Session 5: I Need...I Need...I Need A Crowbar!

General Summary

About five days later, Krusk is sleep is troubled, he has a dream he can't shake. He found himself back on Atuin Beach, his grandfathers statue standing before him. In front of the statue, he sees the outline of a familiar shell with the noth over the right shoulder. His brother Kest. As he approached, something felt off...an iron scent in the air, bodies in the sand. Not just the young, stillborn in their eggs, but children and adults, hacked apart, with a bestial fury. As he neared Kest, Kest's axe is stained red with blood, it slowly dripping into the sand.
Kest begins to speak in a language that causes his mind to hurt, and writhe in pain, and a section of the Great Tortle Statue begins to slide open, creating a doorway. Kest disappeared into the darkness. Krusk followed, the words of Kest still reverbating in his mind, growing ever louder, seeping beyond his sense of hearing, into his very being. It seems the entire world is quaking at the sounds of this dark tongue. As Krusk arrives at the bottom of the chamber, it is lit with torches. In the center of the chamber, is a figure on his knees, chained and studded with giant spikes piercing it from several different angles. A magical sigil glows underneath, a sigil of binding. Kest drags his bloodied axe across the sigil, defacing it.
R'kir Dravon  too had trouble sleeping. He dreamt he was back in his mother's tavern, doing what he can to help out, but aware that his mother is just scraping by with her business. As he is mopping the floor, an elven man enters, catching the eye of his mother. They depart almost immediately, R'kir knows she left with giving him a second thought. He feels a hand on his shoulder, R'kir turns around to look at the hand. It is the skin of a dark-skinned humanoid, with no face, but obviously male. This faceless man says, "I'm sorry my son. I never wanted this for you or your mother." R'kir woke up, and couldn't return to sleep. He went downstairs to cook food, the only thing that ever made him feel at home.
Leif Arrowsken likewise tossed and turned all night. He found himself back in @Skrim in the northeast of Vaeheor, where he botched a job, quite badly. Leif was supposed to burn down the hovel of a notorious drunk, who had debts that needed repaid. Leif had waited until the man left, and set it to the torch. But as the flames licked up the walls and onto the roof, Leif couldn't look away. There were two children inside. This was wrong...he should have been careful. Leif went downstairs to drown his pain in alcohol.
Wiliman Silverkin found himself in a dream, back in Clearwater. His mother, who had taken ill, was slowly wasting away. She was so sick, it had scared the small child Wiliman. He was afraid to look on the almost skeletal visage of his mother, she was just barely clinging on to life. Wiliman's father asked him to come say goodbye to his mother, but Wiliman couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. He remembers lying awake at night, being awoken by his father's voice. His mother had passed, and he never got to say goodbye.
Pitri had a bad dream. Pitri woke, startled, clutching at his heart and gasping for breath. He had to leave, he scampers out of The Rum Drum and runs blindly down a road. He ascends a winding path, near a cliff with trees lining the other side. In frustration, Pitri shoots a flickering spark towards a tree. 
Aliñar Daeran dreamt of being back in the Ca'Jiin Marshlands , on a hunt. She stalked a deer, and snuck upon it with remarkable ease. Even though she was upwind of the deer, and snapped a few twigs on approach, the kill was very clean...too easy. As she pulled the deer towards herself, the fur and hooves melted away, to reveal a blue scaled little girl, with a spiderbite through her heart. It was a Pantano girl in wild shape form. This Pantano had lost herself in her wild shape form.
Alinar awoke in a cold sweat, and went straight away to Wiliman's door, she all but kicked the door down. "You. Me. We're going to the beach," she informed Wiliman. "OK, I'm with you," a bleary eyed Wiliman said.
As they approach the beach, Alinar goes about waist deep into the water, and forms a dagger out of the water. She holds it in her hand and points it at Wiliman.
"What are we doing?!" sputtered Wiliman.
"I've seen people like you before Wiliman. You can cast, and can fight, but you're weak. I need to know that you can handle yourself. I'm NOT letting you get killed, so prove yourself. Right here, right now."
Alinar lunged forward, plunging the ice knife into Wiliman, and shaping more water into yet another dagger. Wiliman swings wildly at her, but misses, his rapier hitting nothing but air form. They trade blows, Wiliman getting in a few hits, but getting the worst of it
Wiliman sneered, "You call this a fight?!"  Alinar anger boiled within her, she was just as mad at herself as she was at Wiliman. Her blade burst into flames and she lunged at Wiliman. Wounded, and seared Wiliman plunges his sword into the sand and said, "I'm down. If I want to lay down my life for the Wild Cards, that's my right to do that. 
