The Eye in the Shield: The Investigation
General Summary
Wherein the legionaries continue their journey to Avelsbirk and commence the extraplanar investigation
Through the Shame, Across the Border
Though rattled by their encounter with a swamp naga, the legionaries continued on to their destination. That journey was rudely interrupted by what can best be described as a snake-taur. This snake-taur, perhaps alarmed at the legionaries proximity to its eggs, attacked and battle commenced. Various other giant snakes also appeared and join the fracas. It was a bloody affair, but the legionaries emerged victorious and earned a night's rest. The next morning found them refreshed and ready to make for the border between Alerki Ascendency and Gattland. At that border, they discovered The Manifest, shaking down would-be travelers for any goods they could. Tala wasn't about to let that happen, and "suggested" to Ordinator Maldric to leave everyone alone. This did not work and a pitched battle broke out. The Manifest and the legionaries appeared evenly matched (except for the Ordinator, who got blown the fuck up by Adelaide and Soulshiver) until the timely arrival of Brass Lamb insurgents who helped turn the tide of the contest. As the last Manifest "soldier" fell, the Brass Lamb made themselves scarce and folks started running across the border, taking advantage of the chaos. The legionaries decided that seemed like a good idea and joined them.Investigating Avelsbirk
Eventually, our heroes arrived at Avelsbirk--a mining town nestled in the foothills of The Break just over the Gattland border. There, they sought out accommodations in the local inn, Avelsbirk Arms. There, they met the innkeeper, Veleia Immelsvelt, who served them humble fare and seemed to take note of the Panoptic Legion emblems on their clothing. They also met Gull], the humble trader upon whose report this whole operation was launched. Gull told them what he knew--namely, that there were significantly more armed individuals in the village and its environs. While this might just be instability thanks to the villages' proximity to the border, an investigation into this might be warranted, given that many of the mines in this part of The Break have strong connections to the Nether. And the denizens and warlords of the plane of the Nether often designs on the material plane that are not in that plane's best interests. Gull answered a few more questions--dodging, adroitly, his own interest in safeguarding the planes--and then was on his way. The legionaries then decided to commence their investigating. What better place to get a feel of the village than the local tavern? With that in mind, they headed to The Bellows & Blast to sample the local libation. There, they met the bartender, a centaur named Laktaphon. He poured them drinks--including the local specialty "Avelspolitan," which includes generous hunks of cascatorum ore. While enjoying their various drinks, the legionaries were approached by Mannfurt Embulscrum, a prominent citizen and what passes for nobility in the village. He noticed the presence of the Panoptic Legion and was eager to help. While he could provide no information about extraplanar activity at present, he encouraged them to join him for breakfast the following morning and he hoped to have more information then. The legionaries insisted on brunch and he agreed. After consuming another round of drinks on Mannfurt, the legionaries took themselves to bed, hoping for a good night's sleep. This hope, however, was in vain as would-be assassins attacked our heroes in the middle of the night. It was a brutal, bloody fight, with Zel nearly collapsing from wounds. But, ultimately, the legionaries prevailed. Clearly, these assassins were sent by someone. But whom? Perhaps the tattoo they all shared--that of three interlocking zeros--might shed some light on the situation.And That's Where We Left It
We'll see how the legionaries investigation continues during our next session.Varied & Sundry Details
- As they journeyed through the Shame, our heroes found a hidden cache that contained gold, a healing potion, and directions to a safe house in Leechport. Who could have left this here and for whom?
- Sleeping in the Shame had our legionaries all share the same dream--that of the fateful battle with the eyedrake that cost Ulessa her life. In that dream, each legionary tried to save her in different ways. Zel made himself into a human shield. Tala told her to run. Adelaide went all out, slicing and dicing with Soulshiver. Unfortunately, all three legionaries were awakened before they could determine the results of their dream intervention.
Character(s) interacted with
- Gull--a trader and nothing else, certainly not a Brass Lamb operative
- Veleia Immelsvelt--innkeeper of Avelsbirk Arms, former adventurer
- Mannfurt Embulscrum--local "nobility"
- Laktaphon--bartender at The Bellows & Blast, centaur
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