Session 14: Elmo Opens Up Report
General Summary
After a rest from the previous day's Yuan-ti field trip to an outlying farm, the heroes meet in the great room of the Inn. After a bit of ale and warm cakes, Elmo came by and the five (including Beaufort De Montague, Midnight Snow, Emmanuel Woodsmoke, and Garadin) retired to one of the private back rooms. Elmo again thanked the adventurers for his rescue (Session 12: Where's Elmo Report) and confronting the Yuan-ti (Session 13: Beaufort's Rude Awakening Report). He then turned to the business at hand. Elmo noted his connection with Lady Bronwyn Daggerford and their work with The Harpers. The Harpers suspect evil may once again be on the rise at The Temple and the Moathouse, both bordering the High Moor. Increased banditry, strange robed figures seen on the road, and of course the Hobgoblins that captured Elmo suggest this. Elmo also recounted the history of warfare leading to (Destruction of the Temple of Elemental Evil) and asked the adventurers to serve the Harpers in their quest to determine what they may about rising evil at the edge of the High Moor. Elmo was short on leads. He suspects that agents of the temple or related factions may have infiltrated Secomber, but he cannot solidly identify anyone yet. He knows that hobgoblins are using the destroyed Temple as a base; he and the militia have skirmished with them several times in the last half-year at outlying farms. He seems less sure of what or who may be at the Moathouse, if anything. Garadin remembers something Cannoness Y'Dey told him: Elmo lost his brother in a battle at the moahouse 10 years ago. In the end it was agreed to head to the moathouse and learn what they could. Leaving the private room, a gnome, Otho a baker in the village, entreated Elmo to investigate the whereabouts of Karlun, the miller. He hadn't been seen for three days and Otho needed his weekly grain bill. Elmo said he would look into it, but Garadin suggested the party call upon the miller's house before heading to the Moathouse. Garadin had a word earlier with Chatrilon Unosh who said he had heard Karlun was missing. At the miller's two workers were stacking sacks of flour and tending to orders. Nothing seemed particularly amis, until the workers casually mentioned that some of Karlun's friends were staying in the mill cellar. Immediately, Snow, Garadin and Emmanuel go to the cellar door and pull it open. Snow was surprised by a half orc with a crossbow, but she and Garadin chaged down the narrow steps regardless and joined battle with the half-orc and human spell-caster in the corner. After subduing the half-orc and killing the spell-caster, a third spell caster materialised firing magic missles at the heroes (despite Garadin's valiant attempt to find any invisible enemies). This tiefling fought to the end, but was also subdued. In a trapped (and glyph protected!) chest Snow found several hundred gold pieces, an ochre-coloured priest's robe, and some illuminating correspondence. The papers were addressed to Master Dunrat and from someone named Naquent. The documents mostly referred to Dunrat's mission to infiltrate Secomber and uncover the ancient shrine at the moathouse. It seems Naquent directed Dunrat to uncover the treasures of the Dark God in the moathouse shrine, seal the shrine, and bring the treasures to the Temple of All Consumption. This last location is followed by a sentence reading "A wagon can be obtained from Tal Chamish in the nearby village of Llorkh to haul whatever you find back to the crater." The captured tiefling and half-orc confirmed that Dunrat had killed Karlun and that they worked for the man, a tall, imposing person with bushy eyebrows and a pointed beard. Neither seemed particular knowledgable or interested in the Temple, Moathouse, or Dunrat's plans. Returning to the Inn, the party was met by Elmo who was astounded, in his quiet way, at the turn of events. He asked the party to go with him to the Inn where additional militia members accompanied Elmo and the prisoners to the cells in the keep of Rufus and Burne. Elmo took the papers found in the chest below the mill to show to Burne, a powerful wizard. Back at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, at an early supper after a suprisingly eventful stop at the local flour mill, Emmanuel returned Beaufort's spell books to him, saying he didn't want these to go missing.
Rewards Granted
The four party members earned 400 XP each
Notes
The chest beneath the mill contained 480 gp, now 'held' by Emmanuel. Em also found a locked book in some sacks in the corner of the room.
