Session 2: Ol' Blue Eyes Report
General Summary
Most of the party awoke well-rested (the absence of a sunrise seemed to have kept Kitsune, Mai, and Orville in their beds for the entire day). Arrakas ordered food from the barkeep and asked about the sacrificial lottery and the Arcane Brotherhood wizard who's about to be executed, hearing that this wizard hired some guides from Ten-Towns to help him find a buried tower, but reportedly killed them all to keep the location secret. One of the guides, while still alive, told the barkeep where it is, but the barkeep has no interest in going there himself.
As Morag, Styron, Alif, Lucian, Arrakas, and Elodin were leaving to investigate Torg's, and specifically Sephek Kaltro, a half-elf scholar called Dannika Greysteel approached to ask for help in locating wee elementals called chwingas, which she believes can alter the endless night. She offered you a lantern of tracking (elementals) and 25gp each, payable on completion and return to the White Lady inn to see her.
In the market square you located Torg's without problem, finding that indeed, one of Torrga's five bodyguards showed zero concern for the freezing temperature, dressed for a warm day at sea rather than in any piece of cold weather garb, and had strikingly blue eyes. While Styron, Lucian, and Arrakas took positions to surveil the company, Alif bought a cask of whale oil and enthusiastically discussed redistributing it into smaller containers. He also did a magical, creepy whisper in Sephek's ear before leaving his owl to watch, and if necessary, follow. Alif and Morag returned to the inn, and business remained steady in the market square for 7 hours, at which time every merchant began closing up their makeshift shops.
Sephek and another bodyguard headed east, another two bodyguards headed west, and Torrga went south along with the remaining bodyguard. Everyone eventually followed Sephek to the Wet Trout tavern, where Styron overheard the two colleagues furtively discuss something about "stealing" or "stolen" and Alif read a book and did another creepy whisper. The bodyguards finished their drinks and left, but their paths diverged at the western end of the building, with Sephek turning southward and the other continuing west.
Elodin and Arrakas followed the less-conspicuous one, until Arrakas recommended rejoining the rest of the party, but Elodin's suspicions would not be assuaged. She kept following him until he returned to the market square, turned south on the same street Torrga took, and entered a livery barn.
Arrakas rejoined the larger party, where as Sephek approached a bridge, Lucian jumped the river and doubled back onto the bridge from the other end. Alif and Morag successfully cast hold person and zone of truth, respectively, and Lucian asked Sephek why he was murdering people. Haltingly, Sephek replied, "Serve... Frost... maiden," provoking a hard hit from Lucian's booming blade. Arrakas hog-tied him, but Sephek was able to save against hold person, misty-stepped past the far end of the bridge, and rolled ten feet off the path, where he was hit by an arrow and rapidly apprehended. He was offered tenuous quarter if he surrendered, which he immediately did, and was dragged back into the zone of truth. Interrogation revealed that Sephek was a corpse, possessed by the spirit of a frost druid faithful to Auril the Frostmaiden. Auril gains life-force from mortals' belief in her, and the sacrificial lottery is a devout expression of this belief, so puppet-Sephek had donned the mantle of enforcer when someone tries to cheat Auril. When asked of Torrga's involvement in the killing spree, Sephek said that criminal though she is, Torrga has no allegiance to the Frostmaiden.
Lucian ended his proffered quarter, beheading the puppet sailor's corpse, and the (no longer blue-eyed) head was kept as proof of completing Hlin's job for her. The headless body held no treasure. All six characters made it safely back to the inn for a successful long rest, and gained 300xp.
As Morag, Styron, Alif, Lucian, Arrakas, and Elodin were leaving to investigate Torg's, and specifically Sephek Kaltro, a half-elf scholar called Dannika Greysteel approached to ask for help in locating wee elementals called chwingas, which she believes can alter the endless night. She offered you a lantern of tracking (elementals) and 25gp each, payable on completion and return to the White Lady inn to see her.
In the market square you located Torg's without problem, finding that indeed, one of Torrga's five bodyguards showed zero concern for the freezing temperature, dressed for a warm day at sea rather than in any piece of cold weather garb, and had strikingly blue eyes. While Styron, Lucian, and Arrakas took positions to surveil the company, Alif bought a cask of whale oil and enthusiastically discussed redistributing it into smaller containers. He also did a magical, creepy whisper in Sephek's ear before leaving his owl to watch, and if necessary, follow. Alif and Morag returned to the inn, and business remained steady in the market square for 7 hours, at which time every merchant began closing up their makeshift shops.
Sephek and another bodyguard headed east, another two bodyguards headed west, and Torrga went south along with the remaining bodyguard. Everyone eventually followed Sephek to the Wet Trout tavern, where Styron overheard the two colleagues furtively discuss something about "stealing" or "stolen" and Alif read a book and did another creepy whisper. The bodyguards finished their drinks and left, but their paths diverged at the western end of the building, with Sephek turning southward and the other continuing west.
Elodin and Arrakas followed the less-conspicuous one, until Arrakas recommended rejoining the rest of the party, but Elodin's suspicions would not be assuaged. She kept following him until he returned to the market square, turned south on the same street Torrga took, and entered a livery barn.
Arrakas rejoined the larger party, where as Sephek approached a bridge, Lucian jumped the river and doubled back onto the bridge from the other end. Alif and Morag successfully cast hold person and zone of truth, respectively, and Lucian asked Sephek why he was murdering people. Haltingly, Sephek replied, "Serve... Frost... maiden," provoking a hard hit from Lucian's booming blade. Arrakas hog-tied him, but Sephek was able to save against hold person, misty-stepped past the far end of the bridge, and rolled ten feet off the path, where he was hit by an arrow and rapidly apprehended. He was offered tenuous quarter if he surrendered, which he immediately did, and was dragged back into the zone of truth. Interrogation revealed that Sephek was a corpse, possessed by the spirit of a frost druid faithful to Auril the Frostmaiden. Auril gains life-force from mortals' belief in her, and the sacrificial lottery is a devout expression of this belief, so puppet-Sephek had donned the mantle of enforcer when someone tries to cheat Auril. When asked of Torrga's involvement in the killing spree, Sephek said that criminal though she is, Torrga has no allegiance to the Frostmaiden.
Lucian ended his proffered quarter, beheading the puppet sailor's corpse, and the (no longer blue-eyed) head was kept as proof of completing Hlin's job for her. The headless body held no treasure. All six characters made it safely back to the inn for a successful long rest, and gained 300xp.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments