VIII - The Bull Market - 6.11.23
Ches 30-Tarsakh 1
It was later in the morning on Ches 30. The party had come to the Grinder Tribe on diplomatic business from the Gnasher Spring. They had earned an audience with the ghost dragon Throstulgrael, tyrannical patron of the Grinders. Clearly exasperated in undeath, the dragon had demanded the party spend his hoard as quickly as possible. The group fell into discourse over how best to spend it. While Rhokeion Archos held conversation with the specter, party members gathered magical items and tools which they felt suited their abilities. They also shoveled heaps of gold coins into their packs.
Oliver Thickets had been unable to swim against the spring's current; the dwarf sat against a stump aboveground. He looked around, noticing growing swathes of Kecuala in the Grinder camp. They seemed to come from everywhere; clearly this tribe greatly outnumbered the Gnasher Tribe. Soon, the Grinder chieftain Glador reemerged from the spring where Throstulgrael lay. He approached Oliver, pointing out the rising water levels downstream from the spring. Indeed, the water could be seen submerging non-aquatic plants some distance away. From what Oliver could tell, the lizards did not mind much. It seemed they could just as easily live in water as on land. After a pregnant pause, Glador offered to help Oliver join the party underground.
Within the cave, something caught Sariel Amastacia's eye- another mask bearing the sign of Moander. It was just like the one which had been found in the House of Moander a few days before. Without drawing too much attention, she maneuvered the mask into her pack without touching it directly. All together in Throstulgrael's lair, the group endeavored to give the treasure to one of the factions in Ylraphon. They would have to decide later which one. Gremir remembered hearing about weekly meetings at the House of Merchants; there would be one the next day at noon. Perhaps the local governance of Ylraphon could siphon away Velvet's wealth quickly. He had threatened to sabotage Semuanya's supposed plans if the hoard was not spent in a month. Sora Shana felt the party should be able to leverage the hoard to acquire magic licenses in Ylraphon.
Taking their leave, the party ascended out of the cave and onto the surface. They were met with excitement from the Kecuala above, with Glador assuring the tribe of the party's intentions to help Velvet. The group had traveled a long way early in the day and was too tired to return to Ylraphon immediately. They planned to walk a comfortable distance away from the Grinder settlement and make a camp where they would pass time and spend the night. Traveling with enormous bulging packs, the group trudged south.
After a short distance, the party heard boisterous voices in the tall grass ahead. It seemed to be two large beings of some intelligence excitedly discussing the details of a recent hunt. Thinking to avoid trouble, the party lay low for a few minutes as the voices receded. The party sought dry ground to make camp and soon erected their tents alongside a camp fire. They planned watches and were careful to store their new valuables out of sight. The first watch passed without incident, but during Rhokeion's watch the voices seemed to return. This time, they were reacting to the sight of the party's fire and approaching loudly. Rhokeion quickly awoke the rest of the party save OPTIX, who had been in standby mode near the center of camp.
Soon the voices drew close to the party and turned to whoops and howls; a pair of enormous minotaur looked on with apparent bloodlust. Rhokeion had successfully alerted the party to the minotaur presence, and they quickly rose to combat the threat. The two minotaur were large and bulky, shirtless with armored greaves. Their extremities were coated with black, wiry fur. Their eyes shone a stark red color; a demonic hatred seemed to lie behind. Worse still, each wore a symbol of the "God of the Hunt" at their waist just the same as the Hunters of Ylraphon. They stamped at the ground, instilling fear into the hearts of the party. The two charged forth, jeering that they would mount the heads of every party member.
After a brief but bloody combat, the party stood victorious over the bodies of the two minotaur. Sariel had struck the final blow on each, sending an arrow through each bull-like head. Their horns were oiled and polished to appear darker; they were also sharpened at the tips. Gremir, reveling in the beasts' deaths, mounted their heads on nearby trees. OPTIX noted Kecuala looking on, apparently interested to see the fight. They quickly darted away back toward the Grinder village. During the fight, both tents had been ruined. Fortunately, it was a dry night and the party was able to finish resting up for the journey to Ylraphon.
