Michael's Report, 2022-06-26

General Summary

In the aftermath of the fight against the Gilded Grim, the party gathered for rest and drinks at Felzoun's Folly. Meanwhile, Xev's familiar followed Ezra, the captain of the defeated thugs, to the Sunset Gate on the west of the city. He waited there to meet in private with one of the City Watch guards, who told him not to worry, because the Grim take care of their own - shortly before she attempted to stab Ezra in the back. Ezra escaped, but was apprehended by the City Watch while he fled.
Overnight, Vathash went alone to the farmlands to observe the scarecrows overnight. He saw two come to life, kill a cow, and drag them to another abandoned farm. There, they were cut up, or perhaps dissected, by a robed figure with a golden, metallic hand, and the markings of a Reivan Elder. Vathash chose not to confront the Elder alone.
The next morning, the party was visited by Jackie de Mowbray at the Friendly Ghost. He gave us an exposé accusing an unnamed noble family of devil worship, a story obviously invented by himself, and asked us to anonymously deliver it to the Brightridge Record. We agreed to do this, and Anthea altered the document with a final line that could be taken to imply that the family in question is the Firelight family.
Savra Drake also asked us to speak to the Brightridge Record to investigate their stories about the alleged return of an infamous thief, the Obsidian Viper, so we went to the Record to plant the story in his office. We also asked him about the Obsidian Viper, but calling his information 'sketchy' would be generous.
Finally, the party returned to the Friendly Ghost in the afternoon to study our map of the sewer. We didn't find any locations of interest, but did note that the map does not show the closet where we previously found the entrance to the mind flayer's sanctum.

Rewards Granted

60 gp

Wand of Magic Detection (given to Xev)

Bag of Useful Things (given to Lyra Dune)

Character(s) interacted with

New Articles

People

Gilded Grim / City Watch Guard

Reivan Elder in Exile

The Obsidian Viper

Lothel Bonerock

Kat, Jinks, and Squid

Plots and Quests

Project Mayhem

Places

Rusty Bucket Farm

Other

Brightridge Record

Updated Articles

People

Ezra

Savra Drake

Plots and Quests

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Perfectly Balanced, As All Things Should Be

Places

Other

Notes

World date: Ship Day, 17th of Flame, 1493, night

Ezra hanging out in an alley near the Sunset Gate (west gate), watching the guards discreetly

Stopped at Felzoun's Folly for rest and drinks

While eating, saw Ezra talk to one of the guards when the other left

Guard: Early 40's Human woman, black and silver mohawk, slightly darker skin

Overheard conversation

You gotta help me, we were running this protection racket and we got our asses kicked

Guard says it's alright, relax, we'll take care of it, "The Grim take care of our own"

Guard attempted to kill Ezra while they walked through the alleys

Xev warned Ezra of the attack, and he managed to flee before he was apprehended

Vathash headed out to the Rusty Bucket Farm, which has the scarecrow problem

At about 3 in the morning, 1 scarecrow starts moving

Wooden claw emerges from the hand and kills a cow

Another scarecrow comes to life and helps the other drag it to a wooded area

Vathash follows to the ruins of an older farmhouse

Perhaps 100 year old stone farmhouse, overgrown with trees

Tent off to the side

Hooded figure in the tent came out to carve up pieces of meat

1 hand made of gold metal (pointy fingers)

Other arm has the tattoo of a Reivan elder

Carefully carving off specific pieces of the meat

Farmer is about 90 years old

World date: Tide Day, 18th of Flame, 1493, morning

Vathash met up with the party at 8AM at the Friendly Ghost

Knock at the tavern door

Flamboyant person

Turns out to be Jackie de Mowbray

"Are you enterprising individuals looking for work around town?"

Wants us to steal a handkerchief from a noble, for a reward of 10gp

Wash got 5gp for sleight-of-hand passing off discarded napkin as one she had stolen before

Wash returned a ring she had stolen from Jackie

While talking, Xev sent out his imp and stole a noble's handkerchief

Actual work he's looking to give

Deliver expose to Lothel Bonerock of the Brightridge Record

Doesn't want him to know who wrote it, or where it came from

Office is in the North Ward

Exposing an unnamed noble family of devil worship

It seems that Jackie has invented this rumour himself

Lyra added a comment to the end about a family "taining their light with darkness"

10:00 AM

Returned the money from the Grim to Savra Drake

Reward

Wand of Magic Detection (to Xev)

Bag of Useful Things (to Lyra)

60 gp (as agreed)

New Quest

The Obsidian Viper appears to have returned to the city

Was presumed to have retired or died

Has been known to rob noble estates

No one knows her identity because she always wears a mask

Report of her coming back has appeared in the Brightridge Record

Asked us to speak to Lothel at the Record to find out what he knows

30gp reward

Vathash noted

10:30 AM

Xev sent imp to Ulric at the Orphanage

Failed to convince him that the Friendly Ghost was a safe

Brightridge Record office in the North Ward

Lothel Bonerock: Gnome

Refused to name his source about the Obsidian Viper

Has reason to believe it's the secret evil twin sister of Misty Firelight - but this seems to be more of a rumour mill

Claims he knows the real Misty Firelight, and she isn't a graceful person like a thief

Misty and her husband are also strong spellcasters

Claims the Viper dresses all in black, robes with red trim, with a fencing sword

Asked about the disappearance of Elmo Firelight

He doesn't know much, just says he heard he was kidnapped

Lyra tried to discreetly place the expose (with a distraction by Xev),

Questions about

3 sp each per chicken

50 gp to build a chicken coop

At the orphanage to hire some kids to scavenge for reagents

Kat, Jinks, and Squid

Kat - 10 year old, tall, lanky Human, deaf

Jinks - 9 year old Tiefling, does most of the talking

Squid - 9 years old, chubby, darker skinned human boy

On way back to the Shade Ward

Peasants dressed in black carrying a casket, processing heading west from the Copper Ward

Woman sobbing at the end of the line, someone heard her sobbing about Trevor

Vathash went to the smith to do some work after leaving the

1 PM

Met back up at the Friendly Ghost

Studied the map of the sewer

The closet we found doesn't appear on the map

Report Date

26 Jun 2022

Primary Location

Brightridge

Related Plots

• Perfectly Balanced, As All Things Should Be
• Throwing Down the Gauntlet