Session 25: The Dirty Clam Report

General Summary

Welcome back to Risia, the Plane of Ice. After a fierce battle against Ren'tivik, the skeletal Frost Giant, you all sought shelter from the elements in the ruins of Fort Cul'oten. You spent the next several hours testing the items collected from the giant skeleton's remains to no effect. The giant ring, likely the artifact that Mandodari was referring to, likely lost its magic a long time ago when it was broken. Resigned to try again the following day, you all decided to bed down in the remains of the cirular tower. Rare, as you hear most of (if not all) your companions drift off to sleep- what are you thinking about?

Rare was reeling from the battle against Ren'tivik, having lost her hearing when her patron saved her from the brink of death. Keth was tossing and turning in his sleep as if plagued by a bad dream (which would have made sense considering he died twice that day). Tinker was carving something into the cave wall using his knife, but it was in draconic and no one could read it.
Glittergem woke the following morning to find that Keth had stepped out into the cold of Frostmantle. The sun had not yet risen, and the gnome artificer was concerned that one of the realm's many creatures may have tracked him down. She took Sprocket (her mastiff) and Erisna with her to find the half-orc hunter. Spotting his footprints in the snow, they followed him out to the edge of the glacial cliff, dangling his feet over the edge. There, Gem learned that her boyfriend had experienced a lucid dream where he bargained with the Daughters of Sora Kell to find someone in return for giving him the power to help the Sharn Dragons and return home. Glittergem also noticed a new power behind the amulet Keth referred to as the "Hag's Eye", and noticed that the Black Flame Lantern was reacting to the power within the amulet.
Returning to Fort Cul'oten, the Sharn Dragons prepared to depart. Glittergem, unable to hear what was being said, used her connection with Glacias to overcome her inablilty to hear. They placed Keth near the Black Flame Lantern (as to prevent Rare's magic from confusing the magical item) and Gem sang the magical words that activated the portal that would allow the party to Plane Shift back home to Eberron.
Stepping into the unknown, the party discovered that they were in a cellar or storeroom of sorts. Above them, they could hear the sound of several people arguing, and could smell the familiar scents of a bar overhead. After finding that the crates in the room were bearing a griffon's head and nailed shut, the Sharn Dragons decided to take a more direct approach to getting out of the locked basement. A failed lockpick attempt from Gem alerted the strangers on the other side of the door, and they were hauled into the main chamber of the building.
The Sharn Dragons then discovered that they were in the secret hideout belonging to the crew of the Pearled Oyster a smuggling vessel from Aundair that was bringing supplies to the people of Thaliost. They have no love for the Church of the Silver Flame or the people of Thrane for their occupation of their city, and they hold a special contempt for the Archbishop- Solgar Dariznu. The crew had immediately identified Erisna as a paladin of the Silver Flame, and were very suspicious of the "adventurers" that had somehow found their secret refuge and snuck into their locked storeroom. When the party tried to explain the circumstances of their arrival, the crew become incredibly confused and elected to bring the party before their captain- Captain Julian Tucker.
Julian, and his ship's doctor Margaurite, listened to the party as they explained themselves. They decided to interrogate Erisna using a magical signet ring that would cause her immense physical pain if she were lying. Though the elf wasn't being entirely truthful, Julian decided that they were happy enough with the outcome of the conversation to offer the Sharn Dragons an opportunity: In exchange for safe passage to the main continent, the party would perform two services. The first, they would deliver the peculiar ring to the Archbishop and ensure that he wears it. Second, they would seek out a reporter for the Korranberg Chronicle that is expected to interview the Archbishop within the next few days and ensure that they ask Solgar Dariznu about his torture, kidnapping, and targeted assassinations against the native Aundarians in Thaliost while the ring is active (command word is "genocide").
The party agreed, and were welcomed aboard the Pearled Oyster as it set sail for the former capital of Aundair. The journey from Skarcrag Rock to the capital was expected to be a single day's journey with the prevailing winds, and the party milled about the schooner while the crew set about their work. Through the events of the day, the party had learned that they were now in the month of Sypheros, six months after their departure into the Syranian manifest zone. Rare and Tinker both took this news extremely hard, and were preoccupied with the ramifications of that discovery. For Rare, that meant it was likely that Ea was lost to her forever. For Tinker it meant further concern for Ashe and their unborn child.
Erisna spoke with Margaurite and learned that she was once Margaret d'Jorasco of Fairhaven. She broke off all ties with her house after seeing them profit from The Last War, and joined the navy of her native Aundair. There she met Julian, a young officer at the time, and the two remained close friends. After the war, the two of them hired on the rest of the crew (other former navy from the war) and they continued to harass the Thranish coast by smuggling in contraband and equipping rebel elements loyal to Aundair. Though she confessed that most of Julian's schemes were designed to promote mischief, she believed that his quest to expose Solgar Dariznu is a noble goal that will help many who have been oppressed by the tyrant.
Glittergem took to her short stint as a "pirate" with fervor- creating a cosplay outfit out of materials found in the ship's storeroom. Julian saw the results of her attempt, and gave her a dusty old tricorn hat and eyepatch to complete the ensemble. Though they were amused by the gnome's excitement, they were quick to point out that the crew of the Pearled Oyster were not pirates, and stuck strictly to smuggling. Once she was done putting her outfit together, she spent the next few hours trying to find Keth on the small boat. When they finally found each other, Keth confessed that he would be leaving the group soon after their arrival at Thaliost to meet with the Daughters of Sora Kell in Droaam. Gem was supportive of her boyfriend's decision, and gave him a unique gift: a pocketwatch that was paired with her own that would show the date, time, and time spent apart from the other pocketwatch. The device would also glow purple if within 60 feet of her own pocketwatch (which would glow green). Afterward, the two of them found a quiet spot on the small ship for a private liaison and then joined the rest of the Sharn Dragons to rest.
After sleeping the rest of the day away, the party was roused as they entered the harbor of Thaliost. From what they could gather from their position near the port, the city appeared to be like any other Aundarian city- except for the surplus of Silver Flame paladins and Thranish city guards patrolling the city streets and the large cathedral to the Silver Flame that was obviously a newer construction compared to the much older Aundarian buildings.
The Sharn Dragons changed their clothes to appear to be a ship's crew, and departed for the city. Captain Julian placed the signet ring into Erisna's hand and impressed upon her the importance of her mission. With that, the "Dirty Clam" (really the Pearled Oyster disguised as a Thranish vessel) departed on its way to Fairhaven.
Now the Sharn Dragons are in Thaliost with the task to expose the Archbishop for who he truly is. With only three days remaining before the fateful interview, the party must find a way to get the ring onto the Archbishop's finger and the reporter prepared for the interview of their career before the time runs out.

