Dark Debts Report

General Summary

** Notes below are from Mike W. who was kind enough to keep record for those that couldn't make the session**   Hey if you need someone to write up the session, here's at least my recap. I can try to spice it up narratively later, or if Paulin or Logan want to elaborate great, but I thought you might want to at least share this with Ed and Geiger.   As session begins, Fuckpile exits his lab (don't call it an office), to retrieve yet another diseased human from the line of cots in the lower hold. Seeing no one left, he double checks that the fish creature is sedated in its vat, and wanders to the top deck, unaware that all his patients have finally been returned to their homes. He asks the dwarf Celbor about this, and Celbor tells him about the dragon turtle attack. Fuckpile notes that he did think the seas were unusually rough, and had been meaning to complain about the ship's handling and its effect upon his medical practice.   As FP and Celbor debate this, Kazim, Figwit, and Patches return with the remains of the Demon Core, Patches gleefully dancing about and loudly proclaiming to everyone her ideas on how to make the ship submersible. This leads to a very long and circuitous argument between Patches and FP about why someone would willingly sink a ship, until Kazim basically orders FP to accompany him and Figwit in locatieng Norville Willick, the only other remaining crewman of the Meager Marauder after Silas. Patches returns to her work installing the Demon Core remains and patching up the ship.   Kazim stops by to speak with their new hiree, a former guard for Fletcher Crumb whose tongue they loosened with coin, then promised a job as a guard at the dock, to get information on how to find Norville. The man directing them to the Grinning Eel dock, one of the northernmost docks that Norville purchased, renovated, and armed with his money from the marauding days, in order to now make it the hub of his criminal enterprise. Upon reaching the dock, the guards said it was closed to unauthorized visitors, as the recent killings had led Norville to tighten security. The guard in charge, however, was suffering from a foot malady, and after FP treated his foot, the guard decided to allow them in, and led them directly to Norville's HQ, a tavern at the end of the docks. Inside the PCs found an open orgy of drugs and sex, in the middle of witch Norville, a halfling, lounged in a state of half-dress smoking a hookah. Norville summoned servants to get on all fours and act as living "seats" for the PCs to treat with him. Kazim explained that they had been investigating the murders, and located the remains of their old ship. Kazim then explained that the Demon Core had been damaged, and whatever was inside was free, and that the party's thinking was this was what was now killing the other lords. Norville scoffed, saying that they had all taken shards of the machine, and that as long as they had their shards, the demon couldn't physically touch them. He revealed he'd had his shard surgically implanted, so he could never be robbed of it. Norville then asked if the PCs had actually found Fletcher's body, as the old scoundrel possessed shape changing magic.   On that note, focus shifted to Patches, who felt a bump as the ship began to drift away from dock. She started to go top side, only to see the new guard (formerly employed by Fletcher) that Kazim had hired was piloting the ship out into open waters with the assistance of 6 armed men. Patches went back below and rallied Bess (giving her manacite) and Celbor to retake the ship. Upon reaching top side a fire fight broke out, with Bess sending two of the brigands overboard while the other 4 killed Celbor. Patches shot the man at the helm, whose visage flickered into a halfling with an eye patch. Fletcher was not dead, but was trying to steal the ship and escape the island to avoid the monster killing his former crew. Patches shot Fletcher and he dropped unconscious, but the remaining pirates refused to surrender, and Bess and Patches killed all but one before he surrendered. Patches and Bess then tried to save Celbor, but he bled out on deck as they failed their medicine checks.   At this point the others had returned from meeting with Norville, to find the dock unguarded and the ship 2000 yards out into open waters. A boom of a cannon from the ship signaled trouble, and Casia came out of her warehouse to lament that the business was already going under. Figwit transformed into a fish to swim out to the ship while FP and Kazim started the long, thankless task of row boating the mile out to the stalled ship.   On board the party pieced together that Fletcher had deceived them and attempted to steal the ship. Patches was bawling and inconsolable at Celbor's death. Kazim attempted to comfort her by saying she had saved Bess and the ship, but Patches was still heartbroken. FP stabilized Fletcher, while Patches made Kazim promise they would spare the other remaining pirate, as she'd promised he could live if he surrendered. Kazim promised, and then suggested that Bess take Patches below for some tea while they covered Celbor's remains. Once Patches was out of sight, Kazim's face darkened as he looked from Celbor's corpse to the pirate. Igniting his hand in flame, Kazim told the man in honor of Patches' promise, he'd give the man the chance to swim to shore (over a mile back in over open sea), otherwise he'd burn him alive where he stood. The man stripped off his armor and dove into the sea wearing nothing but his skivvies, with no one on deck caring to check on his fate after that. Kazim then asked FP to take Fletcher below deck and secure him, but once he awakened he wanted Fletcher to see all of FP's medical equipment as well as the fish monster prior to being interrogated. FP carried the unconscious Fletcher below deck and tied him to one of the medical cots in the bottom hold while Kazim and Figwit piloted the boat back into the dock.   