Session 37: Hands of Fate

General Summary

Fighting for the tablet

31st of Wintercrest 22nd year of the Second Era
As Ardun Aaryanfar released his fireball spell, Zuko stepped back, but Malcolm rushed into the spell's range to wrestle the tablet piece from Jesper Forsyth's hands and tossed it toward Zuko.
Jesper rushed forward to pick it up and a living member of the took it from Jesper and cast a spell on Zuko compelling him to run away. Malcolm unleashed a volley of Dragon's Breath bullets at Jesper, doing severe damage to him, several other cultists, and the large Ice Demon, before making the killing shot against Jesper himself. The living cult member ordered the ice demon to slow them down and ran across the clearing. The demon created an ice wall as Zuko, who was already closer to the cultists destination than the rest, chased him down. Malcolm took an alternate route getting hit several times by the demon before being knocked prone. From the ground he managed to hit the fleeing cultist with three shots that took him down, seemingly just before reaching his destination.
Zuko recovered the tablet and inspected the area where the cultist was trying to crawl as he died, finding a buried dragon tooth. The party concluded that the cult may have known the the truth of the old legend that planting a dragon's tooth and watering it with mortal blood would create a dracolich, allowing them to escape with the tablet.
Malcolm spit on Jesper's body, mocking him with his own words, "I win." They heard Ardun gasp, clinging to his last moments of life. Malcolm assured him that the tablet was secure, and he could rest easy. Ardun seemed relieved and passed away. They burned the bodies of the cultists and searched Ardun's seemingly protected bag, as well as inspecting his Wizard's Door keys. The only key that survived the blast was the one leading the the clearing they were currently in. In his bag, they found his grimoire, an ancient map, a magnifying glass that seemed to go with it and a small sketch of Darya Mountwala.

The Regent

As they tried to decide what to do with his body, the tower of Lord Ozin Lorimer appeared in the clearing, and Lorimer opened the front doors insisting that they come inside. He explained that a Regent of The Serapis barged into his home and insisted he come to retrieve them. A short time later a group of agents and guards of The Serapis entered, followed by the Regent herself, a century old human woman that looked to come from a modest financial background. She explained that they had been closely monitoring the situation, and she expressed her sympathies for the losses they had suffered in trying to protect the tablet. Zuko handed the artifact to her and she placed it in a protective box. She told them that as the heirs, the regents felt they were entitled to keep the map and magnifying glass, but they would need the grimoire back. Malcolm asked if there was any more information she could give them on their now uncertain destiny as heirs. She revealed that each of their ancestors carried weapon that the historic texts loosely translate to "god killers." Ardun's research had revealed the approximate location of were these weapons were left when their ancestors passed on.
She recommended that though they had prevented the return of Mantus, if they intended to pursue Orcus they should ask the Fyra to grant them the boons they would have been granted upon his return, and retrieve the weapons.
The Regent left and Lorimer rejoined them. Malcolm updated him on everything that had happened including having to kill Alaric, and the discovery of Octavia's remains. Lorimer assured them that the lone between good and evil was not as plane as people assume, possibly alluding to his last days with The Serapis. Lorimer informed them that Jarl Rupert Wasser would like to see them within the next few days, and after a short rest they exited Lorimer's tower and headed back to Palhas City. Malcolm contacted Thradreg Duskchin and was informed the ship was held up a little longer than expected in Elta, but Clambock Levut would compensate them in kind. Serenity could be in Palhas shortly before sundown.

Act III

To Friendship

The trio went to Lucky Hawk Inn and Malcolm bought a round for everyone in the tavern, giving a small speech about Alaric and toasting to friendship. Afterward, some people came to listen to Malcolm tell stories about Alaric, including humorous moments like saving Alaric from wandering naked out of that very tavern after overconsuming Dwarven Ale, and pranks he had pulled on him like disguising himself as a large unattractive female and waiting for Alaric to wake up from his drunken rest. Meara, finding it emotionally difficult to think about Alaric, wandered away. The barkeep, Vyncis Nynsor, informed her that another of Ivorr's Hunstmen had come in asking questions about her. He admitted the man made him uncomfortable so he was deceptive in his answers. By the description, Meara determined it was likely Jerue, a Huntsman that had grown up with and bullied her during her time at Jakthytta. He was cruel and bloodthirsty even as a child, and would be the first one to come seeking any bounty that Ivorr had put on her.

Hunting The Hunter

The party agreed with Meara that they should seek him out before he found her. After setting Wulffric free to hunt outside the city, they asked a member of the Cerulean Guard if Jerue had been seen. The guard said he believes he had seen him but there was no way to know if he was still in the city. Meara then looked at a local message board and found several requests a Huntsman usually would have picked up, meaning Jerue was singularly focused on hunting her. She though about what he likely knew about her habits and where he could best ambush her in the city, determining the poor district was where she would wait if she was hunting herself, as it contained the The Half-Full Tankard, foot traffic was light, and the narrow alleys made perfect cover for an urban ambush.
The proceeded to the Fathen's Road district, and Meara blended before walking the streets while Malcolm watched from the roof tops. Meara pointed out to Malcolm that the local orphan kids seemed to be on high alert. Malcolm observed them and recognized the behavior. The Orphans of Palhas City operated a kind of spy network when someone who knew about it needed someone located. Knowing that none of them would betray the location of their client as a matter of policy, Malcolm located the boy who had informed him when Tidgrud returned to the city. He convinced the boy that Meara was no longer part of their group, and he wanted to help whoever was looking for her. He told the boy that she was in The Nightshifters, having entered from the sewers, then watched the door of The Half-Full Tankard waiting for the Huntsman to come out of hiding. When he revealed himself, Malcolm followed him into the tavern to find him threatening the tavern keep to let him into the hideout. Meara and Zuko followed, and Jerue complimented on her getting the upper hand. He asked if she was going to face him one on one or have her friends gang up on him.
Malcolm told her that they would respect her wishes either way, but that she was more than capable of defeating him herself. She agreed, and readied herself to defeat her lifelong rival.
To be continued... Next Session: Session 38: A New World 

Report Date

11 Oct 2020