Session 3: Errands for Symon Report

Written by Janto

General Summary

Date: Venday RainRun 17, 27930 9th Age

Finishing Up the Zombie Fight

"Save the Tree Lady!" Tri yelled as he threw himself between a greatly damaged Flidais and the zombie that had attacked her.
Three zombies entered the chamber behind Valen and joined the fight. With the arrival of two more zombies, the elvish leader of the Dire Dogs gave the signal for retreat. The Dire Dogs ran out of the chamber, leaving the party to fight the monsters alone.
After healing, Flidais also suggested they retreat, and the others mostly agreed. She ran into the large central chamber, only to find three more zombies. Etin joined her. Tri decided to use the narrowness of the northern passage to funnel the zombies, and attack them one at a time. While running north, Valen got distracted by some treasure left behind by the Dire Dogs. He grabbed at a carved wooden staff, missed it, then took hold of it while zombies fell upon him. He tried to use it as a magical weapon, but found it to be only a pretty stick.
Tri successfully funneled the zombies attacking him. Meanwhile, Flidais and Etin fought with zombies in the main circular chamber. Valen finally made it to safety between Tri and the other two and began to cast offensive spells to help his friends. Flidais and Etin took out their enemies (Flidais smashing a prone zombie). They then saw the half orc bandit leader from the upper level, now undead, round the corner and begin to attack. Etin stabbed it in the leg with his rapier, causing it critical damage.
Flidais and Etin easily took out the half orc leader. Etin ran around the back passage to help Tri finish off the remaining zombies. After the fighting was done, Tri gathered up the remaining bits of treasure the Dire Dogs didn't take and suggested the party return all of it to people. Etin took the chest marked with the sign of Huvoi without looking inside it.

Back to Thornwall

The party found their way out of the mine and back to Thornwall. Etin took the chest back to the Temple and gave it to Curate Liam. The cleric did not know what it was, but thanked Etin for bringing it back. Themis had not yet returned to the Temple.
Entering the tavern, the party found Devin the elf barkeep behind the bar. Two humans, a man and a woman, were engaged in deep conversation in a booth, and three of the Dire Dogs were celebrating at a table. While the party was talking with Devin, and while Valen approached the Dire Dogs, Constable Brom entered. Brom began to berate the party for being useless while the Dire Dogs laughed at their table. As Tri began to argue with Brom, the real Brom came in the door of the inn. The final member of the Dire Dogs dropped his magical disguise and his compatriots began to howl and bark.
An annoyed Symon intervened. "Two Broms may be MY fantasy," he said, "but I won't stand for trickery in my tavern. You and your party are banned. Get out." Thrown out, the Dire Dogs left, still laughing.
As Etin drank an ale, a confused Constable Brom spoke with Tri. He asked Tri's help in reviving the Militia. Six months ago when the Mayor appointed Brom as Constable, soldiers in the Militia quit, unwilling to serve under a Pezzlian. Tri agreed to train whatever new soldiers Brom could summon as long as they trained with spears. Brom went off to track down spears.

Starting Symon's Errands

Symon showed the party to a donkey cart and told them the errands he needed. The party decided to return the vinegary casks of ale first. At the Northwind Brewery they were eventually able to retrieve Symon's money. Tri discovered one of the brewer's surly sons used to be in the Militia, but he seemed to have no desire to return.
The party then went to Harold the Taxidermist's cottage to return a damaged mounted deer head. They found the cottage door ajar and the building empty. Valen briefly went out back into the woodshed alone. Searching the cabin, the party found several things indicating a struggle. In the kitchen was an overturned chair and a half-prepared meal. On the floor of a back room, they found a small pile of ash arranged in a horseshoe shape that contained some small animal bones. Valen rejoined the group. In the living room, Tri found the absence of a deer head on the wall and evidence it had been burned in the fireplace. In the bedroom they found a longsword, a single shoe, and a folded note. The note had the name Ulmor on the outside and inside a rubbing of an ornate deer skull. Part of it was indicated with the words "Kipine Grove" and nearby was the rubbing of a word that looked like "FIDAH". There was also a stuffed owl over the bed.
The party decided to try and find the Constable and tell him about the Taxidermist's disappearance. Valen and Etin went off to the tavern to look while Fidais and Tri remained behind to search more. Fidais questioned the neighbors who reported hearing a horse-drawn cart in the night at the cottage. Tri returned the longsword to its place after identifying it as probably magical.

