Session 24: Grayhill Investigations Part 2

General Summary

Summary: 3 points

In and around Grayhill

Saf at the Temple of Waukeen

Saf considers the items up for auction:

• A small cube (3" to a side) of brightly polished gold with strange arcane symbols on each side. Starting price of 300g.
• A chain of 5 interlocking rings (copper, silver, gold, electrum, platinum). Starting price of 1500g.
• A gold coin showing the profile of a young woman on one side and stacked ingots of gold on the other. Starting price 75g.

Given the high cost of two of the items, she attempts to discern what the function of the gold coin is, but can't really tell - the best she can surmise is that it's likely to assist in the accumulation of wealth (given Waukeen's image on one side and a stack of gold on the other). The temple itself seems to be the seller in this instance; the item in question is used by the followers of Waukeen to determine how to price items they sell. She's unsuccessful in gleaning more details, so demurs and leaves the temple.
Having contracted out some custom cold weather gear previously (at a cost of 9 gp per person and 15 gp for Cinnamon's accoutrements), Saf heads on to the circus.

At the circus, outside of town

In the fortune teller's wagon (Sunny, Harb, Kolvonnin)

Conversation about the recent revelation regarding Harb's contract being collected ensues. Harb figures that the most logical thing to do next would be to find the person he dealt with. Sunny suggests that he must have gotten something good in return for such a steep payment, so he should probably figure out what he received.
Harb thanks Rustling Trees for her assistance, which she accepts with a weary expression. She adds her weight to Sunny's thought - what could Harb have traded for that would be so costly? She considers briefly, then puts forth the idea that the deal may have been struck with someone other than the entity that collected on it - it's common among those who traffick in contracts to swap favors.
Rustling Trees makes some tea to settle her nerves and distributes cups to those present. Moon in particular seems shaken by what he's seen. Harb inquires if there's anything he can do for the old fortune teller, and she requests that he keep Sunny out of trouble - "He means well, but it doesn't always go well for people who mean well; I'm sure you know."
As the lull in clients is coming to a close, the group leaves the wagon. A few curious circus-goers are waiting for their opportunity to have their futures told. With a little time yet before the main performance starts, the group elects to check in with the beastmaster.

Saf and Maya arrive at the circus

Maya is very distracted by the acts and crowds and not paying close attention to his surroundings. Contrastingly, Saf has an excellent bead on what's going on in the vicinity - she can tell the circus is making good money, there's no clear illicit activity going on. She even suspects a few folks in the crowd are plainclothes guards, as they seem very aware of their surroundings. Saf also spots the trio of her other compatriots in the other direction. Kovonnin, thinking he might have spotted Saf in the distance, starts the group heading her way.
Maya, meanwhile, has been picked up by a goliath clown in his flaming torch juggling act. The druid is being tossed hand to hand between torches and is somewhat surprised by this. Maya, a bit indignant about being juggled, asks if the clown can juggle bears. The clown, confused at this line of inquiry, protests that he can't even lift a bear, and Maya promptly wild shapes into a bear. The goliath drops three torches and lets out a scream, then turns and runs - Saf sees this and moves to intervene.
Maya reverts to halfling form, and Sunny, Harb, and Kolvonnin join Saf in approaching the druid. Sunny inquires what happened with Sprinkles (the name of the goliath clown). Maya replies that he thought he could juggle a bear. Saf steps aside to bribe/intimidate a small (largely unattended) child witness with a few copper coins.
A few moments later, Sprinkles returns with Drazhan in tow. But as there's not a bear in need of the beastmaster's attention, he leaves shortly thereafter. Sunny introduces Moon to Maya, who remarks on the short stature of the halfling druid. They have a short discussion on the acceptability of juggling bystanders unexpectedly versus changing into dangerous animals unexpectedly.

The party (sans cleric) toward the menagerie

Spotting Drazhan headed back to the menagerie, the group catches up to him to inquire about his wound and the strange beast Moon mentioned. The old minotaur is enthused to see Sunny and inquires about his adventures in the wide world. Drazhan remarks about the run-in with lycanthropes in particular as a rough business.
Sunny introduces Drazhan to the rest of the group, then inquires about the wound. The beastmaster explains that some hunters brought him a new and interesting creature, but it's got a bad attitude. Maya asks what the beast had to say for itself, and Drazhan decides that since Maya can talk to animals, it might be good to have him do so. Before heading off to see to the beast, Maya inquires about what caused the wound. Drazhan unwraps his arm, showing a deep gash that is not stitched but has started to knit closed. Kolvonnin uses his Lay on Hands to address the wound, which slowly closes, then fades into a line of light then disappears completely.