On the morning of Tarsakh 1, the party prepared once again to trek south toward the mysterious grotto. They passed the Gnasher tribe's spring once more; the Kecuala there were thrilled to see the party again. The group was in a hurry, hoping to return to Ylraphon before noon. They carried on quickly, and the Gnashers did not seem to mind or even notice the brevity of the visit. After a tiring trek, the party once again entered the grotto on the coast and descended into the tunnels beneath the Flooded Forest. They had just enough time to get to Ylraphon, provided nothing uncouth occur beneath the House of Moander.
The group was able to return to Ylraphon proper with little incident, passing quietly and quickly through the ruined temple. They hurried along to the House of Merchants, hoping to gain an audience with one of Ylraphon's powerful merchant lords. The city looked resplendent in the noon sun, with ships coming and going from the harbor in the south. The group followed a small crowd into the halls of the House of Merchants. There they were herded into a large circular room with an elevated platform for presentations. Rhokeion identified officials holding magical sound amplifiers, presumably for a Q&A segment. He got in line near one of those individuals and waited patiently.
Soon, four merchant lords emerged onto the elevated platform in the hall. With them were Escher O'Hara and Amrul Ilnatar. In turn, the presenters gave statements about various local happenings and possible concerns. It seemed a big customer of the lumberyard had ceased communication under troubling circumstances. A team of Hunters had been sent to investigate. There was a Dragonchess tourney planned for Tarsakh 10. There was no mention of the House of Moander or any threats therein. Shortly, the floor was opened up for townspeople to ask questions or raise concerns. After sitting through a few vapid requests, Rhokeion was able to make the party known to the representatives and give a general outline of their situation. The group had a sizeable contribution to make to Ylraphon and needed to discuss matters further (hopefully more privately).
Escher lit up and whispered into Amrul's pointed ear before leaving the platform. The meeting continued without her as she whisked the party out of the room and down a hall. Escher pulled the group into a courtyard within the walls of the House of Merchants. It seemed private, and lovely plants adorned the area. Escher listened in disbelief as the party described their problem to her. This ghostly dragon did not seem familiar to her and she reacted as though the party must be in jest. Once the party convinced Escher of their honesty, she seemed excited at the prospect. A hoard like Throstulgrael's was not something many cities were privileged to possess.
According to Escher, the wealth should be "spent" into the coffers of the House of Merchants itself. Logistically, she suggested the use of portals for transferring the gold. Apparently a Tabaxi from the Horned Keep was just the mage for the job. He would need to physically go to the dragon's lair first, however. Rhokeion was sure to suggest that the party be given magic licenses as great contributors to the prosperity of Ylraphon. Escher responded coyly, saying that she had already been working on it before the party became rich. They would have their licenses the next day. Though Escher did not mention it, Gremir was reminded of the Hunter initiation ritual that would be held that same night.
Feeling a great sense of accomplishment, the party took their leave of the House of Merchants and returned to the Shattered Dragon Inn. A few party members dropped off their traveling gear and went in search of shops or artisans in town, but Oliver chose to play more Dragonchess with Elmo Caleb. For the first time, Elmo handily beat Oliver in the game. This delighted the elderly human; it seemed his skills had not decayed. Thinking to secure an advantage in the coming tourney, Oliver insisted Elmo accept a large donation to go toward the Dragonchess tourney. Ever graceful, Elmo accepted the donation and courteously excused himself.
Rhokeion, Sariel, and Sorashana had found an alchemist's shop down the lane. There they reunited with Zepp Wilson and Gruesome. The "Triumphant Two" were in town resting up and shopping between glorious adventures. They were not accompanied by the curious Warforged from before; presumably it was still not operational. Zepp and Gruesome were on a schedule but invited the party to join them at the Shattered Dragon later in the evening. The day was still young; Rhokeion and the girls planned to regroup at the inn and head over to Growboats to procure boats for easier travel through the swamp.
