KWN.5.2 Aboard the Sanguine Plague

Session Preface

The Dancing Stallion burns. Pillars of billowing smoke rise from a central room on the second story. Wreckage smolders, scattered in the street. Citizens watch on in shock and fascination from candlelit windows. Guards wearing varying ensignias move forward, combining their efforts to start an organized bucket brigade leading from the Neverwinter River to the flames creeping across the roof of the tavern and inn.
As the city combines their efforts to save this local institution, each of you approach in turn, whether from your patrol, exploration, or evening respite. The stark scent of the embers filling your nostrils as your eyes fight irritation from the smoke. Through the doorframe of the inn, a guard in the Lord's Alliance regalia spills out, shouting "There's still citizens inside! Someone help!"

Session Summary

Investigating the Dancing Stallion

Pushing through the tavern's threshold, the party learns of at least two injured individuals still within the Dancing Stallion, as well as the unknown whereabouts of the Speaker, Second. Fausta rushes to the kitchen, where she rescues Millie, the proprietor. Tristain, wary of the flames still spreading from the building, remains outside to serve as a healer and perform triage. Guiding a handful of citizen medics, he sets up an area for all those harmed by the explosion. Aethuriel casts faerie fire to see figures through the smoke and pushes through the smoke and fire upstairs to save a half-elf woman from being trapped beneath a beam with Pax's aid. Once she is freed, they provide her a potion to stabalize her injuries. Pax deftly carries her downstairs where Tristain provides magical healing while a resident treats her wounds that require more precise medical care.
Even as he tends to the wounded, Pax can't help but overhear whispers about his apperance and how he is likely the culprit responsible, some even going so far as to suggest he is a member of a devil's cult in the city.
While the party tend to these pressing concerns, an azure magical aura appears and a figure with long, dark straight hair and a presumptous goatee appears in flowing robes. Summoning and controlling water from the river, the mage douses the flames. He follows the near flood of riverwater with a dramatic announcement of the city being in safe hands once more and how the citizens have nothing else to fear.
Back in the Dancing Stallion, Aethuriel investigates the central room where the fire seems to have originated. He determines that it likely was a spell cast from within and discovers a pair of humanoid remains. One of the corpses matches a known description, that of a figure with trident tattoos. In the other remains, he finds a strange dubloon, a silver coin depicting a ship on one side and an overflowing mug on the other with the words "The Bounty" enscribed upon it. He also notes a pool of blood that appears silver in color, clearly not humanoid.
A few moments later, Pax returns upstairs to continue searching for clues and meets the same mage from outside. The posturing caster introduces himself as Seymour, owner of the local magic and adventurer's gear shop that was recently burglarized. He explains that upon hearing that it was believed to be an assassination or abduction attempt of the Speaker, he returned to investigate. He confirms the presence of both evocation and transmutation magic and finds it strange that nothing seems to be missing from the chest at the foot of the bed. With his own investigation underway, Seymour disappears into thin air, leaving Pax to explore further.
The Blood Hunter discovers a secret compartment in which Second stored a journal. Recent entries describe the senstation of being followed, but assumes it is either Neverember's men or the Sons of Alagondar who are responsible. Pax also finds and pockets an amateurish drawing of Tristain for his own amusement.
In the medical tent, Aethuriel speaks with Millie, discovering her distraught over the loss of the tavern and her lack of insurance to cover the costs. When questioned, she explains that no one had come in from the ground floor and she didn't hear anything until it was too late. Aethuriel shows her the dubloon, which she explains is part of a monthly drinking contest at the Beached Leviathan, a drinking hole in the Docks.
Before they are able to depart, Pax is stopped by a local Helmite, an Order of the Gauntlet member, Preceptor Teraclast, who gruffly interogates the Blood Hunter about his whereabouts and involvement in the explosion. When Tristain interjects himself into the quickly escalating dispute, Teraclast eventually steps down, though not before throwing several barbed comments towards the 'famous demon slayer.'