The Pearled Oyster

Jaques, a dwarf with a bushy black beard, and a white, griffon-shaped pipe that remains clenched between his teeth. The party doesn't know too much else about Jaques, but he seemed prone to brash and decisive action during their first and only meeting.

Anton. a human quartermaster. Pale with blond hair and blue eyes, he is unremarkable in such a flamboyant gang. Anton was the cooler head that insisted on bringing the Sharn Dragons to the captain instead of killing them outright.

Frances Dormand, a human boatswain, maintains the Pearled Oyster and weilds a large two-handed wrench that she bangs against any part of the ship that stops working. Nothing else about her is known at this time.

Marguarite, a halfling formerly belonging to House Jorasco, serves as the crew's doctor. She is also Julian's confidant and a voice of reason amongst the crew. She is also more worldly than most the crew, having lived within House Jorasco for fifty years before leaving them during the Last War. She gained her nationalist tendancies as a young woman in the House's enclave in Fairhaven. After seeing her House profit from the war, she chose to renounce her affiliation and join the common ranks of the navy before meeting a young Julian.

... and of course there's Captain Julian Tucker. They are a flamboyant captain and distinctly better dressed than many on the crew. Julian also rarely leaves their ship, choosing instead to remain in their quarters plotting the "next big move". Captain Tucker is truly stumped on how to infiltrate Thaliost effectively, and jumped at the chance to have the party do it for them.

Loose Threads

Tinker and Keth have both expressed that they are leaving once they get to Thaliost. Tinker will reconnect with Ashe and figure out what is happening with their child. Keth will travel to Graywall and then onward to the The Great Crag to meet with the Daughters of Sora Kell. Tinker offered to check in on Rare's wife Ea when he arrived in the city and pass word back to the tiefling on what was happening.
Margaurite had warned Erisna that Thaliost is a dangerous place, and that Solgar Dariznu had infiltrated much of the city's secret societies and rebel groups. She cautioned the elf to keep their business to themselves.
Keth is currently carrying the broken ring that the party found on Ren'tivik. It is bound to his pack because the ring wouldn't fit in Glittergem's haversack.
Julian mentioned that Thaliost had their own Golden Dragon Inn that was ran by the local House Ghallandra enclave, but recommended Tira's Rest (formerly the "Griffon Roost Inn") in order to make a statement and get started on the right foot with Solgar Dariznu.
Rare is still on the lookout for clues leading her to Storm Front before the mysterious cult can find a way to release her patron, Dral Khatuur.

Campaign

Flight of the Sharn Dragons

Protagonists

Glittergem Boondiggles

NG Rock Gnome (Guild Member (Fabricator's Guild))
Artificer 5

38 / 38 HP

STR
10

DEX
11

CON
14

INT
17

WIS
12

CHA
12

Rare Mavari

Report Date

27 Jun 2021