Session 150 - The Clumsy Conjurer
General Summary
20th to 28th of Nolus (First Month of Summer) 722TRThe 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 146 - The Staff of Cryptan Seaweave.
Location - City of Cherafir in the Kingdom of Melderyn.
Part 1 - Mission 7 - The Clumsy Conjurer
Five years ago, the conjurer Trentmore Funeux lost control over an air elemental, and it devastated the village of Sumakor. Luckily no one was killed, and the witness's memory was adjusted to believe an unseasonal storm caused the damage. Trentmore fled the scene and is now on the renegade list. He has recently been seen at Sumakor. Why would he return to this village? Jolanta is asked to bring him in for questioning.
Before she leaves the guildhall, Jolanta researches elemental creatures to learn their likely resistances and vulnerabilities.
Location - Insatha Straits in the Kingdom of Melderyn.
Part 2 - The Unsafe Sea
Sumakor is located on Melderyn's mainland, so Jolanta travels across the Insatha Strait by fishing boat. This quick voyage is not without incident. Dark shapes are spotted moving in the water. The Fisherman Noix, who transports White Hand agents frequently, is no fool, "those are Merrows, he shouts."
The Merrow are large aqueous humanoids of unknown origin. Jolanta uses her magical staff to create a whirlpool and magically blasts them back into the depths. Noix explains that the Merrows rarely show themselves, usually only when the Wizards play with powerful magic such as modifying the weather. This fisherman seems very well informed.
Location - Village of Sumakor in the Kingdom of Melderyn.
Part 3 - A Shocking Suicide
Sumakor is a small out of the way wine-producing village. Jolanta finds the village reeve and learns that Trentmore has been seen near the old cave used to store mushroom fertilizer on the far side of the village.
Jolanta and Blaine approach. As a precaution, Jolanta turns Invisible, which happens to be a shrewd move. Just as she spots a badly burned body, nearby barrels burst open, and a Fire Elemental and a small vaguely humanoid creature made of lighting emerges. This is an Elekron. These immediately attack Blaine, shocking and burning him. Jolanta notes that they seem to be working in concert, creating a ball of electrical charge plasma that works its way around Blaine's metal armor. This leaps out, and shock burns and stuns him. When he strikes the electric creature with his sword, it grows larger; however, his attacks on the fire elemental do little damage.
With Blaine seriously in threats, Jolanta unleashes the full force of her magic, damaging both elementals with her disintegration blasts. That gets their attention. They fly towards her, unleashing shocks, and sets her clothing alight. Things look grim. Both of the heroes are near death be as Blaine hits the electrical elemental again, and it burst into nothing in a shower of sparks. Using the last of her power magic Jolanta destroys the Fire Elemental.
The heroes take a moment to rest and put out their burning clothing. Examining the dead body, they find a burnt spellbook containing only a few surviving fragments of conjuration spells. The corpse is around the same size and build as Trentmore is described but far too badly burnt to distinguish features such as his distinctive tattoos. In the mushroom cave, they find a summoning circle, Trentmore's journal, and a suicide note. This is a bit rambling, but he appears wracked with guilt, and if he could not put the damage he did to the village right, the be would end his life using his conjuration arts.
Jolanta finds the local priest of Peoni, who organizes a modest funeral for the corpse.
Part 4 - A Need For A Magic Weapon
Jolanta is concerned that as she deals with more significant magical threats, Blaine will need the means to inflict damage. So she begins researching lost magic weapons and finds a very promising sword named Orc Bleeder. This is likely located in the ruins of Bromyl Manor, which was lost under Lake Valona, in the Kingdom of Kaldor, decades ago.
Learning that Jolanta intends to travel to Kaldor, the head of the White Hand, Viran Ceredig Yerwold, suggests that she bases herself in that Kingdom for a while and make contact with Lady Bresyn Risai, the Order's agent in the City of Tashal.
Location - The Genin Trail between the Kingdoms of Kaldor and Chybisa.
Part 5 - Deadly Hooks
Jolanta and Blaine start their trek to Kaldor, traveling along the dangerous Genin Trial. After leaving Chybisa, they spot movement over the ridge above. Two large predators are stalking them. The Skaigeth attack and leap on the characters. These monsters, also known as hooked hounds, are muscular quadruped with bony backward-pointing hooks similar to scimitars instead of feet. They attack the heroes from each side, Jolanta moves behind a tree for cover, and to her horror, the creature nimbly scrambles up and over the tree using its hooks to climb. The hooks slice and grapple Blaine, but Joalanta escapes and blasts the monsters. Eventually, Blaine kills one, and Jolanta puts the other one, still in the tree, to sleep. The heroes make their escape before it wakes.
Part 6 - Dirty Orcs and Dirtier Humans
The next day travelers' quiet journey is interrupted by a panicked peasant covered in blood running from the trees. He has rope burns on his forearms, is covered in bruises, and begs for help. Behind him, eight diminutive nasty-looking humanoids emerge, Gargu-Araki or commonly known as the small orc. Seeing the heroes, they immediately attack. Jolanta's priority is to get the agitated man to safety and uses her magic to make him and Blaine Invisible. Blaine leads the man in another direction while Jolanta picks some of the orcs off with ranged spell bolts. When they bunch up, she disintegrates them with a mightly blast.
