Session 13 - Sloop Group - Bards Gate Shopping and Help Wanted! Report

General Summary

Aryia returned to her mother and, refreshed from their adventures, the companions decided to have a late afternoon peruse around the shops and stalls of Bards Gate.
Stopping briefly at Lace & Bow, one of the expensive but fashionable shops of the Hill district, they headed south towards the Guild District in search of a custom-made mask for Lady Cassandra.

Lands of Reme
Albion

The Guild District is a busy, industrious and affluent area of Bard's Gate. Most of the greatest craftsmen can be found in the Guild District and some of the buildings and architecture to be found there are amongst the finest in the city.
The district bustles with activity as representatives of various mercantile and trade organizations meet and confer, making deals, buying and selling, overseeing investments and seeing to the welfare of their members. Warriors, mercenaries and city officials are often here as well, purchasing weapons and armour from the smiths of the district.
Most large guilds maintain their headquarters here, in opulent stone guild houses. Wealthy crafts-folk and merchants also operate here, where their wares are taken by distributors or guild representatives for export or sale in Bard’s Gate. In addition, this district is home to many weapon-smiths and armourers.
The party headed down Arneson Way towards a shop which had been recommended to them and with a massive, elaborately decorated kite shield hanging outside. The owner of the Iron Standard shield shop, Wareth Drumstrike could not help with Lady Cassandra's particlur requirement and pointed her onto Rings of Steel, an armour shop owned by two elven brothers.However Lady Cassandra detoured slightly on the way there and found a small helmet store, The Brain Pan, off the main thoroughfare and owned by one Darius Dougel, a well-dressed dwarven merchant. He agreed to make the mask as ordered and asked Lady Cassandra to return within two days needing no deposit upfront from a gracious Lady of Bard's Gate.

He did also ask a favour which would help him to concentrate on the mask and perhaps allow him to finish it a little earlier, he requested that the party deliver a small package to Haldor, a priest at the Temple Of Bast in the Old Temple District.
Stopping briefly at one of the 'Help Wanted!' boards scattered throughout Bard's Gate the companions spotted a couple of easy-sounding tasks and headed south towards the Docks District, the sun sinking down behind the crenellated walls of the City as afternoon drew to a close and evening approached:

"Exterminator needed: There’s a bunch of noise coming from the attic. Like chains or moaning or something. It’s probably those damn squirrels again. I would have my husband look into it, but the lazy oaf up and died on me. Payment dependant on work done. Helga Slavistock, 3 Mentzer Way, Dock District"

"Exterminator needed: I’ve got a mess of rats in my basement. Bring me 10 rat tails in return for payment. 10 Marshall St, Docks District"

As they moved along, stores and stalls were being packed away for the day and the city began to quieten down, the hustle and bustle of daily life in the city finally coming to an end for the day.
The move from the Guild District to the Dock District was quite marked. At this time of the late afternoon, the busy and industrious streets of the Guild District gave way to dark alleyways and crumbling buildings. The masts of varied ships of different sizes and designation cold be seen in the distance as they entered the district, but far away from the busy docks the area they found themselves in seem to have been forgotten about. Dark, shuttered buildings awaited them and they headed towards no. 3 Mentzer Way, the location of the first of their quests from the board. A dirty, two storied building balanced awaited them, it look like it was ready to collapse at any moment and as they approached they saw a filthy curtain twitch upstairs. Knocking on the door they were greeted by grumpy shouts from inside and eventually the resident, one Helga Slavistock, came to the door. A bent-over, pinch-faced, elderly woman, she was extremely unhappy to see the party and verbally harangued them until they managed to convince 'the good woman' that they were there to help! She led them upstairs and the party could hear the strange noises themselves, it sounded like chains being shaken, punctuated by the occasional anguished moan.

Old Mrs Slavistock retired to a safe distance and the intrepid adventures moved quietly up a spiral staircase towards a hatch in the ceiling. On opening the hatch the party were almost overcome by the horrible stench which affronted their noses as it wafted from the air-tight loft area. The smell was almost immediately accompanied by a nightmarish figure which lunged out of the loft at Malcer, catching him by surprise and knocking him senseless from the staircase. A revolting grey-skinned creature with chains dangling from it's wrists, it clawed at the party with a hungry, feral look on it's twisted and contorted features. The other two attacked the hideous creature and managed to push it back into the loft, following it up to finish their dire task. After some effort and with Malcer recovered and returned to the fray they manage to dispatch the wretched creature. It appeared to be some kind of ghoulish undead beast, kept here under lock and key and starved of human flesh, the sustenance it craved with a feral hunger.

Holding their noses and exploring the loft area the adventurers found various items and detritus. It seemed that the deceased 'Mr' Slavistock had been something of a hoarder, various books and items were discovered. It seemed he had imprisoned the unholy beast in the attic for a purpose only the gods alone knew. Perhaps the company of the ghoul was preferable to that of Mrs Slavistock? Something the companions could almost understand having met her.
After gathering up various items the adventurers headed back down, Malcer moving a little stiffly after his unpleasant brush with the undead monstrosity. Mrs Slavistock, peg on her nose to avoid the smell emanating from the loft area, reluctantly handed over their reward before hurrying them out without so much as a thank-you and slamming the door behind them. The companions stood awkwardly in silence for a few moments, wondering quite what had just happened before trudging away a little richer but feeling that heroes should probably be treated better!

Rewards Granted

50 GP for ridding Mrs Slavistock of her unwelcome lodger.
Various books and other items on medical matters, dismemberment and death.

Character(s) interacted with

Wareth Drumstrike, owner of the Iron Standard shield shop in the Guild District.
Darius Dougel, owner of The Brain Pan helmet shop in the Guild District.
Zianna Illithyren, owner of The Lace and Bow, The Hill District clothing store.
Helga Slavistock, owner of a property in the dark end of the Docks district, she had an issue with strange noises in her attic.

Campaign

Adventures in the Lost Lands - Sloop Group

Protagonists

Report Date

11 Jul 2019