Session 166 - A Hanging

General Summary

7^th and 30^th of Ilvin (Third Month of Autumn) 722TR

The story so far

Jolanta and her trusty bodyguard Blaine are agents of the mysterious Order of the White Hand, hunting down unscrupulous mages and covering up magical mishaps.

Jolanta has just completed a mission for the mysterious Sir Jirex Mallaber and recovered flasks of Hepekerian Sunfire Brandy. In return, Sir Jirex will tell her how to restore her magic staff to its former glory.

However, Blaine's dark past will soon catch up with him.

Continuation of the Session 164 - Lost Treasures.

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Location - City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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Part 1 - Knowledge of Water

Sir Jirex Mallaber, art by Artbreeder

Jolanta and Blaine visit the charming Sir Jirex Mallaber and deliver the flasks of Hepekerian Sunfire Brandy. Sir Jirex opens one and gives the heroes a drink while he keeps his end of the bargain. He tells Jolanta how to boost the magical power of her Staff of Cryptan Seaweave.

• She will need a better understanding of the magical patterns and process water. He recommends various books, the most important being, The Esoterical Properties of the Sodden Reservoir. A copy of this lore book is in the library of the local Guildhall of Arcane Lore.
• Next, she needs to travel to a powerful Water Sanctum, a location where the elemental energies of the plane of water strongly overlap with this world. The nearest such location is the small Lake N'Garron in Ilmen Mash.
• At the sanctum, she is to attune to it and summon a Water Elemental. Then she will need to incorporate its essence into her staff using the magical knowledge contained in the books of lore. She should be prepared as the Elemental may resist.

After weeks of studying arcane Books, Jolanta decides she needs to be more proficient with handling magical energies to undertake this process. She will look at this task maybe next year.

Part 2 - Blaine's Night at the Fox

Blaine spends most nights drinking at the city's many taverns. This night at the Red Fox Inn, a trio of roughs spot him, then lay an ambush in the alleyways as he shambles back to his cheap accommodation. These thugs look vaguely familiar, although the slightly inebriated Blaine can't quite place them. Surrounded, Blaine calls for help, but nobody comes to his aid, so he is forced to defend himself. One of the thugs mentions Blaine's rope marks on his neck, then he remembers, these are cohorts of his former friend Meric. A decade ago, Meric committed murder in a small village in the Kingdom of Chybisa and framed Blaine for the crime. An angry lord delivered summary justice and had Blaine hung, but by some miracle, he survived.

Fortunately, Blaine is too good a swordsman and cuts down one of the assailants, and the other two run in opposite directions. He pursues one into the dark alleyways of the Eastside District. The ruffian uses every dirty trick he can to escape, but Blaine eventually finds him cowering behinds a refuse pile. The man, who Blaine now recalls is named Hew, is initially talkative, but Blaine's lack of mercy plays against him. Believing that he will die no matter what he says, Hew refuses to divulge any information and is killed before he shouts for help.

Valter Pike, art by Artbreeder

Unfortunately, some other shady characters are watching. They appear remarkably unconcerned by the murder, and one of them, Valter Pike, is happy to negotiate. They are aware Hew was a caravan guard and bandit not associated with their organization, presumably the thieves guild. Hew and his crew, led by Meric, have been known to act as cheap caravan guards, rob and kill their employers when they can get away with it. This is bad for business, and Valter agrees to find out where Meric and his crew are hiding for some coin and more importantly a promise of future favor.

Blaine then travels to Jolanta's accommodation, in the nicer part of town, for help. Invariably he wakes everyone in that townhouse, and the occupants assume he is drunk again, causing yet another disturbance.

At midnight Jolanta and Blaine meet with Valter and learn that Meric and his crew are in the city's Weavertown District. They plan to travel to Trobridge Inn probably the next morning. Blaine pays the thief more money, and he and Jolanta are smuggled out of the city (blindfolded, although Jolanta deduces the secret route they are using) and across the Kand River.

Part 3 - Single Combat

Early the next morning, a few leagues out of the city along the Salt Route, the heroes lay an ambush; Jolanta hides in some scrub while Blaine waits for Meric and his band. A couple of hours later, Meric and four of his bandits arrive. Meric is a suave, confident swordsman and not at all intimidated by the overweight, middle-aged and disheveled Blaine. So when Blaine challenges him to a duel to the death, and the amused Meric accepts. Meric remembers Blaine as a bumbling, naïve fool and average at best with the blade.

