EooD Session 28: Library Fines
General Summary
Month 1, Week 2, Year 901
Day 5 in the Underdark
Not ones to waste time, the party took full advantage of their stay in Zerbst to stock up on as much gold and supplies as possible. Jael retrieved three vials of holy water from the local temple of the Ageless One, and Nineveh picked up a silver dagger from the House Hainaut armory. After his nervous breakdown at the mortuary Poolp retrieved his magic whip made from a cloaker's tail before checking in with the town guard on any open contracts to hunt the Underdark's mindflayers. He convinced one of the guards to show him a map of all the recent attacks, and Poolp was able to quickly tell that the mindflayer raids were concentrated in the northeast some 100 miles from Zerbst. Content with this new information, Poolp returned to Jael's family estate where the party was debating its next plan of action. Father Eli had charged the party with foiling Naberius' devilish conspiracy and preventing his homeland from waging a violent war against the Verschow, but the means towards that end proved unclear. It was then that Seizer mentioned the news he'd heard in Zerbst's taverns: the people they'd passed in the bootlegging tunnels were most likely book thieves, having made it out of Zerbst with dozens of ancient tomes from the libraries of every major house. If someone, or some party, was able to rescue those books they'd be in a bargaining position with the other houses. House Baudissin appeared to be at the center of Naberius' conspiracy, so perhaps by getting the other Houses to turn against them war could be avoided in the Verschow? The plan made sense to the other party members, but for Jael and the others it came down to a matter of finding enough time to retrieve the books and make it to Dromire in a timely manner. Conveniently, Seizer had a solution to this issue as well: with his spell 'Phantom Steed' he could summon a spectral creature that could carry them through the Underdark at a breakneck speed, catching up to the book thieves and returning to Zerbst by the end of the day. An old blackwood carriage in House Hainaut's stables looked large enough to carry the group, and the party made its final preparations before heading out into into the frontier. Jael made some consultations with her 'Augury' spell, trying to see if Skyler was a reliable party member to have in the group and whether they path they were taking was the best course. She also corresponded with her cousin Allexander with the help of the Shadow Servants, setting up a meeting somewhere outside of Dromire in a few days. Day 6 in the Underdark
Well-rested under the careful watch of the Shadow Servants, the party assembled in the tower's courtyard as Seizer summoned his phantom steed. A spectral horse draped in heavy chains clambered forth from the mists, allowing itself to be hitched to the wagon without issue. The carriage creaked and groaned under the party's weight, but by some miracle the frame held and the party's hunt of the book thieves had begun. Seizer proved to be a wild carriage driver, racing the party down winding tunnels and sometimes off the Underdark's cavernous walls. Early in the morning the party passed by a tunnel where booming sounds echoed from its furthest reaches. Poolp's investigation discovered that a band of stout earth elementals were hammering away to make a larger tunnel, but he decided not to interfere and the Dark Souls continued their quest for the thieves. A few hours later the party spotted their prey, slowly trekking their way up a trail weighed down by dozens of books. The group's leader, a man with snake-yellow eyes and sleek black hair, expressed surprise at seeing the party once more before Poolp jumped off the carriage and grappled him to the ground. What was meant to be a threatening negotiation turned into absolute chaos in a matter of seconds: fireballs were cast, a giant snake monster was summoned, and Rrippp the little quaggoth was killed in the crossfire. Seizer's 'Counterspell' foiled the charms and spells of the group's leader, and when all of the other thieves and monsters were killed the leader turned desperate and threatened to kill Poolp if he wasn't allowed to escape with his life. He told the party everything they wanted to know, how he was working for a yuan-ti woman named Maris Sissava based out of the desert town of Anthep in Despero. Maris had a keen interest for rare books and political intrigue, so the ancient manuscripts of the drow families were an attractive target for her interests. A quick perusal of the books revealed some incriminating details about House Baudissin's recent dealings with devils, convincing Seizer and the others that none of the books should be taken by the yuan-ti. As a small sign of truce, the gnomish wizard gave the yuan-ti his journal and allowed him to escape with his life. Little did the yuan-ti know, everything written in that book would disappear in a matter of hours...
