Session 29

General Summary

Recap

We woke up feeling hungover and Alexander was missing. We found numbers in charcoal on our arms and chatted to some other people who went to the glade to check if they remembered. They didn't and the numbers was a new thing.
We went back to the glade to look for Aexander hoping to find a lead. We only found some dust on the stone table were the cultist gave his speech and the tracks from the barrels of last night. Following the tracks we found signs of a fight and a tree with a swordcut with necrosis around it. From the tracks we learned that Alex must have fought with a gnome/halfling and 3 humans. We found him a little later with a hole in his arnor and a caved in chest. After providing emergency care, Alex told us he recongised one of the cultist from a bounty poster back in Pravh, Mazil a convict who tried to twist nature to his will. The cultists tried to attach an odd paste to Alex but he burned it off. Saga took Alex to the temple of Kishar for healing and thanks to Archibald, a petal of the Starlit Tears and a prayer to Kishar he was cured of all ailments even those he sustained from his own cursed sword. A miracle as he never managed to do so.
Since his armor is broken Alex is going to ask Mary if she knows agood blacksmith that can work fast to fix his armor, while Saga and Muireall went to rest back at the inn. Arti is going to try and shadow Alexander to make sure he isn't attacked by cultist in town since they know his face.

Summary

Alexander got a spare armor while his own is getting fixed. (It is a hand-me-down so it isn't great but it will do.) He also went and got some healing potions that were divided amongst the group. After gathering the group back together we went back to the glade to find the cultists.
from the place we found Alex. we noticed the cultist footprints just stopped: turns out they can shapeshift into birds and the like. So instead of following the prints Saga used her smell to track further.
We managed to found 2 cultists guards but they spotted us. One turned into a bird while another into a fox (assumed, not confirmed). We managed to KO and capture the dwarvem bird cultist while Saga gave chase to the fox before turning back.
They were guarding the cultist hide out, a burrow in the ground. Inside the burrow we found some supplies, a sleeping chamber with around 30 bedrolls (this cult is bigger than we thought) and a chemistry lab. The chemistry lab contained all the general chemical supplies and wasn't all too specific but we found Mazil's rearch journal/personal diary there. Turns out the cult has been here for a while already and they seem to be responsible for all the fungus issues in this part of Azuros. They also are planning to attack either Harbeld in its entirety or at least the temple to Kishar soonish. We are planning to inform the mayor and hopefully prepare for the attack.

Session Notes

arti tried to follow alex but immediatly lost him
wandering aimlessly about now

the camp

saga &muir resting up
jacob multitasking, few patrons
muir drinking and eating
saga gonna write down about starlit tear
archi didnt give location where it was found
alex sword is magic or cursed
mulled wine the stuff muirs parents would drink

arti

looking everywhere
but when going back to plaza
alex sighted heading to market place
dives into a corner
he comes out with a small box under arm
he got a spare hand me down of mary's dad until his is fixed
we go to camp
alex brought two healing potions in box

to find the trail

its a good day to find the baddies
head back to the glade
go back to small road behind stone table
we go back to the blackened tree
back to where alex was found
small animal paths at best here not really road
last tracks seems to vanish at some point of the 4 peeps alex was following
1 went up - turned into a bird
2 went to road between 2 paths
saga will try to use scent to track - bloodhound mode
we follow her
she hears 2 voices in the distance
we try to stealth
how long do we have to wait
deeper voice - till they are back
they on watch duty cuz short straw
we got noticed
saga goes as dog into the breach
fallen tree and burrow
they shapeshifted into animals?
fox disappears into bushes
saga chases after it
some odd animals present: 2 birds observing us only and not look at anything else
muir shatters the birds, tree branch broke, 1 exploded the other survived and dove in the underbrush
muir is restrained by roots and stuff
arti cannot put shrubbery on fire sadge
3 birds fly up
arti hits one it dies, muir hits the other - its the guy
it turns into a dwarf in the sky falls to the ground
dwarf is KO
young dwarf tiny braids in beard bit scruffy wearing regular hunting clothing and bald spot
tied the dwarf to a tree
put rag in mouth so he cannot scream when he wakes up

back to burrow

large room with dried sticks and leaves
being used by peeps clearly chests and an unlit candle there
chests are foodstuff glasswork, some rations, some utensils candles = enough to feed 6 for 2 days
2 paths deeper
left has chem smell
there is a wooden door
saga backs to elven form
alex opens it with ease
chem smell: sulfur ethanol rust acids some bases
door is yanked of its hinges
we are a bunch of idiots is the consensus
what are degrees
spatious roon with tables against the walls, distillation, chemical setup
samples of dust liquids neatly labelled
things drying from a rope (crossesctions)
research books
find research diary
o god its a lot

Cult Research Notes

they plan to attack soon
cult caused all the mush troubles
its been going for a while

right path

sleeping hall
at least 30 bed rolls here
identival bed rolls
different scraps off clothing, farmer and hunters
we gonna set fire to the place
burn it down

back to town

take the dwarf with us
an owl is following us
missed firebolt at it
we go back to town center to temple
arti will make a copy of the journal
saga tries to co;;ume with Kishar through the burgeoning cairn (the flourishing? growing? cairne speask in druidic to the cairn = no response
veiled blossompipes up: the gods dont have the power anymore to answer in kind
saga speaks to blossom:
the mistress - i don not know why it would fear me im just a flower, it could be «REDACTED» if it opposes us
other talking walking plantlife: not in current era, but more in their era
why did the gods stop answering - the silence, the great crime by mortals, i dont know what the crime was. to answer they require q lot more than mere prayer
i cannot hear her voice anymore

to plan on the morrow

________________________________________

Rewards Granted

Arti

Cult Research Notes and a green copy
1 healing potion

Saga

1 healing potion

Muirreal

NA

Character(s) interacted with

Direct Contact

a dwarf cultist
Child of Yohtga

Mentioned

Mazil

Created Content

Cult Research Notes

Related Reports

<<Session 28|Session 30>>

To do:
inform Salmek Etrush of cult attack
what to do with the dwarf? hand him over?
Keep in mind we were followed o-o Prepare for attack?
Survive?

In game date
1051 AS, 25 October

Report Date

18 Jan 2024

Primary Location

Harbeld

Secondary Location

Cultist Burrow

Related Plots

• Forgotten Night

Related Characters

• Alexander Strum
• Artiana Sootfoot
• Muireall den Mhuir
• Saga

Narc Corner

Arti
Muir
Saga

"The Gods don't have the power anymore to answer in kind."

— Child of Yohtga