Session 13: Of Werewolves, Zombies and Goldfish.

General Summary

Orryn's office is quiet as Astraea puts down the letter written to her by the wizard she hears "Hello sister, I think its time we talked." As she turns she sees a near perfect copy of her own face.
Astraea stares at the woman as she gets up from the sofa where she had been reading, the woman walks around her wordlessly as if inspecting her before finally sitting behind Orryn's desk.
"Who are you?" Astraea asks
"My name is Elanil." The mysterious woman replies.
Why are you here?"
"You've been causing a lot of problems for my employer, running around with your little friends he's sent me to put a stop to it. Tell me what do you know of the The Orb of Galthak?"
Astraea is guarded at first revealing little, she manages to turn the conversation to her sister and how she has no memory of her. She learns that because Elanil showed the Draconic heritage early their father sent her away to the Esalich clan. He then worked magic on Astraea so she would have no memory of her sister.
Astraea seems shocked at this and in her moment of weakness Elanil casts suggestion on her and asks again about the orb. Astraea says they know of the whereabouts of some of its segments and tells Elanil of the tomb of Leodar and their escape.
In return Elanil explains that Orryn is only going to use the rune men army for his own purposes saying that Ma'lak is nothing but a myth he was using to justify , the Order of Draco. was sent to assassinate Colonel Sandmere because he is one of the Group of Four that wants Orryn stopped and when asked why Krug's wife was murdered Elanil says that she found something buried in the rubble at Halin's old house so she had to killed to be kept quiet. The sisters tentatively agree to help each other with Elanil saying she will try to find more information the keys to the tomb but not before asking for the Orb of Galthak as insurance which Astraea hands over. As she starts to leave Elanil looks back as an act of good faith she tells Astraea that Orryn is in Breah at the water temple and he had sent bounty hunters for Hanurak, Valanthe and Andre then with a smile she she steps through a portal and vanishes.

Elanil in the Office.

Astraea runs out of the office and straight into the library heading straight for Faen who is sitting with a pile of books and snacks. As Astraea fills him in quickly with what happened they quickly run to try and find their friends.

Faen in the Library

Meanwhile Hanurak and Valanthe are walking through the temple district when suddenly two men and a woman step out in front of them and ushers them into a nearby alleyway. The leader asks them to come quietly as they have a hefty bounty to collect. Hanurak looks around and seeing no easy escape attempts to make a deal with them. Quietly Valanthe casts charm person on the leader which while initially unsuccessful manages to help convince the leader after some haggling to leave them alone for the small sum of 900 gold along with the locations of the Lover's Purse and Garth's Glorious Goods with the promise of a discount if they tell Garth Hanurak sent them.

The bounty hunters leave just as Astraea and Faen run towards them both looking relieved when they see their friends are fine but with a slightly lighter coin purse. They decide to ask around the locals at the nearby bar if they have seen Andre and an old man pipes up that he might know if a few drinks were bought for him.
They take a seat and order a round of drinks, after finishing his first pint the old man points at the fountain in the Plaza of Martyrs behind them as the group turn to look they see Andre sitting on the edge of the fountain looking dejected sipping a pint of water. Astraea approaches Andre and asks if he has managed to find any information about his brother Noah, Andre just shakes his head woefully and takes another sip of his drink.
Astraea manages to persuade him to join the rest of the group and they both return to the table where the group are discussing their next course of action. Astraea has told them of the threat to Breah and Orryn wanting the rune men for his own insidious devices if Elanil is to be believed. She asks Faen for the dagger of Draco so she can receive any information from her sister through it and reluctantly he hands it over. As she grips it she can a voice saying.
"So you did manage to get the dagger from your wizard friend."
"Yes sister he isn't hard to persuade have you any information for me yet?" Asks Astraea.
"Give me time dear sister even I am not a god." Replies Elanil. And with that the connection breaks.
While Astraea is busy talking with her sister a guard approaches Hanurak and asks about the trouble in the alley. Hanurak explains what happened and the guard files a report telling Hanurak that it could be a few weeks before they have any information. Astraea calls Halin to see if he can shed any light of what was buried in his house but when she gets connected she sees him running around chasing an animatronic dragon of his own making, he tells her that sadly he's a little pre-occupied and to call back later.

