Session Twenty One: Honagolin's Hidden Deck
General Summary
The party is reunited in the morning and led to the captain's room and told they are granted an audience and should be able to figure out how to proceed. Within, they find a desk, bed, cabinet, chest, and large bookshelf. Before they can begin searching, the door opens again, and they are surprised to find Harlock deposited among them. He tells them about his abduction from her ship but wasn’t sure why he had been taken.
The group quickly agrees the bookshelf is the place to start, with one falling in front of Rayne and Anya spotting another one specifically. Rayne investigates his and is cursed with to be injured, at least for today, but who knows for how long. Anya’s is clearly bound in leather, a magical feel about it as the Elvish title reads, “Man matuvanye…” (Those that would eat the…). As she opens the book, there are images of flying black tadpoles on the ancient pages, but those begin to fade and disintegrate, so she hastily closes the book and tucks it away.
While the elves look through their books, Sikander, Stefan, and Silas come over and start pulling the rest of them off the shelf, with Silas finding the trapped switch that nearly poisons him. In the process, a cowboy hat falls and lands perfectly on his head. Bypassing the needles, the pressure plate is activated, and a red portal appears, prompting an excited Stefan to scoop up Silas and run through the portal, with a sighing Anya guiding Sikander through immediately, Rayne, Harlock, and Tal bringing up the rear.
Coming through, they find themselves on a massive deck, huge windows showing the inky black sky, and a large pirate intentionally making his way toward them, with Lameme following close behind.
As he approaches, Stefan puts Silas down, and Hugert notes Rayne and the darkness he sees in the young elf, then acknowledges Harlock’s presence. Silas immediately begins his introductions, prompting Hugert to have a chest delivered to the party in thanks for bringing Tago to them. The men all agree Anya should have the honors, and she finds the small chest wrapped in what could only be Tago’s skin, and inside finds the skin with his tattoo covering the severed head of Tago Cross, along with 200gp, two very expensive daggers (about 300gp), and a pouch with names and a cipher.
Looking around the room, Sikander spots what appears to be an old dwarven pipe organ, which he excitedly heads over to play. What he and the others find instead are tubes connected to a strange tank containing a man, floating and apparently dead, with a gaping wound to his chest. Just in front of the tank, is a massive staff that Rayne notes is what they are here to collect. They learn Hugert is hoping to use the staff to bring his long dead friend and first mate back to life. Going back and forth with the pirate king explaining the God Eaters and the urgency they are working under, it becomes evident that no matter the need, Hugert will not give up the staff unless he brings his friend back, at least not without a fight.
During this, Anya wrestles with herself and finally speaks up, offering a rod of resurrection in exchange for the staff. She explains it can cast Resurrection one time and that she is sacrificing the security of protecting her brother, and the pain of this decision is evident to all. (Rayne whispers “Piper”, which Anya acknowledges – “I never claimed to be perfect”). Once the truth is affirmed with Lameme reading Anya’s thoughts, Hugert indicates he is in her debt, and will attempt to replace the rod if possible.
As discussion begins to bring Tochiro back, Sikander comes over and heals Anya, and she leans over, kissing him on the head. The discussion includes the use of lightning, putting Sikander on edge, along with switches being thrown and the glass needing to be broken. (During this, Stefan finds space skumble and ends up drunk to the point of suffering from extreme decisions for the next 5 minutes). They continue with the plan, getting all the way through to Sikander and breaking the glass. He is unable to due to the lightning and could be heard saying, “Guard your life. Guard your gold. Guard your beard” over and over. Rayne steps in, shattering the glass and freeing the now living Tochiro. Lameme runs to her husband and is clearly thankful for his return, with Hugert keeping his distance (too cool to say thank you.) Stefan notices Sikander’s nerves and brings him the space skumble, suggesting they have a drink together, with Anya not stopping them, hoping it would help settle the dwarf. Instead, Sikander goes blind as God Eaters, drawn by the use of the machinery, suddenly appear. As the fight breaks out, Anya sends Tal with Sikander to guide him while everyone else spreads out. Every trick is used – owls, special weapons, terrifying shifting – even Sikander blind uses Wibbles to smear one of the God Eaters into nothing. As the fight continues, Rayne’s lightning is enough to unsettle Sikander, who takes off with Tal back through the portal. The others remain, continuing to fight the God Eaters and their tadpole creatures.