Backstage: menagerie storage

Drazhan shows the group to the large cage in a temporary building near the menagerie. Maya casts Speak with Animals (via ritual) and addresses the creature, which charges the cage at him and slams into the bars. Now that he can clearly see it, Maya notes that it's a giant boar with wide-set horns . Mulling over what he knows about nature, Maya determines that the horns are reminiscent of an aurochs. The tusks and horns have thin veins of what appears to be silver. Maya thinks this creature was created via magical means, since this combination of creatures don't interbreed naturally.
The boarochs is not intelligent enough to have very insightful conversation and it does indeed have a bad attitude, but the druid is able to wring a few details from it nonetheless:

1. It knows little of how it came to be in the circus, just that some creatures captured it.
2. The things it hunts are not nearby, so it does not feel like it belongs here.
3. It hunts "unclean" things.
4. It doesn't understand normal, but there are beasts, and then there are "unclean" beasts.
5. The unclean creatures walk on two legs.
6. The unclean creatures do not smell like wolfsbane.
7. No one near the circus smells unclean.
8. Most of the unclean run away when the boarochs attacks them.

Saf inquires how the boarochs came to be in Drazhan's possession. He explains that some hunters, knowing the circus has an interest in unusual beasts, captured it during a hunt southwest of Grayhill. When he was presented it, he bought it outright and had hopes of training it to show in the menagerie. He was able to heal the creatures wounds through the use of herb that made it sleepy enough to deal with, over the course of several days. It has resisted his efforts to train it, and he claims to be treating it well enough (food and the like). Saf's expression grows dark for a moment and she opines that a cage can be mistreatment. Drazhan allows that he generally agrees, and doesn't like using cages where they are not necessary, but the creature is too dangerous to let loose until it can be trained. Drazhan ruefully suggests that training it may not be possible.
Maya suspects that the creature was made with the aid of magic, and thus may not be tameable. Saf considers her knowledge of Arcana but can't dredge up anything that fits what the creature might mean by "unclean." Maya realizes that the if someone had intentionally produced this creature, it would be an excellent candidate for hunting lycanthropes due to its silvered horns and tusks.
In an effort to test this theory, Maya wild shapes into a boar. The boarochs is immediately suspicious of this, exclaiming that it doesn't understand how the druid changed shape without being unclean. In an effort to explain as best he can to the creature, Maya holds out his hand to be smelled. The boarochs immediately tenses up, clearly expecting an attack. Drazhan warns Maya that this seems like a dangerous course.
When Maya explains his thought about the creature being a lycanthrope hunter, Harb takes it as a positive sign that there are allies against the lycanthropes about. Maya adjusts that expectation to probably be closer to an interested neutral party. Sunny inquires whether it could be alchemy that created this creature, but the party at large doesn't know enough about the art to determine if that's the case.
Saf muses about what this creature might require in terms of sustenance. Drazhan indicates he's fed it various things and it's eaten most of them, so it doesn't appear to have any unusual dietary requirements. Saf considers the possibility of adding the boarochs to the party; there's some possiblities where magic might allow something like that to be done.
Kolvonnin inquires whereabouts the creature was captured. Drazhan describes the general area:

Main Continent

Open full size

Saf explains that given this information, it would be about the same journey for the creature to return from where it currently is than from places the group is going. The party at large considers the difficulty involved in moving this creature through civilized areas and means, and decides that they don't understand the creature or its motives well enough to tangle much with that.
They do, however, think it might be a good idea to free the boarochs. Kolvonnin wonders what the cost of the beast was, and Drazhan admits that it was pretty cheap at 15 gold pieces - the hunters seemed ready to be rid of it, upon reflection. When Kolvonnin offers to purchase the creature, the beastmaster turns to Sunny, inquiring if he has a need for such a beast. The bard indicates that the party is likely to need to kill many lycanthropes, so it might make a good ally. Drazhan seems surprised by that, and thinks that taking it with the group might be more dangerous than it's worth.
Maya suggests freeing the creature so it can go back to hunting its prey and it's unlikely to be tame enough to show. Drazhan seems to accept this as a potential course but requests the help of the group to get it away from town in the interest of public safety. The druid suggests that with his magic, he should be able to get the boarochs to cooperate. Failing that, Drazhan can give it some herbs from his supplies to make it sleepy enough to cooperate.

