Ports' Gambit Session 9
General Summary
The Assassin's Blade
Natalya Danamark drew her blades, looked at Chupa Saltamontes and Kregsmum, and swiftly closed the distance. She recognized Chupa as being the one who tried to get her arrested in Beachdenn a few days earlier and was eager to pay her back. With daggers drawn, she skillfully evaded a javelin from Kregsmum, rolled out of the way, and slashed at the barbarian's torso. She quickly stood up and plunged her other blade into Kregsmum's chest. She smirked as the hobgoblin gasped for air. Natalya looked at Chupa and told her "don't worry, little bird. You're next." The fear radiated off the tiny kobold as she approached to try to save her friend. A quick dagger strike, bolstered by her sneak attack, found its mark in Natalya's ribs. The assassin let out a scream as she answered with a slash of her own that left Chupa bleeding profusely. Not willing to risk being killed, Natalya broke contact and fled down an alley, clutching her ribs and leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Chupa instantly descended on Kregsmum and began to tend to her wound. She ripped off a piece of cloth from the barbarian's meager vestments and began to pack the hole in her friend's chest. She called for help and could hear the approach of town guards. Kregsmum had been stabilized by the time the trio of guards arrived who began asking what the trouble was. Chupa updated them and told them about how Natalya had headed off towards the docks not even a minute before. Two of the the guards took off after her, following the bloodtrail. They were met by a group of thugs from the South Wind Trading Company who had barred them access to the docks. But they also saw that, out in the water, a woman with blondish hair could be seen in a rowboat with two other figures, including one matching the description of the pirate Inkeas Hirash. The two adventurers, clearly irritated by the fact that Natalya hadn't been apprehended and how the guards had been repulsed by the South Wind Trading Company, limped back to the The Sterling Beaver.Murder Most Foul
The mysterious black-clad figure glared at Xolos. He could be heard saying "fascinating creature. But you will not do." His eyes flashed red once more, and then he disappeared into the darkness. The crowd had long dispersed by that point, and Penguin and Spruce Springstream had finally caught up. Spruce quipped about how it seemed to be out of character for Xolos to give chase across town and joked about how the barrel seemed to defeat him early on. Alyce Dorgonn and a group of guards arrived on the scene a moment later, having been drawn by the magic missiles being hurled across the square. She asked what had happened and Xolos described how they had chased the killer across the rooftops but he had been wearing some kind of armor that seemed to resist his magic missiles. Alyce, seemingly both dismayed at the killer's actions but also encouraged by the fact that he had been partially identified, asked the party to lead her to the victim. They arrived on the scene soon after and Alyce immediately ordered her men to seal off the area while they began their preliminary investigation. She asked Penguin to take a look around, but he didn't notice anything in particular. Xolos took a quick look and determined that the victim, a traveling merchant named Wallace Agaros, had had his liver removed but his coin purse remained untouched. However, this was not what had killed him. That much eluded Xolos. The group spent several minutes exploring the crime scene until they found small pieces of an out-of-place spongy material that they decided to take back to Kregsmum for identification.A Quick Recovery
Meanwhile, back at The Sterling Beaver, Torque was in the midst of recounting his heroic slaying of "the lupine beasts of Hastlet Woods" nearly single handedly. The bartender looked on in a disinterested, but polite, fashion while he cleaned some cups. The door swung open, and a wounded and bloodied hobgoblin barbarian and kobold rogue entered the warmth of the building. Torque turned in his chair and looked at his party members curiously. He sat at their table and the group ordered a round. Kregsmum updated Torque with regards to the near murder of Matilde Carson and the confrontation with Natalya Danamark. Penguin, Xolos, and Spruce soon joined the group and they all caught eachother up. Torque offered to regale the group with her tale of killing "the lupine beasts," but they had more pressing things at the moment. Spruce pulled out the small pieces of reddish material that they had collected at the murder site and asked Kregsmum for identification. She wasn't sure, but she suspected that it was the Trumpet Toadstool. The adventurers sat and discussed their next steps, including the possibility of breaking into the Castleport Library to find the book that Qi'faren Elesh had asked for. As they went back and forth over the merits of this plan, Alyce Dorgonn entered the tavern. She came to present a large piece of red and yellow mushroom that she was unfamiliar with. She commented that she had debated with herself to take it to the alchemist, Qi'faren Elesh, but thought she'd run it by the party first. Spruce told her that it was a good idea that she had, and how they don't quite trust Qi'faren. Kregsmum took one look at the fungus and recognized it immediately as the Trumpet Toadstool. She exclaimed that they only grow in the Sanguine Abyss. Alyce remarked how it was close by, only 9 kilometers to the north in County Navania in the Amboro Hills, but she had never been. The deputy suggested that they take their investigation there next, and urged them to strike while the iron was hot. Xolos mentioned how they had some work to do for Qi'faren, and hoped to get some help in getting into the restricted section of the library. The sheriff's deputy told them that it was barred to most people due to the contents of the materials there. She gave them a brief history of the library, how it used to be much smaller until the king, several decades ago, instituted an education program across the kingdom which resulted in libraries being built in his name. She told the group that while she couldn't help them, she could almost guarantee that law enforcement would look the other way if there happened to be a break-in. The party appreciated the sentiment, and resolved to go after the killer, after they had completed their business in town. But first they would rest for an hour, just to recover from their wounds slightly.After Hours at the Library...
The street surrounding the Castleport Library was dimly lit, and the homes nearby weren't lit at all. The group debated amongst themselves whether they should rest first and come back another time when they were stronger. Eventually they convinced themselves that it was just a library. After all, what could possibly go wrong? They strolled up the stone steps to the large wooden doors and kept watch while Chupa got to work. It took some doing, but eventually she got through the door. They entered and walked right past the empty front desk and began their inspection of the facility. A large blue sky scene sat painted on the floor in the center of the room, with a telescope staring up at the night sky through a portal in the roof. A set of doors blocked the entrance to the various rooms along the south side of the library which they all tried. One let to a classroom, another to a room for children, and the third to some kind of meeting room. The fourth door, however, was locked. They deduced that this must be the restricted section. Chupa got to work again, picking the lock with greater ease this time. She was starting to get her lockpicking feet under her. The group entered the small, dimly lit room and found a rusty metal grate in the middle of the floor blocking passage down a set of stone stairs. Another lock provided the sole guardian to the restricted section. The group once again debated with how to get past it, but Chupa just bent down while they were mid-sentence and picked it with ease. The lock, having rusted with age and moisture, was a bit harder to pry open. But it, too, yielded its secrets in time. The group lifted the grate and descended into the lower level. The air was damp, and there was no light in there at all. Up ahead, webs strung across the hallway blocked the advance. The group must now venture into the restricted section of the library and find their objective...Rewards Granted
- 100xp each for Chupa Saltamontes and Kregsmum for fighting off Natalya Danamark and saving Matilde Carson
- 75xp each for the party for discovering the location of the killer
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Report Date
12 May 2022
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