The group quickly agrees the bookshelf is the place to start, with one falling in front of Rayne and Anya spotting another one specifically. Rayne investigates his and is cursed with to be injured, at least for today, but who knows for how long. Anya’s is clearly bound in leather, a magical feel about it as the Elvish title reads, “Man matuvanye…” (Those that would eat the…). As she opens the book, there are images of flying black tadpoles on the ancient pages, but those begin to fade and disintegrate, so she hastily closes the book and tucks it away.
While the elves look through their books, Sikander, Stefan, and Silas come over and start pulling the rest of them off the shelf, with Silas finding the trapped switch that nearly poisons him. In the process, a cowboy hat falls and lands perfectly on his head. Bypassing the needles, the pressure plate is activated, and a red portal appears, prompting an excited Stefan to scoop up Silas and run through the portal, with a sighing Anya guiding Sikander through immediately, Rayne, Harlock, and Tal bringing up the rear.
Coming through, they find themselves on a massive deck, huge windows showing the inky black sky, and a large pirate intentionally making his way toward them, with Lameme following close behind.
As he approaches, Stefan puts Silas down, and Hugert notes Rayne and the darkness he sees in the young elf, then acknowledges Harlock’s presence. Silas immediately begins his introductions, prompting Hugert to have a chest delivered to the party in thanks for bringing Tago to them. The men all agree Anya should have the honors, and she finds the small chest wrapped in what could only be Tago’s skin, and inside finds the skin with his tattoo covering the severed head of Tago Cross, along with 200gp, two very expensive daggers (about 300gp), and a pouch with names and a cipher.
Looking around the room, Sikander spots what appears to be an old dwarven pipe organ, which he excitedly heads over to play. What he and the others find instead are tubes connected to a strange tank containing a man, floating and apparently dead, with a gaping wound to his chest. Just in front of the tank, is a massive staff that Rayne notes is what they are here to collect. They learn Hugert is hoping to use the staff to bring his long dead friend and first mate back to life. Going back and forth with the pirate king explaining the God Eaters and the urgency they are working under, it becomes evident that no matter the need, Hugert will not give up the staff unless he brings his friend back, at least not without a fight.
During this, Anya wrestles with herself and finally speaks up, offering a rod of resurrection in exchange for the staff. She explains it can cast Resurrection one time and that she is sacrificing the security of protecting her brother, and the pain of this decision is evident to all. (Rayne whispers “Piper”, which Anya acknowledges – “I never claimed to be perfect”). Once the truth is affirmed with Lameme reading Anya’s thoughts, Hugert indicates he is in her debt, and will attempt to replace the rod if possible.
As discussion begins to bring Tochiro back, Sikander comes over and heals Anya, and she leans over, kissing him on the head. The discussion includes the use of lightning, putting Sikander on edge, along with switches being thrown and the glass needing to be broken. (During this, Stefan finds space skumble and ends up drunk to the point of suffering from extreme decisions for the next 5 minutes). They continue with the plan, getting all the way through to Sikander and breaking the glass. He is unable to due to the lightning and could be heard saying, “Guard your life. Guard your gold. Guard your beard” over and over. Rayne steps in, shattering the glass and freeing the now living Tochiro. Lameme runs to her husband and is clearly thankful for his return, with Hugert keeping his distance (too cool to say thank you.) Stefan notices Sikander’s nerves and brings him the space skumble, suggesting they have a drink together, with Anya not stopping them, hoping it would help settle the dwarf. Instead, Sikander goes blind as God Eaters, drawn by the use of the machinery, suddenly appear. As the fight breaks out, Anya sends Tal with Sikander to guide him while everyone else spreads out. Every trick is used – owls, special weapons, terrifying shifting – even Sikander blind uses Wibbles to smear one of the God Eaters into nothing. As the fight continues, Rayne’s lightning is enough to unsettle Sikander, who takes off with Tal back through the portal. The others remain, continuing to fight the God Eaters and their tadpole creatures.
Rewards Granted
200gp
Two daggers worth 300gp
Note and cipher implicating the rest of the drug trade
Staff requested by Hobb
Two daggers worth 300gp
Note and cipher implicating the rest of the drug trade
Staff requested by Hobb
Notes
Sikander is blind for 14 hours total
Report Date
01 Oct 2023
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