Striding across the rickety pier was a wide-eyed elf, his patched robe and mud-spiked hair swung around his rail-thin frame. A coterie of women followed a few paces behind him. The man thrust his hands into the air and shouted “The Water Rat delivers, but in his own time! I have seen you in murky reflections and I would impart Hanspur’s sodden wisdom to you with private words—let us speak of strange dreams, red sails, and dead fisherfolk!”
Skywin jumped to the pier and approached the elf.
"Naerel, we are just here to resupply and make some quick repairs on the Sellen Starling. We were attacked by some strange water creature. There is a small amount of damage on the ship."
"I will leave that up to them," Skywin shot back.
Ciprian strode out on to the pier and imperiously stated, "The ship is in need of repair. Possibly you could have some dock workers help the crew with the repairs."
"I would like to talk with you all. Please follow me into the shipping building just off the pier. We have much to discuss," Naerel said with a gleam in his eyes.
"We will come with you if you will get some more help fixing our ship," Ciprian demanded.
Naerel moved over to one of the women and told her to find some of the dock workers to join the Sellen Starling's crew to repair the ship.
"You would enjoy the ceremony tonight. I hope you will join us for it," Naerel said encouragingly as he led the party to one of the ramshackle dock buildings. Armania decided to stay on the ship and act as a lookout.
After the party entered the building, Naerel dropped his cover and spoke more reasonably (although his eyes held a mad gleam that never disappeared).
“Just before midnight many nights ago—has it been two weeks? Three?—a red-sailed ship came to Riverton. Its captain looked like a man dressed in thick clothing, but he was no natural man—although I cannot say just what caused such unease to afflict me. He passed me a large ruby and asked whether any travelers matching your description had been in Riverton. I swore by my drowned soul that no such visitors had arrived and that his ruby was ill-spent, but the captain merely chuckled and gestured for me to keep the gem. The chuckling continued and I realized it was not the captain, but the ship itself, as strange as that may seem. The vessel looked to be of ordinary wood and cloth and iron, but there was something sinister and alive about it. I had nothing more to add, so I left the pier. By morning, the red-sailed ship was gone. Now I see you arrive, and I have to ask: who was that man, and what was that ship? It has gnawed at my mind ever since, like a rat gnaws a bone. I’ll pay for whatever knowledge you have.”
With that, the wild-eyed prophet produced a glittering ruby the size of a child’s fist.
"Several weeks ago we briefly saw a red-sailed ship. It appeared and disappeared in a fog bank. We never saw the crew so I couldn't say if it was the same ship," Ciprian related.
"I would be careful. The crew, limited though it was, looked mean and desperate." Naerel offered. "What is your destination?"
"We are on a discovery journey, probably going to Cassomir. You know travel journals to write. Information for others, just ordinary stuff," Paullus piped in.
"I suppose you will warn people about the 'creature' in the lake?"
"Well, we really were assailed by some fanatics. You don't have Druids who could Warp Wood, do you?" Ciprian said revealing more information.
"Two men and two women, posing as fisherfolk, could it have been?"
"Yes, that was it. They had a haggard look but that was probably a ruse."
"Sound like four members of Riverton that had been attacking ships in the area. I had intended to exile them, as their attacks were impacting trade in his town." interjected Naerel, "But I'm glad they’ve been
slain or driven away."
Some more small talk ensued and finally Naerel stood up and offered the large ruby to Ciprian. "Here take this as a small token of my appreciation for your information."
Ciprian took the ruby and reminded Naerel about the Druid.
"Yes, let's leave and see what progress has been made."
The group all stared in shock at the horrendous creature but swiftly moved to attack or cast spells. Gavril moved up close to the creature, which then took to the air carrying Ursina with it to the top of a large tree fronting the lakefront. Ciprian identified the creature as an Ahool, a magical beast that had Ferocity. He then began a Bardic Performance against the creature. Paullus and Erevel both moved as fast as they could toward the tree. Armania moved toward the tree and cast Web on the top of the tree.
Ursina, held fast by the creature, activated her tattoo of Inflict Damage. Gavril moved toward the tree and broke out his longbow to attack. The creature tried to attack with its claws but missed, followed by keeping the hold with more damage and dexterity loss.
Armania cast fly on Erevel, Paullus lined up the creature and fired arrows and Ciprian cast Good Hope on the party. Erevel flew up to the tree over the web and attacked from there.
After Gavril fired away with arrows again, the Ahool let go of Ursina and turned its attention to Erevel but it could not seem to get a grab on her. The battle lasted a for a few more minutes but at last the Ahool was defeated.
Armania dismissed the web and the party started trying to help Ursina out of the tree. Before she left the tree, Ursina found the Ahool nest with 6 small rubies inside. She passed those down and when she made it back to ground she healed herself and used lesser restoration to repair the dexterity damage.
The group split the rubies between themselves and headed to the small town to find some lunch. As they were eating they were continually assailed by townfolk trying to convert them to the worship of Hanspur.