Precious cargo from the Llyrian Moon Facility

Sunny produces the two basilisk eggs and offers them to Drazhan, who takes an immediate interest. The beastmaster inspects them closely and thinks they may even still be viable (Sunny mentioned the use of Gentle Repose to keep them intact despite being away from their kind, lasting until a few days hence). Maya expresses some misgivings about raising creatures with a petrifying gaze, but Drazhan is confident that he'll have time to train them before they become capable of too much mayhem.
The time of the big evening show is almost upon the group, so Drazhan takes his leave to get the animals into their arrangements for the parade through the performance. Moon similarly runs off to get ready.

In the big top

Sunny herds the group over to the big tent (larger on the inside) for the main performance and get some goodish seats in the bleachers. It's lit inside but with other sources than the outside light. The tent fills up over the next few minutes and the clowns come in to work the crowd, mostly by throwing items (rotten fruit and the like) into the masses only for the items to disappear before hitting anyone. Maya catches Sprinkles's eye, and Sprinkles moves away, still managing his act but visibly unsettled. In the hubbub just before the acts start, Leucis joins the group.
Harb starts to explain the party's recent discoveries around the boarochs, but is almost immediately interrupted by a booming voice from the middle of the tent. Whistling Canyon the ringmaster has started calling out the acts to come.

1. A shirtless half-orc wearing a wide belt steps into the center and bends a steel bar against the ground with one hand. He follows that up by bending it into a full circle with both hands, using his neck to brace the center. The strongman moves to a handstand and perform a similar feat of strength with his feet.
2. A cadre of expert horsemen (tabaxi) emerge, juggling and leaping acrobatically between mounts.
3. Drazhan emerges with a variety of animals (who have leads but no minders):
   • Lion
   • Hippogriff
   • Owlbear
   • A teddy bear mimic
   • An aurochs pulling a wagon full of goats and sheep, festooned about its horns with ducks
4. The light dims in the tent, and a group of tabaxi in spangly outfits (including Moon) and be seen near the tops of the poles holding up the tent. The do some flips, catches and tosses, culminating in what looks like a dramatic miss of the trapeze by Moon, only for him to bounce out of the net below and regain his position.
5. The illusionists come out and perform some dangerous-looking tricks involving throwing sword and the like. The final trick involves the silent partner catching the bolt from a small ballista in his teeth.

Leucis expresses some concern to Sunny about whether the magician may need medical attention after catching the ballista bolt. Sunny assures him that no harm has been done. Taking advantage of the lull in the action, the party spends a few moments catching each other up on their recent activities:

• Saf explains that she's contracted a boat and the decision on it by the group is needed by tomorrow morning.
• Harb, on hearing the name of the ship, recalls a few pertinent facts about it:
  • It's known as being a very fast ship, usually hired as a scout or to look for other missing vessels (or their survivors).
  • It doesn't carry much cargo volume, usually high-value small footprint stuff (coin, manufactured goods).
  • It avoids getting raided by outrunning pirates rather than fighting.
  • The crew is very loyal, and the captain rarely hires new sailors.
• Leucis and Maya explain that according to A Study in Lycanthropy, some symptoms of lycanthropy can be treated using a potion. It prevents forced shapeshifting, but it does it by locking the sufferer in their hybrid form.
  • Maya posits that the lycanthropes at the Llyrian Moon Facility may have had this treatment, since Moonbeam didn't change them.
  • Dosing would be required regularly, and since powdered silver is an ingredient that would get expensive quickly.
  • Saf distinctly recalls one of the wererats wearing a bandoleer of potions.
• Saf has contracted out some custom cold weather gear due for delivery tomorrow.
• Arrangements have been made at The Saucy Winch for Maya to get some cooking lessons this evening.

