Of Men and Machines Session 14
General Summary
Welcome to Fairshield
Not wanting to lose anymore time in the day, the party unhooked their horses and ventured back out. They pocketed their reward and gently browsed Elmaris Stillstar's cart on the way out. The journey to Fairshield was smooth and uneventful with the group passing by the road to the Hastlet Woods and the Ullamir farm. Fel'Shu grew frustrated with the group's indecisiveness regarding investigating the farm - it had been mentioned in Halodreth Emberwhite's journal - and rode ahead of them for a while. Fel'Shu rode ahead of the party for about ten minutes, just long enough to run head long into a band of circus acrobats. The group of them had blocked the road and called the monk out, performing a number of aerial feats and maneuvers reminicscent of Fel'Shu's own training. As they asked about his business and tried to get him off his horse, the rest of the party arrived. The apparent leader of the acrobats challenged the party to a competition, a friendly wager of sorts. However, Keck, who had just arrived, wasn't having any of it. He used his intimidating orcish prescence to run off the acrobats which everyone found irritating anyway. They gathered their items and bolted north through the treeline and out of sight of the party without issue. The party soon arrived in the small port town of Fairshield. The sun was still out and would be for a little bit longer, but they wasted no time in finding the nearest tavern, which happened to be The Engorged Warhorse. Tim the Not-so-Tiny immediately headed in and purchased himself a room; the ride had been more tiresome than he realized. Fel'Shu, realizing that he needed to pray, left with Keck, and Eshshann the Pocket in search of a temple.Light Amidst Silence
It didn't take long for the group to find a temple - Fel'Shu was like a bloodhound for those. The faint smell of warm metal the soothing essence of medicinal herbs imbued the air as they approached the Temple of Goibhniu. Entering the temple, they noticed an masterfully crafted anvil resting upon an intricately designed altar in the center of the room. The murals and stained glass depicting various religious iconography and scenes of smithing and healing cast a mosaic of colors that danced on the floor in a seemingly intentional rhythm. A human male adorned in meticulously maintained robes carefully approached the party. In a soft-spoken voice, he introduced himself as Branzan Japloon, priest of Goibhniu. Fel'Shu introduced himself as well and asked if there was any place that he could pray privately. Branzan pointed to a small office toward the back of the temple that he could use. Keck immediately had questions about the iconography and the nature of the gods here. Branzan was more than happy to answer, albeit a bit shy about the questions. He explained that Goibhniu is both the god of smiths as well as of healing, and that to create great works is akin to healing itself. Keck immediately saw a connection in this line of inquiry and asked if Goibhniu had ever been known to create mechanical men, possibly the warforged. Branzan scowled, perhaps because the question itself was objectionable. He replied that to do so - to imbue life where it does not belong - would be heretical and against everything that Goibhniu stood for. Eshshann was taken in by the modest splendor of the temple and couldn't help himself. While Branzan talked with Keck and Fel'Shu, Eshshann walked around just out of sight and managed to pocket a silver candlestick holder. Not wanting to push his luck, Eshshann decided to head out. He nonchallantly bid his farewells and headed off to the The Engorged Warhorse tavern.Throwin' 'Bows
Eshshann crossed the Fairshield Bridge and headed straight for the tavern. It was a raucous dive that night, with a full house. As soon as he stepped up to the bar he was offered a free drink by the bartender, Okalder Kaspin. Eshshann took the tankard, examined it, and passed it off to a passing dwarf who had already had too much to drink but was nevertheless excited by the free ale. Okalder asked what he could do for Eshshann and the dragonborn requested a room for the night. He tried to negotiate a lower price, but the bartender wasn't having it. Finally, they settled on the basic cost and Eshshann decided to have a bit of fun. He turned around and, using his magic on the dwarf he just gave the drink to, he was able to convince him that someone else had just tripped him. The dwarf was not to be insulted! He stood up and threw a punch at the elf after insulting his heritage. The elf's friends immediately came to his assitance; the fray was joined swiftly by the dwarf's friends. Chaos erupted and Eshshann was just barely able to dodge an incoming tankard that shattered the glass behind the bar. He cast minor illusion on another patron that was engaged in a brawl - something about his mother - who then somehow became even more aggitated and upended a table. Eshshann, quite satisfied with his mischief, skulked away into his room for the night.Dreams Dreams Dreeeeaammmms
