Azimuth 2 - Session 16 - Planting Seeds, Parting Gifts
General Summary
Porgorag
Glistening Hog Tavern
As the chaos of the tavern fight died down and Watchguard Inzun took Coinguard Gim Gorod away, the party regrouped. Though they had been awake for many hours, they discussed the gold key taken from Gim Gorod. Demitri asked Arwin and Mortimr if they would like to dig around in Gim Gorod's Residence. Gertrude said that timing was important if news of the coinguard started to spread, saying, “I know we’re all tired, but this can’t wait.” They left the tavern and went into Grupe’s Row. As they arrived at the manor, there were no lights on inside and no guards posted outside. Ilmendwyth picked the fence gate lock, and they entered the manor.Gim Gorod's Residence
Inside was a well furnished, but oddly pristine, living space. The interior was very quiet. Arwin found the servants’ quarters were empty and there was no activity in the house. The party spread out, searching for what the gold key may open. Mortimr used a light to see into the rooms, and above a hearth in the den was a large portrait of Gim Gorod. Chaka could tell the painting was passionless and found no signature from the artist. In the large study, Mortimr first checked for traps. He didn’t find anything, but the level of cleanliness and the pristine nature of the space made him uneasy. There were no illicit papers or documents in view, so Mortimr and Romsca tried to crowbar into the locked desk, but were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Chaka could tell from the bed that the coinguard lived alone. Arwin looked for hidden stashes, but the room was kept too clean and he found nothing out of place. Romulus transformed into a bloodhound and tracked Gim Gorod’s scent, learning that he did spend a large amount of time here. They concluded it must’ve been the cleaning staff that kept the manor so pristine. Gertrude looked around and found a large wardrobe set against the wall, which had a golden locking mechanism on its doors. Gertrude could tell based on the color alone that it matched the key Demitri carried. She called out to the rest of the group, and they gathered to investigate. Demitri put the key to the wardrobe’s lock. As he did, the doors swung open and smashed into Demitri. He was sent tumbling back, and the wardrobe shut and locked once more. Romsca cast Guidance on Demitri before he tried again, but he was again forced back. Demitri stood back up, frustrated and preparing to retaliate. Gertrude suggested they smash it into kindling. Mortimr cast a spell at it, but to little effect. As the wardrobe had moved, though, Chaka saw something on the wall behind it. He called it out and Ilmendwyth felt around the edges of the wardrobe, finding a hidden button on the underside. When he clicked it, the wardrobe shuffled to the side. Revealed on the wall was a hidden wall safe with a golden lock. Demitri used the key and opened the safe. Inside, he found a small, leatherbound journal written by Gim Gorod. Quickly flipping through it, he found a recent entry from the time Meena said Gorod and a genasi had visited Cardinal Desires. As he investigated, he found several important entries. Arwin suggested they leave as they had what they came here for. Outside, Ilmendwyth heard city guards approaching. Peeking through a window, he saw guards locking the front gate with chain and a lock. Figuring that the back entrance may soon also be locked, they hurried through the servants’ quarters to the back gate. However, the lock was enchanted and burned Ilmendwyth, and the group instead climbed over the fence with Arwin’s grappling hook.Darksteel Foundry
The party made their way back to the Darksteel Foundry, and they retired to their shared room. Demitri took the time to read the rest of the journal, and he shared the important entries with the rest of the group. From the journal entries, Demitri felt they could more confidently charge Gim Gorod with abuse of his position in the city and with conspiring with the genasi.