Wiliman went to the Callas' Flight to find Roland Dovalan and kicked in the door to the galley, where several sailors were playing cards. Swords are drawn, crossbows loaded, and a rifle cocked, as Doc Chopper, Roland, and several sailors look up.
"You Roland, how much are you down? What's your debt?" asked Wiliman. "What is this about?" spat Roland, a little annoyed and rather drunk. "I just got my ass kicked, I need someone to show me how to use this weapon," Wiliman replied, placing a hand on the pommel of his rapier. "But I'm in the middle of a game. Later." 
A voice from behind gleamed, "Don't worry Roland, I'll help this wee lad." It was Lysandre, a rare sight without his finely coiffed hair and smart clothing. "What can I do for you Willy?"
"I've been getting my ass kicked. I need to learn how to handle myself in a fight," Wiliman said, hanging his head.
"And you asked Roland for help?! Ha ha ha. My boy, let me teach you how to wield a blade." Lysandre took his arm around Wiliman and they went to the beach, near the dock.
Lysandre pulled out his rapier, it gleamed brightly, even in the faint light of the early morning. It was made from starmetal rapier. 
"Where did you get that rapier?" asked Wiliman. 
"Oh, I have some very generous friends," replied Lysandre. "Now let's see what you have!"
The begin to duel, and immediately it is clear that Wiliman has no idea how to handle a sword. One lucky strike, and Wiliman swoons, his lack of sleep and wounds from Alinar, overwhelming him.
"Oh my, lad, this won't do at all. Have some of this, you need to be at your best to learn from me," said Lysandre, tossing Wiliman a small vial of potion. Drinking it, Wiliman felt almost instantly rejuvenated. They began to work together, and as the sun rose of the sand of Port Gustav, Wiliman, though tired, sore, and covered in sweat, was parrying and thrusting his sword, keeping pace with the masterful sword work of the agile High Elf Lysandre.
Pitri, looks down and can see Alinar meditating in the water and further along the beach, Wiliman and Lysandre training. Beginning to feel alone, Pitri clambers down the sheer cliff face, falling about halfway down, and righting himself with a spell. Pitri walks out into the surf, up to his chest, and just stares into the ocean, watching the sunrise in the west, over the mountains of Alusfaen. He begins to scoot closer towards Alinar, and using his sorcerous powers, reaches out to talk, without using words.
"Alinar, if I had hurt people with my magic, like a lot of people, would I still be allowed in the pack?" he asked. Alinar, "I lie to myself. I force myself into situations where I am in danger, so that I can other people out of harms way. I'm not built to get one on one, but I do it anyway, you've seen me fight." Alinar places a message into a crab, to send a message. The crab comes over, "Some of us don't use our magic to fight. Some of us only use it to heal." Then the crab pinches Pitri's snout. "But that's my problem, though" replied Pitri. "What if I can't control my magic?" "Have you seen me turn myself into an animal? I've lost myself in it, I can't always control it. It becomes like an addiction." "Are you afraid you'll lose control" P "Yes, every day." A "Do you wish you weren't?"P "I wish for a lot of things. But I can't spend my time wishing for things that can't happen. I have to spend my time to protect the children in my tribe who lose themselves. I have to help them. I have to become king to stop them from getting hurt, like I hurt that girl." Pitri, continued to stand their weeping.
As Wiliman returned to the tavern, a message popped into his head, from a sending spell, from VIZIER.  "Are you alright? Have you found RUIN yet? Situation in Tannis is bad. Had to relocate, will let you know where soon."
"War in Mur going poorly. Cascade Alliance overrunning Western Alliance. Reports of Skaven on battlefield, look into this when time permits." Wiliman, began to reply, but could feel the connection go off in midsentence. He relayed this to the party.
Krusk, deciding to follow up, sends a message back to VIZIER channeling his divine magic, "We killed ROGUE, card only quarter full. How many ROGUES are there? Where are they? Leif missing arm, Alinar half-blind, Pitri arm broken HELP!"
