Cradle – Chapter 2

“Summer of 68, Second Age. Ansk.
One thing I’ve learned in this business? Get everything in writing.
You start handing out favors to people – unspecified favors, to be collected at future dates – you’re pretty much beggin’ the gods below to inconvenience you at the worst possible time in the worst possible way. And, in this line of work, that can get you – or lotsa other people – killed.
When you’re an army-for-hire, roving the world on this job or that, your choices don’t just have consequences for you or those close to you, but for entire nations, entire continents. You sleep in one morning, might be the enemy steals a march on you and claims the chokepoint and now the geopolitical future of half the world is irrevocably changed.
Fuck your sleep, thinking like that.
Consequences, is my point. Merc work is just a chain of tough decisions and unforeseen consequences. This diversion, off to help some pirate, is just another link in that chain.”
– Beholder's Log, 58th of Athson, Year 68 of Ondûn's Second Age

The night before the Menagerie split, Griffon made a speech to the company – well-received by most, save a small minority. Aboard the disguised pirate vessel Silver Saber, the company sailed for a hidden pirate anchorage in the Draconic Ocean. A new member of the company – actually a returning one – reconnected with both Cyclops and Remorhaz, much to the latter's dismay.
After a short blindfolded sail, they arrived at the abandoned island of Disaster, now a pirate base. While the Commander's Tent was summoned to meet with Zelene Silvers, Dredgar practiced his recipes alone and, when he cut his thumb, stumbled into a poisoning plot involving the dwarven siege engineers and Dûnya Dragonbane. Meanwhile, Unicorn and Cyclops played a friendly game of golden goose, the former artfully dodging all the latter's questions about his time away from the company.
After a tense exchange with Dûnya, Zelene laid out the plan – she'd recently taken an enormous treasure and, seeking somewhere to store it, wanted the company to help her take Fort Yarakir, an undead-conquered stronghold on the Isle of Screams. Griffon was quite skeptical and the two sparred a little back and forth. Ultimately, after consulting a map, Griffon made a counteroffer – they would assault the fortress, in exchange for whatever loot they found within the fort. Zelene agreed and plans were made to depart in the morning.
Now armed with a lethal poison, Dredgar stumbled into the Commander's Tent and, when questioned about their injury, invented a ballooning lie that soon enveloped the entire company. Dûnya and Umber found a quiet cove together and fought through their differences, unable to match their expectations with reality. As Dredgar's lie began to come apart at the seams, he was faced with a difficult choice – come clean with Griffon or face the wrath of Yazram's blackmail.

Campaign: The Menagerie
Game Date: Athson 58 – Gnoson 13, 68 2A
Starting Point: Ansk
Characters Present:

• Griffon
• Remorhaz
• Umber
• Unicorn
• Dredgar Bracebow