Azimuth 2 - Session 03 - Guildhalls and Churches
General Summary
Porgorag
Church of Zenethia
In the evening of 1 Adroth 5A 352, Gertrude saw the Church of Zenethia and informed the party she wished to visit, as she had been given a message to deliver there. People were filing inside for an evening mass, and a member of the clergy told Gertrude that the Godsguard was about to give a sermon. Gertrude, Arwin, and Demitri entered and took seats in the pews while the rest of the party waited outside. Gertrude properly arranged her holy symbol and regalia. Demitri wondered if the Godsguard could be a resource to lean on the Coinguard. Arwin listened to the others in attendance and overheard talk of Chedae’s light fading in Tarteria and the rumor that the light could still be found in the west. He also heard talk of sounds and disappearances in the night near Nerull's Fane. Then, Godsguard Ankhan, daughter of Audeh, took the stage and approached the pulpit. As soon as Arwin saw the Godsguard was a dragonborn, he stood and left the church. The Godsguard gave a sermon talking of patience and her belief that the light “will return if we continue to keep its flame burning.” Despite the hopeful message, it did not seem to resonate with the congregation. Outside, Romsca said Arwin had been quick. Arwin gave the excuse of needing to use the restroom. They then started back towards the Darksteel Foundry, leaving Demitri and Gertrude behind. After the sermon, Demitri approached the statue of Leo, Captain of the Black Barrow. He disparaged the state of the Santeem Republic and blamed Leo for setting the country on this path, though he acknowledged its current state of in-fighting and corruption was likely not Leo’s intent. Demitri then toured the other statues while listening for Gertrude’s conversation. Gertrude approached Godsguard Ankhan. She introduced herself and delivered the sealed message from Bishop Rannyl Grimsunder. Ankhan knew of the bishop and had not expected any message. She read the scroll and returned it to Gertrude. Ankhan discussed the fading of Chedae’s light in Tarteria. It started 7-8 months prior, at the end of the 5A 351 Festival of Dragons. Ankhan felt it like a wave from the south. Weaker clerics of the church had begun losing the ability to channel divine energy into spells, and Ankhan felt it begin to affect her as well. It was only affecting Zenethia and not the other divine realms. She described it as a “hole” or a fading of the light. There were also rumors of the light still being felt in the west, and members of the congregation had left town in that direction. Ankhan also discussed the rebellion in the west. People dissatisfied with the crown were gathering in the Western Valley. The Warguard had sent scouts to survey, but some of them did not return and were later seen among the rebels. Ankhan did not know about the leader of the rebellion, but said it was rumored they had “a way with words”. Gertrude went to Demitri by the statues. On the way, she passed the statue of Johanna, saying, “We meet again, Shieldmaiden.” Gertrude relayed the extent of the conversation to Demitri, and he noted she didn’t discuss the Coinguard. They both went to the Godsguard, and Demitri asked about the Coinguard. Ankhan had also been trying to get a carriage recently. Demitri asked if she had leverage on Gim Gorod they could use to put pressure on him. Ankhan was not comfortable with what Demitri was asking, and declined. They thanked her for her time and both left the church.Darksteel Foundry
On the way to the Darksteel Foundry, Romsca and Romulus argued about how open Romulus was about the battle they had the day prior. Romulus said demons appearing in town was a big deal, and Romsca said it was the guards’ job to handle. Romulus tried to appeal to Romsca’s faith. Romsca said she wanted to take care of it, but her responsibility was to the task for the Hands of Ore. Romulus agreed and said he was staying on task while businesses were open and progress could be made, but he also wanted to protect the people of Porgorag if he could. Romulus said he'd only told people he trusted, which Romsca said was enough. Everyone went into the residence area of the Foundry, expect for Romsca, who waited by the entrance for Mortimr. Inside, Arwin discussed the rumors surrounding Nerull’s Fane. Romulus asked if anyone was familiar with demon physiology. Romulus and Demitri had both read The Manual of Monsters, but they did not have a copy in their possession. Meanwhile, Ilmendwyth sought out Romsca and suggested she talk to Borscha Brickwell about contacting the Hero Hunters. Romsca went to Borscha’s office, where she woke her up. Romsca apologized for “messing up today” and Borscha reassured her, saying she knew Romsca was up to the task and she wanted to push Romsca out of her comfort zone. She talked about the progress Romsca had made and the distance she had already travelled. Borscha provided her approval for Romsca to negotiate with the Hero Hunters. Romsca then returned to Ilmendwyth by the doorway and continued to wait for Mortimr.Coinguard's Residence
