Session 21: The Puppet Master

General Summary

Awaiting Ester's execution in the grand palace of Bel Tocino, the party decided to investigate Jhal Brego's chambers. Through some clever deception, and a few near misses as the party climbed the rudimentary staircase that circled a tower of the palace. Reaching the quarters of Jhal Brego, Massimiliano, Ekxus, and Balasar crept inside. There they noticed several plants, hardly watered, and two figures, facing one another as though in a mirror.
Creeping closer, they noticed that the figure both looked like the Jhal, though the eyes of one had glazed over in a familiar cloudy whiteness, and the other began to move in strange jaunty motions. Apparently quite calm, the Jhal became aware of the dragonborn, the tiefling, and the gnome (who pretended to be a gardener). The Jhal asked Max what he knew of decay and regeneration. He seemed incapable of movement, instead warning them in a somewhat menacing tone to run while they still can. Before they escaped, the Jhal turned and addressed Ekxus as 'sister'. Balasar acquired a new friend in the form of Barry, a large houseplant.
Returning to the main hall of the palace in time for the execution, Balasar found that his gold pouch had been stolen. After a little difficult investigation in the swarm of people gathering for the execution, he found Merus holding the bag of coins. Merus told him that he had taken them for his friend J'Khan's education. Balasar gave in to his softer side, and left Merus some money.
The gang made a bargain with the Jhal to keep Ester's body after the execution. The execution of Ester Tordek was presided over by a halfling, and as she was hanged, her eyes made a brief and frantic search for her sister in the crowd, but didn't find her, as Devis was avoiding her gaze. However, as the gang swept in to grab the body, it disintegrated into the sand to the touch. They made a temporary stretcher and attempted to take her to the cave. 
There, you found Silvia having grown her fingers back, cradling three baby dragons, much to Ekxus' elation. Following the clues from a letter Nydyr found at Ester’s, everyone made their way to The Good Eye, on Pilgrim’s Row, a slumlike circuit around the city. On the way, they met Birdbrain again, who led them to the Good Eye, a bawdy house presided over by Ursula Alcala, a blind pimp and ‘friend’ of Ester’s. The gang had tea with her, explaining what had happened to Ester, which apparently greatly upset Ursula, who seemed quite pleasant. Noticing that the tea she served had an odd sweet, steely taste, the party asked after the tea's origins, to which Ursula responded that she her assistant had obtained the water from the well outside the establishment. 
Intrigued, the party investigated the nearby well. As Ekxus displayed her climbing proficiency, she descended into the damp 50ft deep shaft. At the bottom of the well, Ekxus met with a horrible sight; the glassy, staring eyes of Ester Tordek’s dead body.

Character(s) interacted with

Jhal Brego, The 'Puppet Master', the Halfling executioner, Merus, Birdbrain, Ursula Alcala

Report Date

26 Sep 2020

Primary Location

Bel Tocino