Azimuth 2 - Session 02 - Searching for Carriages
General Summary
Porgorag
The Darksteel Foundry
The party set out from the Darksteel Foundry in the late afternoon into Porgorag. They decided to split up to cover more ground quickly. Arwin and Romulus decided to head to Westfield. Gertrude, Demitri, Mortimr, Chaka, and Romsca would head to the Yellow Quay. Ilmendwyth would tag along and head to the nearby Quayside Stables.Yewberry Apothecary
Arwin and Romulus headed to Westfield, which was the more orcish side of town. Romulus led Arwin to the Yew Well, where Arwin collected a few of the fallen arils from the old Yew Tree. Arwin knew some of the history of the tree from his studies, knowing it was rumored that Joseppe, the Shadow Mage, had planted it. They reached the Yewberry Apothecary. The shop owner, Minagak, was brewing many potions. Arwin knocked to alert her to their presence, and she welcomed them. She said she was busy brewing her stock back, as she had to throw all her recently-brewed potions. She asked what she could help with. Romulus told her about the demon and the ooze he and Romsca battled, and he asked if she could investigate the contents of the vial he collected. Minagak had heard of the aid caravan coming to the Darksteel Foundry. Arwin asked if it could be demonic, and Minagak said it was unlikely, as demonblood evaporates in small quantities. However, she also said she was not very knowledgeable about demon physiology. Romulus asked why she had to toss her potions. Minagak said it was because the water of the Yew Well had been fouled somehow. Residents of Westfield were complaining of illness, and the water had started to show acidic properties. Because her potions used the Yew Tree’s water, she tossed them all for safety. Minagak said she could try to look at the vial, but with such a small amount inside, she was unsure how much she could learn. Arwin asked to save some of the vial’s contents if possible, and Romulus said she could bill the Hands of Ore for any fee. Arwin purchased some sulfur and attempted to get sap, resin, and bark. Minagak directed him to a woodworker she knew in the Moss Docks named Loupaché . She also asked if they found him, to inform him that the potion she made for him would likely not work. Before leaving, Minagak looked at the health potion and identified it as one that may need to be thrown. Romulus cast Detect Poison and Disease on the potion and learned it was probably fine. While Romulus went to catch back up with the rest of the party, Arwin went north to the docks to seek out Loupaché.Yellow Quay
Ilmendwyth separated to head towards the stables at the edge of town, while Gertrude, Demitri, Mortimr, Chaka, and Romsca headed to the Yellow Quay. A soldier noticed them and asked what they needed. Romsca presented her Hands of Ore symbol and paperwork, and after speaking with his superior, brought the group inside the Yellow Quay through the palisade. The soldier brought them to a reception building that was very simple in design. They waited a long period of time. The soldier said Warguard Ghuzzakk was meeting with Coinguard Gim Gorod, which was likely the cause of the delay. While waiting, Chaka spent time sketching the table plant. Gertrude was fidgety and impatient. Romsca stressed herself out and kept mumbling to herself. Demitri told her to relax, saying this was a common tactic used in negotiations to “make you sweat and stew a bit.” Gertrude also attempted to console Romsca. Mortimr subtly listened at the closed doorways and overheard part of a conversation between the Warguard and Coinguard. He hear the Warguard voice concern about the rebellion in the Western Valley, and he was frustrated by the orders sending some of his forces southwards. The Coinguard said that good relations with the capital were very important and said it had already been agreed to. He also said that with the extra carriages requisitioned for the Yellow Quay, Ghuzzakk's forces should replaced soon enough. Ghuzzakk entered the room where the party was waiting. Romsca said they were there to retrieve the carriages for the Hands of Ore, and Ghuzzakk said the carriages had already left his facility days ago, he believed intended for the Hands of Ore. This was around the time that the Coinguard had arrived “with the next set” of carriages. Chaka saw the Coinguard through the doorway, and Chaka and Mortimr left gave chase as he left the facility. In the roadway outside the Yellow Quay, they saw Coinguard Gim Gorod and a number of personal bodyguards. Meanwhile, Romsca thanked the Warguard for his time. As they rest of them left, the Warguard said if they were looking for the Coinguard they should “look for loose panties in Westfield.”Quayside Stables
Ilmendwyth reached the nearby Quayside Stables. Ilmendwyth spoke with a stableman, letting them know he was seeking out missing carriages. The stableman checked the manifest. It listed that the carriages were sent to the Hands of Ore two days ago, but the signature for who completed the order was strangely left blank. Ilmendwyth asked if there were other carriages they could have instead, and the stableman said that all the others were already tied up in other contracts, mostly through the Yellow Quay. A large order had come through from the Oknar Offices, which was unexpectedly doubled after the fact. It was the first time the stableman had seen all their carriages so occupied. Ilmendwyth asked if other guilds in town kept their carriages here as well, like the Hero Hunters. The stableman said the Hero Hunters Facility didn’t do business with the Quayside Stables and maintained their own stock of carriages. He said the leader of the Hero Hunters was a recluse who didn’t seem to trust outside organizations. Ilmendwyth got directions to the Hero Hunters Facility and asked the stableman to direct his companions there if they came looking for him.Moss Docks
