Session 8: Tracking down Zadkiel

General Summary

The Heroes

Emet-Selch {Vedalken Artificer}
Eralyse Sarrallon {Aasimar Paladin}
Jon Mastiff {Human Wizard}
Mala {Aarakocra Monk}
Mellow Leaf {Tabaxi Ranger}
Current Year:756

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1

The group makes their way back to the campsite indicated by Octavia. Upon their arrival a familiar face is waiting for them, Lucian Patching. Lucian smiles at their approach

I'm glad to see you weren't killed on this island and I'll be able to deliver Zewyn's message to the living. Not that I actually had any doubts.

— Lucian

Lucian pats one of his pockets and pulls out a scroll that seems larger than the pocket should be able to hold. He then passes the scroll over to you, it has the kingdom seal upon it. Opening the scroll you read the following message.
"I'm happy to report that that I have Zadkeil's location. Unfortunately, its going to take a little bit to get you to his locaiton without spooking him. He has setup a Shondea laboratory in the town of Oldmore. It seems that he's being assisted by a group called The Order of Enlightened Curators. The strange part is that helping him set up a shondae facility should be the last thing that group would do. I don't know what's going on but they're acting strangely. They are clearly under someone's influence, what I'm not sure is if it's Zadkeil or someone else. Anyway, I've arranged to have a Braedor warship meet you in neutral waters. I would love to know how you got so far beyond the realm guardians but that's a discussion for another time. Lucian has the remaining details"
Once you've finished reading the scroll you notice the words begin to fade, though slowly. within the hour the scroll will be nothing more than a blank piece of parchment. Lucian nods.

Unfortuantely, because Zakeil isn't considered to be a threat by the council they can't spare any ships to come get us. Nor will they allow us to use a teleportation circle to return to the mainland. You are however, allowed to use the circle here to travel back to Autumncrest. From there I've made arragements with a Sea Elf that captains a fishing vessel. While he can get us to the meeting spot in half a day, it will take about 3 days for Zewyn to get her ship into position. This is because she wasn't sure how soon you would get the message and having a warship hanging around in netural seas for "no reason" isn't great poltically speaking. So, will be travelling to Autumncrest, you will have food, room and board for your stay there until you are ready to leave. Unfortunately, the council deems my talents as too valuable to stay with you and so I conviently, have other duties I'll need to attend to.

— Lucian

In the camp there is a grassmound with a finely crafted door set into the side of it. Within is a small room with wooden flooring with a teleportation circle drawn on it. Within moments you and lucian find yourself back at the underwater trading post known as AutumnCrest that you left 3 days ago. Lucian introduces you to the Sea Elf Albert Banks and his ship The Marlin. You quickly realize why a sea elf would need a fishing boat. It's used to carry his haul and it stinks badly of fish. Thankfully your accomodations are quite nice. Each of you is given spacious lodgings that have windows to the outside. You've each been assigned 3 animate mushrooms that understand common as well as an awakened sea crab that not only understands common but can speak it as well. each of the sea crabs reports to a druid caretaker who has been charged the the task of making sure you don't perish before it's time for you to leave. A sea elf who seems quite perturbed that he has to deal with you, even though you're pretty sure his main job is that of running an inn, specfically the Triple Maple where you're staying.
Triple Maple Beneits

Because of the accomodations, each of you gain the benefits of a wealthy lifestyle during your stay. Additionally, the servents are extremely skilled and efficient. This has the result of any down time activity you engage in is treated as if you were doing it for twice as long. So, while you are only there for 2 and a half days you can accomplish a normal work week worth of activities.

2

On the final day you pack up your things and head off to the docks to board the marlin. By the ship you see the sea elf that is supposed to be your captain being accosted by 3 very large Firbolgs. One of them looks in your direction and a smile crosses his face as he calls out

oi! here you said you didn't know nothin' about it and yet here they come now. No sense in running, we're on to you, you traitorous bastards. We know you been workin for the sea devils and we're gonna make sure you got nothin' to report back to them

— Concerned Citizen

3

After convincing the guards that you have legitimate business with Captain Banks you are allowed to leave. Unforuantely, this exchange delayed your departure and so you make your way to the rendevuos point with the hope that you can make up some time.

4

When you approach the spot you are greeted to the sound of cannonfire. You see the ship on the horizon and it is currently engaged in battle with two smaller ships with a familar skull and dagger emblemn.
DM Notes

When you close with the ship a sudden burst of light flies from Zewyn's ship and the ship you didn't board gets pelted with half a dozen fireballs, wiping out it's mast and setting the deck on fire. The ship you're on you find yourself facing down several dozen skeletal figures. But before you can engage you hear poping sounds behind you has warriors from Zewyn's ship appear all around you and charge to engage the undead horde. You hear Zewyn's voice in your heads.

You don't have much time, take out the captain and his personal guard, my soldier's can repell others while you focus on the leader. Once he drops the rest will be too disorganized to pursue.

— Zewyn

You soon spot the captain, a black skinned elf with white hair and a crimson gem embedded in his forehead.

He is accompaianed with 3 figures dressed in black robes and silver chain necklaces. They have pale grey skin and are armed with longswords and longbows.

5

After dispatching the captain and his guards some of the braedor soldiers rush up to you. One of them speaks quickly

Come with us, we must withdraw now.

One soldier clasps your hands and then misty steps with you back over to Zewyn's ship where she is waiting.

