The Return: Session #18
General Summary
The heroes returned to Harcourt, and hired Oba's musical talents once again to use the Lute of Building to build a new headquarters for the Stevadors.
While the magical music was strenuous for Oba, the ending result was a giant tower/warehouse with high story dry docks for its ships. The new wonder was met with cheers, and the Stevadors celebrated with a large party. Kesi Thom, the leader of the Stevadors, thanked and paid the party... with hopes they could work together in the future.
The next day, they visited with the seneschal of Kaduna, Neolandus Kale. They found the busy bureaucrat a bit unhappy with the new Stevador building and yet still happy to reward the heroes. In exchange for an easy job, checking in on the silent Fort Garnet, the heroes were given 500 gold each and a horse of their choice from the city's stables.
The heroes wasted no time picking out their horses and heading north to the mining town of Uyo and the nearby Fort Garnet. The muddy travel took a few days, but it was peaceful.
The town of Oyu was found to be in a state of mourning. A popular place to drink and gamble, a barge called Paradise, had burned down and killed a significant number of people.
In spite of the gloom, the heroes had a warm welcome when they visited Bartuk's cousin, Nisdyl Hammerstein, and her tavern: Granny's Sweets. Nisdyl gave the heroes a hearty dinner and a place to rest for the night. Tiny Tymm's attempt to sell the horses for meat and Bartuk's hopes of bumming some gemstones off his cousin ... both met in failure.
The heroes visited the local church and met the town's priest and last of the town's council, Maelin Shreed. They joined her for the morning prayers, and heard more about the issues the town had been facing. Around the time of the sinking of the Paradise, a handful of locals all packed up in the middle of the night and left. This was alarming news, as something similar happened around the same time in Barrowmista. In addition to that, the heroes were told that the town hadn't heard from Fort Garnet in the past couple of weeks. They usually had an official visit once or twice a week to check on the town and to purchase supplies. There have also been sightings of ogres close to the town.
Maelin was able to give the heroes directions to Fort Garnet, and asked them to let her know what they found at the fort.
The path to the fort was hard, and the heroes had to leave their horses behind to hike the mountainous path. At one point, after passing a stone bridge, they heard cries of pain coming from the jungle. Kurdan didn't hesitate to lead a charge into the jungle. They found a lion wearing a collar that had its rear leg stuck in a crude bear trap. The lion looked at them pitifully and appeared to be tame. As Kurdan opened the trap and Tiny Tymm recognized Kaduna military symbols on the collar, they were interrupted by a misshapen ogre and his pack of hyena.
The ogre claimed he was hunting the "kitty" and the heroes should leave. Bartuk attempted to talk to the ogre, but only infuriated this simpleminded giant. The battle exploded around the ogre and Kurdan trading blows while Tiny Tymm blasted the hyena. Bartuk cursed the ogre with a powerful bane, and a few wounds from Kurdan convinced the ogre to run. Running into the jungle crying for its "Mommy", it dropped to the ground asleep due to a spell from Tiny Tymm.
The heroes debated what to do with the ogre, but once Bartuk healed the lion's broken bone... it was clearly trying to lead the heroes the same way the ogre was rushing.
Heading further into the jungle, the heroes found a run down pig farm. The only immediate signs of life were the pigs and a large pack of crows circling above a poor corn field.
Following the lion towards the barn, Bartuk was attacked when a hook with a chain came from the corn field and started to pull him into the tall plants. As the swarm of crows descended on Tiny Tymm and Kurdan, the large ogre holding the chain met his own surprise as Bartuk transformed into a huge crocodile. A vicious battle that rolled from the corn field to three ogres waiting in ambush in the barn. The barn ogres were just as misshapen, but much weaker... and the heroes easily dispatched them.
They found the barn had been turned into a half-prison half-pen for a giant spider. Nervously looking down from a catwalk, they saw a funnel of a giant spider web while prisoners at the back tried to warn them of the spider within. Not taking any chances, the heroes threw a torch into the webs. The fire caused the giant spider to break down its barrier and escape into the jungle.
Freeing the prisoners, they met three starved men from Fort Garnet. Their leader, Jaka, broke down in tears when he saw his animal companion, the lion, Tibbs, was safe. He asked if the heroes were here to retake the fort, but before he attempted to explain away their confusion, was more concerned if they had killed Mother Graul... the leader of the ogre clan of the farm!
Missions/Quests Completed
The heroes completed their contract with the Stevadors by building their new headquarters.
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