Session 38 Report

General Summary

They discussed Mr. King, who and where he might be. Several theories emerged, but none of them were more or less likely than the others. One of the more popular possibilities was that he was either Xanthus Vasile or Bram Invictus, one of the vampires they had learned about recently after the episode with the vampire spawn, Lovren Eventide. Another potential theory was that he was based out of the compound at Applewind, where Titta Morco’s family farm was once located. After they’d exhausted their imaginations, they turned their attention to Patch. They offered him a job at Heroes for Hire in Rowadin, ensuring he would earn a decent wage and regular meals. The boy agreed immediately and it was settled. The next day, June 10, 498 AV, Haymin’s Heroes purchased a wagon and some supplies they thought the villagers of Greendell might find useful. They also purchased some clothing and basic provisions for Patch. They left Luthia on the morning of June 11, 498 AV, heading for Greendell. The trek was slow going since the horses now had to pull the wagon, but the road was generally quiet. In the evenings, Pyzar Zim used his Mindlink power to speak with Patch. He asked him questions from the party and they got to know him a little more. His earliest memories were of being raised in an orphanage. He had no idea who his parents were and he was always missing his right eye. Titta looked at the eye with Patch’s permission and the area appeared scarred over for some time now. Just before the party settled off to sleep, Auren Sylynn’s boots began to glow mysteriously. It appeared like a Light spell had been cast on them. After a bit of mystery and speculation, it was revealed to be a practical joke by Mogi Delvin and Fluffy. Mogi could now speak with his familiar in a language only they understood and he had instructed the weasel to deliver his touch spell for him on Auren’s boots. After they all shared the laugh, it was suggested that Fluffy could be used for scouting missions since the small weasel was naturally stealthy, especially in a wilderness setting. It took them five days to reach the village, arriving late afternoon on June 16, 498 AV. As they approached Greendell, they could see smoke rising ahead of them. They hurried towards it and noticed the village had recently suffered an attack. It must have occurred earlier in the day. The perpetrators were no longer there, but there were signs that some of the homes had been set on fire. Villagers saw them and began telling them what had transpired. Mayor Holmen Carver begged for their help. The Jackals had kidnapped his daughter, Bria. Four men died by their blades and one woman burned to death when her home caught on fire. The bandits made off with several sheep and pigs. Mayor Holmen could not offer a reward as Greendell had very little to spare, but he begged them to take anything the Jackals had as their own, including any stolen property. He just wanted the livestock returned to the village. Haymin’s Heroes quickly gave the villagers the gifts they had brought them, the wagon and the supplies, plus the six horses. The impact of their gesture had been dulled due to circumstance, but the villagers accepted graciously enough. Titta also asked the Mayor if he could watch Patch for them while they hunted down the Jackals. When it was all settled, Titta began tracking the bandits. It had rained the majority of the day, which made the ground soft and impressionable. That, plus the bandits’ numbers including the livestock and horses made the trail easy to follow, despite the hours of rain that followed their flight. The party hurried after them, making up much ground despite already having travelled an entire day. After several miles, they came to a stop when they found two sheep carcasses and a Jackal cadaver being eaten by two displacer beasts. The creatures looked up from their meal menacingly, arching their backs in a feline manner as they struck readied poses. The standoff remained frozen for a moment as both sides eyed each other. Then Auren said that they would leave them to their meal and asked what direction the others had headed. The displacer beasts pointed their tentacles towards the southwest. Haymin’s Heroes then walked away, giving them a wide berth before picking up the tracks again. The displacer beasts went back to their meals. After another hour of travel, it had gotten dark and they were tiring. Ladigo Farthon wild shaped into a great horned owl with his new druid ability and flew off in the direction they had been heading. He found the bandit camp in an old abandoned mine. The livestock was fenced in a makeshift pen to one side and an old dilapidated building stood across from it. Six horses were hitched nearby while a few Jackals were outside tending to the animals. Ladigo flew back to the party and informed them the Jackal hideout was only about an hour away. They continued towards it. When they reached the camp, there were no Jackals in sight outside. The party was tired from their long journey since the early morning and Selia Roselyn Maxwell and Sinjin Fairchild were particularly fatigued. While the party waited, Mogi had Fluffy check out the building and the entrance to the mine. The shack was an old storage building the Jackals were currently using for that purpose. The mine shaft descended past the opening, largely in darkness, but the flicker of torchlight could be seen ahead. Fluffy did not see any humans though. With that, and despite their tiredness, the party lined up at the entrance and prepared to venture inside.

Campaign

The Heart of Embril

Protagonists