Why did Hunters attack the party? Who will win the Dragonchess tourney? What could such a sizeable contribution do to Ylraphon's economy? Find out next time on... The Domain of the Metamage!
Oliver Thickets had been unable to swim against the spring's current; the dwarf sat against a stump aboveground. He looked around, noticing growing swathes of Kecuala in the Grinder camp. They seemed to come from everywhere; clearly this tribe greatly outnumbered the Gnasher Tribe. Soon, the Grinder chieftain Glador reemerged from the spring where Throstulgrael lay. He approached Oliver, pointing out the rising water levels downstream from the spring. Indeed, the water could be seen submerging non-aquatic plants some distance away. From what Oliver could tell, the lizards did not mind much. It seemed they could just as easily live in water as on land. After a pregnant pause, Glador offered to help Oliver join the party underground.
Within the cave, something caught Sariel Amastacia's eye- another mask bearing the sign of Moander. It was just like the one which had been found in the House of Moander a few days before. Without drawing too much attention, she maneuvered the mask into her pack without touching it directly. All together in Throstulgrael's lair, the group endeavored to give the treasure to one of the factions in Ylraphon. They would have to decide later which one. Gremir remembered hearing about weekly meetings at the House of Merchants; there would be one the next day at noon. Perhaps the local governance of Ylraphon could siphon away Velvet's wealth quickly. He had threatened to sabotage Semuanya's supposed plans if the hoard was not spent in a month. Sora Shana felt the party should be able to leverage the hoard to acquire magic licenses in Ylraphon.
Taking their leave, the party ascended out of the cave and onto the surface. They were met with excitement from the Kecuala above, with Glador assuring the tribe of the party's intentions to help Velvet. The group had traveled a long way early in the day and was too tired to return to Ylraphon immediately. They planned to walk a comfortable distance away from the Grinder settlement and make a camp where they would pass time and spend the night. Traveling with enormous bulging packs, the group trudged south.
After a short distance, the party heard boisterous voices in the tall grass ahead. It seemed to be two large beings of some intelligence excitedly discussing the details of a recent hunt. Thinking to avoid trouble, the party lay low for a few minutes as the voices receded. The party sought dry ground to make camp and soon erected their tents alongside a camp fire. They planned watches and were careful to store their new valuables out of sight. The first watch passed without incident, but during Rhokeion's watch the voices seemed to return. This time, they were reacting to the sight of the party's fire and approaching loudly. Rhokeion quickly awoke the rest of the party save OPTIX, who had been in standby mode near the center of camp.
Soon the voices drew close to the party and turned to whoops and howls; a pair of enormous minotaur looked on with apparent bloodlust. Rhokeion had successfully alerted the party to the minotaur presence, and they quickly rose to combat the threat. The two minotaur were large and bulky, shirtless with armored greaves. Their extremities were coated with black, wiry fur. Their eyes shone a stark red color; a demonic hatred seemed to lie behind. Worse still, each wore a symbol of the "God of the Hunt" at their waist just the same as the Hunters of Ylraphon. They stamped at the ground, instilling fear into the hearts of the party. The two charged forth, jeering that they would mount the heads of every party member.
After a brief but bloody combat, the party stood victorious over the bodies of the two minotaur. Sariel had struck the final blow on each, sending an arrow through each bull-like head. Their horns were oiled and polished to appear darker; they were also sharpened at the tips. Gremir, reveling in the beasts' deaths, mounted their heads on nearby trees. OPTIX noted Kecuala looking on, apparently interested to see the fight. They quickly darted away back toward the Grinder village. During the fight, both tents had been ruined. Fortunately, it was a dry night and the party was able to finish resting up for the journey to Ylraphon.
