The Ghost of Alastor Land Report

General Summary

Patchwall 18, 595 CY

Session: 2024-05-15

It was early afternoon when they got back to Diamond Lake. They knew that the Bulldogs would be at Smenk's Deepspike Mine or with Smenk. While they contemplated attacking the Bulldog's at the mine, they realized it would be too public. After the mines closed, the Bulldogs would be at their favorite hangout, the Feral Dog.
On an off chance that the Bulldogs would be at Smenk's bunkhouse, Deepspike tenements, Malaki shifted into a rat and made his way into the tenement house. He easily found the apartments of the Bulldogs and sniffed around for clues. He didn't have to worry about being found out, many other rats infested the place. The Bulldog's apartments were a mess and smelled horribly. He found mud-encased clothes in four of the five rooms, but found no other clues or evidence. Shitting in one of Kullen's shoes and putting some glass shards in another, Malakai departed the tenements.
With time to spare, they went to Allustan's home to speak with the wizard. Allustan was surprised that the Bulldog's, who did nothing without Smenk's approval, would be digging up bodies. It almost sounded like necromancy, but their sorcerer hadn't displayed any talent with that school of magic.
Wasting time around town, the companions, who had started calling themselves the Topknots, waited until the mines let out. Eventually, the Bulldogs arrived at the Feral Dog. The Topknots scratched their heads, unsure of how to proceed. They couldn't fight in the bar without drawing the sheriff. Tolman began spying through the dirt-encrusted windows. When Kullen got served a drink, he used his mag hand to knock over the drink, which unfortunately earned the serving maid a backhand. As someone else moved past Kullen, the mage hand spilled the drink over the rageborn. The person holding the tankard got hit so hard, he ended up on the floor.
Kaszu entered the Feral Dog and started bantering with the Bulldogs, even offering to prostitute himself to try and get the bullies out of the bar. They said they'd take him up on it when the Dog closed.
Out of ideas, the Topknots decided to wait in the alleys between the Dog and the tenements. Close to midnight, the Bulldogs were heard singing, badly, at the top of their lungs making sure they woke up anyone trying to sleep along the way. In a familiar alleyway, the Bulldogs recognized the ambush.
While it had only been a little over a week since the Topknots got their asses handed to them by the Bulldogs, a lot had happened over that week, and the companions weren't so green as before. Battling goblin tribes and giant spiders, aberrant things, ghouls and water elementals had given them the experience they needed to turn the tables on these bullies.
It didn't take long before the Bulldogs were bleeding out on the ground. Malakai gave each a goodberry to heal them and bring them to, but they had no more fight in them. Asked about the skeletons, Kullen said that Smenk needed them to get his "friend" some dead bodies. They knew of the old farmhouse with the small grave plot in back, so that's where they went. Kullen admitted it was the first time since Smenk rescued them from Vest's mines that he felt like a pawn, and he didn't like it.
They delivered the skeletons to the old observatory on the hill north of town, near the Bronzewood Menhirs. There they met Filge, a friend of Smenk's from the Free City. Filge had them bring the bodies up to the top floor of the observatory which he was using as some sort of laboratory. Dropping the bodies, they quickly left.
Kaszu asked if there was a way to "smooth this over". Kullen mentioned that Filge had a strange tattoo on the back of one of his hands. If he got the hand as a trophy, he'd forget the whole thing happened.
Looking north, they could see lights coming from the upper levels of the observatory. Slowly making their way up the path, they saw that a wooden one-floor structure was built onto the stone tower of the place. Moving to the north of the addition, Tolman climbed up to the roof and carefully picked the lock of one of the windows and shimmied it open. By that time Malaki had joined him, shifting again to the form of a rat. The two entered an empty bed chamber, it seemed like someone cleaned it out long ago. Dust covered everything. A door opposite the window beckoned.
Tolman's heart began to race as he thought about what to do next.

Campaign

It Started in Diamond Lake

Protagonists

Tolman K’hurzz

Malakai Steelbuckle

Delilah Raincloud

Crichton Eogen

Argan Agu-Ulakanu

Chaotic Good Goliath (Outlander)
Ranger 4

36 / 36 HP

STR
18

DEX
14

CON
14

INT
10

WIS
12

CHA
8

Kaszu Billowcase

Chaotic Good Rock Gnome (Guild Artisan / Guild Merchant)
Artificer 3

24 / 24 HP

STR
8

DEX
12

CON
14

INT
17

WIS
14

CHA
10

Report Date

26 May 2024