Session 1 - A wizard never bluffs
General Summary
Meeting in the village of Sord, at a sleepy tavern called The Chubby Papaya, our group of adventurers are sent by the King to investigate rumours of strange things happening in the nearby town of Breah.
While speaking with the tavern's friendly owner a dwarf named Thorbrith Oakfury they hear fantastic tales of lycanthropes, doppelgängers and people disappearing for days and weeks on end only to return with no memory of their time away.
As they speak with the aging dwarf they are attacked by a man covered in glowing runes they later learn to be called Jora, a merchant from the town of Breah.
Following an argument over whether to take Jora alive, but feeling his hatred for all dark creatures build to rage the Paladin of the The Church of Sunlight Artorias Gwynblade takes the man's head clean off with one strike from his long sword leaving the rest of the body slightly crushed from the thunderous shockwave created by the paladin's attack.
After defeating Jorah Rogan, the draconic, elf sorcerer Astraea and the elven wizard Faen study the runes upon the body in a flash of insight the wizard realises that they are the ancient original symbols for the different schools of magic.
Following a deeper investigation of Jora's belongings they find an amulet on a silver chain with an opal in its centre and a magically imprinted image of a woman within the stone along with a note seemingly torn from a book covered in ramblings mentioning the name 'Niarra', Argoria the dark ones and the Misophist.
After resting overnight Artorias rises early to begin his ritual praising of the sun while Faen, in a classic elven practical joke, uses a spell to give the illusion that the Half Orc Barbarian Hanurak has breasts.
In an attempt to provide a visual aid for anyone they might question Hanurak tries to get Faen to create a more presentable version of Jora's severed head, but, following some discussion it is decided by both that they will magically imprint a picture of Jora's face on some scrap parchment. Unable to safely dispose of the severed head in a moment of mischevious inspiration Hanurak hides the head in the Chubby Papaya's dumb waiter later to be discovered by Thubrith Oakfury's wife Agnes.
The wizard and the barbarian subsequently leave the tavern to try and speak with the merchants setting up in the village square in order to find out more about Jora.
Following a thorough investigation of the square they find a woman with blonde, short cropped, hair putting the finishing touches to her stand and decide to speak with her. Discovering that she knew Jora and was close to him the group are unable to get very much information out of her as she is distracted by Andre the dwarf's antics in the nearby fountain in which he begins to suffer the effects of the slow spell.
As the group continue their questioning and being reminded that Jora did not come back the previous night the woman begins to become more and more suspicious and begins to question the group on the man's whereabouts. Feeling the tide of the conversation going against them the group beats a hasty retreat.
Passing by the fountain Artorias collects the dwarf and carries him towards the road as they begin their journey to Breah.
But feeling emboldened by his magic and forgetting for a moment his extreme awkwardness in social situations Faen casts disguise self to look like Jora, he returns to the woman who is delighted to see him, but remembers at the last moment that the group never asked her name, as Faen muddles through the woman begins again to suspect something is amiss however the deception is stopped soon after by Thubrith placing one hand on Faen's shoulder.
Laughing off the awkwardness the dwarf apologises to Missa telling her to finish setting up while he speaks with Jora. The dwarf dispels Faen's disguise and in no uncertain terms tells him to apologise to Missa and leave all while taking the amulet from around Faen's neck.
Greatly upsetting Missa over his deception Faen hurriedly excuses himself and leaves.
Carrying on along the The Honey Road the group decide to rest for the night with Astraea taking first watch over a very uneventful night with only a wilde boar being found on its nightly rummage.
Finally arriving at Breah the group ask directions of some guards at the gate to a magical shop, confused, they direct the group to Garth's Glorious Goods a wonderful rug shop in the Sage District specialising in mysterious rugs and other magical items.
After the confusion is sorted the group are finally directed to Jora's shop, The Elder Scroll, where they find it to be encased in a magical force field which Artorias smashes apart along with the front door with a great strike from his longsword.
As the group enter they notice the the shop has been ransacked. Andre discovers his long lost blood sabre in the wreckage and is greatly overjoyed when he finds a safe heavily protected by magic hidden behind a tapestry on the wall. After investigating the safe and finding it covered in magical runes with a slot the size of Jora's amulet. Faen is reminded by his spellbook Cuivie that it recognises the safe as an elven design that requires both a physical item and a password.
In penance for having lost the amulet Faen conjures a near perfect facsimile of it and in an attempt to open the safe says the name Niarra.
This unfortunately causes 2 swords, armour and a rug to attack the party injuring Astraea. As Artorias heals her he takes a great hit from the armour its sword almost severing his arm and leaving him close to death.
The foes are eventually vanquished and the group are left to heal their wounds and ponder what is to come next in the wreckage of Jora's once imaculate shop...
Rewards Granted
Blood Saber
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