He starts the duel confidently toying with and insulting his opponent, but Blaine stays focused. Meric is in for a surprise. Blaine's travels with Jolanta have honed his skills, and he is now a reasonable match for Meric. But Blaine has Orc Bleeder, an enchanted sword that tips the balance. Blaine scores a lucky strike cutting deep, slicing through one of Meric's arteries. As he fights, Meric becomes weaker and begins to panic. Eventually, he faints from blood loss and bleeds out on the ground.

Meric's companions are easily intimidated by the now much more confidant Blaine and make their escape towards Trobridge. As they depart, Blaine tells them that if he sees any of them again, they will be dealt with similarly. Jolanta, still well hidden, is relieved that she did not have to intervene.

Part 4 - Justice

Sheriff Conwan, art by Artbreeder

Then Blaine's luck runs out. A patrol from the city arrives and spots him standing over the corpse, sword in hand, looting the body. The guards react poorly, not amused with finding a dead body on the road, and a so-called claim of a duel to the death. This looks too much like murder to them. As Blaine is taken into custody, Jolanta intervenes and gives testimony, but it does not sway them. Blaine is dragged before the Sheriff of Semethshire, Sir Conwan Elendsa.

Lady Bresyn, art by Artbreeder

In theory, Sir Conwan is the eldest legitimate male of Clan Elendsa and should be next on the throne, but he married the wrong woman and was forced to renounce his claim. He does not approve of unsanctioned killing, even if it was a duel of "honor." Luckily Jolanta's friend and mentor, the socialite Lady Bresyn Risai comes to Blaine's aid. Lady Bresyn knows Sir Conwan well and convinces him that mercy would be an appropriate decision, given he appears to have killed a suspected bandit. Blaine finds himself sentenced to spend the winter doing nightly guard duty on the coldest city walls.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Sir Jirex Mallaber.

Hew the Thug.

Valter Pike - Criminal.

Meric - killed by Blaine.

Sir Conwan Elendsa - the Sheriff of Semethshire and King's nephew.

Lady Bresyn Risai - White hand Agent.

Challenges Overcome

Blaine defeated 3 Thugs.

Blaine killed Meric in single combat.

Created Content

Sir Conwan Elendsa.

Related Reports

City of Tashal - Updated.

Sir Jirex Mallaber.

The Salt Route.

Player Character Status

Jolanta - Human - Level 7 Evoker - Gained a level.

Campaign

Agents of the White Hand - Campaign Complete

Protagonists

Jolanta

Report Date

12 Aug 2021

Primary Location

City of Tashal

Secondary Location

The Salt Route

Related Characters

• Lady Bresyn Risai
• Sheriff Sir Conwan Elendsa

NPC Companion

Blaine

Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.

Blaine, art by Artur Sadlos

Clan Mallaber

Clan Mallaber, art by Attacus

The Staff of Cryptan Seaweave

Appearance
An old staff, crafted to look like it is warped in seaweed with bits of fishbone sticking out of it.
Lore
The Wizard-King Cryptan Seaweave ruled the petty Kingdom of Eldersharn on Melderyn's northeast coast during Melderyn's Eldritch Period.
He was obsessed with freeing the trapped sea god Eder from his imprisonment and created many artifacts, including this staff, to aid in his objective. All his efforts failed.
A cabal of wizards eventually undermined his rule and created an uprising. He was sent into exile, never to be seen again.
Properties
You can Walk on Water while holding this staff.
The staff has 10 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC.
Dominate Monster (Water Elementals only) (3 charges)
Create or Destroy Water (1 charge)
Ice Storm (3 charges)
Control Water (3 charges)
Water Breathing (2 charges)
Chromatic Orb (cold only) (1 charge).
The staff regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn.

Orc Bleeder

Appearance
This sharp dwarven-style longsword is adorned with the stamp of Clan Klarazhal, and the coat of arms of Clan Algelmor.
Lore
Forged in 604TR by the Dwarven Weapon Crafter Haddar Klarazhal for Sir Patryn Algelmor, Lord of Bromyl as a reward for saving his life from an Orc ambush.
The weapon was originally named Mensagh Edarisa in Dwarven or which translates to Foes Blood in Hârnic; however, Sir Patryn more crudely named it Orc Bleeder.
Clan Anglmor has since died out and the sword is in other hands.
Properties
This is a magical +1 Longsword that can cause bleeding damage on a critical hit. On a critical, the target must make a Dexterity Saving Throw equal to 8 + wielder's Proficiency Modifier + Strength or Dexterity Adjustment. If they fail they take d6 bleeding damage per round until the wound is tended by healing magic or a DC 10 Medicine check.
The weapon functions as a +2 Longsword when fighting Orcs.