Of Men and Machines Session 3
General Summary
I'll Have a Fesca
The hike from the Veleta Wood to Fesca was generally uneventful. The forest gave way to hills and open countryside which eventually yielded to vineyards and, ultimately, the tiny hamlet. The locals gawked curiously at the party, as Fesca didn't really see too many travelers let alone adventurers. The party sauntered down a wide dirt road past the town cemetery and up to a small temple dedicated to the god Lathander. A small group of five middle-aged parishioners had gathered out front and the party could hear them muttering about the reverend being gone for too long. Hearing of the trouble, the party stopped and inquired about the missing reverend. An older woman told them that Macon Brushrambler had gone for one of his usual walks earlier that morning but hadn't returned yet. It was dangerous for a 90-year old man to be venturing into Veleta Wood on his own. Curious about this behavior, the party asked if he regularly did these kinds of things. They learned that it was pretty normal for him to go on walks around the area, but that he would usually be back by the afternoon for his sermons. The party, ever willing to help out, agreed to head back into the woods to try to find the old man. But first they sought information about the pirate ship seen in the distance. They asked the parishioners who, unfortunately, knew little about it. They instead directed the party to The Red Pan - the nearby tavern on the water - for information. The group headed over in that direction and entered the tavern. Inside the small rustic building sat several small tables and a bar, behind which stood a human possibly in mid-thirties with light brown hair and sunspots on his fair skinned cheeks. The man, Erik Rutherford, introduced himself cheerily as the owner of this establishment and asked what brought the adventurers to Fesca. Keck replied that they were in the area after doing some work out of Beachdenn and began by ordering a pair of ales. Erik poured some of the best ale in the area into a pair of wooden mugs and served the group. Keck paid the man and asked about the pirate ship with the black sails. Erik told him that that was The Black Doom, the vessel of the infamous pirate Inkeas Hirash. Wanting to know more, Keck asked what Hirash's issue was, to which Erik provided the history of the region. The party learned that Hirash was effectively out for revenge against the local lord - Viscount Montgomery Silverbane. Satisfied with the knowledge they had gained, the party headed off for the Veleta Wood before it got too dark. Meanwhile, Malark continued his walk back to Beachdenn. Upon arriving back at The Smiling Crab Tavern, he was greeted by a happy and much healthier looking Saemuel Fletcher. Saemuel's countenance quickly turned from glee to despair when he didn't see the rest of the party. Worried about the fate of the other adventurers, Saemuel asked if everything was ok. Malark caught him up with the results of the expedition and Saemuel was more than happy to provide the promised reward. With the knowledge that everything was taken care of and that nothing could possibly go wrong, Malark settled down for the night with a pint of ale and some food by the fire.Gone for a Walk
Back in Fesca, the rest of the party began the hike back to the Veleta Wood. It was about a six-mile journey and it was already early afternoon. Ninety minutes later and the party reentered the forest. Fortunately, they were able to pick up the track of Macon early on, having followed a small rabbit trail that led right into the woods. It wasn't long before the party, continuing to the follow the shuffling path laid out by Macon earlier in the day, came across a small stream running east to west. On the other side of the creek, they could see the ruins of a small structure, probably an old house. Damakos noticed indications of the old man walking through, this time dragging a leg behind him possibly due to an injury. Tim the-not-so-tiny and Keck crossed the stream and Keck could see an old man hiding behind one of the broken walls of the structure. Before he could reach out and comfort him, a trio of twig blights accompanied by a vine blight. The first twig blight seemingly appeared out of nowhere and attacked Damakos, knocking out the already-wounded artificer instantly. Fel'Shu joined the fray, and took his lit torch and obliterated the offending twig. Tim charged at the vine blight, and with two swings of his sword cut the creature in half. Keck attempted to calm the old man and cautiously approached it. Fel'shu leapt across the stream spectacularly and took a swing at it with his lit torch. It screamed, but continued to fight. Keck swung his sword and severed its head. The creature's dead body floated down the stream in one direction while its head went the other. Fel'Shu tended to Damakos and helped him stabilize. The Tiefling stood and dusted himself off. Krom introduced himself to the elderly man, who identified himself as Macon Brushrambler, the man they had been sent to find. He explained that he had been chased by these creatures and had hidden himself away. The party offered to take him back to Fesca and Macon gladly accepted. However, the stress had exhausted him to the point that he became clammy and passed out. None of the party knew what to do, so Tim hoisted Macon over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and they all headed back to town.Looks Like We're Walking...
Ninety minutes later, with the sun low in the sky, the party - along with their recent rescue - arrived back in Fesca. They stopped off back at The Red Pan and asked for help. One of the townsfolk, an herbalist, stepped forward and identified that Macon was severely dehydrated. Erik Rutherford brought out some water while others went to the herbalist's shop to gather a few items he had requested. It didn't take long for the remedy to work, and Macon slowly came around. He thanked the group effusively for rescuing him, and offered them what little money he had: 27 silver pieces. As it was beginning to get late, the group settled in for the night in some cots that Macon made available to them back in the Temple. Unfortunately the tavern didn't have any rooms for rent. The following morning, the party headed out back to Beachdenn. It was roughly 15 miles to the northwest as the crow flies, so they headed out as soon as they could. The roughly five hour journey went fairly smoothly, with no major hiccups along the way. No more than two hours into their trip, the party encountered a butchered and mutilated horse. It still had its saddle and bridle attached, but its intestines had been ripped out and part of it had been eaten. No sign of a rider could be found. The party pontificated on what could've done such a thing, but was unable to come to any conclusions. A bit later, a winged shadow darked their path while they were walking. Not wanting to tempt fate, the group took shelter in a nearby grove. They soon lost sight of whatever was stalking them, but eventually came upon a hill standing in a small clearing. Nestled in the rocks sat a large nest with a single egg in it. The nest was easily the size of a man, and pieces of carrion could be seen strewn throughout it. The party took note of its location, with Damakos surmising that this is probably a griffin's nest. They decide to leave well enough alone and wait for about an hour to make sure the coast was clear. They continued on toward Beachdenn. Along the way, however, Keck noticed a freshly buried plot underneath a lone tree. Taking a moment to uncover it, he found a small chest which he promptly opened and found a small stash of 17 gold pieces. It was mid-day by the time the party arrived in Beachdenn and headed to The Smiling Crab Tavern where they linked back up with Malark. It wasn't long before Kobril Dersk showed up and talked to the group. The party asked whether or not he had any leads for the recent murder, to which Kobril said that they were looking into Natalya Danamark as their primary person of interest. He also told them that he had been impressed with their investigatory skills and presented them with a sealed letter that he'd like them to deliver to Aldar Duskstone over in Castleport, as he opined that the Castleport sheriff's department could use some assistance with a series of murders that have been going on. Their next destination set, the party decided to visit the local merchants to properly equip themselves first...Rewards Granted
- 25gp 7sp for the party
- 30xp/player for rescuing Macon Brushrambler
- 35xp/player for defeating the blights
- 150xp/player for completing the Wicked Blade quest
Missions/Quests Completed
- Wicked Blade
- Gone for a Walk
Character(s) interacted with
- Erik Rutherford
- Saemuel Fletcher
- Macon Brushrambler
- Kobril Dersk
Related Reports
Report Date
24 Mar 2023
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
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