The Search for Brom

Valen and Etin fetched Elsa, the tonttu member of the Town Watch, to help them in their search. They did not find Brom at the Tavern. Devin the barkeep told them "Ulmor" probably meant the manager of the Trading Post. They walked over and found the bear-like man instructing his employees. He refused to engage with them until he was properly done with his employees. He seemed very formal. Ulmor Strafe was a friend of Harold. He did not know what anything on the note meant except "Kipine Grove", a place to the west Ulmor had told him about. He said a Kipine had been seen there, a monstrous combination of a bear, a deer, and a giant owl. He was not surprised to hear Harold was not at home, as he often went off into the woods alone to track animals. But he did offer to show the party the way to the grove, but only after his shift at the Trading Post was over. He also offered to ask some lumberjacks to guide them to the grove if they did not want to wait.
The bard stood on the stump and began to play a tune to try and call forth Brom. A group of lumberjacks were drawn to the noise. One introduced himself as Joachim Ordlin, candidate for forester in the upcoming election, and asked for the party's endorsement. When asked where Brom might be, he steered the two toward the Hedge Maze. The other lumberjacks snickered.
Etin and Valen did not find Brom in the Hedge Maze. Etin found an amorous couple. Valen got lost. Etin led him out.
Having failed to find Brom, Etin and Valen returned to the cottage and shared their news. The party decided to try and finish up Symon's errands soon and continue to seek Brom.

Dwarven Ale

They rode up to the Forest God Brewery. Tri entertained the young dwarven triplets while Flidais asked them if they'd seen Brom. They had not. Valen talked to the Dwarven brewer who was brewing in the dwarven fashion. A horseshoe shaped low mound of dirt surrounded a rectangular pit filled with yeasty-smelling liquid. Rocks heated by a campfire were dropped in the mixture to bake it while the brewer stirred it. When told about the errand, the brewer immediately told her son to put the casks in the back of the wagon. She did not take payment. She had seen Brom heading toward the southern gateway about two hours earlier.
While her teenage son Naj loaded the casks, Tri asked him if he was interested in joining the new Militia. He seemed surprised Tri would allow in dwarves, but was interested in joining. He did not seem very interested in working as a brewer. Tri said he would arrange training on the 19th (two days hence). Valen and Elsa split off to go investigate the southern gate.

The Hermit Herbalist

The remaining party next went to fetch rosemary from the Herbalist. As they approached the house with the cart, a large wolfhound named Thunder began to bark at them in a menacing way. Tri laid down on the ground. A voice from the house called out asking who they were. When Flidais said they were on an errand from Symon, Casper Tyne the Herbalist called off the dog and came out of the house. Casper was revealed to be, surprisingly, a handsome Pezzlian in his thirties with tousled sandy blonde hair.
Casper seemed surprised to see Etin, but was completely shocked when Tri stood up. Etin told Casper that Tri was a gith. Casper said, "I know." The Herbalist seemed to be extremely unnerved by Tri but not hostile or unfriendly. When asked by Tri, Casper said he was not a fighter, and did not want to join the Militia. As he fetched the rosemary, the party learned he does not leave his house because of the anti-Pezzlian attitudes of most of the citizens of Thornwall. Most those with Pezzlian ancestry have left the village over the last year. Casper said that he and his friend Brom were the last left. Until Etin showed up the day before.
After handing over the rosemary, Casper told the party he would be interested to have any interesting plants they found out in their adventures. He also asked them if they would mind delivering a small box of tea to Sallas, the caretaker at the Duke's old hunting lodge. As the party left, Tri noticed Casper watching him from his window. After Tri waved, Casper withdrew.
The party decided to finish up Symmon's errands by fetching the laying chickens and then figure out when they might meet Ulmor and go to Kipine Grove, possibly to seek the missing Harold...

Character(s) interacted with

The Dire Dogs, rival adventuring party (male elf, female Husliq, male tonttu, male magic user)
Curate Liam, curate second-in-command at the Temple of Huvoi.
Constable Brom, constable of Thornwall
Devin, elvish barkeep
Symon, owner of the Oak and Dagger Tavern
Northwind Brewery human family (mother and two adult sons)
Harold Jumpwater, missing taxidermist and leading citizen of Thornwall
Elsa Bakersfield, tonttu member of the Town Watch
Ulmor Strafe, manager of the town Trading Post, friend of Harold Jumpwater
Joachim Ordlin, lumberjack and candidate for Town Forester in the upcoming elections
Forest God Brewery dwarven family (mother, father, teenage son, young triplet sisters)
Naj, teenage son of the Forest God Brewery family
Casper Tyne, Pezzlian herbalist who no longer leaves his house

Campaign

Thornwall (Ended)

Protagonists

Report Date

29 Aug 2019

Primary Location

Thornwall Village