by E K Goku

Halin's Mk 1 Dragon

With Halin busy they decide to visit the Grover family and ask the drunk next to them if they know where the house is situated. He points them in the right direction and tells them that they can't miss the giant mansion on the hill.
Just then a man approaches and asks what business they have with the family and after a guarded conversation from Astraea she tells him that they are on business of the King and as his advisor they thought Lord Grover may want to know what they have found. The group show him their letter of marque from the King and seeing this the man is satisfied and introduces himself as Garrus the head of the Grover family guards. He agrees to take them to the house and as they walk Faen remembers that the Grover family made their money as merchants and were one of three families that made their fortunes this way but only the Grovers had survived the past few centuries.

by Martin McKenna

Grover Mansion

George Grover is the head of the family and a loyal advisor to the King while his daughter Chloe, the eldest of his two children is something of a rebel with not much known of his son Phil. Astraea walks next to Garrus and asks if Lord Grover knows Orryn. She is told that they are old friends and Lord Grover's uncle Mack is an especially close friend of Orryn's.
Looking troubled Astraea asks if Garrus has noticed any runes on any of his men or the Paladins at the church of sunlight.
"Now you mention it one of my men did come back the other night with a few runes on his arm he said it was a tattoo he had gotten. Why do you ask?" Astraea gives no answer but tells him to keep and eye on the guard and to see if Garrus could find out where the guard went to get it.

They arrive at a beautiful mansion with a magnificent view out over the Bay of Light . The butler Albert La Folet enters the foyer talking to Garrus, he looks the group up and down and is reluctant to allow them entry until the guard steps in and tells him they are fine and to go get Lord Grover. As they stand at the bottom of a grand staircase Astraea notices various pictures of the Grover family with the one of Chloe Grover catching her eye.

Chloe Grover reading while on the road to Ikel

An old man appears at the top of the stairs and asks what is so important that he must be disturbed on a Saturday evening but allows them up when Garrus shows him the Kings letter. The group are led into an office which shows off the great wealth of the family and as he pours drinks for them he asks what have they found out. Astraea explains about the rune men and the key that is needed for the tomb of Leodar, as she explains about the rune men and Orryn's belief in the return of Ma'lak, Lord Grover shakes his head slowly.
"Orryn approached me a few years back and said he believed Ma'lak was awakening and asked for the help of the king's army which the King wisely refused to give him given the City State of Viken's recent advances. He has been speaking of these visions for years and it saddens me to see such a great mind being wasted on children's fairy stories. I can see the importance of the key but I cannot give it to you, it has been passed down to my eldest child as is the tradition of my family. If you can find her and persuade her to give it to you then by all means you are welcome to it. All I ask is that it is returned to us. When its purpose is served"
"Of course we will gladly return it," Faen replies. "do you know where your daughter is?"
"Sadly I do not, that girl's movements are something even a diviner such as yourself would struggle to tell, since the death of her mother Chloe has become remote and refuses to listen to me. Please could you find her and make sure she isn't in any trouble. I would be greatly relieved to learn she is in no danger." The group agrees to look for Chloe and as they leave they share a toast to the King with George. Garrus approaches Astraea as they make their way to the front door and says his guard Devin was at Madam Bovedere's Emporium of Fine Delicacies, Treats and the Exotic a local brothel.
"You can't miss it they have a bakery there which serves amazing cakes" Astraea thanks him and with a smile tells the group to follow her as she leads them to the brothel.