VIZIER replied, "There were four rogues location unknown. Skaven invaded Tannis. Relocating to freehold sanctum. If help necessary, I’ll send KNIGHT and potions"
"Everyone, VIZIER has offered to send us KNIGHT and some potions. Should we ask him to send more help?" asked Krusk. 
The party debated back and forth, but R'kir, Alinar, and Pitri felt that they should let KNIGHT stay with VIZIER and MOON to protect their only allies. Wiliman, fondly recalling MOON, agreed. 
Leif said, "I don't really care. I just want to shake this bad dream I had." Pitri perked up, "You had a bad dream too?!"  The whole party had the dawning realization that they all were visited by bad dreams. Krusk related his dream, but said he wasn't sure if this was a true vision or just a nightmare.
R'kir went to see Jack Featherbottom, asking about bracers.
"Are we talking regular bracers, leather bracers, MAGIC Bracers?!" replied Jack, impatiently. "Magic bracers," R'kir replied hesitantly. Just something to help me in battle, I've been getting tossed around lately. "OK, well let's see how you do," said Jack, tossing a hammer at R'kir, managed to dodge deftly....right into the hammer, it smacked square on the forehead, leaving a nasty mark. "Yeah, you are pretty shit for a monk, you might be light on something, but it's not your feet. Wait here, I've got just the thing."
Jack comes back with some silver bracers, coursing with magical power.  "All right bud, these are going to do it for yeah. I have to forge these specially myself to hold this much enchantment, but they're going to make you stronger and quicker on your feet. But they're going to be costly, this is some of finest work and I'm not going to part with these lightly." 
As R'kir returns back to the tavern, he sees Wiliman and Pitri playing a lute and bongos respectively, while Wiliman sings, "Fishy Woman" an ode to Alinar, the druid. Alinar returns from upstairs, with several healing potions and hands them out to the party.
The party has been hatching a plan, they are going to incapacite @Mulgrew and turn him over to the town guard, and commandeer his vessel, the Waverider, to sail to Shanta-Aira. Roland, has an idea, to get the dwarf drunk, making their plan go more smoothly. In the meantime, in an effort to keep Krusk from objecting to dealing with such a shady deal, Alinar used her plant growth to make some Sailor's Green grow into the shape of a cabbage, and for Pitri, Wiliman and Krusk to go make some 'cabbage' soup.
Roland buys a few bottles of very fine brandy, and heads to Mulgrew's encampment. Making his presence known, Roland hears the dwarf shout out, "Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying!" 
"But what if I'm giving something away for free?" replied Roland.
The albino dwarf popped his head out, "What?!" and spying the bottles of brandy in Roland's hands, "Why didn't you lead with the booze, laddy?! Come on in" said the dwarf, popping off the cork and gulping down the entire bottle.
Roland relates what he knows about the cards and the situation in Shanta-Aira, and intimates that if they kill or otherwise deal with RUIN, the treasures he has destroyed he may reappear. They haggle over a cut of the potential profits for the use of the boat. They settle on 24% of the declared profits and Mulgrew included a crate of hand grenades.  
Meanwhile, Pitri, Krusk and Wiliman are on the beach, obviously under the intoxicating effects of the Sailor's Green.
"Do you have any demons Krusk? Alinar says everyone has a demon" asked Pitri.  "Yes!" Krusk said, hoisting up the bag of the Night Hag, "There is demon in here!" "No, like an inner demon. I thought I knew a demon, but it's actually not. I'm afraid she will hurt the people I love." "I have a demon," said Wiliman, also pretty full of the Sailor's Weed, "every time things get rough I leave. I've never been anywhere long enough to put down roots."
Soon, the rest of the group arrives, eager to set sail on the Waverider. They hastily set sail for Shanta-Aira, and arrive in the early morning the next day. As the near the eastern half of the island, they see small catamaran canoes in the ocean. Quickly, Alinar communes with a seagull and 
A village elder approaches, with the right side of his face badly burnt and scarred. "Hello! I am Wiliman Silverkin, I mean you no harm." "And I'm Pitri." "What business have you here, speak, for I am Gartok, chief of the Kol'Mora." "We are here to seek someone, called RUIN...to be brief, wherever he goes, ruin and famine follow." "You mean the greenskin. We know about him. He is not a willing destroyer, but a destroyer nonetheless."  As they speak, several villagers approach. They are armed with spears and bows made from wood and bone, very little metal. Everything they carry appears shabby and rickety. Pitri asked, "So you say he is not a willing a destroyer?" Gartok replied, "Yes, where he goes destruction follows, but he has not the ability to control it." "What if we could free him from his power?"  "I don't speak for him," Gartok intoned. "We want your blessing to seek him out. We want to help him," Wiliman asked.