"The Water Rat will protect you while you are on the water be it rivers, lakes or streams. He is the great god of travel, especially on water. His boons are great, you can become a water elemental, or be healed by water. The sacred rite of drowning is learned."
"Just submit to his obedience, with the assistance of another priest of Hanspur or by yourself, simulate the act of drowning. You can do this by fully submerging yourself in a body of water, exhaling all of your breath, and painfully inhaling water instead of air. Alternatively, you can lie on your back with your head at a lower elevation than your legs while water is slowly poured on your face and up your nose. If you choose the latter method, you must cover your face with a cloth while the water is poured."
"When you conclude this simulated drowning, contemplate your life and how your goals coincide with the teachings of Hanspur and the Six River Freedoms. Then you will live with the protection of Hanspur."
This constant pestering to convert to Hanspur continued without ceasing during their meal and they were happy to escape back to the Sellen Starling when a crew member came to fetch them. The ship was ready to leave and the group was more than ready to depart the village.
It was just after midday when the party left Riverton, sailing east and south toward the Sellen River outlet from Kallas Lake. When they felt that Riverton was left far enough in the wake, Ursina and Armania began researching once again the Ambassador's Heartstone. The day was spent in study and after eight hours the following information was gathered.
According to a diary brimming with spiteful rumors, Quaveandra has an unnecessarily large retinue of
retainers and an insufferably imperious manner.
Armania recalled seeing a night hag in the Caravanserai dining room image, with fabulously coiffed hair, ordering serving wenches around with no thought of anyone but herself. Could that have actually been Quaveandra?
Ciprian had other ideas as he once more set about reading the Chain of Nights taken from Zandalus in the Briarstone Asylum. The Chain of Nights was first and foremost a text on the anatomy and workings of the brain, and the first several hundred pages concerned themselves with diagnosing, analyzing, and treating—via therapy, drugs, and basic surgeries—numerous physiological and psychological afflictions. Only in the final third does the tome turn toward more esoteric topics, such as the source of nightmares, accounts of the Dimension of Dreams, and descriptions of the creatures that live there.
Ciprian also found that he now could use the hypnotism occult skill unlock once per day. Additionally, the tome contained the spells dream, dream council, dream scan, dream travel, and nightmare. As he knew it also contained an elaborate ritual for releasing one’s dreams Release Nightmare.
Ciprian also examined the tome the group had found in Iris Hill's underbasement. He could now read the Pnakotic Manuscripts as he had acquired Aklo as a new language. Even with Aklo, the writings were so esoteric and convoluted that he determined it would take many days to understand and comprehend the information.
Knowing that they did not have the entire research done for the Heartstone the group once again spent a night and awoke refreshed, except for Erevel who had the night terrors and was fatigued. It was back to research for Armania and Ursina. The eight hours gave up only the following additional information
The proper phrase that directed the Dreamlands excursion occult ritual to reach the
ambassador in Dylath-Leen was Hookah Heaven.
The rest of the day was spent resting up for the night's adventure to Dylath-Leen and as night fell the group again gathered on the deck of the Sellen Starling to invoke the Dreamlands Excursion Ritual. Everything occurred normally as the group descended the staircase into darkness.
They arrived in a spacious, round room that had a vaulted ceiling barely visible through a haze of blue smoke. Soft round couches covered the floor along with several golden braziers, ornate hookahs, and small tables. The curved wall was pierced by curtained archways possibly leading to small private chambers. Humanoids of several different races (although predominantly the sullen humans) relaxed in this common room and partook of various recreational drugs.
A polite, attractive host holding a tray filled with various packages approached Paullus.
"Flayleaf, Opium, Pesh. What is your favorite? Or do you wish to try something new?" she inquired.
Paullus looked over the choices and asked for three doses of Opium.
Another host approached Ursina, "Flayleaf, Scour?" she asked. Ursina ignored the young lady who the whispered, "We even have Shiver, if that is more to your liking."
The party joined her around a divan and in hushed tones, the night hag explained that she’d been the target of several assassination attempts in the past few weeks: poisoned food, delivery of a robe of powerlessness as an anonymous gift, and the ambush, to name a few. She suspected that someone among her retinue might be responsible. The ambassador’s retinue was large, but she’s narrowed the suspects down to three: Ammanetta, her steward, Dol Theth, her astrologer and fortune teller, and Kavriki, her musician. Quaveandra wanted the heroes to interview each suspect in her private room, then report back on which of her attendants is the assassin.
"What would our reward be?" asked Paullus.
"I could offer you this fine sapphire worth 1000 gold."
Ciprian noted the Periapt around her neck and retorted, "We are in search of a Hag's Heartstone. I see that you apparently have one handy. We will do this dirty job for the Heartstone in return."
Meanwhile Paullus was studying the three suspects as Ciprian and Ursina entered the room, for any betraying reactions. None of the three displayed any overt reaction that Paullus could read.
"You can choose in what order you talk with my people. I leave that to your judgement," Quaveandra stated as she sat on the nearest sofa.
DM's Notes: The party earned 2667 XP for the night and now have 57,921 XP. They need 75,000 XP to reach 9th level.
No comments:
Post a Comment