Session 33: Sold Down the River Report
General Summary
The party has met up in Triliobarn after their year break. They have learned much, and suffered some setbacks. Roisin Marshfield needs to be healed after an encounter with a powerful monstrosity left her face terribly scarred by acid. There are rumors this power is available in Kreilæbeig or Marshfield, and Boris is owed a favor that may make this possible. Deciding that the land journey is either too long, or too perilous, depending on the route chosen, the party has decided to take a river barge. While not the safest journey, it is safer than walking the river bank, and much faster than the road journey. Approaching the Firbolg travel broker near the Dockmaster office, and found that there was a defended barge leaving the next day. After arranging to buy out the entire high deck for the party, Jeeves noticed that the Travel Broker recognized Roisin Marshfield. The party headed toward a nearby inn to book rooms for the night. As they walked they felt the spirit of Quirico watching over them. Deciding among the available lodging they noticed that the Lady Luck was cheap, but quite dangerous. The River Queen seemed a bit better, but the aristocratic Ice Princess won their business with it's outer walls of magical ice and wintery theme.
Goro began playing a beautiful haunting tune on a zither, rapidly drawing a crowd of over 40 people following along to hear this impromptu virtuoso performance. Boris passed Goro's hat around and managed to gather over 500 silver, Boris taking half for the local temple, as Goro received the other half. While playing, however, Cigfran noticed a thief cutting free Goro's purse, and running off with it. As the thief turned to walk away Cigfran tapped his shoulder, and the thief ran. Cigfran fired a bolt, trying to hit only his leg; he succeeded, but nicked the femoral artery, leaving the thief bleeding to death. Cigfran rushed up, grabbed his hand, and healed him with a brief prayer, and the thief handed back the purse. As Cifgran walked away he heard a scream behind and watched a guard kill the thief with a pike and complain that Cigfran should have let the scum die before dragging off the body. Cigfran turned back, sadly, and returned Goro's purse to him. In this confusion, someone else managed to rob Roisin Marshfield, taking her entire stock of 257 platinum; a princely sum. Jeeves managed to look about and spot the thief rushing away, pointing them out to the group just before they turned a corner. Roy tapped Jeeves and Goro on the shoulders as he cast a spell, and all three accelerated suddenly. Roy rushed ahead and ended up just ahead of the criminal. Jeeves rushed up behind and swung wildly, but missed. Goro rushed up and grappled the thief, who promptly struck Jeeves with a poisoned blade as he pulled free of the grapple. Goro then struck strongly and the thief said "You're a tough one, BURN!" and flames erupted around Goro, but he dodged and avoided some of the magical flame. Roy tried to teleport away, but the thief countered the spell, and Roy settled for tolling the dead, but discovered that this entity gained health from necrotic energy. The thief then stabbed Roy , empowering the strike with an evil boon, nearly killing him, before rushing forward around a corner. Roy was unable to maintain his concentration on the spell enabling him and his allies to move quickly in the face of that impact, and the magic ended. Jeeves stepped up and healed Roy quickly, then continued forward. Roisin Marshfield directed Goro to rush forward, then ran forward herself. Cigfran ran around the other side of the building, but found the way blocked. Boris likewise dashed forward, but the distance was too much to close. Goro rushed forward, but found that the thief, who had rounded a corner, was nowhere to be seen. Roy rushed up, and also saw nobody, then above them the thief leaned over the edge, shot a bolt into Goro's neck, dropping him to the ground and nearly killing him outright; missing the carotid artery by a hair's breadth. Jeeves rushed up, removed the arrow, and patched the wound, reviving Goro with a pungent herb. Cigfran sheathed his weapon, and climbed up the wall before him, just cresting the wall when the thief fired a crossbow into Cigfran 's shoulder. Boris dashed forward and magically healed Goro a little more from a distance. Goro looked around, and suddenly his eyes glowed with golden light, and enormous luminous wings of golden light sprouted from his back; thus adorned he flew up to the rooftop. Roy , a bit shocked at his colleague's sudden transformation, teleported up to the roof and stepped past Goro and launched a powerful bolt of magical force at the thief, who evaded some of the damage, but could not dodge completely. The Thief turned to Roy "That hurt!" and fired a crossbow, but Roy deflected it with magic. The Thief fired at Goro, missing, then dove off the roof to the ground, landing sprawled on the ground with an "Ouch! if this didn't pay so well...". Jeeves rushed forward, and threw a couple poison darts at the thief, but missed both times. Roisin Marshfield ordered Boris to attack, and Boris launched a sacred flame at the Thief, who screamed as the energy contacted them "Ahhhh, it burns!". The Thief tried to stab Roisin Marshfield, but missed. Cigfran moved to the edge of the roof and fired the crossbow, but missed. Boris ran up and struck with his rod of justice, which struck, but the thief seemed impervious to the paralysis effect. Boris then spoke a powerful spell to slightly heal several of the group. Goro flew down to the ground, surged with activity, rushed over and struck the thief, Boris called forth a celestial favor, and Goro sped up, striking multiple times, driving his massive sword through the thief's face, blasting him with radiant power which consumed the body, leaving only posessions behind, one of which was a bag of platinum, thanks to another divine favor.
