Session 9 – Showdown at the Apothecary’s

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

The party observes the gathering crowd on the square, waiting for things to come to a boil. The Harpers don’t appear bloodthirsty, but they are determined to stay until Bester appears to answer the accusations, and until Balint is released. Shortly, a tipsy Kasmyr, arm-in-arm with the storytelling hobbit Malva Mugwort, saunters in, apparently charged by the denizens of the Beaver to find out exactly what’s happening on the square. Kasmyr doesn’t think much of the Harpers, believing them to be fanatics who endanger the stability and prosperity of the town. But as no violence seems imminent, Kasmyr and most of the party returns to the Beaver for supper and drinks. Theobald decides to make sure no attempts are being made on Balint. He acquires Beyert’s approval to go back up into the tower, as long as he is willing to stay in the cell for a time. Beyert once again explains the nature of his Frond organization, its relationship with the Harpers (very little), and its position in the political confrontation between supporters and detractors of the Erlkönig (for neither side). Little else happens in Beyert’s cell.
Enkidu, Glitterstem and Miletus fortify themselves and enjoy an evening of singing bawdy songs about the Harpers (Enkidu accompanies on the mouth harp, to popular acclaim). As the late crowd begins to arrive, Glitterstem and Enkidu swing into action. The gnome performs a brief ritual, drawing a magic circle in one of the alleys, and then proceeds back to the square, to see if any part of the crowd, now joined by more people, and apparently ready to camp out for the night, is under any magical influence. It is not, but a crow in one of the trees is marked by conjuration magic. Eventually, it flies off to the northwest. Enkidu befriends another crow, and through Glitterstem’s mediation, is able to ask it questions about the first crow, and where it went. The friendly crow relates that all the other local crows keep aloof of the one Glitterstem and Enkidu are following, believing it to be strange. He knows where it usually flies off to, and leads the twain, unsurprisingly, to Elias Amando’s apothecary shop on the River Row. The windows are mostly dark, but a crow is perched on the roof. After spotting the pair, it takes off. Enkidu casts his net high, and is able to ensnare the bird. He and Glitterstem rush over to extract their quarry from the net, but it suddenly… vanishes.
Glitterstem and Enkidu return to gather their comrades in preparation for an assault on the shop. A listless Miletus is collected from the Beaver, and Theobald is fetched by Beyert from Balint’s cell in exchange for a promise to stay with the prisoner. The friendly crow is peckish and shares more information with the party, which returns to the alley next to Amando’s shop. Glitterstem is sure there is magic going on inside the shop – he senses significant amounts of enchantment and illusion, as well as evocation, on the ground floor, and conjuration in the loft. A large dog begins barking inside, and the group doubles back, rounds the corner, and approaches the shop from the river side. Six birdlike creatures with long, mosquito-like probosces and four short appendages emerge, and assault the party. A man appears on a balcony in what should be the back of the shop – it is Bester! Glitterstem takes cover next to the building, but is soon beset and bitten by a large mastiff. Enkidu is bitten by one of the birdlike creatures in the neck, though he pulls it out and crushes it. Theobald manages to put the creatures to sleep, but the man on the balcony addresses Enkidu, and orders him to come to his defense against people he has not harmed. Enkidu drops his sword, and proceeds to pummel Miletus, who responds with his blade. With Theobald’s attempt to put him to sleep unsuccessful, the man steps back inside, and a crow emerges. Theobald brings it down (though it vanishes again), and then finishes off the mastiff with a bolt of fire. Theobald then proceeds to try to attend to some of the sleeping bloodsuckers and to aid Miletus, but the half-orc proves hard to contain, and lands several haymakers on the elf. Freed from danger, Glitterstem resumes concentrating on the house, and detects a heavily magicked presence departing from the balcony, apparently aerially. The presence is soon out of range, and attempts to track it seem futile.
After crushing the remaining bloodsuckers, and with Glitterstem’s attempt to snap the half-orc out from his enchantment unsuccessful, Miletus finally succeeds in bringing Enkidu down with the flat of his blade. The half-orc’s hands are bound, and with difficulty, Miletus and Theobald bring him back around to the front of the store. Setting him down by the stoop, the party carefully opens the door. They are greeted by apothecary smells – camphor, gum arabic, chamomile, mint, and the sight a small fire in the back of the store. As they proceed inside, two potted shrubs on either side of the front door attack them, but are shortly dispatched (one is set alight by Theobald, and then quenched by Glitterstem).
The shop now appears abandoned. After a brief discussion, a hale Theobald convinces his banged-up comrades that it would be well to investigate the store now lest the man return. A thorough search of the downstairs reveals shelves and shelves of glass jars filled with herbs and unguents, and a fireplace where some brew, which detects as residually magical, is being prepared in hanging cauldrons. A few empty medicine bottles stand on the table by the fire. Behind the counter, bottles, scroll-cases, and what seems to be a locked strongbox is discovered. There is also a staircase leading up. Upstairs is what is probably the apothecary’s bedroom. The door to the balcony is open. Besides some stray bottles and dirty dishes, there is a table with writing implements, and a half-dozen books. The books are a guide to herbalism, a Zhentar-Common dictionary, a Common-Elvish dictionary, the Frond Manifesto, and a book in Elvish. A brief inspection of the book by Miletus reveals its name as the Manual of Clarity. It deals with an organization called the White Hand, and is divided into three parts. The first part seems to detail historical matters which don’t strike the tired and battered elf’s interest at the moment. There is also what appears to be a sketch pad.
The party gives the upstairs a thorough search, but nothing more of interest is discovered. The books are taken, and there is a brief discussion about what to do with the strong box. As the party attempts to rouse Enkidu for the walk home, some neighbors peer out of windows and shout complaints. Although no guards appear, the decision is made to replace the strong box, and to head off, with Enkidu, back to Kasmyr’s house.

Report Date

29 May 2015