Sneaking Back Into Vallaki
11th Moon, 735
Ziri, Ahroheim, and Skylar were joined by Edmont sometime after the dire wolves' attack.
Eventually, Luca made his way outside the village without being spotted. He joined the others as they climbed up trees at the edge of Svalich Woods to get some much-needed sleep.
In the morning, Ziri had gone missing...again. The others tracked her booted prints on the soft grass to where it ended next to four burned horseshoe-shaped prints on the grass. No one could find the druid nor could they determine how she disappeared. Uncertain at the moment about Ziri's fate, the remaining adventurers gathered Ziri's belongings and made plans for the day.
It was decided that Edmont would sneak his way into town. He would then go to the church of St. Andral to find out how Ismark and Ireena were faring. Meanwhile, Luca would return to the Blue Water Inn and find out the exact location of the Wizard of Wine Winery. It was hoped that if maybe the adventurers could find out what happened to the missing shipment of wine, perhaps the people of Vallaki would forgive them and welcome them all back to the village. Ahroheim and Skylar stayed at the wood's edge and would await Edmont's and Luca's return.
Edmont snuck his way into Vallaki by scaling the walls near the church at the western edge of town. Luca, using an illusionary spell to disguise himself simply walked through the open eastern gate.
Edmont then made his way into the church. There he met up with Ismark and Ireena who claimed to have heard what happened to the adventurers the night before. Ismark also told Edmont about a beautiful garden Father Petrovich told him and his sister about someday visiting. The priest said the garden was located in the Abbey of St. Markovia. Ismark said the garden sounded like the place Madame Eva mentioned in her Tarokka reading.
Father Petrovich reiterated that for the moment, Ismark and Ireena were safe. But without the presence of the bones of St. Andral, he could not guarantee anyone's safety. He feared an attack on the church was imminent without the holy bones offering their protection to the church.
Edmont asked how the bones disappeared. Father Petrovich said he thought Yeska, the altar boy, knew something but he couldn't coax the boy into revealing anything. Edmont, a master of persuasion, spoke to Yeska who was easily persuaded into revealing that Milivoj, the church's teenage hired hand had stolen the bones. What Milivoj did with the bones, Yeska didn't know.
The sword coast pirate made his way to the cemetery outside where he had seen Milivoj earlier digging a grave. Edmont forced Milivoj into confessing that he had stolen the bones. Milivoj handed the velvet sack of bones over to the coffin maker, Henrik van der Voort, in exchange for money to help feed Milivoj's younger sisters and brothers.
On the way out, Edmont asked Father Petrovich where the coffin maker's shop was located. He promised the priest he would return soon with the hallowed bones.
Meanwhile, Luca stopped by the Arasek Stockyard after seeing Rictavio putting on a puppet show for the local children.
The children watched in fascination as a lone child was wandering through the woods on her way home after picking grubbers and mushrooms. Suddenly an old hag kidnapped the young girl and dragged her back to an old three-story hut on top of a hill. Once inside, the girl was fattened up and soon prepared by the hag’s two other ‘sisters’ for their next meal. The young girl tried to fight back but was pushed into an oven.
“Is there anyone who will help me?” the girl cried in hopes of someone hearing her plea for help.
One of the hags shoved the young girl violently into the oven, cackling with glee the whole time. "Scream all you want, little pretty. There are no murdering hobos nearby, nor would they care to help you anyway!"
Later, after the meat pie was done, each of the hags fought over who would get to taste the meat pie first.
The oldest cackled, "I am the eldest."
One claiming to be the smartest said, "I am the smartest, who came up with the recipe."
The third, who said she was the wisest said, "I am the wisest who came up with the plan of getting more and more children for our meat pies, and even sell some for a profit."
After a while of continued fighting, the hags soon forgot the meat pie.
The curtain closed to some in the audience clapping. Rictavio came out from behind the puppet stage, bowed with a flourish, and walked amongst the audience collecting coins from those who offered them.
Luca then spoke to Rictavio briefly and left for the inn.
There, he ran into the owner Urwin Martikov. When Luca, in his illusionary disguise, asked to sample some of the inn's finest wines, Urwin said he had none to serve. The inn had run out of wine. A supply from the winery was supposed to have arrived two days before but didn't. When asked where the winery was, Urwin told Luca the Wizard of Wines Winery located several miles west of town along the Svalich Road. Signposts along the road would easily guide travelers to the winery.
Luca bid goodbye to the innkeeper who whispered to Luca, "Rest assured, you have friends among the Keepers of the Feather."
Luca left the Blue Water Inn and made his way back to where Ahroheim and Skylar were waiting. The tabaxi wizard, wondering how Edmont fared, hoped he would run into the rum-loving pirate along the way.
Session played on March 20, 2020
Plot type
Chapter
Parent Plot
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