Once the boat was secured, Figwit took watch on deck as Kazim went below to try and aid Bess in comforting Patches. Figwit began to fill an unnatural chill, but couldn't see anything. He called below deck in warning, and Kazim and FP went to help investigate. Figwit raised the gangplank, while Kazim and FP ignited their magical lights, but nothing could be seen. Meanwhile Patches heard a shuffling below deck. She and Bess went to investigate, only to find a hulking, horned monstrosity bending over Fletcher's body, pulling it apart. As it turned to face them, they realized it was Celbor's body, reanimated and now deformed and twisted into something larger and more monstrous. It raised its arm and fired several of its clawed fingers like bullets, striking Bess and dropping her. Patches screamed and fired at the monstrosity, summoning "Bismark" to assist. The noise alerted the others on deck, who raced below to intervene. FP was able to stabilize Bess, but Figwit was almost torn apart by the monster before they were able to bring it down. Fletcher was well and truly dead, and Celbor's remains now mutilated, further deepening Patches' despair. Celbor's wrecked body was wrapped in a sheet and taken topside in anticipation of a burial at sea in the coming days. Kazim asked FP to keep watch as he did not require sleep, and the rest of the crew went to try and get what rest they could as it was now the middle of the night.   Figwit had tortured and tempting dreams, but managed to largely ignore them and continue resting. Then Patches was suddenly awoken by a voice in her ear demanding that she kill Kazim on behalf of "The Mistress". Patches took her rifle and crept into the captain's quarters and shot Kazim in his bed. As she began reloading for another shot, Kazim managed to rise and grapple the gun out of Patches' hands, only for her to pull out her rock hammer and start bludgeoning him. Kazim clubbed Patches unconscious with the butt of the rifle, then slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely and near death. FP and Figwit ran in, having been alerted by the shot. As FP moved to assist Kazim, he felt something bump into him. He reached out and managed to grab an invisible figure. The spell was broken and a succubus was revealed. She attacked FP, but he managed to inject her with a powerful sedative, and she slumped to the ground. FP then sedated Kazim and treated him while Figwit put the unconscious Patches back in her quarters. Then FP and Figwit tied up the succubus and searched her, finding a bag of holding containing 12 of the Demon Core shards and the unconscious (but still alive) body of Norville inside the sack. Norville had had his shard forcibly cut out of him, possibly by a similar flesh creature as had possessed Celbor's corpse. They also found a chest full of gold, a copper skull with emerald eyes, a scroll of Word of Recall, 4 Oils of Sharpness, a Ring of Resistance (radiant), and a magic Dagger +2 that could cast Magic Missile (with 4 darts) once a day.   As the succubus came to they interrogated her, and learned that she was the demon bound in the Demon Core. She needed to retrieve all the shards, but beyond that wanted visceral revenge on the men that had imprisoned her. They pointed out that Fletcher was already dead, and Kazim (who'd picked up Fletcher's shard at the scene where they thought he'd died) was simply in possession, but not her former captor. She was slightly confused by this, but then they gave her back all her shards as well as the one that had belonged to Fletcher. The succubus ventured that Silas still had a shard and she still wanted revenge on him. FP and Figwit conferred, and though FP felt weird about condoning a murder, since they weren't the ones committing it, they agreed to simply let the succubus go, saying that if she was good with them, they weren't going to stop her completing her vengeance. The succubus, a little offput but ostensibly grateful, took the shards and went on her way, allowing the crew to keep her treasure and the mutilated, unconscious, but still very much alive pirate lord Norville.

Rewards Granted

Copper Skull with Emerald Eyes Scroll of Word of Recall Dagger + 2 (once a day it can cast Magic Missile with 4 darts) 4 Oils of Sharpness Ring of Resistance (Radiant damage) Party Gold (which I think Mike already accounted for)

Missions/Quests Completed

Cylus Berger is still alive and willing to pay 700 Gold to have the killer brought to him. He and Norville Wollick are now the last two living members of the Meager Marauder.

Character(s) interacted with

Cylus Berger - Former captain of the Meager Marauder and the person who made the pact with the Duergarian Cult of the Chain Maker. Promising all their save for the last living member of the crew in exchange for the Demon Core and the infernal blessings that came with it.   Norville Wollick - Hedonistic and obese first mate of the Meager Marauder. He owns the Grinning Eel dockyard. Currently disfigured and near death onboard the The Paradise Lost   Zhaharalissa - The succubus formerly bound to the Demon Core. She is now free and out for revenge, looking to kill every last member of the Marauder's crew.