Session 05: Shining a light in dark places Report

General Summary

Bedding down from their long days toils and recovering from training to their new gifts, several members of the party encounter odd dreams - for Marigold she witnesses visions as if from the eyes of Captain Kit; first a vision of a beachside experience with a splitting headache, next of her unable to stop herself from abducting the young lady from Ganta, then finally a vision of being surrounded by fire and attacking a character that looks just like Marigold. Wellys also encountered a strange dream - in his he is flying in colder skies, descending through the clouds to see a fantastic scene of 6 artificially flat-topped peaks - five surrounding a larger sixth. On the center plateau massive motes of stone create a disconnected archway like the markings of a compass. A moment later the scene zooms in to a middle-aged woman wearing a parchment colored dress with ink-black sleeves and trim. The party finds themselves in the tavern the next morning fully recovered, discussing the odd dreams when they encounter an elderly wizard named Fizban. While he cannot help with the interpretation, he does recognize the lady as a professor from Strixhaven, a magical school hidden in the mountains. After finishing their meals, they teleport to Strixhaven where they meet Augusta Tellus, professor and Dean of Order of Lorehold College - the same woman from Wellys dream. She suggests that this is probably some form of spirit trying to speak through dreams. Using her gift, she takes the stage and calls forth wisps of colored smoke to recreate the scenes from Marigold's visions. In the first, the party finally uncovers what happened on the beach, observing an odd brain-like creature with four legs stalk the captain, leaping and attacking him, pulling out his brain magically and eating it. The captain falls, causing a small piece to tumble away - the piece of material they found before. The second vision shows the final acts of the captain - striking at the party member just before the brain creature magically leaves the captain, disappearing into the shadows. Returning back to Arkdale, they find themselves back outside the tavern. A short shopping trip to the Runesmith results in some unique enhancements to their weapons. The next few days consist of some reconnaissance for Flint Underhill, the assigned target of the arrangement with the King's Coin. They run into him at the Ugly Mermaid with three of his bulky dock hands. Rather than following the arrangement of roughing him up - the party takes Flint's new arrangement. For a handsome amount of coin, the party is given three unarmed strikes against him. In trade, Flint provides a code phrase that allows them a "master key" of sorts to the slave market. Returning to the King's Coin, the team provides the code for mission success with roughing up Flint and gives the second code, allowing them to access the next market trade. The proprietor is surprised that they know the code, but arranges for the team to be guided to the auction. Late that night, a cloaked figure leads them to the enterance to the sewers. A heavy gnoll presence guides them through the tunnels to a massive chamber that has been used as an underground fighting arena. A group of slaves are lead out while several well dressed and cloaked bidders stand above the arena on a boardwalk. A heightened perception check by two members of the team provide recognition that the auctioneer on the stage is not only the proprietor, but also under the same type of control as Captain Kit was. The team jumps into action - firing a radiant arrow to the ceiling, scaring off the gnolls from the chamber, then attacking the proprietor. While many of the slaves run back towards the tunnel they came from, two of the female slaves attack Angelo - apparently under the same type of control as the proprietor. The battle ends with the proprietor tranquilized, the two female slaves subdued with their controlling brain creatures dead, and the other slaves recovered. The session is concluded as the party exits the sewers with the slaves, being carefully watched and hounded by the gnolls who patrol the sewers.

Campaign

The Journey Begins

Protagonists