24 Magan 5A 351 – Night of Recounting
(10 months, 8 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
In the spirit of the holiday, despite any better judgment, I took a risk. I took Meena aside from the festivities and intended to tell the truth of my affections. But as I bungled speaking before her beauty, the strangest thing... Her eyes alighted with silver and from her beautiful mouth came words I couldn’t make sense of. Her sister came and took her after while I was speechless. How can a caravan make such an impact? And what destiny for me did she see? 7 Jeran 5A 351
(8 months, 25 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
I was certain I had made some mistake when Nabat came to Porgorag. But he was merely passing through to his associate Maalik in Port Haville. The group of them have business elsewhere, and the aid caravan is of no import to them. Still, he was interested enough to come with me to Cardinal Desires. After seeing her he gave me permission to pursue the caravan for the Hands of Ore. Nabat has always been considerate; having Porgorag, and myself, at greater standing with the crown will be good for them, he says. 22 Jeran 5A 351
(8 months, 10 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
Nabat and his associates all passed back through, arriving by ship. I had never seen the grim one before… Is he the leader? They didn’t stay long, just enough for Nabat to check in, but he looked haggard. What were they up to that could be so risky for them? With Azariel there, I didn’t want to ask, and they quickly continued southwards. 31 Jeran 5A 351 – Dragonrise
(8 months, 1 day before 1 Adorth 5A 352)
How dare she! A ban! What gives her the right to ban a city official from the premises? Certainly, there’s some ordinance against this, or perhaps I can ensure the Oknar passes one. And now that old hag has hired a minotaur from Westfield to stand outside the door! As if I can’t be trusted… Well, then perhaps I should pay a visit our new enchanter. A few well-spent coins can resolve any problem… 2 Avedar 5A 351 – Dragonfall
(7 months, 30 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
The young Godsguard is insistent that some great catastrophe is upon us. She was so insistent she pulled all the Guards away from the ceremonies. Though to be honest after ereyesterday... I haven’t seen her since then… 4 Madaet 5A 352
(28 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
Azariel sent a message. Nabat is gone? I hadn’t heard from him for so long, but how can this be? And now, everything with the caravan is in shambles for whatever this package of Maalik’s is. All this planning, now I need to undo this? I trusted Nabat but Azariel scares me. But if he’s leading Nabat’s Commandment as well as his own, maybe I can try to make this into an opportunity. Was this what Meena meant? I need to get to work… 17 Madaet 5A 352
(15 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
All the carriages in town have been removed, bought, or occupied. I had to spend much of my built collateral to do it, but I had to start moving quickly. All that is left is to arrange some new ones to arrive just in time to appear as a hero to the Oknar. This will be the hardest part, pulling the strings behind the Warguard… 28 Madaet 5A 352
(4 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
Goods have been going missing. Ms. Aspara has lost a selection of the material components from her shop. I’m not convinced that she truly didn’t have more information. She’s too smart… A simple thief would warrant more attention from the Watchguard than me, but attention in my business is the last thing I need right now. With Azariel’s man still a no show I’ve been feeling so paranoid… stressed… I need to see her. 1 Adroth 5A 352
Seems Ms. Brickwell is more competent than I gave her credit for. Certainly makes sense, the Hands of Ore have a vested interest in their own standing, and I’ve made this mess myself… She’s hired some mercenaries, or maybe they came with the caravan, I’m not sure, but they are looking around for replacement carriages. I’ll need to put some pressure on with a report to the Oknar. If he believes the Foundry is bungling this, maybe I can manage this…
(10 months, 8 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
In the spirit of the holiday, despite any better judgment, I took a risk. I took Meena aside from the festivities and intended to tell the truth of my affections. But as I bungled speaking before her beauty, the strangest thing... Her eyes alighted with silver and from her beautiful mouth came words I couldn’t make sense of. Her sister came and took her after while I was speechless. How can a caravan make such an impact? And what destiny for me did she see? 7 Jeran 5A 351
(8 months, 25 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
I was certain I had made some mistake when Nabat came to Porgorag. But he was merely passing through to his associate Maalik in Port Haville. The group of them have business elsewhere, and the aid caravan is of no import to them. Still, he was interested enough to come with me to Cardinal Desires. After seeing her he gave me permission to pursue the caravan for the Hands of Ore. Nabat has always been considerate; having Porgorag, and myself, at greater standing with the crown will be good for them, he says. 22 Jeran 5A 351