Moon locates the group and excitedly asks Sunny what he thought of the performance. Sunny exclaims that the act was great, and the feint in particular was performed very well. Moon accepts this praise, and remarks that that is the most dangeroud part of the act (and how his mother hurt her arm).
Changing the subject, Moon inquires if the group made heads or tails out of his sketch of the ruined sign. Leucis asks for a writing utensil - since he can read the language in question, he corrects a few characters in the sketch and then translates it for the group:

Estimarth
District of Leng, Domain of Knowledge

Harb has heard the name Estimarth before, but in his memory it's referred to as Estimarth the Necropolis, and that while the documents from the Llyrian Research indicate the warforged prototypes were archived there, warforged also went there often because they were less affected by the place than most people.
Moon and Sunny discuss what exactly a "necropolis" would be - they don't recall seeing a big graveyard or tons of dead stuff, but they also didn't go very far into the place. Moon expresses concern about the "effect" Harb mentioned, especially that it might be some sort of arm-melting effect. Sunny reassures him that they didn't bargain for anything so they should be good.
The group is splitting up at this point.

• Sunny will stay over with the circus folk for the after party.
• Maya wants to make a quick stop to apologize to Sprinkles before leaving for his cooking lesson.
• Kolvonnin elects to join the druid to sample the output of his training.
• Saf gets a quick assent from the group on hiring the boat, and says she will return to the Old Manor to have the page deliver the message to the captain. She's also planning to see what her contact has for her in terms of transport business.
• The remainder of the party also heads back to the Old Manor.

Backstage at the circus

Sunny and Maya locate Sprinkles, who seems a bit on edge at Maya's approach but mollified somewhat by his keeping company with Sunny. Maya apologizes for transforming unexpectedly and startling the clown. Sunny and Maya have a brief conversation about how Maya's just not great with people due to the sheltered upbringing.

Cooking lesson with Germaine (Maya, Kolvonnin)

The evening crowd has started to accumulate so it's getting moderately busy. Maya checks in with Resnek at the bar and mentions he's there to meet Germaine. The barkeep waves him toward the end of the bar and the door to the kitchen at the back, so Maya proceeds in that direction.
Kolvonnin orders up some gator poppers.
In the kitchen, there's a collection of skillets, a huge deep fryer, and lots of flame and smoke. The half-orc cook greets Maya with laughter, clearly not expecting someone so short, and begins the lesson with some basics around seasoning and oil temperatures. After a few minutes of instruction (with Germaine cooking a few dishes the whole time) he tasks Maya with three dishes at once: gator poppers, pan-seared mutton chops, and fishpuppies.
Kolvonnin, downstream of this experimentation, enjoys the dishes - they are all at least edible and several are actually pretty good. He passes them off to bystanders after sampling them. A small hierarchy forms settled by elbowed ribs and scuffed shins to be near the guy handing off perfectly serviceable free chow, but it doesn't escalate.
Maya burns himself a little and overcooks the mutton chops (but scrapes off the worst of the char), otherwise making a solid showing. The cook, for his part, seems moderately impressed with how Maya is performing. Maya utilizes a Cure spell to heal some of the more recent minor burns on the cook, to his surprise. The cook asks the druid's name, and shares that his friend call him "the Wok."

Next steps:

1. Scheduling issue looming for the weekend of November 13th.
2. Get the list of quesions to Mia and determine how she is about secrets.
3. Visit the Glaciery
4. Kolvonnin needs to arrange some Sendings with Leucis.
5. Release the boarochs!
6. DM homework:
   • Generate answers from Mia for the list of questions.
   • Figure out what Maya finds from the cartographers.
   • Set up Saf's transport job.
   • Price some seasoning and a wok for Maya.

Session Feedback

Eddy: Nice mix of RP and not-so-stressful rolls.
Heather: Circus was well done. Notes were taken, implemented well and color commentary was fun.
James: Happy to do things again. Apologies for some confusion on what is or isn't a secret. Side commentary of the acts was fun, gave the circus a little more substance. Good balance on the cooking lesson.
Jeremy: "We have a war donkey, and we're about to have an apocalypse pig. We're getting quite the group together." Excited to see what happens next session.
Matt: Despite minor friction things worked out. Too bad about the item not working out.
Meg: not present
John: I fully expected a conversation with the boarochs, and that went about like I expected it might. Cooking had a little more RP to it than I originally scoped for but that was fine.