Session Summary
After luring two patrols of spiders to their demise, the party comes across a patrol of Drow led by captain Ranaghax Auvryndar. Following an initial interrogation, the drow and companions come to an agreement for the captain to allow the party to pass in exchange for delivering a message to an ally in Skullport. The party makes their way southward along the River Sagauth, fighting off a band of rogue drow followed by a group of will-o-wisps that assault their makeshift raft as they make the several hour journey to Skullport.
As their journey concludes, the party finds the winding cavernous course of the river gives way to a massive cavern so tall the ceiling is perpetually shroud in darkness. Looking over the port and stronghold immediately within view, Hawk observes a massive humanoid fully clad in black plate armor fly into view astride the largest wyvern the companions have ever seen. It's at this moment the voice of Xorone once again penetrates Hawk's mind. "See the general flying up there? Kill him. Then your second debt will be considered paid."
With this new complication, the party docks their makeshift raft, scorched from the Will-O-Wisp's shocking assaults, in the harbor of Skull Island where they were greeted by a pair of bugbears who force the trio to fill out a series of complex forms and documents and paying a series of increasingly absurd taxes and fees for entry into the city. Stepping into an empty, abandoned courtyard filled with dilapidated market stands, the party stops a begrudging and threatening stranger who points them in the direction of the pawnshop they seek.
The hopes of quickly wrapping up their delivery are dashed as the party discovers the pawnshop empty and appearing as though it has not been attended in days. As they look about for anyone who could provide an idea as to what's happened, two local vendors next door catch their attention and offer to speak further inside their store, eyeing the street as members of Xanathar's Guild patrol by their storefront.
Once inside, the sisters introduce themselves as Doodles and Stabbem, a tattoo artist and piercer, respectively. Insisting they'd be more than happy to speak to customers rather than strangers, Doodles adds a skull aflame with magical energy to Fenris' array of tattoos while also cleaning up some of his shoddier designs. She also convincing Hawk to get his first tattoo. Hawk requests a simple golden harp on his wrist and ends up quite happy with the result. Once they've paid for their services, Doodles shares, "It's no secret Krystaleen had a bit of a Kulutah problem, she's probably been on a trip at the Pointed Pipe." Hawk also learns the name of his new target - a half-ogre by the name of Sundeth as well as of the Guild's majordomo, a cruel dwarf named Ahmaergo, from whom the general takes his orders.
Before heading further into the knotted mess of Skullport's networked bridges and rigging connecting portions of the city, the party explores the pawn shop itself and finds a pair of notes - one from a seeming friend named Twoedge thanking Krystaleen for allowing him to borrow tools and another correspondent Mia telling her not to worry about a debt. With this information in mind and the exhaustion of the day setting in, the companions trek to the Flagon and the Dragon to seek a meal and rooms. Upon meeting the proprietor, Cal’al Claddani, Hawk recalls the gemstones provided to him by Three Strings to give to her as recompense for the safeguarding of a Harper member. After completing this task and enjoying their first cooked meal in days, the companions head upstairs to find much needed rest in proper beds.
The next morning, the party returns to the pawnshop in hopes of a change, but find it still unoccupied and untended. On their way back, the party discovers a small market in which a small handful of duergar are selling an array of mushrooms and cured meats, an assortment of which Thaust purchases for later tasting and testing. On their way to the Pointed Pipe, the party happens upon a shop called the Sword & Sextant. Although they are disappointed to not find weapons for sale, which the shopkeeps explain as having to do with the Guild's taxes on weapon sales, the companions discover the two owners to be excellent cartographers willing to trade gold for information regarding their experiences. After sharing their adventures on the first few levels of the dungeon and filling in several gaps for the mapmakers, the party purcahses a map of Skullport to aid in their exploration and continues on their way.
With this newfound information, the party changes directions in search of The Lodge of the Beastlord where they intend to sell the harvested components of monsters defeated along the way before the organs deteriorate. Before they make it to their destination, the party overhears some of the Guild giving a book seller trouble for being behind on taxes. Hawk intervenes, discovering all the trouble is after only a few silver. Upon disrupting the exchange, the party is also accused of not paying their street cleaning taxes for the day as registered guests of Skullport. Eventually, the Guild settle for taking a book as payment from the shopkeep, collect the party's taxes as well, and go to bother other citizens. Determined not to let this be the final word, Hawk trails the bugbear guild member and once he is distracted by a feud breaking out in the streets, steals back the book and returns it to the bookstore owner before eventually purchasing it so Fenris can learn more about alchemy.
From the Libram, the party traverses the meandering rope bridges of central Skullport to the Lodge of the Beastlord where they meet Atka, a goliath champion adorned in armor made entirely of dragon scales who welcomes them into his abode only upon learning of their great accomplishments in hunting monstrosities. After exchanging pleasantries and stories, Atka purchases their chimera and manticore organs for reasonable rates and bids the party farewell.
Returning to the original task at hand, the companions approach the Pointed Pipe but are once again set off course, this time by a strange gathering of Skulkers in an alleyway near their destination. In the filthy narrow pass, a human body covered in thin lacerations levitates in the air with filth and trash swirling idly beneath it. "It's the Rag Mage! The Rag Mage has returned!" one of the citizens shouts before a manic fear overtakes the crowd, scattering them instantly. The party waits at the scene for a moment in hopes of detecting an unseen presence or magic causing this macabre scene, but eventually leave with no further insights.
Upon stepping into the Pointed Pipe, the trio introduce themselves to Mia, a kind maternal woman of advanced years who offers them samples of some of her more mild substances as newcomers to her facility. Not interested in yet another diversion, the party press her for information regarding Krsytaleen. Mia shares that their mutual gnome friend had not been by in several days, but the last time she was in, she brought a dwarf named Twoedge with her who seemed less than friendly. The party thanked Mia promising to return for the free samples at a later time and pressed on to Twoedge's shop to learn more about the missing pawnshop owner.
Comments