Session 21: A Profitable Week

General Summary

As dawn came upon the party, who had snuck back to the Gilded Griffin Inn after last nights escapades, they all gathered for breakfast and discussions on what their next action should be. Still somewhat curious on how the strange geologist could help them in the tomb beneath the palace, Mikum and Ushrir decided to head there. In the meantime Nacklenook would take Fritz on a shopping spree across town to get them a long list of supplies, including three kegs of gunpowder. Thomas and Heiwa on the other hand would go around the city in search of some work, the first stop being out of the city proper to the headquarters of the Monster Hunter Guild.    Mikum and Ushrir managed to find the geologist named Professor Terrence Myron von Küfen, and gave him the first ingredient to his experiment, the blood of a beast that can phase through planes. In this case this was the tentacle of a displacer beast that they purchased in the city. The professor was now ready to give them the last two ingridents that he would need for his project. These being a large 5kg emerald, which he said could be found in an abandoned mine up near the Shielwald forest, and then the essence of an earth elemental. This could be done by an unorthodox use of the absorb elements upon a newly killed earth elemental. With this in mind the duo left.   Meanwhile, Heiwa and Thomas managed to get to the guildhall and find that it was very quiet. Most members had left following the recent scandal, and those that were left had little work to choose from. They copied down the quests that were available and were informed that they needed to accompany a member if they wanted to be paid by the guild. Thus they left and looked for work in the city. First with the Order of the Silver Scales, who had little work for outsiders, but could pay them to get rid of some bandits by the coast. Instead the two headed over to the Merchants League, where they were offered some protection jobs for some caravans that were about to leave. One of these caught their intrest.    When they reconveined they decided to not go on the protection jobs with the caravan, but instead head out to do some monster hunting. The two dwarfs also felt a little patriotic and wished to mine for an emerald in the abandoned mine for the professor. Thus they went back the monster hunter's hall and tried to find a suitable supervisor to accompany them as they headed out to slay some undead and then some wyrmlings. A suitable prospect presented itself in the bored landsknecht named Francis of the Graf family. He accepted to accompany them and intervene if they wished him to, in exchange for 12,5% of the earnings.    With that they flew away towards the abandoned cemetary that people had reported seeing the dead walk around in. When they arrived they found that indeed several graves had been dug up. Thomas also managed to spot tracks. One set of tracks leading to the grave, and several leading away from them. In the meantime, Heiwa had flewn up to scout the area and she reported seeing the entrance to a tomb further in. That was where they headed next. Inside they were met with two paths, one left and one right. They started with the left one, which led to hall with six crypts and an altar. The altar had lit candles and ceremonial tools, which seemed well kept. They decided to open the crypts. Inside the first two they found mummified corpses, and trusting thier experience with dealing with the undead, they decided to destroy the corpses.   With two heavy swings they soon realised that these were tougher than they looked, as the mummies rose and began to fight them. But with them already being heavily damaged, Heiwa turned into a bear to swiftly rip one apart whilst Nacklenook scrambled the brain of the other with his shadowglass dagger. Thats when the other four rose from their crypts and the fight continued. During the scramble, Heiwa was heavily wounded by the undead, but in the end the creatures were destroyed. Much thanks to Ushrir and his undead-slying hammer.    After gathering themselves they emptied the crypts and found a few items of interest. A spellbook, an amulet with a family crest, and a magic longsword named Whisperblade. In an attempt to open the locked spellbook, Mikum managed to find the secrets of the sword as its magic echoed and amplified his voice endlessly until he let the sword go. They then left and headed over to the second chamber. Inside they found over 200 skeletons standing in line with a path leading between them to a wall. Ushrir and Mikum managed to spot secret door in the stone of the far wall. After much deliberation they went along the path, only to find that the skeletons paid them no mind.    On the other side of the stone wall they snuck up on the necromancer, frantically trying to pack his things. With two shots from Thomas shard-infused pistol Judgement, and a well placed shot from Nacklenooks crossbow, they ended to necromancer right in front of his armoured skeletal helper. They managed to find a soulgem, that allowed its holder to control all undead bound to it. Which were all in the skeletons in the area. They ound that the necromancer had done this on the orders of Grimold Dark, the necromancer from Hexenberg. He was trying to create a massive army for Grimold to control.    Instead the army was ordered to destroy itself until only the armoured skeletal knight was left standing. He was then executed by the party before they left. After Francis had inspected the area they left and continued north. The next day they found that Heiwa had begun to rot. A curse had been left on her by the mummies. But after a two day excursion back to the capital they had managed to come by a scroll that allowed them to break the curse on Heiwa to make her well again.    They then headed up into the mountains to search for the white dragon wyrmlings that had pestered travellers in the area. After leaving the Mourningstar just outside the troubled area, they hiked and climbed the rest of the snowy way. After a long while they came upon a pass where a white dragonborn sat sharpening his axe. Fearful that he might work with troubling draconic youngstersm they carefully scouted the area. Heiwa managed to spot three wyrmlings hiding nearby. Not wishing to fight these beast, Mikum came up with a better idea.    They sent Heiwa back to fetch the three kegs of gunpowder and placed these in a chokepoint. Heiwa then excavated a cavernous hiding spot for them with her druidic magic. At last, Thomas came out to get the gangs attention. In the meantime the three wyrmlings and the dragonborn had managed to ambush a fox, which was now being torn to shreds. By shooting one the wyrmlings he managed to make them attack him. He led them towards the trap and when they stood on top of the kegs, he fired at them. In a flash the wyrmlings were killed, but realising that the blast might have triggered an avalanche Thomas ran into the hinding spot and Heiwa closed the mountain wall behind them, just as anticipated by Mikum.   After the avalanche had subsided, Heiwa once more used her dominion over nature to dig them out, as well as the rests of the dragons. Securing proof for Francis, they searched the area for signs of more dragons, but to no avail. They did manage to find the dragons lair, and their hoard. They emptied it of all they could carry. They also buried the hundreds of gallons of blood inside their hiding spot before Heiwa resealed the mountain again. They planned on mailing a map to the Kling estate if he wished to get it back. Afterwhich they returned to Francis and the wagon.    On the trip back to Zimmerheim they made a stop at the abandoned mine. Inside they found a glittering treasue along the walls, and wondered why this mine would've been abandoned so suddenly. After finally finding an emerald of the right size they got their answer. A xorn, a type of earth elemental jumped them from the wall. Gathering the strength of his ancestors and Torag, Ushrir managed to smite the being with one swing, in response to which Heiwa cast her spell to collect its essence in gemstone. More xorn then showed up, as well as larger elementals. They realised that they were outmatched and had no more to gain here, so the party began to run for the exit. Ushrir almost fell after feeling the retaliation of a larger elemental. As they ran towards the exit they realised that the mine was overtaken by a massive elemental lord. Luckily they managed to escape, thanks to Mikum who managed to hold up against the push of the lord himself.   At the end of almost a full week they returned to the Monster Hunter Guild and collected their reward. After they had paid Francis Graf they left him by the bar and headed out. Discussing what they would do now.