At the Moss Docks, Arwin saw a number of hawkers packing up their stands at the end of the day. Nearby, he saw a large spreading of discarded wood shavings. Sat next to it was a grey gnoll who had a large scar on his face and was missing his left eye. He was hunched and whittling a piece of wood. Arwin approached and asked if he was Loupaché. The gnoll said he was not, but he knew where Loupaché was. After Arwin offered gold coins, the gnoll said Loupaché was out of town at his homestead on the other side of the western fields. He also said that Loupaché “likes to be alone this time of the month.” He told Arwin to be careful, as Loupaché was the one that caused the gnoll’s scars. The gnoll also said Loupaché was the best woodworker he knew. When the gnoll asked why he was seeking out Loupaché, Arwin was evasive. The gnoll alluded to having memorized Arwin’s scent, as he didn’t smell like salt and fish. The gnoll said it was nothing to worry about unless he were to cause problems for Loupaché. Arwin left the gnoll and went to rejoin the larger group.Outside the Yellow Quay
Chaka and Mortimr caught up with Gim Gorod and his guards. Chaka asked about the carriages intended for the Hands of Ore. The Coinguard said he thought they were already sent, and he was familiar with the aid caravan that was set to soon depart. Chaka said they had not arrived, and the Coinguard said it was “unfortunate if the Hands of Ore have lost some carriages.” Chaka then went to cast a spell and reached for the needed materials. One of the guards immediately started to pull the Coinguard back while simultaneously Gertrude ran into Chaka to interrupt him as the rest of the group arrived. Gim Gorod greeted the rest of them. Romsca introduced herself in gnollish fashion by exposing her throat. She apologized for the confusion. Gim Gorod said no apology was necessary and thanked them all for alerting him the Hands of Ore were running into issues with the aid caravan. Romsca downplayed the problem to the Coinguard and assured him the Darksteel Foundry was ready to go. Gim Gorod said the caravan was of great importance to the city. Chaka asked if the Coinguard would accompany them to the Quayside Stables to sort this out, and he declined as he had “business elsewhere”. Demitri said it was strange that as soon as carriages were needed, the Coinguard was arranging additional carriages for the Yellow Quay. Gim Gorod said the military needs of the capital outweighed the needs of carriages for an outside entity like the Santeem Republic. Mortimr put on a Tarterian Traders lapel pin he had and intently looked at Gim Gorod. When the Coinguard noticed the symbol, he then avoided eye contact with Mortimr for the rest of the conversation. Romsca asked if Gim Gorod knew what may have caused such an error with these carriages, and he responded saying it was likely either the Hands of Ore misplaced them or the Quayside Stables did not properly deliver them. Gim Gorod then said that he would see what his office could do. He said it was “in Porgorag’s interest” that the aid caravan mission is completed and it was concerning the Hands of Ore were running into issues. Gim Gorod said he believed the group would be able to resolve this for the Foundry. Romsca said she was led to believe the Coinguard had lost faith in the Foundry, and Gim Gorod denied this, saying he was involved in the Hands of Ore getting the contract in the first place. He said Borscha might be misinterpreting his “interest” in the caravan as meddling. Chaka then brought up the wheel tax. Gim Gorod said the tax came from the capital and directed him to direct complaints to the Arttia Kala, where the order came from. He then bid the group good evening and left. While the party looked frustrated, Mortimr snuck away.Outside the Hero Hunters Facility
The group gathered back together outside the Hero Hunters facility and discussed their options, as the guild appeared to be closed at this hour. Romsca wanted to report back to Borscha and get approval to seek the aid of the Hero Hunters. Arwin informed them he knew of a woodworker a few hours outside town. He also said he had woodworking experience, and they could make new carriages. Romulus said if they were up for a side task, they could investigate the sewers and the Yew Tree. They decided to head back to the Darksteel Foundry and walked back through town. At City Center, Gertrude said she wanted to swing by the nearby Church of Zenethia, as she had a message to drop off there.Oknar Offices
Meanwhile that evening, Mortimr located the Oknar Offices and watched the entrance. As he watched for several hours, he saw an older orc man leave the office, seemingly an official of some kind. He also eventually saw the Coinguard and his retinue enter the offices and leave again in short order. As the Coinguard left back to the city, Mortimr followed after.
Report Date
12 Oct 2022
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
1 Adroth 5A 352