Session 1A: Chasing Cassie
General Summary
The Heroes
Emet-Selch {Vedalken Artificer}
Eralyse Sarrallon {Aasimar Paladin}
Jon Mastiff {Human Wizard}
Mala {Aarakocra Monk}
Mellow Leaf {Tabaxi Ranger}
Each of the heroes received a letter sealed with the kingdom Seal of Braedor. Upon opening the letter, a faint pop of magic was felt. Emet-Selch and Jon Mastiff realized that the scroll had been enchanted such that if anyone attempted to open the letter other than the intended recipient it would have been destroyed. Each of the letters stated the following:
The group arrived at the mansion where they met with the following people
Gilford Torbus - Husband / Father
Fechill Torbus - Wife / Mother
Relnar Sylna - Butler
The group learned that the Torbuses were asleep when the kidnapping of Cassie Torbus occurred. The Butler reported that someone had knocked on the door and run off and when he went to close the door there was a rush of wind that knocked over and broke a vase that was behind him. Sometime later he heard Cassie's window shatter and upon rushing upstairs to see what happened she was gone.
Gilford confirmed that no ransom had been left and he had no idea why Cassie was taken. While he does own some iron mines he tends to keep to himself and not make enemies of others. Business has been good but not great. It was later confirmed by Emet-Selch using his merchant connections that there are bigger and easier targets than Torbus and so it seemed unlikely that they were being targeted for business reasons. Jon questioned if cassie had perhaps run off with a lover, but this seemed unlike since she is only eight years old.
Gilford continued that the only recent encounter of note was that some days earlier a Man dressed in green robes (probably an elf or half-elf) had stopped by and had claimed to be a historian doing research on family trees and had asked about the Torbus's family history. Specifically, he wanted to confirm that they were related a a one Edvard Reidly. Jon remembered hearing about an Edvard Reidly being involved with some kind of scandal but couldn't recall further details. After being pressured by Eralyse and Mala Gilford admitted that he was related to Reidly who was Gilford's great great grandfather on his mother's side and also confirmed that there was a scandal involving Edvard as he was part of some kind of secret group that did shady things. Gilford has tried to distance himself from association with Edvard and therefore wasn't even exactly sure what Edvard was accused of doing.
When investigating the grounds the group discovered the following:
Feeling confident that the next place to visit was the Rainy Waters Inn. They prepared to leave. But before they could leave Gilford stopped them and told them that the group would be paid up front and gave them a brooch to place on Cassie once they found her. The broach had been magically enchanted that when worn and the command word spoken it would teleport the wearer back to house. To demonstrate a similar broach was placed on Emet-Selch and it was activated. True to Gilford's word Emet-Selch was teleported to the main hall of the house.
Officer Ramiken escorted the group to the Rainy Waters Inn and then departed, stating that it wasn't his job to babysit the group and that if they had any additional questions that they could reach him at the guardhouse. The group now found themselves in a bad part of town in front of a shady looking "inn". Feeling that their skills would be better served elsewhere Jon and Emet-Selch left to go do research on the information they had gathered so far. With Emet-Selch hitting up his merchant contacts and Jon visiting the local library. Eralyse felt that her presence would have a negative impact on the group's ability to gather information and so she opted to stay nearby where she could be available if things went south. This left Mala and Mellow Leaf to enter the bar alone.
The two went inside and started gathering information through oblique references and side talk. Eventually, when bringing up the Torbus household one of the patrons (a dwarf by the name of Maxwell Grin) took issue with them asking such questions and threatened to kill them. Several other patrons, not wanting to have anything to do with what was about to go down fled the bar, alerting Eralyse that something was happening.
The three of them, after a violent discussion, were able to talk down the dwarf and get him to answer questions. Max had been visited by a man in green robes. This man wanted the Torbus's address and also arranged discrete transport away from the house at a very late hour. Max was able to squeeze 100gp out of this man a fee which he paid without fuss. In addition to the transport and information Max had also been paid to kill anyone that came around asking questions about himself or the Torbus family. Max did not however supply the muscle that was used in the kidnapping. Though he did say the man had a grey skinned dwarf with him. Max informed them that the carriage was to deliver its passengers to a restaurant called the Bile Bowl, located in the nearby town of Thornpond. He also pointed out that Thornpond is a port town and so there was a reasonable chance that if the group did not hurry the girl would probably be sent by ship into the bordering elf lands. After which her recovery would be very difficult.
The three then quickly gathered the others and set out toward Thornpond. Recent rains made the normal roads muddy and difficult to use, however Mellow Leaf was able to provide an alternate (faster) path through the woodlands to the town.
The group now found themselves in front of the restaurant known as the Bile Bowl, complete with a sign of a pantless orc sitting on a cooking pot. The group then barged into the restaurant (whose doors were unlocked), ignoring the sign that indicated that they were closed. A female Tabaxi and 4 elves attacked them after suggesting that their corpses would provide meat for future meals. After a bloody fight the group was victorious. However, before she fell she called out that the girl needed to be disposed of. An invisible voice acknowledged her request and slammed the back door shut behind them.
