Session 141 - A Book and Seagulls

General Summary

15^th to 30^th of Morgat (Third Month of Winter) 721TR

The story so far

Jolanta and her trusty bodyguard Blaine are agents of the mysterious Order of the White Hand, hunting down unscrupulous mages and covering up magical mishaps.

Continuation of the Session 140 - The House of Light.

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Location - City of Cherafir in the Kingdom of Melderyn.

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Part 1 - A Tiny Book

Jolanta decides she wants to customize her spellbook. She wants to make one that appears as a broach but can be magically be expanded to normal size. After some research, Jolanta comes to the conclusion that special materials are required, preferably something that has had exposure to size-changing magic. Luckily she discovered a location months ago which changes the size of creatures, the Monolith of Oniek.

Refer Session Session 127 - The Wasps Nest.

Part 2 - Return to the Monolith Oniek

Jolanta and Blaine arrive at the Monolith seeking components for her spellbook. As she expected, there are various oversize creatures nearby, a Giant Slug which spits acid at the heroes and nearly swallows Blaine before Jolanta dispatches it with her magic. Before she recovers, some of the nearby weeds come to life and attempt to strangle her; however, the Assassin Vines are quickly disintegrated or hacked to pieces by Blaine.

Examining the monster's remains, Jolanta finds a fibrous mass in the giant weeds, which may be suitable for the fine paper for her book, and the Slug Teeth may make suitable cover and bindings.

Part 3 - Construction

Viran Gladryne, art by Artbreeder

Returning to Cherafir, she makes plans to have a miniature book crafted. Speaking to lexicographers, bookbinders and craftsmen, she realized she does not have the silver to pay them. She needs to do some fundraising, luckily word in the guild that Viran Gladryne Dulye is looking for help. Viran Gladryne is working on a special project for the city, creating a permanently luminous light source for the harbor's lighthouse, the Royal Haven Beacon.

Viran Gladryne is angry. Someone has stolen some of her latest experiment, bags of alchemical powder, which converts some of the energy of heat and fire into radiant energy. Jolanta is asked to investigate.

Part 4 - The Beacon

Jolanta and Blain investigate the construction site of the beacon. It is well guarded located next to the Royal Harbormasters Office. The beacon is a 15ft tall tower, and climbing up, Jolanta searches for evidence. The bags of Alchemical powder were small, only around 1 pound, and four were missing from a storage box. A first inspection shows nothing suspicious; however, a closer look shows an excessive quantity of birds dropping around the box containing powder and the impression of bird feet. Asking the guards and working men, they all recall a large, angry seagull, an evil-looking nasty brute, which they often had to throw stones to get rid of it. Jolanta climbs of the roof of the beacon and looks for an out-of-place seagull. Although birds are everywhere, there are large numbers congregating on a nearby building roof over the city wall. Having no other clues Jolanta and Blaine visit the building.

Part 5 - The Gulls

The building in question is one of the highest in that section of the city, four stories tall. This appears to be the former barracks of a mercenary company, and the wooden door has symbols of a gull and two fish carved into it. Jolanta moves to a back alleyway, checking that no one can see her, then Misty Steps onto the roof with the gulls. She quickly mutters an incantation and puts them all to Sleep. Searching the sleeping birds, she can't find any matching the description of a large evil brute.

After making her way back down, she decides to enter the building but is met by two unsavory men. Things deteriorate fast, Blaine starts a fight, and soon a brawl erupts, and two more thugs join in. Jolanta helps Blaine, careful not to conceal her magical abilities from the onlookers. However, when she moves into the building, out of the view of the people on the street, she unleashes her full magical power. Seeing this magic, one of the thugs shouts to someone upstairs, "Hey Boss, look like the wizards have found us." Jolanta and Blaine take down three of the thugs but both are exhausted and hear this mysterious boss coming downstairs. Thinking fast Jolanta turns herself and Blaine Invisible, and both retreat and watch the building from the street.

Within minutes and a tall man emerges. He has a bone neckless of a gull and a large menacing-looking Seagull perches on his shoulder. The remaining Thug follows him. Jolanta follows closely behind him and her presence is almost detected by the observant gull. She overhears some conversations. The tall man instructs the thug to recruit some more muscle and meet him at Ligem Point. She partially overhears more mumbled sentences, including the word "Wraith" before she backs off.

Part 6 - The Trapped God

Jolanta and Blaine search the building and find a locked room. Smashing in, Jolanta walks on a magical rune on the floor, and suddenly four water forms materialize. These Small Water Elementals prove a little challenge as they drain away quickly enough.

The hastily abandoned room appears to be a shrine to the trapped water god Eder. The tall man is drawing some arcane power from this entity. Examining the inscriptions on the walls, fragments of papers, and other clues left behind, Jolanta finds reference to some sea king and a magical staff. Also, it looks like the man was designing some sort of weapon to use against some undead from the stolen Alchemical Powder.

Jolanta will investigate further. To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Viran Gladryne Dulye.

Challenges Overcome

1 Giant Slug.

2 Assassin Vines.

A Flock of Seagulls.

4 Thugs

Uncovered the Plots of a Warlock of the Deep.

Rewards

Components for a tiny spellbook.

Blaine found a new suit of armor.

Related Reports

Monolith of Oniek.

Player Character Status

Jolanta - Human - Level 6 Evoker - Gained level.

Campaign

Agents of the White Hand - Campaign Complete

Protagonists

Jolanta

Report Date

15 Apr 2021

Primary Location

Monolith of Oniek

Secondary Location

City of Cherafir

NPC Companions

Blaine

Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.

Blaine, art by Artur Sadlos