And Justice for All...

Miscellaneous

The Party ties up loose ends in Hillfar while discovering the grizzly truth about the missing children. They then travel to Bellhollow where they volunteer to handle a Kobold problem for the local chapter of the Miner's Guild.

The Party decided to seek the council of Ransan Thefiel, the owner of The Marvelous Prince Tavern, who told them that their best option would be tell the town guard, since there was no Magistrate for Hillfar currently. With that in mind, the Party went and told the first guard they found. As the entire situation was well above the guard's paygrade, he went and roused Sergeant Carson Richardson from his slumber. Naturally, the Sergeant was not at all happy about the entire situation. Typhon told him the entire story, but Sergeant Richardson was not so easily swayed. He suggested that they inquire with Evyn Rose about any unusual orders coming from the Byrne estate. If that part of The Party's story checked out, he would agree to the next part of the plan. Guards were posted outside of the tavern where The Party was staying until sunrise. At about 8 am, The Party, the guards, and Sergeant Richardson made their way over to the The Glowing Fabricator for an interview with Evyn Rose, the blacksmith. Evyn was nervous, continually fidgeting with his overalls while Typhon and Sergeant Richardson asked questions about the orders. Evyn produced a ledger, containing all the orders that the Byrne estate, by way of Liam Carr, had purchased recently. It was, indeed, an unusually large amount of orders for a single household, but Evyn had been so enamored by the notion of a noble purchasing so many of his wares that he had hardly noticed it. The Party and Sergeant Richardson then made their way to the Byrne estate.   At the estate, the rest of The Party took their positions in nearby bushes and behind some large trees. Sergeant Richardson took up a spot under a nearby window. Typhon cast Disguise Self and took the form of the now-deceased Liam Carr. As Liam, Typhon asked Lady Byrne about the death of Lord Byrne, to which Lady Byrne replied that they would go to the town guard and claim that The Party had kidnapped the Lord and were holding him for ransom. Sergeant Richardson decided that he had heard enough. As soon as Typhon and Lady Byrne exited the home, the Sergeant took her into custody. The Party remained behind, and found a finely crafted short sword (+1 to attack) and a history book detailing ancient and hidden cities used by the the now extinct Phasnosh civilization.   On their way back to Hillfar, The Party heard some strange, soothing music accompanied by the smell of baked goods coming from the woods. Their curiosity getting the better of them, they followed the scents and the sounds into the Brimland Woods until they came to a rancid pond and a stone house on its southern bank. The delicious smells were replaced by the scent of putrid water and rotting flesh. A wooden cage and anchored chains were in front of the house's entrance. As they approached, the voice of a young woman filled their ears beckoning them to come in. A woman dressed in plain, but nice, clothes approached the group from the forest and asked if The Party was there to rob her. She bade them come inside, as she was about to begin dinner. Typhon, not trusting her, put his thumbs together and cast Burning Hands in her direction. The woman immediately transformed into a green hag. The ensuing combat was ferocious and tense, with Sir Didymus nearly being killed in the process as the hag's claws ripped through his armor and his flesh. A last ditch healing spell from Vigwalin restored Sir Didymus to fighting shape. The group persevered and defeated the hag! A search of the property revealed the presence of at least five children's partial skeletons - almost certainly the cause of the missing children from Hillfar. The Party returned to the town, victorious in their battle.   Later in the day, The Party decided that they wanted to tie up any loose ends they had in Hillfar. They went and visited with Sergeant Richardson over by the guard post in the center of town. Sergeant Richardson informed them that after Joanna Byrne had been arrested that morning, that they had immediately sent a raven with a message seeking guidance to the Magister's Office in Silverward, as Hillfar had been without one for a few weeks now. It would be until at least the end of the week when they would hear back. Typhon informed the Sergeant of their other accomplishment: the slaying of the hag that had been kidnapping the town's children, and the grizzly discovery of a number of children's skeletons on her property. The Sergeant expressed his sorry at the whole situation, but expressed his gratitude nonetheless. Typhon asked a favor the Sergeant: the use of a brass brazier to perform a ceremony. Sergeant Richardson sent a runner to the townhall with the message to expect Typhon. The rest of The Party (Bloodbane, Sir Didymus, and Vigwalin) walked to The Glowing Fabricator to visit with Evyn Rose to purchase some arrows and anything else they may be interested in. Sir Didymus and Vigwalin each restocked their arrow and bolt supply, respectively, while Bloodbane purchased a painting of an axe.   