Debates and Dark Alleys Report

General Summary

Debates and Dark Alleys As told by Cu of clan Chullain We’ve just finished competing in the Great Games and have won the final relay. I must say that overall this was an enjoyable experience; it reminded me of the friendly competitions my own tribe used to put on during the solstices, though rewarding the winners with medals is a new concept to me. The importance of winning a medal has been explained to me, and I shall wear mine as a badge of honor. Though I think I’d still prefer my clan’s custom of awarding a cask of our clan’s finest honeymead. I’ve been told its inappropriate to trade my medals or use them as currency, and I can’t drink my medals. And I’ve yet to encounter on my travels a drink that is finer than my clan’s honeymead. I miss it like so many other things since the disappearance of my clan and beloved family. The following morning we are unceremoniously escorted to an audience with King Acastus, who, as previously agreed, delivers to us a map to the location of the lost ship Ultros. His flippancy and disdain is even more apparent, and as we press him further he reveals that he feels no need for heroes as he is destined to re-establish the ancient order of Dragonlords. I had assumed, since our goals are clearly aligned with his, that he would welcome our aid. This does not appear to be the case. With no fanfare we are quickly received, given the map, and then dismissed. The thought occurs to us collectively that perhaps Queen Vallus, the Goddess of Wisdom, would be a more suitable ally, and no sooner does this thought occur to us than Mikaila, the Queen’s chief stewardess, surreptitiously leads us to the Queen’s chambers. Vallus graciously receives us and gives us more information on the area where the Ultros lays hidden, as well as a warning that the area is not safe and that we will need a suitable crew. We will need to recruit some of the competitors we met at the games, including that very able fellow from Estoria. She also counsels us that after we obtain the Ultros we should seek out the Fortress of the Dragonlords. There we might find a dragon egg. We then ask the Queen about the Lady of Coin. Vallus confirms our present knowledge regarding her and states that though she doesn’t openly support her, she also is not against her. I take this opportunity to inquire about the minotaur slave trade in Mytros, and Vallus gives me a sidelong glance that indicates her displeasure about the long held tradition of minotaur slavery. I assure her my intentions are honest and that I am merely trying to find any lead I can in my search for my lost clan. The Queen appears to understand and tells me she will have more information for me after our party recovers the Ultros. As thanks I druidcraft a wreath of flowers for her. We then take our leave, grateful for the Goddess of Wisdom and her more gracious reception. Our party has been advised to go to the Academy of Learning, and since we are in need of more information, we heed this advice. We’ve been specifically told to go the Hall of Debate and listen to the philosophers, but since a debate is not currently in session, we take the morning and afternoon hours to explore the campus and do independent research. Xi, Yorgos, and I go to the library where Xi finds information regarding the Lotus Witch that leads his search to Typhon Island. Yorgos finds material about dragon turtles in the hopes of helping him in his personal quest to find the dragon turtle that destroyed his native village. The thought occurs to me that our patron at the Siren’s Roost would appreciate an endowment of my clan’s prized honeymead (I know I would), so I look for information regarding local beekeeping, but I only find some writings on general knowledge with which I am already familiar. I will perhaps need to speak to some local market vendors for the knowledge I seek. Serge and T’challa go the the Hall of Heroes, where Serge looks for more information about Estor Arklander. While the information he obtains only confirms what the party learned in the tomb of Estor at the Necropolis, Serge is reminded that the tomb was empty, and there is no certain account of the death of Estor. During hours that the party spend in research, there is a general feeling that they are being watched by some of the robed scholars. As the hours waned it was felt that the attention the party received mainly centered on Yorgos. As the sun began to set, the long tolling of a bell summoned everyone to the Hall of Debate. At the Hall of Debate, the party, being heroes of some renown, were allowed to sit in the front row of a large auditorium. On the center stage stood four robed scholars, who enjoined us to engage them in the debate. The debates amounted to a series of conundrums presented by each of the scholars. The first debate was presented by a half-orc named Machaon, who was joined on the stage by Hyllis. The second debate was presented to Xi by an elf named Calcidon. I was then invited to the stage and presented a conundrum by a gnome named Caradontis. Finally, a tiefling named Atreus engaged Serge in debate. Serge spoke with the tiefling in his native tongue, which seemed to amuse Atreus. For our efforts in these debates we were rewarded with general applause and the autographed writings of these collective scholars. We were also rewarded with some more attention from other members of the audience, who Serge recognized as some of the ones who were eyeing Yorgos during the Great Games. We have begun to believe that Yorgos has garnered the attention of the Lady of Coin, who apparently likes to “collect” bards and musicians. And since we intend to investigate the disappearances surrounding the Lady of Coin, our party decides to use Yorgos as bait in an effort to find out the secret whereabouts of the Lady of Coin. Hyllis casts Hunter’s Mark on Yorgos, and I wildshape into a ferret and am placed in Yorgos’s pocket. Yorgos is then given a wide berth as we make our way back to the Siren’s Roost, the other party members keeping their eyes peeled for any pursuers. Suddenly, I fall into a deep sleep, and during my slumber (as I later learn) Yorgos is grappled and taken forcibly down a dark alley. The other members of our party witness and keep a loose pursuit. Yorgos and his captors are followed through dark alleys leading to a small dock on the harbor where waits another conspirator in a boat. The party believes Yorgos will be spirited away in a manner they won’t easily be able to follow, so they decide to intervene and rescue Yorgos from capture rather than try to follow him to the Lady of Coins hideout. Serge yells something in Thief’s Cant and one of the captors stops and retreats. Xi retrieves a large spider from one of his voluminous pockets and throws it in the path of Yorgos’ captors. It becomes a giant web and cuts off their escape. In the ensuing entanglement and confusion, one of the captors is grappled and beat into near unconsciousness. Seeing that one of his fellows is about to be captured, the man in the boat attempts to silence him by putting a crossbow bolt into his chest. During this time I am being forcefully shaken awake by Yorgos. Coming out of my ferret form, I take stock of what is going on. I see my friends trying to stabilize a captor stuck with a bolt in his chest and another captor beating a hasty retreat in a boat out into the harbor. Remembering our objective, I leap into the harbor and wildshape into a reef shark. I then follow the boat at a distance and am led to the south side of the harbor, where I see the other captor leave the boat and go ashore. He approaches the statue of the Colossus of Pythor and is then lost to sight amidst the great statue’s legs. Having ascertained the next starting point in our search, I return to the dock where my friends are. Instead of gracefully somersaulting onto the dock, I very clumsily flop onto the dock (nailed it!) and rejoin my compatriots with their prisoner.