Berri is a commoner kidnaped by the orcs from the border village of Nerield. He and his family were captured by the orc raiders and tied up. He managed to escape and fears for his loved one. Can the heroes help? Of course, they agree to do what they can.
Sneaking up, they spot the orc camp in the distance. There are another eight orcs with two having climbed up in the trees as sentries and four peasants, one old man and a boy plus two young women are in a crude wooden cage. However, things have gotten worse as six dirty rough looking humans arrive, Pagaelin Barbarians. They begin bartering with the orc leader; it looks like they want to purchase the captives in return for bags of herbs.
Jolanta stealthfully approaches and climbs a tree to get a good view of the camp. She drinks the Potion of Reduce, which she found a year ago, and unleashes the power of her magical staff. An Ice Storm envelopes the camp killing half of the orcs and a couple of the pagaelin. Unfortunately, she is spotted by the orc sentries in the trees and the pagaelin/orc coalition attacks.
Being so small, they have trouble hitting her with spears and arrows, and Jolanta quickly kills a couple more orcs and barbarians. Two of the barbarians slap white paint over their faces creating a crude skull mask, then enter a terrifying rage. These are Raunir, the pagaelin's drug-addicted elite warriors. Blaine arrives just as they close on Jolanta, and one hits him hard with his poisoned axe. This is coated with Eyeblight, which blinds Blaine as his eyes cannot cope with even the current dim light from the overcast conditions. He survives multiple spear thrusts, each of which is covered with different noxious poison. Blaine is in severe peril; however, Jolanta magical blasts killing the last Raunir. One cowardly pagaelin warrior and an orc flee and escape.
Part 7 - Rescue
Berri spots something, three horsemen in the distance. This is Sir Jerin Feldsaar, Lord of Nerield, and two of his yeoman. The good knight has been searching for his vassals and is grateful for Jolanta's and Blaine's timely intervention.
The heroes become guests at Sir Jerin's manor for a few days while Blaine makes a prolonged recovery near the wine cellar. Sir Jerin is a gracious host and prepares a Letter of Recommendation for Jolanta.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Noix, the fisherman.
Barri the Peasant and his family.
Sir Jerin Feldsaar of Nerield.
Challenges Overcome
4 Merrows
1 Elekron (from Arcadia Issue 2) and 1 Fire Elemental.
2 Skaigeth (the Hooked Hound).
Saved the peasant Barri and defeated 8 Gargu-Araki (Small Orcs).
Saved Barri's family and defeated 8 Gargu-Araki, including 1 Boss and 1 Herbmaster, and 6 Pagaelin Warriors, including 2 Raunir.
Rewards
Three spells from the burnt spell Book.
Letter of Recommendation from Sir Jerin Feldsaar.
Related Reports
List of Renegade Spellcasters - Updated.
Player Character Status
Jolanta - Human - Level 6 Evoker.
Jolanta
NPC Companion
Blaine
Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.
Orc Bleeder
In the Kingdom of Kaldor during the Spring of 604TR, Sir Patryn Algelmor, lord of Bromyl Manor, while patrolling the west reach of the Silver Way, saved the life of the Dwarven Weapon Crafter Haddar Klarazhal and several members of his clan from a score of Orcs from Fana, at the cost of the life of his younger brother. Impresses by the young knight Haddar Klarazhal crafted him a magnificent weapon he named Mensagh Edarisa or Foes Blood in Hârnic; however, Sir Patryn more crudely named it Orc Bleeder.
In 672TR. Bromyl Manor, held by Sir Patryn's grandson Urthrest, was undercut and lost during a flash flood. Lake Valona burst its banks, and the manor was lost underwater, and the magical sword with it. Before Sir Urthrest could sponsor a recovery mission weapon, he was called to fight with King Torastra in the Salt War and later on during the Treasure war. Sadly during the pacification campaign against the Kath Barbarians, Sir Urthrest was one of the 40 knights slain in a cunning ambush. Sir Urthrest had no heir and over the last 50 years, Orc Bleeder was forgotten .
Pagaelin Poisons and Drugs
Eye Blight
A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 1d4 Poison damage and are Blinded for 1 hour as his eyes become sensitive to light. On a successful save, the creature takes no damage and isn’t blinded.
Mind Haze
A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. Their mind becomes fuzzy, and reflexes are slowed on a failed save, taking 1d6 psychic damage, and are Slowed as per spell for d6 rounds. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t slowed.
The Walkers Necter
Used by the Augars themselves and chieftains or favored individuals, a creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 3d8 Poison damage and are Poisoned for 1 day as their heart begins to beat erratically. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t Poisoned.
Walkers Guise
The white face paint the Raunir use to decorate their faces with skulls has interesting properties. It contains a strong sedative that deadens the nerves all over the body, which reduces any physical, fire, cold, radiant, and acid damage taken by 1 point per hit. This paint causes permanent damage and shortens the warrior’s life span by decades; however, the Raunir always dies in combat long before they reach old age.
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