Episode 8
General Summary
The journey from Lavant with the large group of circus-goers went smoothly for the party. Venturing north, the large party arrived in the capital of Odessa, where affairs for the circus were put into action. Many items were purchased and requisitioned, including several large painted tents, carriages, draft horses, and other such supplies. The circus-goers agreed to remain in Odessa and find odd jobs to busy their time while preparations were made in the next month.
Garroth explored the town, frequenting the park, and reading his tome of magic. Jack and Maul did their best to sell goods, but after an argument with a shop keep over a disagreement in haggling, the two were confronted and swiftly disabled by the Capital Guard. They were arrested for three days and made to pay a fine for challenging the guards to a fight, as well as harassing the clerk, who was paid the difference in the haggle after their tenure in the city jailhouse. Crow had a fervor for his duties, and sought out the whom was nearing the end of his thread, as foretold by the Raven Queen. After being led to the upper district of the capital, Crow sureptitiously located and followed the man into his manor. Invisibly, he murdered the man in honor of his lady's favour, and was graced with her praise before he left the abode covered in blood.
The party, however, had a mission at hand. Following the strange directions of the clandestine rogue known as Syndra, they traveled out west, past the western border, into the Holy Empire, looking for their target, Oxton Carter. After several days travel over the verdant, rolling hills, they reached a small town at the foot of an ancient ruin, where a tavern keep had seen a young girl with that name, saying that she and her retinue traveled out west toward a dangerous ruin.
This crew was located in a field. The party approached in their way, before Garroth accidentally blurts out their true intentions. Hesitantly, the campers allowed them to join them at the campfire. Their information proved correct. The crew they located had their goal, Oxton Carter, a young girl of 13 years who seemed to be blind although otherwise healthy; an alluring elf woman by the name of Elúra, cunning, demure, and insightful; a brutish half-orc by the name of Skadi, wielding a bow and a stern attitude; and Kemuri, a massive tiger-esque tabaxi who was tall, equally stern, but stoic and wielding a broad katana. Korva explains to Elúra the nature of their business, to aid Oxton, but it was clear that Elúra understood that the intentions were not in their benefit. With a half-hearted acceptance, they seemed to allow the group in without argument.
The next morning, the group set off, reaching a large, ruined temple around mid-day. Entering cautiously, they the ruin seemed ornate and very old. In inspecting, Korva found a line to a bell, and in tolling it, brought down many other lines from the dimmed ceiling. A terrible howling and barking came from the next room, to which Maul and Jack responded with violence. Fighting through a doorway, they found a pack of dire wolves, maddened and ready for combat.
As this combat raged, Garroth approached one of the strange wires hanging from the ceiling. This proved to be some sort of beast, which began to entrap him. Two other creatures appeared where they were once seemingly part of the broken stones, Ropers, hungrily trying to assail the party. In a violent fray, Oxton was almost felled, but was able to run away as the party chased away the remainder of the wolves, attack the ropers, and free everyone from the monstrous clutches. Exploring further in the temple, they found two wires that seemed to also be collected to bells. As all the bells tolled in unison upon pulling, a secret staircase revealed the crew's next destination.
Character(s) interacted with
Oxton Carter, Elúria, Kemuri, and Skadi.
A doomed noble from Odessa.
Report Date
01 May 2018
Primary Location