Rushing after the invisible foe the group found themselves in the sewer at a makeshift dock. One of the two boats was already leaving loaded down with 4 homunculus's, two boggards and an invisible dwarf. Each of the boats had a set of 6 large empty picture frames nailed to the sides (3 on each). Emet-Selch was able to quickly work out how the Veldalken device attached to the back of the boat worked, which gave Eralyse a chance to catch up with the group after tying up the unconsous tabaxi rogue.
Eralyse took control of the boat as her physical prowess would allow her to handle it better, while Emet-Selch gave her a quick run down of how the controls worked. Mellow Leaf quickly realized why such strange additions had been made to the boats, boggards can reach through frames via a 1-way portal they can create at will. Allowing them to attack the group on the boat regardless of distance. While the homunculi spat acid at the group.
Eventually the group was able to catch up with the other boat. Then Mal and Eralyse boarded it (leaving Jon to steer). The dwarf getting pissed at the group for wiping out his crew suddenly became visible and large. Making devastating melee attacks at those on the boat after bringing it to a full stop. One of his blows dropped Earalyse in a single hit before the group was able to subdue him.
After Eralyse was stabilized the group followed a wood cut map mounted to the boat that showed a route between the restaurant and some other location. It was a short trip and the group decided to gather up on the dry shore and take a short rest, figuring that they had time to do this since no one at the other location was yet aware of what had happened at the restaurant. Giving them a chance to recover before diving into what was likely to be a dangerous situation.
Emet-Selch {Vedalken Artificer}
Eralyse Sarrallon {Aasimar Paladin}
Jon Mastiff {Human Wizard}
Mala {Aarakocra Monk}
Mellow Leaf {Tabaxi Ranger}
Each of the heroes received a letter sealed with the kingdom Seal of Braedor. Upon opening the letter, a faint pop of magic was felt. Emet-Selch and Jon Mastiff realized that the scroll had been enchanted such that if anyone attempted to open the letter other than the intended recipient it would have been destroyed. Each of the letters stated the following:
Your skills are needed and I am willing to pay well for them. Please meet with Captain Naelos Gravemore in the town of Earthhost. He is dealing with a kidnapping will need your help if the girl is to be returned to her family alive. The forces at work are more sinister than he'll admit. The girl's family will give you a payment of 1,000 bronze pieces each for the safe return of their daughter. Pursue those who have taken her without delay for I fear she will not otherwise be long in this world.Each member of the group traveled to Earthhost and met with Captain Naelos Gravemore in an interrogation room. He was suspicious of the group but told them that he had been informed that they would be taking over the case. He sent them along with an Officer Ramiken since he was the one that originally responded and would be the one in the best position to answer questions. After some introductions Emet-Selch asked what Naelos could tell them about the case. He stated that he was surprised to learn that the Torbus family apparently had ties to the royal court. Since the group was hired by someone in the court, not directly by the family. The group was then sent on their way to the house.
The group arrived at the mansion where they met with the following people
Gilford Torbus - Husband / Father
Fechill Torbus - Wife / Mother
Relnar Sylna - Butler
The group learned that the Torbuses were asleep when the kidnapping of Cassie Torbus occurred. The Butler reported that someone had knocked on the door and run off and when he went to close the door there was a rush of wind that knocked over and broke a vase that was behind him. Sometime later he heard Cassie's window shatter and upon rushing upstairs to see what happened she was gone.
Gilford confirmed that no ransom had been left and he had no idea why Cassie was taken. While he does own some iron mines he tends to keep to himself and not make enemies of others. Business has been good but not great. It was later confirmed by Emet-Selch using his merchant connections that there are bigger and easier targets than Torbus and so it seemed unlikely that they were being targeted for business reasons. Jon questioned if cassie had perhaps run off with a lover, but this seemed unlike since she is only eight years old.
Gilford continued that the only recent encounter of note was that some days earlier a Man dressed in green robes (probably an elf or half-elf) had stopped by and had claimed to be a historian doing research on family trees and had asked about the Torbus's family history. Specifically, he wanted to confirm that they were related a a one Edvard Reidly. Jon remembered hearing about an Edvard Reidly being involved with some kind of scandal but couldn't recall further details. After being pressured by Eralyse and Mala Gilford admitted that he was related to Reidly who was Gilford's great great grandfather on his mother's side and also confirmed that there was a scandal involving Edvard as he was part of some kind of secret group that did shady things. Gilford has tried to distance himself from association with Edvard and therefore wasn't even exactly sure what Edvard was accused of doing.