On the morning of Tarsakh 1, the party prepared once again to trek south toward the mysterious grotto. They passed the Gnasher tribe's spring once more; the Kecuala there were thrilled to see the party again. The group was in a hurry, hoping to return to Ylraphon before noon. They carried on quickly, and the Gnashers did not seem to mind or even notice the brevity of the visit. After a tiring trek, the party once again entered the grotto on the coast and descended into the tunnels beneath the Flooded Forest. They had just enough time to get to Ylraphon, provided nothing uncouth occur beneath the House of Moander.
The group was able to return to Ylraphon proper with little incident, passing quietly and quickly through the ruined temple. They hurried along to the House of Merchants, hoping to gain an audience with one of Ylraphon's powerful merchant lords. The city looked resplendent in the noon sun, with ships coming and going from the harbor in the south. The group followed a small crowd into the halls of the House of Merchants. There they were herded into a large circular room with an elevated platform for presentations. Rhokeion identified officials holding magical sound amplifiers, presumably for a Q&A segment. He got in line near one of those individuals and waited patiently.
Soon, four merchant lords emerged onto the elevated platform in the hall. With them were Escher O'Hara and Amrul Ilnatar. In turn, the presenters gave statements about various local happenings and possible concerns. It seemed a big customer of the lumberyard had ceased communication under troubling circumstances. A team of Hunters had been sent to investigate. There was a Dragonchess tourney planned for Tarsakh 10. There was no mention of the House of Moander or any threats therein. Shortly, the floor was opened up for townspeople to ask questions or raise concerns. After sitting through a few vapid requests, Rhokeion was able to make the party known to the representatives and give a general outline of their situation. The group had a sizeable contribution to make to Ylraphon and needed to discuss matters further (hopefully more privately).
Escher lit up and whispered into Amrul's pointed ear before leaving the platform. The meeting continued without her as she whisked the party out of the room and down a hall. Escher pulled the group into a courtyard within the walls of the House of Merchants. It seemed private, and lovely plants adorned the area. Escher listened in disbelief as the party described their problem to her. This ghostly dragon did not seem familiar to her and she reacted as though the party must be in jest. Once the party convinced Escher of their honesty, she seemed excited at the prospect. A hoard like Throstulgrael's was not something many cities were privileged to possess.
According to Escher, the wealth should be "spent" into the coffers of the House of Merchants itself. Logistically, she suggested the use of portals for transferring the gold. Apparently a Tabaxi from the Horned Keep was just the mage for the job. He would need to physically go to the dragon's lair first, however. Rhokeion was sure to suggest that the party be given magic licenses as great contributors to the prosperity of Ylraphon. Escher responded coyly, saying that she had already been working on it before the party became rich. They would have their licenses the next day. Though Escher did not mention it, Gremir was reminded of the Hunter initiation ritual that would be held that same night.
Feeling a great sense of accomplishment, the party took their leave of the House of Merchants and returned to the Shattered Dragon Inn. A few party members dropped off their traveling gear and went in search of shops or artisans in town, but Oliver chose to play more Dragonchess with Elmo Caleb. For the first time, Elmo handily beat Oliver in the game. This delighted the elderly human; it seemed his skills had not decayed. Thinking to secure an advantage in the coming tourney, Oliver insisted Elmo accept a large donation to go toward the Dragonchess tourney. Ever graceful, Elmo accepted the donation and courteously excused himself.
Rhokeion, Sariel, and Sorashana had found an alchemist's shop down the lane. There they reunited with Zepp Wilson and Gruesome. The "Triumphant Two" were in town resting up and shopping between glorious adventures. They were not accompanied by the curious Warforged from before; presumably it was still not operational. Zepp and Gruesome were on a schedule but invited the party to join them at the Shattered Dragon later in the evening. The day was still young; Rhokeion and the girls planned to regroup at the inn and head over to Growboats to procure boats for easier travel through the swamp.
Why did Hunters attack the party? Who will win the Dragonchess tourney? What could such a sizeable contribution do to Ylraphon's economy? Find out next time on... The Domain of the Metamage!
Key Items
- Mask of Moander
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