The Painted Price

General Summary

After retrieving the Colossus heart, the party faced off against several harpies led by a winged monstrosity. In the middle of the pitched battle, Bleeker arrived with the Painted carriage and the party made a chaotic, hair raising (literally) escape.
Once back within the Black Lotus, the party completed its part of the Painted Pact. While the party watched in amazement, the Painted Man transported the heart to another plane, hopefully keeping the heart out of dangerous hands.
For his part, the Painted Man provided information on the group the party had been chasing. -the woman and her companions have a connection to the Order of the Emerald Claw, a cult thought to be destroyed following the Last War, -the Order is wrapped up in some plot involving the Keeper of the Flame, the head of the Silver Flame church of Thrane, -the Order believes that somehow the gifts possessed by the Keeper, Jaela Daran, is connected to the power that created the Mourning. The Painted Man could offer no further insight into the connection or how the Order plans to use whatever knowledge it might uncover -despite common belief that the Order was shattered into pieces and leaderless, the Painted Man has heard whispers that Lady Illmarrow has been raised into a lich and is now the mastermind behind whatever nefarious plot the Order is hatching -all nations fear another razing of the Mourning and if any could learn the secret of that power, world wide disaster would be sure to follow
The Painted Man offered a clue as to where the mysterious woman could be found. There is an island off the coast of Eldeen hidden by the mists and hazards of sea storms. The island, known locally only as Steel Gate, is a harbor for business best conducted from the prying eyes of the legal authorities. Rumors hold that the Emerald Claw runs a hidden headquarters on the island. The only clue to the hideout's location is the Blue Ox tavern.
After completing business with the Painted Man, the party returned to the Purple Ostrich where Alice gave another rousing performance. Among the coins offered by the appreciative crowd, the party found a gold coin minted in Thrane and marred by a woman's bloody thumbprint.
After saying goodnight to the crowd and the staff, the party retired upstairs for a night's sleep before heading to the docks to look for passage to the island of Steel Gate.

Report Date

22 Dec 2021