Mellow & Solec
The party learned a lot of intel

Character(s) interacted with

Created Content

2023

9 (Lowsun)

Lowsun 6, 2023 KC, Early Evening

The Menagerie find Sas's Father, briefly...

— Timeline of The Mighty Menagerie

Misc

Notes

There are plenty of questions about these prisoners and Sas's past.

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