Atrium of Madam Bovedere's Emporium of Fine Delicacies, Treats and the Exotic

As they approach the street turns from smooth paving to cobblestones with phaluses carved on to them directing them down the street following the smell of baked treats fills the air all around. They turn a corner and the bakery stands in front of them with scantily clad men and women outside vying for attention. Faen stands next to Hanurak and begins sweating slightly. Astraea leads them into the shop and a finely dressed woman approaches. She offers them whatever they desire and Faen is led off into a room by a sultry young woman. Babbling about being taken against his will and in a fit of panic casts blindness on himself as the door closes the others can hear him shouting for help.
"Should we just leave him there?" Asks Hanurak.
"Can we afford for him to stay in there after last time." Says Astraea
"Help me!!!" Shouts Faen from the other room.
"Well how much is it?" Says Hanurak looking at the price list on the wall.
"HELP !!!" Shouts Faen again.
They decide to help him and Hanurak goes in and drags Faen out just in time. The Madam looks suitably annoyed and Astraea explains that they just want information about a man called Devin, the Madam remembers him and tells them to wait while she gets the lady he was with that night. As the group wait Andre decides to get refreshment from the nearby fountain, ignoring the warning signs on it he takes a drink only to find all the gold coins he had on him have turned into goldfish. After a short while the girl approaches and they enter a room where they ask her about Devin. She says that he came in the other night and had some unusual tattoos on his arms, when one of the other women saw them she freaked out and hasn't been back since. The group take their leave after paying a small fee for the information.
Astraea suspects that the girl who ran was Chloe who does seem to be taking the rebel a bit too far. Faen attempts to scry Chloe after Astraea describes her to him and he sees a girl covered in blood running through what looks like a crypt. Andre turns into a werewolf in the hope of tracking her but is unable to, so they decide to head back to the tavern to plan their next move.

Back at the tavern they ask the cook/waitress if they know of any crypts nearby and she points them in the direction of the Church of Sunlight. With that Alistair Siddig barges in pushing Faen over and sits loudly at the bar. Declaring that he won big at the Halo. and the King's annual Yacht race, he is celebrating and the group decides to leave before his inflated ego gets any bigger.

A Halo contest

They head to the church and a guard tells them that the Grover family moved their crypt back to their mansion decades ago. They thank him and head quickly to the mansion where they luckily find Garrus. They ask after Chloe saying that she is in danger but Garrus reassures them that she is safe with one of his men called Mark. After a little persuasion he agrees to take them to the crypt and as they enter they see the door is open. Garrus looks wary and lights a torch before entering and leading the group down some steps.

Entrance of the Grover Family Crypt

The group steps into an open room and they notice blood on the floor as the follow the trail further in they see the body of a man against the wall. Garrus rushes over and sees that it is Mark. Andre through his years of blood hunter training sees that the wounds look like they were made by a Lycan. The group continues on following the blood with Garrus leading.
Suddenly a claw emerges from the darkness and with a scream Garrus disappears into the inky void. The group find themselves on a long narrow ledge spanning a chasm and even with their dark vision they aren't able to make out much.
Without warning Valanthe is swamped by a large group of zombies and Hanurak quickly throws a javelin impaling a number of them but more keep coming overwhelming the druid. Andre grabs her and carries her further up the bridge while Faen casts fireball and hits both the zombies and Astraea who in turn casts a wall of fire to block the approaching horde. More appear from the tunnel and suddenly the claw swipes at the bridge again taking out some of it while Faen and Hanurak just manage to hang on. Valanthe looks at the other end of the bridge and sees more zombies with 2 wights approaching.
Hanurak entering his rage unleashes himself on the coming flood of the undead. While from behind him the zombies begin to walk through the wall of fire attacking Faen who casts chromatic orb and Andre who attacks with his blood sabre.

