Aldebaran V4: The Road to Cosiax
General Summary
Stepping outside of the chapel, the party would be greeted with the sun receding beyond the horizon, providing an orange glow over tall unkempt grass and black stone ruins. Working out where they had been captured and the coast of the ocean to their north pushing into the beach, they figured they were at the Spinal Ruins of Cosiax. Using the sun's position in the sky and the month they were in, they'd estimate the time to be around 6:30pm. Agreeing to head to the capital of Sacriel, they'd begin to make their way east.
It would be a few days trip, and Rozalin would find a decent spot for everyone to rest in on their first. While things were still being setup, Sha would set himself down to decode the ciphered journal for about an hour and make some headway into that. Once they sparked up a fire though, they'd converse amongst themselves and learn a little bit more about who each person was. Finding each others company amicable enough, and tired from the days events, they'd each fall asleep. Save for Mordecai and Ogazi. Having been a bit distant, Ogazi confessed to Mordecai she planned on slipping off in the night. She seemed hesitant to speak about her true motivations, simply stating she wanted to experience the world now that she could. She thanked him again for freeing her, however he and the rest of the party did so, and began to walk west.
Waking up, they'd continue their march to Cosiax. On their path, they'd run into a group of Diamond Dog mercenaries. Headed by Dmitri, he'd question the party about the caravan they were a part of, seeing as they were coming west. Apparently, the city of Cosiax has a lot of people filling missing persons reports and they were sent to check it out. It was a smidge tense for a moment, the group unsure what to do with them and Sha's presence being an ill omen, but it was Mordecai's word that would assuage the leader of the group. Having a paladin can be handy sometimes. Dmitri would thank them for the information they'd provide, and continue westward towards the Spinal Ruins.
Along the route, Luner would see if she could heal Sha using negative energy. Conversations were had about his origins, especially since one of the members of the Diamond Dog group they came across had accused him of being an Amuru'shi. Little did they know at the time how important this event might be. As they neared closer, they'd be attacked by vicious horse sized bugs called Ankhegs. Finding themselves slightly pincered, they'd fight back against the creatures. Things were going pretty cleanly until one streamed a deadly line of acid through Terry the Bloody Skeleton and towards Sha. Struck cleanly by it, he was severely wounded. The rest of the party would engage and dispatch it quickly while Luner would find a moment to heal Sha's wounds. Sha seemed surprised at the effectiveness, and would later thank her as best as he could.
The fight concluded, a new undead minion would rise out of the corpse of one of the Ankhegs. They'd spend a little time acquiring plates from the dead bugs, they were seemingly quite valuable. Continuing their trek eastwards, they'd judge themselves to be only a few miles out from town. One final night in the wilderness, Sha would decode the rest of the book and learn a little bit about the strange apparatus they'd acquired from the cultists. With mention of another sect in Bolk, more talk of the Weavenfell, some council of Omorful'henzio elite, and more, the journal may have raised more questions than answered. Sha would look into the apparatus and see that it could be manipulated to try and ensare creatures with the same strange chains that once bound Ogazi. Following the same rules, they'd discover only the four of them could break these chains still, Luner could not. This would conclude their night, and the next day they'd arrive at Cosiax.
They'd meet Steve the Guard here, at the gates to the city. Having told him they were a part of the attacked caravan, he'd ask if the party could follow him to the precinct. Lead to Prouthec, the officer captain of the guard would question them about the attack. Handing him the books they came across, they'd answer his questions. He didn't seem to have any misgivings about their word, and welcomed them to the city, apologizing that their first experience was to be dragged to the guard house. He'd also notice Sha, and mention that another amuru'shi lived here by the name of Shiggy, the cities alchemist. Once excused from the office, the party was free to explore.
Offloading their sellable goods at the local Melificent Emporium, they'd visit the blacksmithery and meet Thuaxl. The iruxi seemed to be a master craftsman, and would take on a commission to refit a set of full plate with ankheg plate. He'd also sell a magic rapier to Maya. In two days time, the lizardman would let Mordecai know his commission would be finished. Satisifed, they party stepped back outside into the plaza and go their separate ways for the time being. Rozalin would head towards the docks, Maya towards the local bar. Mordecai had forgotten to mention to Thuaxl a requirement to his armor and go back to the blacksmit before heading towards the monastery with Luner, and Sha would go towards the Two-Tailed Sales.