The Beached Leviathan

The party make their way through town in the elongated shadows of Castle Never. At the entrance of the Beach Leviathan, they are stopped by the bouncer, a shirtless half-orc with one of his tusks chipped off. While he initially rebuffs their efforts to enter due to their obvious appearance as 'cops,' he eventually grants them access when they show him the bounty dubloon and explain the nature of their investigation. The bouncer points them towards the first mate of the tavern, Andrella.
Once inside, Pax sits by himself at the bar, ordering an expensive, but well-worth the cost rum, along with the local brew of much worse quality. Tristain and Aethuriel are seated together and find themselves under close watch of the other patrons. Eventually, Andrella interogates them in the same fashion as the half-orc outside. When they mention their contract for the gith, Folio, however, she changes her demeanor and inquires more about their investigation before asking them to wait while she goes to speak to the captain on their behalf.
The party is then escorted by a brass dragonborn to the hull of the ship where they find Captain Colley, the captain of The Sanguine Plague. He expresses a mutual interest in hunting down Folio as well as shares his grief over the loss of Dobbs and Della, the two cousins who had been a part of his crew and whose remains the party discovered at the Dancing Stallion. Colley explains to the party that Folio, several months ago, joined his crew, gained the trust of the first mate, and eventually led a mutiny against Colley. Dobbs had warned Colley of the impending betrayal, and the Captain barely escaped with a tattered ship and his life. Since the event, Folio has been the unquestioned leader of Pirate's Skyhold, the infamous pirate stronghold earthmote drifting over the Sea of Swords.
The Captain negotiates with the party, offering to fly them to Pirate's Skyhold, to guide them to a secret entrance to the hideout where Folio has likely taken the Speaker, and to provide air support during their fight and escape in exchange for his terms. Colley requires they help put together a crew, secure for him the astral skiff Folio uses in his runs, and full amnesty for his former misdeeds. The party counterargue for a guaranteed ride back from the earthmote and eventually agree, pending Second's safety and ability to provide the necessary legal authority for wiping the Captain's slate clean.
The Captain takes the following day to make preparations, leaving the party to explore the city in the meantime. Pax finds his way to the library, where the writ of approval from Second gives him access to the restricted archives of the library. Here' he finds an old, worn copy of Orders from the Outside with an additional marginal note. Meanwhile, Tristain runs into his fellow Tyrran, Ephen, and enlists he and his fellow triad member's help in the journey to Pirate's Skyhold.

Aboard the Sanguine Plague

The next morning, the party, along with Fausta, Avri, and Ephen, march north of Neverwinter to the hidden cove where the Sanguine Plague remained hidden. Here they meet Colley's ragtag crew, Derwin Gale, Three-Teeth, and Crusty, and partake in their first airship venture.
Along the way, Pax and Fausta finish their best of five card game, with Pax winning the deciding victory. The two also discuss their similar position serving with Knights who are more enthusiastic than them. Aethuriel also has the chance to converse with Avri. He learns of her efforts to train the volunteer guards in the Chasm District and they discuss the dynamic of working in a group where members are so different from one another and how their experiences are similar in that way. Tristain, on the other hand, spends much of the journey nauteous while Ephen speaks to him emphatically and encouragingly.
Thanks to the dense cloud cover used to mask their approach, the crew of The Sanguine Plague do not notice the swift approach of a red dragon. The beast darts overhead, breaking through the clouds, and an unleashes a torrent of flames across the ship's deck. As the party try to put out the flames, the dragon returns and divebombs through the ship, eating the halfing Derwin Gale and breaking away the magical gem keeping the airship afloat in one fell swoop.
All six knights and the remaining crew members were ferverently to coordinate their efforts, stabalizing the ship's suddent descent and extinguishing the remaining flames. Thanks to their efforts, they manage to find a clearing in the bogs on the western edge of Pirate's Skyhold and crash land into the swamp with minimal injuries sustained.

Pirate's Skyhold

Upon making their emergency landing, the party take their first steps the explore the area, discovering their loud approach has drawn the attention of a local cult of lizardfolk. Combat ensues and the knights must combine their efforts to push back the onslaught of assailaints. With the area secure, the party eventually venture east towards the pirate stronghold's secret entrance in pursuit of Folio and the abducted Speaker.

Session Overview

Date Played:
September 5, 2022
Party:

• Aethuriel
• Pax
• Tristain

Time Passed:
Elient 16, 1493 AM - Elient 17, 1493 PM
NPCs:

• Millie
• Dobbs and Della
• Preceptor Teraclast
• Feng, Bouncer
• Andrella, First Mate
• Captain Colley
• Hammer Ephen
• Shield Avri
• Gauntlet Fausta
• Three-Teeth and Crusty

Loot:

• Lore: Orders from the Outside