Session 39: A Father & Daughter Reunited, Briefly Events

Miscellaneous

  The party find Sas's long-lost father.

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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."     they then begin to loot the Dead and prisoner.   They find.     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.       Barlo gags the Goblin boss and sits on him, checking to see if it wakes up... it isn't talking anymore.       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.     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.     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   Bastion notices   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.     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.     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.        

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