Ports' Gambit Session 3
General Summary
The Scales Tip...
The golden-scaled sorcerer arrived late in the night at his destination: the small town of Beachdenn. Settling into his room, he thought about his magic school, his students, and his wand. He would regain his status and return, triumphant in his quest to gain real world experience. His thoughts turned to dreams as he drifted into the night. Hours later, after helping himself to some mid-day ale, the dragonborn known as Torque found himself stepping into the grey-sky'ed road in front of The Smiling Crab Tavern where he found a pair of half-elves, a kenku, a kobold, and a hobgoblin exchanging information with a rather relieved looking half-elf. Torque injected himself into the conversation, which prompted a snippy response from Spruce Springstream who was not aware of the elderly dragonborn. A quick smile de-escalated the situation and Torque approached, albeit cautiously. He introduced himself and the group struck up a quick friendship. Torque the dragonborn sorcerer was now a member of the party.On to the Next Town...
Saemuel Fletcher reiterated to the group that he had no more work for them, but that he would keep an ear out for anything related to this "society" that they had asked about. In the meantime, he suggested that they check the message board outside of the tavern. Freshly posted, likely within the past couple of hours, on a sheet of yellowed parchment, was a notice from one Leah Pehosley asking for a same-day delivery of a package to Castleport. The group, seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, decided to handle this request as well. If anything, there was bound to be a reward, and what better to meet new people than to help them out? Just as they were about to head out to go find Leah's herbalism shop, they were approached by Kobril Dersk who they noticed was holding a wrapped up sheet up paper with a red wax seal on it. He greeted them warmly and conveyed to them that while they disagreed on the night before, that it was his opinion that they would make excellent investigators. He offered forth the rolled up document and explained that if they took it to Castleport and presented it to Sheriff Aldar Duskstone, that he might consider deputizing them. Kobril continued, explaining that Castleport had suffered a string of some horrific murders recently and that they could use some assistance. He further explained that they would be accompanying a handful of guards transferring Damaceus Serechor into Castleport's custody. The party considered their options briefly and decided that it would be good to have some steady work, and perhaps it might afford them the opportunity to track down Natalya Danamark. The group accepted and Spruce accepted possession of the document. Kobril told them that they would leave within the hour. The party headed into town briefly and made their way over to the herbalist. The strange sight of slowly moving vines and plants crept into the periphery of their vision as they approached the lilac-scented building. Brightly colored plants and flowers decorated the building, and a gently faded sign swung in the chilly breeze. They entered the round wooden structure and were quickly greeted by a pretty, smiling woman who asked if they needed any assistance. The group told her that they were there to inquire about the job posting. She smiled, seemingly relieved to have found some help. She presented them a small box that clinked when she put it down. She informed the group that it was to get to Qi'faren Elesh, the store owner of the Plane Walker Magic Shop in Castleport today. The group asked if what was inside the box was dangerous, and Leah reassured them that it was simply a set of ingredients, that they weren't harmful in and of themselves. Xolos and Torque attempted to negotiate a higher price, but their efforts failed and they ultimately settled on the original wage of 4gp. The party accepted, took the box, and then went back to the tavern. The group met up with the guards and the shackled Damaceus. Penguin gave the group's answer: they would accompany the guards and meet with Sheriff Duskstone. With Leah's package in hand, and an opportunity to do some good on the horizon, they set off on the road north.I'm Gettin' Too Old for This Shit...
About forty-five minutes later, the party arrived at the southern gate into Castleport. The gate guards looked them up and down and then directed them into town, pointing them at Hardingham Keep. They made their way up the unpaved road, past what was clearly a poorer part of town. The scent of nearby fisheries and a leather tannery made the short walk most unpleasant. At the keep gate the guards let them know that Sheriff Duskstone was in his office. The guards knocked on the door, informed the party to remain outside, and then stepped into the poorly lit room. Only a few minutes passed before the heavy wooden door creaked open and the guards motioned to the party to enter. The room was poorly lit, by a single weak candle in the corner only. The air smelled musty and stale, and the strong scent of liquor permeated the confined space. In front of them sat a man with a prominent scar across his left eye and a greying unkempt beard. He leaned back in his chair, took out a small metal flask, and took a long sip. This was Aldar Duskstone, sheriff of the County of Castleport. He fumbled at the top trying to put the cap back on. He reached out his hand to them and told them to give him the note from Kobril Dersk. He struggled to read over it in the dim light, and said to himself "so, this is Kobril's latest pet project." Aldar slurred his words and took another sip from his flask before starting. He informed the group of adventurers that there'd been a series of murders throughout town over the past couple of weeks and that they could use their help. He told them that he accepted Kobril's recommendation to deputize them and scribbled his name on the paper acknowledging it. The party left the room, eager to get started and get the details of the case. A moment later, a dark-skinned woman walking with a purpose approached them. She introduced herself as Alyce Dorgonn, deputy to Sheriff Duskstone. Alyce quickly got down to business and began to explain some of the details of the case. There had been three murders over the past couple of weeks. The players quickly deduced that the murders occur on a seemingly temporal basis, with the bodies being discovered on every Pralors for the past few weeks. With the next Pralors coming up tomorrow, they recommended that they post additional patrols throughout town. They learned about the victims: a traveling merchant, a fisherman, and a librarian. The group wracked their brains trying to identify any connections between them, but there were none apparent. The sky continued to grey as the sun set in the west. The wind began to pick up and the need to find a room for the night became apparent. The party must now deliver the box to Elesh, and investigate these grizzly murders before the killer - or killers - strike again...Rewards Granted
- XP: 50xp for figuring out the murder timeline
- XP: 100xp for delivering the prisoner to Aldar Duskstone in Castleport
- 6sp 7cp per player as payment for delivering a package for Leah Pehosley
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Report Date
27 Jan 2022
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