In the late evening of 1 Adroth 5A 352, after Coinguard Gim Gorod left the Oknar Offices, Mortimr followed him to his residence in the Grupe’s Row neighborhood of Porgorag. Two Queensguard were stationed by the front gate, so Mortimr snuck around to the back of the house, where an access alleyway ran behind several houses. The back gate was locked with a padlock, which Mortimr could tell was enchanted. From his vantage point, Mortimr could not see much but did see lights in the manor and the faint hint of conversation. Mortimr went back to the front of the manor and continued to watch. After midnight, he saw the four rough-looking bodyguards from earlier leave through the front gate and head into the city. Another hour or so later, Mortimr saw another figure leave the residence. It was a young half-orc man with brown tousled hair and a braided beard, and he went towards Westfield.Cardinal Desires
Mortimr followed them to Cardinal Desires in Westfield. The half-orc went inside and after checking around him, Mortimr followed. He tried to locate the half-orc but got lost in the disorienting interior. He found a stage in the center of the building, where a female hobgoblin danced with a tambourine. Mortimr pretended to be drunk and overheard a conversation between two patrons talking. They discussed the rumors of additional soldiers coming to the Yellow Quay, and if they were planning on attacking the “rebels in the west.” Eventually, Mortimr found his way out of the building. In the early hours of 2 Adroth, Mortimr returned to the Foundry. There, he found Romsca waiting for him. She asked if he was there to cause problems and referred to his Tarterian Traders pin. He replied, "The Tarterian Traders need to be burnt to the fucking ground." With that, Romsca was satisfied, and they joined the rest of the party sleeping in the Foundry.Hero Hunters Facility
In the morning, they discussed what to do next. Mortimr told Demitri he had an idea to get leverage on the Coinguard by going to his residence, sneaking in the back, and threatening him. The party felt it was extreme, but filed it away as a worst-case scenario. The party headed back into the city. On their way, they noticed the crowd outside the Darksteel Foundry had grown and overheard a news caller in Porgorag Plaza. They reached the Hero Hunters Facility and approached the main manor. They knocked and heard shouting from inside before the door was answered by Coletta, the assistant to Haugon, son of Goll. After the party introduced themselves and their reason for coming, she brought them into a room decorated with silver. As they waited and helped themselves to the fruit bowl on the table, Haugon entered through a hidden accessway behind a bookshelf. The party presented the issues they were facing, and Haugon said he could get the party three covered wagons by tomorrow if the party did a task for him. Haugon asked for an agreement right then, but Romsca said it was a bad deal if they didn’t have the details, and asked for more info. Haugon congratulated her and said he liked “adventurers with a backbone to stand up to me.” One of the buildings in the facility was a storehouse that was largely abandoned. Recently, noises had been heard coming from inside. Haugon had intended for one of his adventuring parties to take care of it, but they had not yet returned from the Western Valley. Haugon asked the party to go in, clear out whatever had gotten inside, and seal up the means they entered from. Romulus asked Coletta what information the guild had about the sounds coming from the building, however there was very little information available. The party agreed to this exchange. Across the campus, they approached the abandoned manor and prepared themselves to enter and investigate.
Report Date
19 Oct 2022
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
1 Adroth 5A 352 to 2 Adroth 5A 352