When investigating the grounds the group discovered the following:
- None of the house's magical wards were set off
- A pile of cheap tobacco ash was found on the ground outside near the front door
- Cassie's window was shattered from the inside (broken pieces of glass were outside)
- There were a series of Claw marks on the building's exterior that go up to the window (Identified as likely coming from a female Tabaxi)
- A deep gash was found on the inside of the window sill (identified as coming from a grappling hook)
- An open packet of complimentary tobacco from a place called the Rainy Waters Inn (found amongst the broken remains of the vase)
Feeling confident that the next place to visit was the Rainy Waters Inn. They prepared to leave. But before they could leave Gilford stopped them and told them that the group would be paid up front and gave them a brooch to place on Cassie once they found her. The broach had been magically enchanted that when worn and the command word spoken it would teleport the wearer back to house. To demonstrate a similar broach was placed on Emet-Selch and it was activated. True to Gilford's word Emet-Selch was teleported to the main hall of the house.
Officer Ramiken escorted the group to the Rainy Waters Inn and then departed, stating that it wasn't his job to babysit the group and that if they had any additional questions that they could reach him at the guardhouse. The group now found themselves in a bad part of town in front of a shady looking "inn". Feeling that their skills would be better served elsewhere Jon and Emet-Selch left to go do research on the information they had gathered so far. With Emet-Selch hitting up his merchant contacts and Jon visiting the local library. Eralyse felt that her presence would have a negative impact on the group's ability to gather information and so she opted to stay nearby where she could be available if things went south. This left Mala and Mellow Leaf to enter the bar alone.
The two went inside and started gathering information through oblique references and side talk. Eventually, when bringing up the Torbus household one of the patrons (a dwarf by the name of Maxwell Grin) took issue with them asking such questions and threatened to kill them. Several other patrons, not wanting to have anything to do with what was about to go down fled the bar, alerting Eralyse that something was happening.
The three of them, after a violent discussion, were able to talk down the dwarf and get him to answer questions. Max had been visited by a man in green robes. This man wanted the Torbus's address and also arranged discrete transport away from the house at a very late hour. Max was able to squeeze 100gp out of this man a fee which he paid without fuss. In addition to the transport and information Max had also been paid to kill anyone that came around asking questions about himself or the Torbus family. Max did not however supply the muscle that was used in the kidnapping. Though he did say the man had a grey skinned dwarf with him. Max informed them that the carriage was to deliver its passengers to a restaurant called the Bile Bowl, located in the nearby town of Thornpond. He also pointed out that Thornpond is a port town and so there was a reasonable chance that if the group did not hurry the girl would probably be sent by ship into the bordering elf lands. After which her recovery would be very difficult.
The three then quickly gathered the others and set out toward Thornpond. Recent rains made the normal roads muddy and difficult to use, however Mellow Leaf was able to provide an alternate (faster) path through the woodlands to the town.
The group now found themselves in front of the restaurant known as the Bile Bowl, complete with a sign of a pantless orc sitting on a cooking pot. The group then barged into the restaurant (whose doors were unlocked), ignoring the sign that indicated that they were closed. A female Tabaxi and 4 elves attacked them after suggesting that their corpses would provide meat for future meals. After a bloody fight the group was victorious. However, before she fell she called out that the girl needed to be disposed of. An invisible voice acknowledged her request and slammed the back door shut behind them.
Rushing after the invisible foe the group found themselves in the sewer at a makeshift dock. One of the two boats was already leaving loaded down with 4 homunculus's, two boggards and an invisible dwarf. Each of the boats had a set of 6 large empty picture frames nailed to the sides (3 on each). Emet-Selch was able to quickly work out how the Veldalken device attached to the back of the boat worked, which gave Eralyse a chance to catch up with the group after tying up the unconsous tabaxi rogue.
Eralyse took control of the boat as her physical prowess would allow her to handle it better, while Emet-Selch gave her a quick run down of how the controls worked. Mellow Leaf quickly realized why such strange additions had been made to the boats, boggards can reach through frames via a 1-way portal they can create at will. Allowing them to attack the group on the boat regardless of distance. While the homunculi spat acid at the group.
Eventually the group was able to catch up with the other boat. Then Mal and Eralyse boarded it (leaving Jon to steer). The dwarf getting pissed at the group for wiping out his crew suddenly became visible and large. Making devastating melee attacks at those on the boat after bringing it to a full stop. One of his blows dropped Earalyse in a single hit before the group was able to subdue him.
After Eralyse was stabilized the group followed a wood cut map mounted to the boat that showed a route between the restaurant and some other location. It was a short trip and the group decided to gather up on the dry shore and take a short rest, figuring that they had time to do this since no one at the other location was yet aware of what had happened at the restaurant. Giving them a chance to recover before diving into what was likely to be a dangerous situation.
Rewards Granted
- 1,000 Bronze Pieces each (payment)
- 10 gold pieces
- 22 Iron pieces
- 44 bronze pieces
- 16 tin pieces
Missions/Quests Completed
Investigate Cassie's Disappearance
- Find out where she's being held
Character(s) interacted with
- Captain Naelos Gravemore
- Officier Ramiken
- Gilford Torbus
- Fechill Torbus
- Relnar Sylna
- Maxwell Grin
- 4 hungry elves
- 1 upset female tabaxi kidnapper
- 4 humunculi with bad table manners
- 2 playful boggards
- 1 digruntled deurgar
Report Date
28 Jun 2021
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