As the area clears of her friends Astraea casts immolation on one wight killing it instantly. The claw swipes again just missing Andre and Astraea who dodge out of the way at the last second but more of the bridge is destroyed. Valanthe heals herself and Faen while more zombies are summoned by the Wight. Hanurak continues carving through the zombies and Faen casts chromatic orb again the Wight goes down and for a moment the group think they have been successful but he rises again looking straight at Faen.
Astraea casts storm sphere taking out more zombies and the claw swipes again taking out more of the bridge and blocking the group's escape. After summoning more zombies and barely surviving an immolation spell from Astraea the Wight finally flees into the darkness. The zombies keep attacking with some even jumping the new gap created by the claw. Faen notices the stonework could crumble at any time and with a carefully placed fireball hits a group of zombies, with little damage to the ledge. Andre swings at the oncoming horde but misses so Astraea casts wall of fire taking out the final group of zombies in front of them but still leaving some on the ledge behind her.
Valanthe heads the group and the claw swipes again taking more of the bridge leaving another gap, Valanthe and Astraea manage to dodge but Hanurak doesn't make it and falls into the darkness. Seeing his friend disappear Andre roars and takes out the remaining zombies with Faen diving off the edge and casting fly. He magics a floating disc which he and Hanurak manage to land the Half Orc Barbarian is knocked out in the process. Seeing his friend gravely wounded Faen shoves a potion down his throat and with the disc they both float back up to the bridge. Using the disc once they have landed as a bridge the others regroup and they continue on further into the crypt. They find a small room and try to rest but all are unable to so they tend to any minor wounds and take some minor nourishment before moving on.
As they are getting ready to leave Cuivie speaks to Faen and tells him he should have taken the soul dagger from the tomb of Leodar and giving Faen a good dressing down while still managing to praise him for his quick thinking in saving Hanurak.

They continue on into the darkness finally reaching a candle lit room, they see a ritual circle and Faen recognises it as the spell for raising the dead. He remembers that it can be used to cure the curse of lycanthropy but the ritual was obviously performed by an amateur and it seems to have gone wrong. They continue to a fork in the road and through his training Andre tells them to go right as the blood is fresher, after a little while they hear crying as they approach a bend. Rounding it they find a young a girl crying in the corner of the room in tattered clothing and blood streaked across her front, when she sees them she begs for the group to leave so she doesn't hurt them too as she becomes more and more emotional the group see her body start to transform and become more hairy.
Astraea immediately recognises her as Chloe Grover and approaches carefully with Faen. They manage to calm her a little and tell her they are here to help and to explain when she started turning. She throws a brooch at them which Faen studies it detecting a strong arcane magic similar to that which he feels from Andre when he turns into a werewolf. Chloe tells them that she started turning around six months ago when the brooch was given to her at a party attended by the great and the good of Eidover's society. Remembering that Orryn was friends with her father Faen asks if he was at the party which Chloe confirms.
She doesn't remember anything from when she turns and she asks about Mark telling the group he was helping her remove the curse by performing some magic she was only vaguely familiar with. Faen and Hanurak go back to the ritual site and find Mark's spellbook which Faen notices has many scribblings in it and a hastily written love letter from Chloe. Studying it quickly Faen thinks he can perform the right incantation but he needs some ingredients all of which they have except amethyst and Amber. They return to the others telling them of their findings. Chloe has a silver bracelet with a decorative Amber stone that she gives Faen but they need to find the amethyst elsewhere.
Astraea calls Halin who is drinking with his wife and Eamonn. Halin's wife doesn't seem too pleased at Astraea calling her husband and puts Halin back on the line who says that they can get an amethyst from Garth's Glorious Goods or the Elder Scroll, Halin goes on to say that Missa is so much happier now that Jorra has returned.

Return to Breah

They decide to head back to Breah through Faen's teleportation circle and they manage to persuade Chloe to come with them. They all step through and into the Pirate and Pipe . Saresh welcomes them and allows Astraea and Valanthe to clean Chloe up while Faen discusses their situation with her. They all sit at a table and Saresh tells them she can help with their werewolf problem but Andre as a blood hunter would be better suited to helping Chloe control her inner beast. They ask how things have been in especially the elder scroll and even though Saresh has no idea how Jorrah could have returned from the dead The Vult have been keeping an eye on him.
After a few hours sleep Hanurak decides to visit Krug and is welcomed in as he has just sold one of his pieces of art and is celebrating even though it is early in the morning. Hanurak tells him what they have learned about his wife's murder and asks if Krug knows what she found in the rubble. Krug tells Hanurak about his wife's dreams and finds her diary where she wrote about dreams of a Misophist.
He also hands Hanurak a statue of Ma'lak that she brought home one day and Hanurak asks to borrow it as it could help.
Meanwhile across town Astraea trudges towards the elder scroll, as she enters she sees blood leading behind the counter and looks up to see Jorrah standing over the body of his wife

Session 13: Audio

Report Date

13 Oct 2018

Primary Location

Eidover

Secondary Location

Breah