Session 15: Meeting your Adversary Report

General Summary

The team emerges from the portal out of the Shadowfell and into a forest scene, the sounds of the ocean nearby and the familiar noise of the city looming off in the distance, telling of a close proximity to Arkdale. After a successful nature check by the ranger and druids, they are able to discern the changes in the moon and stars point to about ten days passing since crossing into the Shadowfell, placing them late for their appointment to reunite with Zarra. The majority of the team sets up a hasty camp while Wellys flies towards Arkdale to connect with Zarra and update her with progress. During his journey he witnesses an exodus of commoners leaving Arkdale and a decline in the civility and safety of the city. With the guards no longer keeping the peace, the atmosphere has descended into brutality, the strong preying upon the poor and weak, and general mayhem disorder. As Wellys approaches the dock instead of seeing the Arachne docked he sees it off in the distance and sailing away…in the shipping yard he finds Zarra badly beaten and tied up.   Descending to aid Zara, he releases her from her bonds and she shares that their previous prisoner Covirus and about 15 brutes snuck aboard the ship, overpowered and bound her and forced her to divulge how to make the ship convert and fly. Before they departed she was beaten and left in the shipping yard…Covirus told her to be thankful that Ilyana hadn’t acted on stripping him before releasing him or she would have been left in the same condition…and extended his thanks for sharing their plans while he was within earshot or he never would have succeeded in taking the ship.   Wellys updates the team using the magical Charm of the Protector as he takes to the air after the vessel and quickly falls out of communication range. The Arachne is now converted to an airship and already traveling at a fast pace away from him. Over the next hour Wellys pushes himself to exhaustion trying to catch the stolen ship…while briefly making progress he eventually loses sight over the horizon and turns back towards the long invisible shoreline.   In the meantime the rest of the party breaks camp and hastily runs to support Zarra. The turmoil and general discord on the ground is worse than the scene witnessed from the air. Ilyana summons a sprite named Spot to aid her…using his abilities to cast greater invisibility on her so she can scout forward of the team and hide from any guards that might be looking for the team. The chaos in the streets cause her to bump into several people, one person cries out from bumping into something hidden, but otherwise the presence of the team is too intimidating for any confrontations by the brutes on the street.   Making it to Zarra they tend to her wounds before recognizing something hair-raising watching them from a nearby tavern. Shade uses her Ghostly Gaze skill to look through the walls of the tavern…witnessing a dark figure and several patrons drinking.   On entering the tavern, they notice the patrons who are sitting around seem off a little…they are drinking but not like any patrons they have ever seen in a bar. The dark figure in a wide brimmed ship’s captains hat and a wizened beard sits in a corner, his face in shadows. All at once a splitting headache hits each party member - an ominous telepathic voice burrows into each mind from the dark figure, which invites them to sit at the table in the back of the room. A not so chance encounter reveals the figure in a captains hat is more than just an interesting person…he admits to being behind many of the things going on in Arkdale, having penetrated into the city leadership and noble households.   The party recognizes a change in environment…one moment there are only a few patrons minding their own business, the next the room is packed with people, all moving as one as if controlled by something. He drops his magical illusory disguise and leans forward in his chair…the candlelight reveals not a bearded human but something with tentacles extending from around where it’s mouth should be…it’s eyes lacking any known familiarity to the party with anything human. Continuing the conversation in their minds, he offers each their weight in gold if they choose to cease their pesky investigations or the next encounter will end very badly for the party. A wave of psionic power blasts across the party knocking half into unconsciousness and doubling over the rest in pain. Those still conscious recover from leaning over and recognize in the brief time they looked away the packed room is now only populated by the party…the patrons and the dark tentacled figure gone in an instant. The only person still present is a dead barmaid behind the bar…her skull containing a massive hole revealing an empty cavity where the brain should be, sharp teeth marks around the large cranial opening.   The party leaves the tavern just as an exhausted Wellys returns to the shipping yard. After a brief exchange the party moves away from the docks they gain the unwanted attention of a group of thugs following and goading them into a fight. After the team opens the battle with a swift flurry of powerful attacks that leave several of the thugs dead and injured they hastily retreat.   The team finds a boarded up inn, the sounds of someone hammering are heard through the doorway. The party knocks on the wooden doorway and gain the attention of the innkeeper and persuade him to let them in in exchange for protection of the building. A short bent over somewhat elderly gnome pries open the doorway and allows them in, providing some food from the kitchen in the back as the party wraps up their conversation and planning for the evening.   As everyone takes off upstairs and settles in, the day concludes as Shade finds herself back in a hellish environment, discussing the needs of her patron in payment for her gifts and magical powers. He asks her to seek weaknesses in her paladin companions… something that will break their will and possibly their oaths to their deities. He also chastises her for resisting him in Candlekeep and when he insisted she take the shadowy blade that was locked deep beneath their walls. Leaving a warning to comply or become part of his garden of souls that writhe nearby… Shade returns back from this mental dream journey to ponder this moral dilemma to support or betray her newfound friends.