You are all here? Good, come with me

— Zewyn

Zewyn takes you below decks into a room containing a teleportation circle. She beckons for you to follow and the room around you shifts. From the wood of a ship to the stone of a tower.
Breathing a sigh of relief she addresses you.

We are at my current sanctum. I've had to take residence in what's left of AutumnGulf. This poor town was over run by ghouls. Thankfully, one of my other groups dealt with the item antimating them. We are safe in the tower for now. But it's been getting worse. It seems that one of the voidsticks used in the process is still active. As a result, the ghouls have been rebuilding their numbers. It hasn't been a problem since they can't breach my defenses, but it means the only safe way in and out of the tower is through this teleportation circle. Unfortuantely, as I explained you'll need to travel by foot to Oldmore so we can catch the bastard by surprise. If you need to rest I understand but I don't want to dally too long. When you're ready I can open a doorway through my defenses so you can take care of the void stick. You're welcome to try to destroy it yourself or you can bring it to me. Once it's gone the creatures should become lethargic and after a few days be nothing more than corpses again.

— Zewyn

6

With the destruction of the voidstick a grim smile crosses Zewyn's face.

It's nice to be on the winning side for a change. You're welcome to rest here in the tower, but I would only suggest doing so if you need it. It's going to take a few days to travel to Oldmore and you shouldn't encounter any resistence along the way. ButI have no desire to needlessly endanger you by rushing

— Zewyn

When you head out you find that the journey is fairly straight forward. The road is in reasonably decent condition and it isn't long before it meets up with the main kingsway. After a day's travel you make camp at a reasonably comfortable spot.
That night during the 2nd watch the bright moonlight from overhead vanishes and you find your camp suddenly in darkness. You hear motion above you like a cloth snapping in the wind. You see a dozen glowing green eyes surrounding the camp.
However, because the group had protected the camp with a spell the rest of the evening was uneventful.

7

The next morning you can't help but feel like you're being watched. But you can't find anything. The next day while your travelling the sensation continues and it's getting close to night fall. Will you have a repeat of the previous evening. As the sun starts to set you see a small wooden sign indicating that a place called "The Old Victory" can be found just up the road. Do you continue on or stop where you're at.
DM Notes

Notes

Deciding to travel just a bit further to reach some place that will offer better security you find a small roadside Tavern/Inn. It is a small two story structure with a sign hanging from a rope wrapped around the building that says in faded lettering "The Old Victory". Inside of the building you see a middle aged man in an apron behind the bar, upon which rests a large loadd crossbow. He grunts and points at the sign over him. It says

Meal - 1 Iron Piece,
Single Room - 2 Iron Pieces a Night
Communal Room - 1 Iron Piece each

The man then turns and stirrs a large bubbling pot that you're guessing is the "meal" available. He then turns back around and eyes you waiting to know what you want.
The rest of the room your in offers two small tables with 4 chairs each. A plain metal chain with a candle on the end of it hangs from the ceiling providing light to the room. There is a set of stairs leading up, a door behind the counter and a door to one side. Up stairs is a hallway that runs the length of the building with four doors on each side. Each door leads into a small room with a bed, a bench, a small chest and an incredibly grimy barred window. That you question if any amount of cleaning will let you see out of it.
The communal room consists of a large room with 12 straw mats, each with a small footlocker and a wooden key.
That night you are woken by a loud crash of thundar and the sound of pounding rain. The room feels woobly to you, though maybe that's just you. The air in the room feels heavy and hard to breathe. When you try to open the door it feels slimy to the touch and squirms under your hand, but seems to be locked just the same.

Show spoiler

The Doors can not be picked until the hidden mechanism has been found

After bursting through more doors than there should of been the group makes their way downstairs.

8

Rushing into the main room you find it transformed. All of the surfaces look like slightly melted wax scuptures and all of the surfaces are wet to the touch.

Show spoiler

The chain with the candle on it when pulled will force the mimic to spit out the characters. The chairs act like tongues and the tables and bar act like teeth. The floor becomes sticky and gets harder to move the longer you stand in place. Any skill check to determine informaiton is a DC 15 and results in information that suggests they are inside of a giant mouth

The group was able to trigger the house hunter's gag reflex forcing it to vomit everyone forth

9

Everyone is expelled out of the front door of the structure and the building seems to glare at you angrily. Several psuedopod like appendages rise up. Each of them has what appears to be a body on the end. Oneof them looks like the middle aged man behind the bar and the other looks like an elderly woman. The sign hangs from the building like a giant necklace.
The group fought against the house sized mimic, with the assisstence of some strange weather effects.

10

As the creature falls, you see a familar form materialize next to you,Lucian Patching. He gives you a wink as a lightining bolt falls upon up. In that moment you feel a heaviness leave your bodies and you find yourselves waking up amongst the debris of the inn. There is no sign of any people, but you do see a small sapoling with black bark and two transparent leaves.
You gather your things and head out. After half a day's travel After a day an half, You find yourself at the town of oldmore. The place is quite formidable. A long stone wall with large glowing runes upon it surround an area of land filled with farmland. A second inner wall appears to protect the city proper. Each wall is manned entirely with warforged.
When you approach the outer wall circular purple lights appear around emet and mellow leaf and they are asked by a warforged to step aside.
A warforged steps forward and stares at each of you for about a minute without saying anything. Afterward, the warforged steps back and lets you know that you are allowed to proceed.

Show spoiler

DC: 12 Arcana check to regnize that alignment detecting magic had been used.

Report Date

21 Feb 2022