The session would end with Sha and Mordecai's encounters, with Shiggy indeed being another Amuru'shi. The two necrocats would converse about their experiences in life, Sha surprised he was living comfortably enough within the city. Shiggy would make him some food and show off his pet undead parrot while also letting slip that needed gelatinous cube acids for some alchemical craft he's working on. He'd also warn them of a local gang that would often harass him and a fellow "outcast" called Ithneith. Content with Shiggy's demeanor, he'd give him the formulae book they came across from the cultists before departing.
Mordecai would visit Thuaxl again and manage to get a minor price drop on the full plate commission. Opening up a little with the blacksmith, he'd speak of how he came to lose his arm. An assassin of some sort, a desert dweller had lopped it off during an attack, but he managed to take out her eye in the process. Hailing from Slizeth, the paladain of Utosserix is a long ways a way from home. Thuaxl offered to talk if he ever needed to, happy to have another of his kind within the city. Thankful for the offer, this is where our session would end. The party is slightly split within the city, its confines have yet to be fully explored.
Text Roleplay:
Sha would purchase more supplies from Shiggy and learn about the city. He would also see about acquiring some onyx, but Shiggy would try to steer him away from it. Determined however, Sha would get Shiggy to recommend two options. One was a crime boss called the Dock's Lord, located where else but the docks. The other would be a local wizard called Ishy, who runs a scroll and sundries shop in the plaza. Both sounding dangerous in their own ways, Sha would decide taking his chances with the wizard. Arriving at a crooked tower, Sha would meet the usatokki shopkeep. Playing a game of who would ask first, Sha would scribe some spells into his book before asking for onyx. Ishy would reveal herself to be more than just a simple wizard and shopkeep, but rather some kind of monster that needs to live off the life force of others. While scared, Sha would accept this price in exchange for some onyx. The feeling was special, a sort of high unlike anything he's ever experienced before, and with the onyx in tow he'd leave Ishy's shop happily.Missions/Quests Completed
- Decoded the Ciphered Book of the High Priest.
- Defeated a group of ankhegs.
- Made it to the city of Cosiax.
Character(s) interacted with
Dmitri (Ōkagǒu) - Part of the diamond dogs faction, Dmitri was sent to investigate the disappearance of the caravan that was traveling to Cosiax. He, along with an entourage of 9 others, all heavily armed and dangerous looking, would run into the party as they made their way to the city. Cordial enough, he'd ask the party what happened and if they were involved. Thanking them for their time, he'd continue west past the party.
Steve (Human) - A lone human guard amongst the whole of Cosiax, he was who the party would run into when trying to get into the city. Letting him know they were part of the caravan that had gone missing, he'd ask that they'd follow him to the precinct.
Prouthec (Amurrun) - A well dressed officer of Cosiax, he'd ask the party of their involvement within the caravan that went missing. They'd hand him the decoded book and the journal of the cultist, and describe their capture and escape. Dmitri had already managed to send word back to town somehow, they had found only a few other survivors, the caravan had hundreds of people in it. A gruesome note, he'd nevertheless welcome them to the city and let them be on their way.
Thuaxl (Iruxi) - A simple blacksmith, the lizardfolk craftsman spoke clean and plainly to the party. Taking on a commission to re-outfit the full plate they had come across for Mordecai, he would also sell Maya an enchanted rapier and explain what he could do with the ankheg plates they came across. Judging by the crafts along the wall, he was more than capable of performing these tasks. In two days time, he told Mordecai he would be finished with the full plate job. While not too uncommon to see an iruxi in a city like this, blacksmithery is a bit of an odd choice for lizardfolk to take up.
Shiggy (Amuru'shi) - It would be only Sha meeting with the alchemist of Cosiax, a fellow necrokitty. Within a shoddy little building he'd be cooking up a mix of something, likely only he knows what it might turn out to be. Shiggy would be quite surprised to meet another of his kind within his shop, the reverse true to Sha. He'd let Sha know that he has a decent life here, while certainly not everyone is nice to him, there are those that make sure he is decently treated, one such person being Prouthec. Whether his living arrangements are of his own making or a result of his surroundings, who's to say. He'd make Sha some hamhash and casually bring up he needs some gelatinous cube acids, willing to pay a hefty sum for 10lbs. of the material.
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