Day 5 in the Underdark
Not ones to waste time, the party took full advantage of their stay in Zerbst to stock up on as much gold and supplies as possible. Jael retrieved three vials of holy water from the local temple of the Ageless One, and Nineveh picked up a silver dagger from the House Hainaut armory. After his nervous breakdown at the mortuary Poolp retrieved his magic whip made from a cloaker's tail before checking in with the town guard on any open contracts to hunt the Underdark's mindflayers. He convinced one of the guards to show him a map of all the recent attacks, and Poolp was able to quickly tell that the mindflayer raids were concentrated in the northeast some 100 miles from Zerbst. Content with this new information, Poolp returned to Jael's family estate where the party was debating its next plan of action. Father Eli had charged the party with foiling Naberius' devilish conspiracy and preventing his homeland from waging a violent war against the Verschow, but the means towards that end proved unclear. It was then that Seizer mentioned the news he'd heard in Zerbst's taverns: the people they'd passed in the bootlegging tunnels were most likely book thieves, having made it out of Zerbst with dozens of ancient tomes from the libraries of every major house. If someone, or some party, was able to rescue those books they'd be in a bargaining position with the other houses. House Baudissin appeared to be at the center of Naberius' conspiracy, so perhaps by getting the other Houses to turn against them war could be avoided in the Verschow? The plan made sense to the other party members, but for Jael and the others it came down to a matter of finding enough time to retrieve the books and make it to Dromire in a timely manner. Conveniently, Seizer had a solution to this issue as well: with his spell 'Phantom Steed' he could summon a spectral creature that could carry them through the Underdark at a breakneck speed, catching up to the book thieves and returning to Zerbst by the end of the day. An old blackwood carriage in House Hainaut's stables looked large enough to carry the group, and the party made its final preparations before heading out into into the frontier. Jael made some consultations with her 'Augury' spell, trying to see if Skyler was a reliable party member to have in the group and whether they path they were taking was the best course. She also corresponded with her cousin Allexander with the help of the Shadow Servants, setting up a meeting somewhere outside of Dromire in a few days. Day 6 in the Underdark
Well-rested under the careful watch of the Shadow Servants, the party assembled in the tower's courtyard as Seizer summoned his phantom steed. A spectral horse draped in heavy chains clambered forth from the mists, allowing itself to be hitched to the wagon without issue. The carriage creaked and groaned under the party's weight, but by some miracle the frame held and the party's hunt of the book thieves had begun. Seizer proved to be a wild carriage driver, racing the party down winding tunnels and sometimes off the Underdark's cavernous walls. Early in the morning the party passed by a tunnel where booming sounds echoed from its furthest reaches. Poolp's investigation discovered that a band of stout earth elementals were hammering away to make a larger tunnel, but he decided not to interfere and the Dark Souls continued their quest for the thieves. A few hours later the party spotted their prey, slowly trekking their way up a trail weighed down by dozens of books. The group's leader, a man with snake-yellow eyes and sleek black hair, expressed surprise at seeing the party once more before Poolp jumped off the carriage and grappled him to the ground. What was meant to be a threatening negotiation turned into absolute chaos in a matter of seconds: fireballs were cast, a giant snake monster was summoned, and Rrippp the little quaggoth was killed in the crossfire. Seizer's 'Counterspell' foiled the charms and spells of the group's leader, and when all of the other thieves and monsters were killed the leader turned desperate and threatened to kill Poolp if he wasn't allowed to escape with his life. He told the party everything they wanted to know, how he was working for a yuan-ti woman named Maris Sissava based out of the desert town of Anthep in Despero. Maris had a keen interest for rare books and political intrigue, so the ancient manuscripts of the drow families were an attractive target for her interests. A quick perusal of the books revealed some incriminating details about House Baudissin's recent dealings with devils, convincing Seizer and the others that none of the books should be taken by the yuan-ti. As a small sign of truce, the gnomish wizard gave the yuan-ti his journal and allowed him to escape with his life. Little did the yuan-ti know, everything written in that book would disappear in a matter of hours...
Rewards Granted
- The party recovered several giant sacks of books
- The party obtained a spell scroll for 'Gaseous Form'
- The party obtained a spell scroll for 'Suggestion'
- Jael Hainaut obtained three vials of holy water
- Poolp Goodhunter obtained a magic cloaker whip
- Nineveh Isolde obtained a silver dagger
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