Session 21: Ghost Light

General Summary

The Wraiths of Fort Staerdale

2nd of Wintercrest 22nd year of the Second Era.
As the arcane light atop the Fort Staerdale memorial blew out, The Regulators noticed shadowy humanoid form rising from the ground. Once fully revealed, they had a partial skeletal form with glowing red eyes and black smoke hung over them like a cloak. These were Wraiths, wielding long swords and bows.
The party sprang into battle, Meara and Kaylee providing light spells to illuminate the battle field. After several of the wraiths were destroyed, Kaylee began to attempt to re-light the memorial. He second attempt was successful and the remaining wraiths vanished. Kaylee expressed surprise that a simple torch successfully reignited an arcane flame, but she was more concerned that it picked the moment they arrived to go out for what was presumably the first time since it was created. She the flame was known as a ghost light, and was meant to keep the restless spirits here from crossing the Veil between the ethereal plane and the material plane; the ominous feeling they had when they arrived was the exceptionally barrier between the two the was created by the massive amount of violent and premature death when the fort was destroyed.
Malcolm asked if there was anything more than the flame that could be done for the spirits, and she said it would take a lifetime of work to help even a fraction of them to move on. The sheer volume and the violence of that fateful day meant the grounds would likely always be haunted.
The party moved beyond the remains of the fort and set up watch, ensuring that the flame could be reignited if it blew out again, and they took their rest.

Haligham

3rd of Wintercrest 22nd year of the Second Era
At daybreak the party broke fast and decided to investigate the fort in the light. They discovered a possibly still intact room under the ruins of one of the building and dug it out, finding a chest with 800 pieces of silver, minted in the days before Palhas Province joined the empire. they then proceeded south and saw The Rundensee and the town of Haligham next to it. Realizing that the town was exactly one day's travel from Bunorley they chose to stay where they could rent a room and take care of various projects before leaving again in the morning. On arrival, Malcolm paid Zuko to jump into the nearly frozen lake for amusement.
Malcolm continued crafting his new pistol design while Zuko and Meara went out looking for work. Zuko found in need of a decent sized deer pelt, and advised him of where he could find the appropriate deer. Zuko tracked a large buck in the forest and killed it, returning the skin for 10gp and having some of the venison turned into jerky on trade for the remainder. Meara found a huntsman contract and went out to help a farmer clear his fields of mischievous Pixies. She was paid 11gp.

City on the Mesa

4th of Wintercrest 22nd year of the Second Era
The party proceeded south making exceptionally good time, and arriving in the city of Bunorley a couple hours before sundown. A shop named Henlein's Clockwork caught Malcolm's attention with the display of never before seen "pocket watches." He went inside and paid for a custom order to be completed within three days.
The party then asked around about accommodations for the night. The Dwarf they asked first led them to a pig pen as a joke, but a display of one of Malcolm's pistol intimidated him into telling them that there was only two places in the city that could provide any kind of shelter. The party chose to go to The Crimson Crown where they discreetly rented out converted horse stalls as overnight accommodations.
While Malcolm finished his first Pepperbox pistol, Kaylee went out to ask around about Cadnost, and found out that he lives on the edge of the Mesa between Old Towne and The Claymire. Malcolm then drafted a design for the new airship they would have commissioned.
To be continued... Session 22: The Sage and the Raven 

Report Date

29 Mar 2020