That night, as Keck and Fel'Shu slept under the roof of the temple, they somehow shared a similar dream. Each of them stood before an immense forge with the rhythmic clang of hammers filling the space. Goibhniu stood before them, his radiant form awe-inspiring. He waved his hand and the forge roared to life. An array of weapons - similar to the weapons depicted in the murals and frescoes of the temple - lay before them. The dream shifted, with Keck and Fel'Shu finding themselves in a tranquil garden bathed in healing light. Goibhniu was there too, tending to a bed of vibrant flowers and crystal-clear springs. Each flower he touched flourished and radiated with vitality. They realized that Goibhniu represents not just the smith, but the healer as well. He imparted a profound sense of balance, a reminder that strength and compassion, creation and restoration, are intertwined aspects of life. Across town, nestled in his bed at the Engorged Warhorse, Eshshann found himself in a more sinister vision. He beheld a desolate landscape, shrouded in perpetual twilight. The air, thick with an eerie stillness, suffocated him like a cloak. A towering obsidian altar stood before him, adorned with grotesque carvings of demonic figures. He approached the altar, as if drawn by some unseen force. Hooded figures in tattered robes emerged from the shadows, their faces obscured by the darkness. The figures began to chant in a guttural, otherwordly tongue, their voices a cacophony of madness. Somehow Eshshann understood their words even though he'd never heard the language before. As the chanting reached a fevered pitch, the altar sprung to life. Dark energy swirled around it, coalescing into Baal himself. Eshshann watched helplessly as the cultists offered up a struggling victim, bound and gagged. Baal's clawed hand descended on the poor soul, and the air became rent with their agonized screams. Eshshann awoke, curious about what he had seen.Down by the River
The sun rose over the eastern horizon, readying a new day for the party. Eshshann awoke to find Okalder cleaning the tavern's room. He stepped on several teeth on the way out as he chuckled to himself. Okalder tried to be friendly, but just didn't have it in him that morning. Tim joined him in the room on the way out and the two headed over the bridge across the Fairshield Inlet to the temple where Keck and Fel'Shu had spent the night. Crossing the long bridge over the inlet, the pair noticed the familiar yellow flash of a couple of members of the South Wind Trading Company approaching them. Different town, same assholes. One of them bumped into Tim and told him to watch where he was going. Eshshann egged him on with his subtle instigations. Meanwhile, Tim became the target of the thug's threats and insults. The half-orc had enough, and his next move was putting his fist through the thug's face. He was taken by surprise and Tim took the opportunity to drive him up to the wall of the bridge and into the inlet about 15 feet below with Eshshann's help. The other thug threw his fist at Tim, connecting but doing little damage. Eshshann drew his dagger and shanked the man, dealing a significant blow. Tim's fist connected with the man in a right cross, sending him back as Eshshann lunged again but missed. Tim, not wanting to cause anymore trouble, threw his hands up and offered a truce. The South Wind thug clearly saw that he was outmatched by the increasingly skilled fighter and wizard and begrudgingly agreed. He withdrew across the bridge from the way he came to find his friend, and no doubt inform his boss. Tim and Eshshann met up with Keck and Fel'Shu a few minutes later as if nothing had happened. Tim informed them that the South Wind Trading Company had set up shop in Fairshield as well. The group cringed, realizing that the corruption had spread much farther than any of them realized. Nevertheless, they had a job to do. So they headed upstream, following the Berkwood Beck as far as they could. Within a few hours, the town of Dewcross came into sight. As they approached from the south, they could see that the gatehouse of the wooden palisade surrounding the small town was locked. In front of it stood a group of goblins and an ogre making demands...Rewards Granted
- 75xp for all for arriving at Fairshield
- 50xp for all for arriving at Dewcross
- 50xp for Eshshann for great role play!
- 50xp for Fel'Shu for solid role play!
- 100xp for advancing the plot
Report Date
29 Sep 2023
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