Of Men and Machines Session 13
General Summary
Go Get 'Em Boys
The party now had a location for the killer. All that they needed to do before heading out was to inform Alyce Dorgonn and Aldar Duskstone, gather the party, and head out. Keck, Malark, and Eshshann the Pocket headed off toward Hardingham Keep while Tim the Not-so-Tiny rested some more. Within minutes, the party arrived. The damp air hung in their chest like an anchor on a ship as they walked past the keep guards and straight to the sheriff's office. Keck pushed open the door to find Deputy Dorgonn and Sheriff Duskstone in the dimly lit room discussing options. The Sheriff looked up at the half-orc, noticeably more sober than he'd been in years. He asked what he'd found and Keck replied that they had a location: a cave network known as the Sanguine Abyss. Aldar replied with "Shit!" and Alyce chimed in, informing Keck that it was in County Slate and thus under a different jurisdiction. Keck and Eshshann thought about it momentarily before realizing that since they're not technically law enforcement, that the problem of jurisdiction didn't really apply to them. Please with this turn of events, Aldar asked if there was anything they needed. Keck requested some armor and weapons for the party. Alyce sent a nearby guard to the nearby smithy to provide some supplies. A few minutes later he returned with a large chainmail shirt for the party to take back to Tim and a longbow with arrows for Keck. The party thanked them and headed back to the tavern.A Brief Shopping Trip
Meanwhile, Fel'Shu headed off in search of a pen and paper. He looked all over before coming across a small shop called the Maple Goods Company, and its dwarf shopkeeper, Burnir Slatepath. Burnir brushed his flowing blond hair out of his face and looked up at the human monk as he entered the shop. Fel'Shu inquired about any writing tools that he may have and Burnir encouraged him to look around. The shop was filled with various adventuring goods such as backpacks, ink, rations, and other items for sale. Fel'Shu checked his pockets quickly and realized that he didn't have enough money for the quill, ink, and paper. He offered to trade his adventuring services in exchange for the sought-after items. Burnir thought about it momentarily, and mentioned that his friend Elmaris Stillstar, a traveling merchant on his way from Middlerich, had not yet arrived. Elmaris was always on time and he was now over half a day late. Burnir was convinced that something nefarious must have befallen his friend. The two agreed that if Fel'Shu brought back news of Elmaris or brought him back to town, that he would provide the items at a considerable discount. Fel'Shu was off to rejoin the rest of the party.An Itsy Bitsy Spider
Keck, Eshshann, and Malark decided that they wanted to investigate the Castleport Library one more time and try to get into the restricted section. They had - for some reason - concluded that there may be hidden knowledge about the Warforged in there. The three of them entered the building on the bank of the creek and walked up the stone steps past the heavy wooden doors. Once again they approached the head librarian, Natalie Iscalon, sitting behind the counter with her messy hair. She looked at them skeptically and asked what they were there for this time. Keck and Malark chimed in, saying that they were looking for information on the Warforged and they believed that there was information on them in restricted section."Don't say I didn't warn you." - Natalie IscalonNatalie looked on incredulously as the two rogues did their best to persuade them. Perhaps out of their tenacity to get to the bottom of this mystery, or perhaps out of sheer exhaustion at these damn questions, Natalie relented. She pulled a key from a chain around her neck and gave it to them. She told them to lock up on the way back out. The trio headed over to the locked door at the far end of the library and opened it. It gave a loud ker-chunk as the heavy lock yielded to the key. The small room had a rusty metal grate in the middle with another padlock. Keck leaned in and tried to pry it open but to no avail. He spent what felt like an eternity on it when Malark once again produced the key and unlocked it with ease. He gave Keck a sly look as the half-orc pulled up the rusted grate. The stench of moisture wafted up from the darkness and Malark "offered" to stay up top and keep guard while Eshshann and Keck went below. Eshshann and Keck descended the steps into the darkness. It felt like the darkness peered back at them almost. Eshshann grabbed a sconce off the wall and lit it. Webs could be seen down the hall cris-crossing the ancient stone passage. Two doors on the right, flanked by suits of armor, stood there silently. They entered the first door, eager to find what treasures lay behind it. Books, scrolls, and other tomes sat there piled atop the wooden shelves. Eshshann examined them carefully, pulling down a book about the Cult of Baal. He opened it to examine its pages only to be attacked by a swarm of spiders pouring forth from it. The spiders attacked the dragonborn wizard ferociously. Keck attempted to assist, barely killing a single member of the swarm. They turned their ire on him, injecing their tiny fangs into his skin. Eshshann cast fog cloud and ran out of the room closing the door behind him... with Keck still in the room. Eshshann looked around hurriedly and pulled a lit sconce down. He steeled himself and opened the door just in time for Keck to come running out straight into the wall behind him. Eshshann slammed the door shut while Keck gave him a nasty glare. They spiders would be contained, or so they thought.
"Is everything alright down there?" - MalarkEshshann looked down and saw the swarm pouring out of the bottom of the door. The two of them, feeling that survival is the better part of valor this day, fled back up the stairs. The wizard tucked away his book into his pack. Malark looked at the two of them, not at all surprised at their condition. Defeated and in need of some healing, the three of them locked the door behind them and returned the key to Natalie. They headed back to the tavern.
Let's Get a Move on!
About 30 minutes later, the group had fully assembled back at the Aggressive Goblin tavern. Tim the Not-so-Tiny had gotten a quick rest and had healed a bit from his beating earlier in the day. The door swung open and the guard from Hardingham Keep entered and provided the group a note from Deputy Dorgonn. It simply read "Bring us his head." Their instructions clear, the party ventured forth along the coastal road to the next town, Fairshield. They hadn't been on the road more than an hour before they ran into a nervous looking elf merchant guarding his stranded cart. It sat askew on the dirt road with a broken pair of harnesses on it. The merchant cautioned them to keep back and was adamant that he wasn't looking for trouble. Recognizing the man from his description, Fel'Shu asked if his name was Elmaris Stillstar. The elf cautiously confirmed Fel'Shu's suspicions. Fel'Shu informed him that they were looking for him as a request from his friend, Burnir Slatepath. Elmaris looked relieved and informed the party that something in the woods had spooked his horses several hours earlier. He offered a reward to the party if they were able to find his horses, but they looked at the sun hanging low in the sky and politely refused. Instead they offered to hook up their horses, which they had gotten from the guard that delivered the deputy's note, and take him back to town. Elmaris appeared concerned for the safety of his horses, but ultimately acquiesced given the situation. The party headed back into town, another hour back the way they came and delivered Elmaris to his destination at the Maple Goods Company. He thanked them for their efforts and offered to discuss their rewards with them...Rewards Granted
- 40xp each for Keck and Eshshann the Pocket for fighting (and being defeated by) the Swarm of Spiders
- 150xp per player for helping for Elmaris Stillstar get back to town
Report Date
15 Sep 2023
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