Roisin Marshfield recovered her money, Goro shoveled everything into the purse (portable hole), breaking several vials of poison all over the treasures within, which Jeeves quickly cleaned off with magic. Gathering themselves, including Roy leaping from the roof and using magic to descend safely, the party were shocked to see Roisin Marshfield's scarf explode with rainbow light which engulfed Roisin Marshfield then quickly faded. The group then headed in to the Ice Princess Inn and stepped up to the desk. The matronly individual behind the desk, seemed displeased to have adventurers at the inn, and kept treating them with disdain and derision, including describing Roisin Marshfield as a "Scarred Child". The party reacted by requesting the most expensive room, and the woman offered them a discount if they could actually pay for the room, then asked who they stole the money from when they did pay the fantastic price. Roisin Marshfield claimed to be the princess Roisin Marshfield, and the woman laughed that the "Lady Marshfield" was dead. Continuing to condescend, she handed a terrifically intricate mechanical key to Roisin Marshfield, and the party quickly headed up to their suite, eagerly assisted by a bellboy, who led the way to the door. The boy, far more deferential, invited Roisin Marshfield to use the key; even instructing on the correct use. The door proved to be immensely strong and vault-like. The boy reminded Jeeves that he, or a replacement, would remain standing by for the duration of their stay. Jeeves gave the boy a tip of 50 gold (perhaps a year's income). Entering the space, Jeeves closed the door and turned a wheel to lock it. The group gathered in the central room of the incredibly lavish suite, and began to talk as the four "unseen servants" of the room saw to their comfort. Goro admitted to the touch of celestial blood, and that required a bit of explanation, including a little help from Boris, for the group to understand. They group also met Goro's angelic guide (really just a voice), who explained a few more things. After this "guide" left, Goro switched to speaking in a language that sounded like beautiful birdsong for a bit, before switching back to the common tongue. They chatted a bit more, then opened the "purse" and gathered a few useful items. They also ordered food and drink from the invisible servants, and paid for the room service as it arrived. Goro ordered a strong drink, called "Dwarven Fire", and Roisin Marshfield paid 2 platinum for it. Meanwhile Roy summoned his familiar, Fred, and requested the servants bring a large washbasin of clean water and they did so, placing Fred with along with a variety of vegetables appropriate for a turtle like Fred. The servants returned shortly after that with a black ceramic jug, about a pint, with images of flames around the base, along with a steel cup. Goro poured a drink, about half full, and a fog formed above the drink to fill the remainder of the cup. Goro took a small sip, and felt like he had drunk liquid fire, then suddenly drank the rest of the cup and promptly passed out. Jeeves began preparing a herbal remedy, when Boris prayed, laid a hand on Goro, and Goro snapped awake perfectly sober. Roy then tried the drink, managed to maintain his composure, and drank the remainder over a half hour, but when the cup was finished, Roy still passed out almost immediately. The group relaxed through the remainder of the day, slept well that night, and just before dawn they made their way to the barge, but from a distance saw three brass constructs guarding the gangplank. Roisin Marshfield immediately recognized the "Hunters" her father often used to retrieve someone of interest and realized she should not have been present when ordering the berths, as she had clearly been recognized, and her whereabouts communicated to her father's agents.. The group stood back a bit and discussed what to do, whether to proceed forward, and possibly fight these constructs, to abandon the barge route and walk, or even try to sneak past them onto the barge.
Deciding that continuing with their plans to take the barge, the group opened the "purse" and proceeded to share out a variety of magical alchemical items, herbs, and scripts which had been purchased a couple days earlier. Thus prepared, they began to move cautiously forward.