(8 months, 10 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
Nabat and his associates all passed back through, arriving by ship. I had never seen the grim one before… Is he the leader? They didn’t stay long, just enough for Nabat to check in, but he looked haggard. What were they up to that could be so risky for them? With Azariel there, I didn’t want to ask, and they quickly continued southwards. 31 Jeran 5A 351 – Dragonrise
(8 months, 1 day before 1 Adorth 5A 352)
How dare she! A ban! What gives her the right to ban a city official from the premises? Certainly, there’s some ordinance against this, or perhaps I can ensure the Oknar passes one. And now that old hag has hired a minotaur from Westfield to stand outside the door! As if I can’t be trusted… Well, then perhaps I should pay a visit our new enchanter. A few well-spent coins can resolve any problem… 2 Avedar 5A 351 – Dragonfall
(7 months, 30 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
The young Godsguard is insistent that some great catastrophe is upon us. She was so insistent she pulled all the Guards away from the ceremonies. Though to be honest after ereyesterday... I haven’t seen her since then… 4 Madaet 5A 352
(28 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
Azariel sent a message. Nabat is gone? I hadn’t heard from him for so long, but how can this be? And now, everything with the caravan is in shambles for whatever this package of Maalik’s is. All this planning, now I need to undo this? I trusted Nabat but Azariel scares me. But if he’s leading Nabat’s Commandment as well as his own, maybe I can try to make this into an opportunity. Was this what Meena meant? I need to get to work… 17 Madaet 5A 352
(15 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
All the carriages in town have been removed, bought, or occupied. I had to spend much of my built collateral to do it, but I had to start moving quickly. All that is left is to arrange some new ones to arrive just in time to appear as a hero to the Oknar. This will be the hardest part, pulling the strings behind the Warguard… 28 Madaet 5A 352
(4 days before 1 Adroth 5A 352)
Goods have been going missing. Ms. Aspara has lost a selection of the material components from her shop. I’m not convinced that she truly didn’t have more information. She’s too smart… A simple thief would warrant more attention from the Watchguard than me, but attention in my business is the last thing I need right now. With Azariel’s man still a no show I’ve been feeling so paranoid… stressed… I need to see her. 1 Adroth 5A 352
Seems Ms. Brickwell is more competent than I gave her credit for. Certainly makes sense, the Hands of Ore have a vested interest in their own standing, and I’ve made this mess myself… She’s hired some mercenaries, or maybe they came with the caravan, I’m not sure, but they are looking around for replacement carriages. I’ll need to put some pressure on with a report to the Oknar. If he believes the Foundry is bungling this, maybe I can manage this…
A Dream of Drakes
Chaka fell asleep, and soon he began to dream. He found himself in a place of earthen colors with the taste of metal in the air. He was on a ridge of some kind but couldn’t see beyond it. Suddenly, a pack of metallic blue drakes approached from behind and prowled around him. Three came forward and began attacking, and Chaka tried to fend them off. As the drakes’ teeth and claws cut into him, he reached for the energy he first felt when casting Green Flame Blade, but the connection was weak and far, and the spell failed. Chaka was pushed back to the ridge. He tried to run and momentarily got beyond the pack, but in a heartbeat he was again at the ridge, and the pack was again closing in. He tried to yell and intimidate them, and with a Thunderwave he sent one flying back into the pack. The creatures didn’t seem to react to the yells or seem deterred by the damage, and they continued clawing and slashing Chaka. With nowhere to go and no chance to slay the attacking drakes, Chaka was pushed to the edge. He turned to see over the cliff, where far below there was an endless field of soldiers. The drakes pounced, and Chaka was sent over the edge… Chaka jolted upright, waking up Gertrude, Romsca, and Ilmendwyth. There was a glowing green energy from behind Chaka’s ear, where there was a marking of some kind. Gertrude checked, and it seemed to form a draconic rune. The rune in isolation meant little, but it could be part of words meaning “Life” or “Living”, but perhaps could also mean “Death” if inverted.The Morning
