Session 175 - Trouble At Trobridge

General Summary

13^th and 19^th of Larane (Second Month of Summer) 723TR

The story so far

Jolanta has developed an interest in Earthmaster artifacts and has discovered that one may capture and store images. The legendary Ivory Specularum. After diligent investigation, she thinks she has learned its last know location, the mysterious caverns under Trobridge Inn.

This is the continuation of Session 172 - The Blood Drinker.

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Location - The Salt Route, West of the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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Part 1 - The Kath Ambush

Blaine and Jolanta start their journey to Trobridge Inn along the dangerous Salt Route and two days out, walk into an ambush. In a ridge above, three Kath Warriors, emerge and open fire, focusing mainly on the heavily armored Blaine. Their deadly obsidian arrowheads, inflict multiple deep cuts in the vulnerable spots unprotected by Blaine's armor. Jolanta believing their lives are in imminent danger turns herself and Blaine Invisible, and the pair quickly escape.

Part 2 - Three Suspicious Men

A few days later, the travelers run into trouble again. Three unsavory rough men cross on their path. One big man who looks particularly dangerous generously offers to escort Jolanta to Trobridge. The suspicious wizard politely refuses. "Suit yourself, Blondie," he grumbles, and he and his men depart. Jolanta keeps an eye out and spots them not far behind, trying to follow them discreetly. Again, she uses magic, makes herself and Baline vanish again. They hide and conceal their tracks.

The men approach the last spot they saw Jolanta. "I smell magic," the Big Man says to his companions, "Must be her." They head off northwest, attempting to intercept the heroes before Trobridge, so Jolanta and Blaine move off the trail and head southwest hoping to avoid them.

Part 3 - Blaine Gets Lost

Blaine leads Jolanta through the forest and quickly gets lost. Luckily four Chelni warriors spot them and investigate. These capable-looking men, riding sturdy war ponies, are in a good mood and offer to escort the heroes to Trobridge for only half their goods. Jolanta offers them silver which they scornfully reject. As she becomes insistent on paying silver their mood begins to sour. The exasperated warriors tell her she is a poor negotiator, and they want something of use for the privilege of passing through their lands. Just before violence erupts, Blaine offers his old longsword, which satisfies their honor. Jolanta and Blaine led to Trobridge without any further incident.

At Trobridge Inn, the pair rent a room for the night, and Jolanta uses magic to determine if the hunters are nearby. They are not.

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Location - Trobridge Inn

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Part 4 - Blaine Turns On The Charm

The following day, the characters have a look around the settlement. Just outside the Inn, Blaine bumps into old acquaintances, four former caravan robbers, and men he had threatened with murder the next time he sees them (refer to Session 166 - A Hanging).

Unfortunately, these men are wearing Sir Kurson, the Lord of Trobridge colors, and are pleased to see Blaine, now that they are the law. Thinking fast, Blaine turns on the charm, pleased that they now have honest Jobs, and says he has no hard feelings. He successfully sweet-talks them and will buy them drinks at the Severed Hand Tavern tonight. Jolanta thinks Blaine may have hidden talents.

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Next, the characters make their way to the newly repaired tower next to the bridge, now used as a royal toll house. Jolanta's research has indicated that there is a passage to the caverns under this building. She and Blaine enter, and she asks Blaine to distract the guards while she investigates. Blaine says he wants a job as a guard, but after going into great detail about his drunken misdeeds as a town watchman, the pair are swiftly removed from the building. So much for Blaine's new charm.

Asking around, Jolanta speaks to Faram, the Timber Wright who supplied wood for the bridge and the refurbished tower. She learns that there is a shaft to some dangerous caverns below the southeastern corner of the tower, but it has been permanently sealed.

That night, while Blaine is drinking with his "friends," Jolanta using the Water Breathing powers of her magic staff to investigate the river around the tower and the bridge but finds no other access point in any caverns. It looks like Jolantas will have to use magic.

Part 5 - The Ancient Caverns

Later that night Jolanta estimates where this shaft is located and takes a risk. She and the barely sober Blaine Dimension Door into the unknown. Her calculations are near perfect. They appear in complete darkness, take a small fall but are not badly hurt.

Jolanta lights a torch finding a damp series of rough passages, several feet deep in cold, musty water. Crude paintings of humanoid monsters, possibly orcs, adorn the walls. The pair find some old crates and a strong box with the latch rusted shut. As they examine it, their torches flicker and then go out, and cold amorphous forms strike. Fighting in darkness, Jolanta strikes with her magic and Blaine with his sword, but he finds his hand and arm are starting to freeze. Eventually, the blinded heroes destroy the Freezing Ooze.

They find in the strongbox dungeoneering supplies, oil, a lantern, climbing spikes, and some moldy rope.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

3 x Suspicious Hunters.

4 x Chelni barbarians.

Blaine's old friends Ned, Pallas, Stinker, and Dwain.

Timber Wright Faram.

Challenges Overcome

Escaped Kath ambush

Avoided 3 x Hunters and "negotiated" with the Chelni Barbarians.

Blaine talked his way out of an arrest and a likely hanging.

2 x Freezing Oozes.

Related Reports

Trobridge Inn - Updated.

Kath Barbarians.

Chelni Barbarians.

Player Character Status

Jolanta - Human - Level 8 Evoker.

Campaign

Agents of the White Hand - Campaign Complete

Protagonists

Jolanta

Report Date

09 Sep 2021

Primary Location

Trobridge Inn

Secondary Location

The Salt Route

NPC Companion

Blaine

Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.

Blaine, art by Artur Sadlos

Trobridge Inn

Art by Columbia Games changed by Attacus

Clan Ondailis

The ruling family of Trobridge inn. Considered by many nothing more than thugs and bandits.

Clan Ondailis, art by Attacus

The Ivory Specularum

Appearance
A decorative ivory-colored octagonal pseudostone plate. Likely 11 inches long, 1 inch wide, and weighs around 1 pound.
Properties
The Ivory Specularum is an unique Earthmaster Artifact which is said to store written works and images with perfect clarity.
Lore
Nezrea Lifesaar, the infamous White Flame Sorcerer, was one of Lothrim the Foulspawner lieutenants. He made his home at Trobridge in the caverns under the settlement, where he experimented on orcs. As a reward for his services, Lothrim rewarded Nezrea with this artifact, not before he learned from and erased any images he contained from the time of the Earthmaster.
When the Foulspawner "died" Trobridge was sacked by vengeful Chelni and Nezrea was impaled and thrown onto a burning orc pyre. However, it is also rumored that he escaped to his beloved caverns with the Specularum, never to be seen again.

Kath Obsidian Arrowheads

Appearance
Superbly crafted black obsidian arrowheads. They vary in shape and design but all are thin, fragile, serrated, and sharp.
Lore
The Kath Barbarians utilize a wide range of obsidian arrowheads, created using ancient crafting techniques. These heads cause excessive bleeding and some are designed to break inside of wounds.
Properties
These critical on an 18+. On a critical hit, and if the target is damaged to below half hit points, they have a 30% chance of shattering in the target's wound. The character will then lose 1d6hp each round if they move. The obsidian shards will need to be surgically removed.