Session 23: The Salt and Grime Report

General Summary

With the map in hand, the party decides to visit a few places while they're waiting for their reward.   Along the way, they realize one of their items was cursed. They shrugged and kept going because it was not an immediate problem yet.   Their first visit is the Carpenter's Guildhall, where they met the eternally busy Jilar Kanklesten. Jilar was able to spare some time to the party, and a set of carpenter tools for a slightly inflated price. However, she required a proper apprenticeship to actually teach the art of Carpentry. This was something the party couldn't spare time on, but Jilar did recognize that adventurer's have a bit of a busy schedule. In that case, she offered them an accelerated training regime if they could obtain some rare wood for a project: The tendrils harvested from a Shambling Mound.    Satisfied, the party let her return to her work and moved to their next stop. In this case, however, they get properly interrupted on their way there. Apparently the guards were arresting nobles that were fingered for smuggling, and were searching homes to find their fellow conspirators. Besides the grumbling of various townfolk, Erland also heard a voice inside his head telling him to stay at the Wicker Goat. Also, Reza decided to play a prank on Erland involving the anti-elf bridge.   Finally at their destination, an ethereal voice told them to wait in a strangely exotic (and OOC modern) waiting room. After an old, tall man with bottle glasses left, they were "Buzzed" in for a meeting with Captain Xendro's the manager of the Empire of Iuz's trade delegation. The Captain professionally informed them of the service the empire provides: the procurement of any artifact given enough time and money(and at affordable rates!). The party deigned to peruse the current stock, and then left as they didn't feel the need to place an order for a specific item yet.   Their next move was to Keledek's Tower, where they met the only wizard of the town, Keledek. He was hosting a scrycast of Gnorm's old adventuring party who were currently fighting over loot. The party only wished to ask for help in reinforcing the ship's hull for magic experiments, but he actually referred them over to the mariner's guild for such a need. Catalina, however, didn't want to leave it at this with her current distaste of these scrycasters selling adventurer exploits without their permission or cut. With a casting of sending thanks to Gnorm informing her of one of the names of his past party members, she warned them of the issue. The party left to their next destination, as Keledek rushed to calm the angry crowd that had their scry cut short by a dispel magic spell.   Finally, they went to the mariner's guild. where they got themselves fully informed of the ship upgrading system.   For the night, they decided to heed the voice heard and went to the Wicker Goat. Turns out an old friend, Kalamazoo, was the one that contacted them in the crowd. Turns out she remade the party with Tate, adding another familiar face in Tony Two Bags, and an actually new one with BrarbakaKrallu (Also known as Stone). Besides the parties sharing stories, Catalina also performed for the crowd (admittedly a tough one), while Gnorm introduced themselves to Manistrad Copperlock, councilwoman and head of the local mining company. He nearly beats her in a drinking contest, and is rewarded with her slipping some embarrassing opinions to him. She also informed him of a job the company needed to be done: a thief having stolen mining equipment that need to capture.   They then got (overtaxed) rooms and rested for the night in their rooms (except Gnorm, who slept under a table). There, they finally met their liason for payment Eliander Fireborn, Vinland representative and councilman. he gives them their pay, and tells the party that he also has the follow-up mission for them to take if they wanted to, which the party obliges. He also helps inform the party a bit more on local politics, and the identities of the remaining council members.   The party then marches to their next destination, the lizardfolk lair, to fulfil their contract with the town to spy on the lizards stockpiling human weapons and armor. They pick up Oceanus due to his possible usefulness in the mission, and set off.   Of course, danger comes to them even for a stealth mission. In the swamps, they are ambushed by the frog people known as Bullywugs. They scrape by, and manage to solve one of their long term problems in the process, A brass helm that allowed underwater breathing and swift swimming.