The Voyage Continues Report

General Summary

Our five adventurers had arrived at Longbridge, the second largest port in the Free State of Onnwal, and were immediately boarded by a guard detachment who searched their ship for "Brotherhood stowaways". This piqued the party's interest, but they said nothing of it to the guards. After finding nothing, the guards thanked the first mate and left as quickly as they arrived. The adventurers immediately set off to a local tavern, called the Stone Giant's Respite, to learn how to get to Scant, and what this "Brotherhood" was. The tavern wasn't busy thankfully and they were able to ask the tavern owner how to get to Scant and what this Brotherhood was. She told them that they could take the Cliff Way going west and that would lead them to Scant, but warned them to be careful, as the Scarlet Brotherhood had taken control of the city nearly a year ago and patrolled the lands around it fervently. With the knowledge of how to reach Scant, and some information about the Scarlet Brotherhood, the five of them decided to disguise themselves as a merchant and his armed escort. After Sylvan bought some valuable spices, our adventurers headed westward. However, not two days into their trip, they stumbled upon a small skirmish on the road, six or so soldiers fighting back against sixteen men dressed in scarlet robes. Though the party did not act immediately, after some quick exchanges between themselves, they decided to rush in and help the soldiers. The party made quick work of them, ending their leader with a barrage of magic and ranged attacks, then assaulting the remaining cultists while their backs were turned. After they had been defeated, Naelen stabilized a few of the fallen soldiers. The captain thanked the party with a bag of gold coins and told them that his regiment was part of the Free Army of Onnwal and that their assistance helped them more than they knew. Before they left however, Dreamstroke and Martin searched the bodies of the cultists, and while they found a bit of coin, they also noticed that every cultist carried a strange looking stone with a sort of spiral cut into it. With that, he said that he would mention their names to his superiors and headed off. The party maintained their course, now heading north, following the road along the coastline. Three days later, they reached their destination, the gates of Scant, which were very tall for a city of its size and were hung with banners of the Scarlet Brotherhood. As they approached, they were stopped by a group of armored and robes men, telling them they would need a pass to enter the city. With some smooth talking, Sylvan managed to convince them that he had simply misplaced his pass and that he would have to get another one within the city. The men let him pass and opened the gate, letting them all into the city. They immediately went to the nearest tavern the Red Horn, wanting to escape the cult-ish vibes that seemed to emanate from every corner of Scant. While four of the party members stayed in the tavern, planning their next move, as they wanted to leave as soon as possible, Kaizzt had different plans. He wandered the streets looking for any sign of piety or religion. Unfortunately, all he found were chapels in disrepair, and decorated with the same spiral iconography that was found with the robed men on the road. Doing a little bit of research on the building, he found an old brick with the symbol of Osprem on it, likely who the chapel was originally dedicated to. It was then that a man approached Kaizzt, seemingly out of thin air. The man was dressed in a short scarlet robe and was completely bald and hairless, save his eyebrows and a goatee. He gently took the stone from Kaizzt and crushed it with his bare hands, then calmly told him he need not concern himself with such gods. He then offered for Kaizzt to join him, as his "sermon" was about to begin. Kaizzt followed into the dark chapel, which was almost free of decorations, but was home to a host of men and women dressed in scarlet robes. The man with the goatee then walked over to an altar, where a completely shaved man, bound and gagged, with the spiral symbol painted all over his body was laying. The man then spoke aloud, spewing something about a god named Tharizdun and how this man was going to receive his blessing. With that, he grasped the back of the bound man's head, and a dark energy seeped into it. He went into a spasm and then lay still. His binding were cut and he was unveiled, only to display a blank expression with wide eyes, all while muttering under his breath. He was then let go and stumbled through the door. Kaizzt immediately left, following a trail of surprised city fold and spiral shapes marked in blood, looking for where the man went. He eventually found him in an alley with many cuts over his body, dabbing them like a paint and using his blood to draw some sort of mural of a dark god. Kaizzt then wrestled him to the ground and bound him, healing his wounds as soon as he was no longer a danger to himself. He then prayed to Istus, hoping that the lady of fate would show kindness to this man, who's fate was altered by those dedicated to a dark god. He then heard back in his head, a voice he had not heard before, saying: "I have been given many names, the Lady of our Fate, The Colorless and All-Colored, but to you I give this name: Strand-weaver. For your fate is your own, and you will change the fates of many." With that, the man fell asleep and ceased his muttering, and the markings on his body burned away. With that, Kaizzt returned to his friends and paid for the man's room. The next morning, they booked passage to Blue and prepared to sail, but not before the formerly cursed man returned to thank Kaizzt. He introduced himself as Andrew Richter, a scholar who had lived in the city his whole life, and was taken from his home one day by men dressed in red, he remembered very little afterwards. In return for saving him, he offered to travel with Kaizzt, as his knowledge might come in handy. With that, our adventurers set off for Blue, their next stop on their journey.

Rewards Granted

300 gp // Headband of Intellect