The Party then coalesced outside The Marvelous Prince Tavern one last time before retrieving their promised potions from Randi Stonefist at The Fox's Wands and then took a ferry across the Misty Lake to Bellhollow.   Thurgramm Hammersmith led The Party to the local inn, The Demon Didgeridoo Inn where they were greeted rather warmly by Thali Undersword who hadn't seen Thurgramm in decades. A few minutes later, an angry Elf entered the inn and sat down close to The Party. After downing an ale, Sir Didymus purchased him another one and the group struck up a conversation. The Elf informed The Party of a pack of kobolds that had raided their mining operation recently and made off with their gold ore. The group offered to eliminate the kobold menace for a price, but the Elf was not in charge of operations, so he had to consult with his superiors.   After the Elf returned with the Elf in charge of the Miner's Guild local chapter, Elmer Reykian, the Party accepted the proposal to clear the cave of the kobold colony. The price: 10 gold pieces to clear the cave and return the Guild's property, plus 1 electronum for each kobold head retrieved.   The Party decided to make to the Kobold nest with haste. They followed the river east and crossed at a nearby ford into the forest. They followed some vague paths until they encountered what looked like wagon tracks leading into a poorly hidden cave mouth. The grey, vine covered stone mouth belched the stench of metallic copper and feces. The Party realized the Kobolds were likely in there. The exploration began with hesitation, as Sir Didymus took the lead after being made invisible by Typhon. Eventually the group joined up with the ranger, continuing to explore. They spooked a kobold, who then ran and alerted a nearby group. By the time The Party arrived, the pack of kobolds was ready. That didn't help them, as Vigwalin's brown bear form led the charge and eviscerated a pair of the creatures. The group made swift work of the rest of the group, as the kobold shaman attempted to hold them at bay with Spheres of Flame, but to no avail as Bloodbane annihilated him with a swing of his battle axe.   After cleanup, the Party continued their exploration of the cave. Water dripped from the stalactites into pools of water below, while the skittering of insects and rats under their feet kept them alert. The Party encountered another party, this one smaller but deadlier. A casting of Webs by Typhon would have immobilized three kobolds, instead the delicate lattice caught fire and engulfed two of them in an instant. The rest of The Party made short work of the remainder of the kobolds, eliminating two shamans and a third warrior. They still didn't find the stolen Miner's Guild loot, so the search continues...   The Party continued their journey through the Kobold nest after killing their second batch. They made their way through a narrow passage leading south, still following the tracks of the dragged crate. Bloodbane and Sir Didymus attempted to sneak in to get a better view of the Kobolds casting their shadows all over the cave floor. Sir Didymus's fumbling about drew the attention of the Kobolds and they quickly drew ranks. A well-placed Sphere of Flame in front of Bloodbane and Sir Didymus set them both on fire briefly. One of the Kobolds dropped dead when Vigwalin's crossbow bolt shot through his skull. Two more Kobolds were slain when Sir Didymus fired an arrow that tore through one's heart and Bloodbane leaped through the ball of fire, instantly killing another. One of the Kobold Shamans managed to sneak up on Sir Didymus, nearly killing in the process as he swung his shillelagh at him, only to miss in a fateful instant as Sir Didymus became distracted. The combined might of Vigwalin, Sir Didymus, and Typhon eventually brought the Shaman down. Meanwhile, Bloodbane fought the first Kobold Shaman with the ferocity of a much younger half-orc. After a close brush with death, and several shillelagh blows to the head, Bloodbane defeated his foe.   The Party found the chest belonging to the Miner's Guild, it's emblem clearly marked on the top. The inside was filled with raw gold ore. The Party decided to stay the night and let their wounds heal. Unfortunately, half way through the night, the Party was awoken by another group of adventurers that came to collect the chest and ensure that the Guild received their property. The encounter was tense, as the other group mirrored The Party nearly perfectly. However, Bloodbane and the others were in no shape to challenge the upstarts, and allowed them to take the chest unchallenged.