In the morning, Captain Ruslan came into the room with coffee and let them know he was getting everyone ready for the caravan. Romsca wanted to drop messages off at Cardinal Desires, and Romulus offered to send them via Cinis. The bird took the letters, one for Meena and one for Naran, and flew off that direction. The party discussed what to do with the Eight-Pronged Residuum Ring. Romsca said, “A good leader does not ask someone to do things that they would not be willing to do,” and she offered to carry the lead box on their journey. Mortimr’s concern with bringing the ring was that the genasi were expecting the ring to arrive by this caravan. Romulus and Gertrude said this could be a chance for a trap, and Arwin agreed. Deciding to bring it along, they added the box to the caravan goods for the time being. Outside the residence facility, the Provideniye was preparing to leave port. They saw Kelwin's Magical Toys and Concocted Wonders, and Chaka and Mortimr went over to speak with the Auglosilf family. Ronpip eagerly greeted them, and Kelwin said they were preparing to send off back to the Santeem Republic as things were hectic in Tarteria. Ronpip said they were going to see his sailor parents, as their vessel, the Harolaud, should have returned home by now. When Kelwin floated the idea of sticking around in Porgorag long enough to see the Champion's Conquest celebration, Mortimr suggested they not wait to leave the continent. Ronpip said he wanted to see his parents’ ship. Ronpip gave a drawing he made of praying mantises to Mortimr. Ronpip hugged Mortimr and Chaka, saying, “Bye, Bad Wizard! Bye, Barb!” The family took the cart onto the Provideniye. Chaka and Mortimr watched the ship as it finished preparations and opened the sails, headed out of port to the northwest. They heard the musical tune again. Looking on the deck of the ship, behind the waving Ronpip, Chaka saw a small, green furred creature with a dapper hat appear. It waved to him before disappearing once more, and the ship sailed on.Oknar Offices
Meanwhile, Demitri, Arwin, Romsca, and Gertrude went quickly to the Oknar Offices. At Inzun’s office, several guards were moving around at the watchguard’s orders. Demitri handed the journal to her and showed here the important entries they found. Inzun shared she had delayed her order to secure the coinguard’s residence in hopes they might have the time to find something like this. Inzun said the potential charges against Gim Gorod were abuse of office, coercion, conspiracy, stalking, and impersonation of royal guards. She said the evidence the party helped gather was going to be helpful. With Gorod’s ties to genasi, Demitri also suggested any genasi that come to Porgorag be watched. Romsca asked what the least that could happen to Gorod was. Inzun shared that while it was likely he’d lose his position, it didn’t seem like Gorod had committed any more serious crimes, like murder or treason, to warrant a more drastic punishment. Inzun said Porgorag would need a new coinguard, and Romsca suggested Borscha Brickwell. Inzun said she wanted to properly record the party’s assistance, and she asked if there was a group name she could refer to them with. They discussed it again, and the named they settled on was the Lightbringers. Arwin asked Inzun if he could speak with Gim Gorod, and she led them to the cell he was held in. Gorod was rough looking and disheveled. Arwin entered and asked him, “What was the purpose of all this?” Gorod said nothing, and Arwin could tell it was because he wanted to not dig the hole he was in even deeper. Arwin took out a small seed from a pouch around his neck and set it on the ground. Arwin said, “My cousin told me something once. He said, ‘Don’t be just part of the problem, be the whole problem,’” and he left. Before Gorod had the chance, Inzun took the seed from the ground.Leaving Town
Back at the Darksteel Foundry, Borscha and Ambera said goodbye to Romsca, and she hugged them. Gertrude passed a sack of ten gold to them and asked it be given to Kororsh with a message to take Meena to the Glistening Hog Tavern. Ambera responded in dwarvish, promising it would be done. Captain Ruslan called everyone together and the covered wagons were prepared to leave. He led the wagons out the Foundry’s gate, and the gathered crowd parted. Though some were still agitated, it seemed that rumors of their group’s activities in town had started to spread and opinions of both them and the aid caravan had shifted. They passed through town and reached the grand Statue of Grupe. A checkpoint was here and Keel’s Band soldiers called to Ruslan, who had to pay the wheel tax for the caravan. While he did, Romsca noticed a familiar figure in the crowd. It was a small orphan half-orc, one of the many Romsca had played with before and Romulus provided a seed. Her name was Leena, and she said she wanted to come with. With no hesitation, Romsca picked her up and set her on her shoulders. Romulus said if she was going to be a caravan guard, she’d need to be armed, and he gave her a knife to carry, which flustered Romsca, but Leena eagerly accepted. Meanwhile, Ilmendwyth took the time to place a hand on Grupe’s statue for a moment before returning to everyone. Ruslan finished paying the tax, and the caravan began moving again. Leaving town, the aid caravan travelled along the Orc Highway southwards in the bright daylight, until the city of Porgorag and the statue of Grupe faded behind them. The group reflected on the strings of decisions that led each of them here, and also on the many places ahead of them yet they had yet to see.
Report Date
22 Mar 2023
Primary Location
Related Characters
3 Adroth 5A 352 to 4 Adroth 5A 352