"You have my blessing. Do you want a guide?"
"How about some directions instead," asked Pitri.
"He is a few hours journey this way," said Gartok pointing to the west. "Keep the mountain of Alusfaen to the front and to the right."
Meanwhile, Alinar had taken the time to commune with nature, reaching out to the tree. "Grandmother Oak, there is an obstacle in my path. I seek your permission to move through this forest unhindered to remove it."
"I will do what I can, but there are things in these woods beyond even my understanding" she replied in a creaking voice.
"In the lands that I come from, the swamps of my home, the trees are connected, the roots are sound. Can you speak with the other trees here?"
"Yes"
"I give you my blessing, bountiful growth for at least a year. I ask in return that you speak with your sisters and that they aid us as we pass."
"I thank you," creaked the old tree matron.
"I thank you as well" said Alinar, bowing her head full to the ground.
In preparation, the party stows their expensive gear in the Waverider and heads out to find RUIN. In about three hours time, they come to a small clearing and notice two sabertooths following them on either side. Alinar approaches one slowly, and attempts to communicate with one. On approach, Alinar realizes that these animals are intelligent, they aren't being hunted, they are being studied. She uses her druidic magic to speak with
"Several have come to visit our master, but none of them have left alive," growled one of the tigers.
Wiliman goes to knock on the door, and a green goblin opens the door.
"Can I help you?" said the goblin. "Sir, we've come a long way and we don't mean to bother you..." "I might have enough bowls for visitors." "We're here to help you with your power, to help you stop destroying things." Instantly the goblin is on the defensive, "I've heard this before. Others have tried to 'help' me too." Falling over each other to reassure him, R'kir and Wiliman communicate that they mean him no harm. Gesturing to what appear to be freshly dug graves, the RUIN says, "You aren't the first ones to come here. Mind your business," and gestures inside, opening the door fully. Instantly the smell of fish and cabbage stew is recognizable and RUIN offers it to the party.
"So who sent you?" asked the goblin. "Not the bad guy, VIZIER sent us." Rkir replied. "Well if the emperor didn't send you, I should count myself lucky." "Have many come after you, asked Rkir. "MAny. ASsassins, thieves, general ne'er do wells." "How did you get this power," asked Wiliman. "I used to be just a normal man, a thief of sorts." "Did you kill someone and then this started to happen?" asked Pitri. "That seems to be it," RUIN replied. "So how can you remove me of this power? Just that moment a rather large scorpion crawls across the wall. At the same time, Pitri grabs a card from the deck and smacks it onto his forehead.
Krusk cast a blessing of Illuminara onto the goblin, and he began to glow bright yellow. The yellow begins to form several particles and they in a glimmer float onto the RUIN card. RUIN comes out of a swoon, and rises to feet.   "All of us outside. Now." said the goblin running to a crate. "A crowbar. I need a... I need a crowbar." he said. Pitri inexplicably tosses him a crowbar, and the goblin busts open a crate. In the light, the gleam of bright gold and jewels shines from inside the crate.
"I've been out here long enough to build all of this," he said gesturing at the wall, the bridge, and his small house. "I've been here for forty years. I can finally be around people again." Pitri rummages through the open crate, finds a small crown and places it on RUIN's head.
Collecting himself, the goblin digs out a finely made bag of holding. "I never thought I'd have any of this stuff back again. You all can keep the rest. I don't care."
"You should come with us back to the mainland," said Roland.
"What is your name?" asked Krusk. "Gnasher" the goblin replied. Stepping towards ALinar he said, "You! Blue girl. You look like you could use some help. I don't think you're as good as I am." Alinar stared in disbelief, but before she could say anything, the goblin transformed into an earth elemental.
Roland searched the house and chest.
Loot tables 40 electrum (20 GP) pouch of 160 GP pouch of 90 GP 20 electrum (10GP) 70 GP 80GP 430 gold pieces in total
Potion of Heroism Potion of Gaseuos Form 4th Level Spell Scroll Peripet of Health

Report Date

20 Sep 2020