S2E17 Session Report

General Summary

[Kakerlake] tells us that Meraxos is the name of the settlement. 300-400 people in the large cave.
[Saratina] says that she would like to return to the Selesnians and protect the outpost since we have arrived safely. We get her permission to speak on the outposts' behalf in our diplomatic meetings with [Jahlros] tomorrow, and let her know that people may be passing through her outpost to Mercadia and safety if we send them her way.
The Duke casts detect magic as we explore around. He wants to start off by heading to the local watering hole.
A Firbolg kid pickpockets Da'Har, but Theo notices and steps in front of him. She recognizes that the kid is poor and desperate, so she doesn't attack. His parents come running and ask what happened. At that moment, Da'Har realizes what happened and asks for the bag back. Da'Har tells Alvin, the Firbolg child, that he was also getting into trouble as a kid until he found the good book: [Ravnica Beach Body]. The parents apologize profusely, and Theo warns that where she is from, she would take his hands for the thievery, but times are hard so they're being merciful.
The neighborhood where the Firbolgs reside seems to be made up of farmers and more rural folk. A quaint neighborhood.
One neighborhood of note: taller structures. looks like a wooden fortress. spikes comign off the top of it. Painted red and green with banners. Looks barbaric. Seems like a Gruul Clans neighborhood. The people there look bigger. Minotaur, Firbolg, Half Orcs, all tatted with piercings, tribalistic clothings.
We sit around the well in the center of the cave to try to see what we hear everyone else talking about. Dream hears a half orc bragging about bullying somebody. Some old men are complaining about the conditions in the cave. There's a group of people playing poker dice, and Dream and The Duke head over to gamble. Theo and Da'Har step away to work out in the meantime.
The Duke takes all of a goblin's money. Dream purchases the dice off of him, and then walks over to the table and asks how to play. A Gruul man gets upset at the Duke and doesn't really want to explain the rules to Dream, but agrees to play with her. Everyone else at the table doesn't play and doesn't want to get involved. The Gruul man wins the next hand, but then takes his money and goes back to his table to drink. The Duke asks the other players why they're afraid of them. They say that they're bullies, cheat, and get upset when things don't go their way. They say its worse for the [Lashani] people and looks at the [Devcarren] (drow). Their clan was displaced, and they settled in the rubble belt.
The Gruul in this cave wanted to have diplomatic relations with the Lashani, who were living peacefully in the rubble belt. But the Gruul kicked them out of the clan for the idea, and now this clan in the cave blame the lashani for being forced out.
The goblin that is giving Dream this info says that hopefully he won't be in this camp for much longer. He seems sure of it, which is slightly suspicious to Dream. The Duke and Dream step away after he leaves as well, and The Duke tells Dream that when they mentioned the environmental disaster, he didn't bat an eye.
We camp about 100yds back into the cave system and the Duke casts the tiny hut to give us some privacy so that we can debrief.
In the morning, Kakerlake sends some kraul guards to fetch us. They say that Jhalros has called a meeting of the councils of Meraxos at noon, and that's when we can try to speak to him.
Our angle will be that we're academics scouting for the source of the ooze. We try to make Da'Har look more scholarly. We also say that we were originally sent out rescue any civilians if need be, before we realized they were safe in the caves.
the council meeting is in another large cave. we meet up with Kakerlake and travel there with her and her guards as her guests. it's about an hour long walk. There's a Gruul clan half-orc representative named Aleida Woodleaf, and a high elf male in once fine clothes with a few people accompanying him. More small groups also join us along the walk there. There's an old goblin shaman.
the council is in a carved ampitheater. in the main seat is a half rotted corpse, but everyone is sitting down like that's normal. dream casts detect magic to see what type of magic is in the corpse, and its enchanment and necromancy. It matches the magic in the ooze. Jhalros speaks through the zombie, but isn't present.
He says that the Mercadians are amassing a military force to clear the caves and displace these people again. there is an uproar in the council. he says that before they make their decision, they want to hear from the mercadian representatives. the duke and dream address the council, showing photos of the ooze and saying that this is an ecological disaster that we need to work together to solve.
Jhalros ralies the council by saying that the people of Ravnica have taken from these people, and that they will take back the resources that they deserve. Kakerlake speaks up and says that they did not agree to make rot farms so that these people could kill innocents. Dream says that the Mercadians are not part of the Guilds, so they're attacking another independent nation. The high elf man says that Mercadia is more Simic now, not independent. The Duke says that it would be better to make an ally with the Mercadians than an enemy. The half-orc half-drow Gruul female representative says that these people should be shown the same kindness that they showed the elves' people. She comes to the front of the ampitheater with Dream and the Duke. Jhalros says that the people of Meraxos belong to him, and their forces will attack. Theo speaks up and says that they should meet with the people of Mercadia. They have shown force, and the Mercadians are scared, so now is the time to negotiate. Give them a chance to save the civilians. More people seem to agree with that. He says that he will speak to the Mercadians if we can convice them to. He gives us a spell scroll so that we can summon an undead emissary of his to speak with the Mercadians. A dead body will be necessary for the spell to be cast by Dream. We ask for a ceasefire until the diplomatic relations conclude, but Jhalros hints that he won't stop.
We talk to Kakerlake on the way back about a coupe against Jhalros. If the people of Meraxos can help Mercadia to stop Jhalros, perhaps we can convince them to grant their independence and act as allies. She will need to speak with council members that she trusts to organize a group to resist him, or at least to help give us information. she says that we should speak with [Aleda Woodleaf] the Gruul representative of the Fire Forged clan.
Next up: See the rot farms. Speak with Aleda. Send a Sending to Lt. Spern.

Report Date

28 Nov 2023