The Gathering Storm: Session Zero
The Gathering Storm
Session “Zero”
PC’s
JeHan Schuster, Sleuth (Andy)
Egon Rothenstein, Boat-Hand (Josh)
Fritz Lander, Apprentice Artist (Sergio)
Elodie Azucar, Hexer (Rex)
Dieter Desch, Bodysnatcher (Matt H.)
6 Nachgeheim, 2512 I.C.
It was a strange place for a reunion, but considering the chaotic events of the past few days, perhaps not so unexpected. Fritz and JeHan had popped in to visit their maimed friend Egon in the Temple of Shallya, who, after six days in the care of the Sisters, was finally free of the blood rot and ready to go home (minus an ear of course). As the trio moved past the curtained alcove towards the center of the temple, they spotted their old pals Dieter and Elodie, the latter smiling broadly despite a crown of bandages and purplish-yellow bruising down the right side of her face.
“Fritz! It’s been days! We thought maybe you’d tracked down our runaway dwarf and forgotten all about us.” Dieter clapped the ever-jovial sculptor on the back.
“That, or found a wealthy patron and returned to more honest pursuits.” Elodie tried to maintain a smile, but was clearly experiencing some lingering pain from the basilisk blow to her head. “Adventuring-for-hire is a… painful occupation.”
Fritz threw his arms open wide, neglecting shouldered support for Egon in the process. JeHan was on hand to steady the convalescing boatman. “My friends! Oh what excellent surprise, ya? Life has been exciting since moment of arrival in the city. Look at new friend Egon -- the brave boy lost an ear he did!” Fritz dropped his voice a touch, to what he might have considered a whisper. “To a vampire!”
Dieter smiled a salutation to JeHan, and shrugged sympathetically to Egon.“Sounds like you’ve had about as much luck as us in tracking down Thurgrim, then. We haven’t heard from Bombe or Gilbert either. Haven’t tried all that hard to find them, to be honest…”
“Dieter brought me to the Sisters here when we arrived.” Elodie explained. “They think I’m an herbalist from the countryside coming to town for the Market. New bandages today.” She pointed at her fresh linen wraps, dried sprigs of poultice peeking out from between the folds.
“We should compare notes, yeah?” Dieter continued the conversation as the five of them proceeded slowly back towards the temple’s colonnaded arcade. “Elodie and I have a couple rooms at a place called Rugger’s Boarding House on the north side of the docks. There’s room for you, Fritz…”
“Oh, well that sounds so nice a boarding house, ya? Very classy I am sure. But I have been staying with my new friend JeHan at his very comfortable room on the fashionable south side of the docks you see, and…”
“Fantastic. Go. Go with them.” JeHan spoke up for the first time, his interruption catching Fritz a little off guard. “I hear Rugger’s is very nice.”
Elodie smirked. “It’s serviceable at least. At not without its own excitement, to be honest. Why, our first day there, some fracas on the street carried right on over into the building! Four thugs chased a woman through the hallways and out onto the roof of the stable. Bodies were flying. It was quite a scene.”
“Ohhh ya? Well do you know that a tavern not far from our -- I mean, from JeHan’s home -- exploded last night? Huge fire! Men and dwarves screaming in agony, it’s true.” Fritz was wagging his finger to accentuate the drama.
“Can we stop bragging about whose neighborhood is shittier and get me to a bar?” Egon spoke up for the first time. “I need a drink.”
“A fine idea.” JeHan was happy to change the subject. “The Raspy Raven is a decent pub not far from Rugger’s. Besides… it’s true… my neighborhood watering hole blew up last night.”
“Yes! Time to break bread and toast our reunion! We will tell you all about our harrowing experience in the vampire’s den, our meeting with the wizard -- did we tell you we are now friends with wizard? Ya!” Fritz chattered enthusiastically as he led the way towards the great bridge. “And a new job my friends! We have met each other just in time for us to tell you about our quest to find the coal merchant!”
“The coal --?” Dieter turned a confused look to JeHan. JeHan rolled his eyes and nodded as if to say, we’ll explain shortly. And they headed off to the Raven.
* * *
Over beer, bread, and sausages, the party compared notes and made more proper introductions. JeHan, a private investigator here in Ubersreik, and his boatman friend Egon, were approached by Fritz to assist in locating Thurgrim. Their initial conversation was overheard by some unfriendly locals, and the trio was drugged and dumped in a flophouse in the Rookery.
Turned out this same flophouse, the Spittlefeld tenement, was in the process of being boarded shut and quarantined after locals started dying from some horrible disease. And the three of them were locked inside. Through bravery, tenacity, and a little bit of luck, the trio found the source of the infection: an undead monster dwelling in the basement, spreading blood rot at night while she fed. After killing the beast and suffering only minor casualties (all of them concentrated on Egon), the heroes spent days answering questions from the local constabulary and the resident licensed magic-user, a Grey wizard by the name of Christophe.
Two nights ago, JeHan was approached by a representative of the local Merchants’ Guild. News of the trio’s investigative success in Spittlefeld must have reached the esteemed body of wealthy Ubersreikers, because they were now being asked to help locate a missing coal merchant who was last heard heading for Stromdorf. JeHan and company have a meeting at the guildhouse this evening, and JeHan is confident that such a powerful organization as the Guild would just as soon hire five investigators as three.
Dieter leaned his head back and rubbed his chin. “You know who else mentioned Stromdorf..?”
Elodie snapped her fingers. “The dwarf! He was bragging about some tavern there or something.”
“Oh ya! The Thunderwater!” Fritz, hands outstretched and palms up, looked positively triumphant. “My friends, what are the chances that our investigations are related?”
“Who knows?” Dieter shrugged. “Should we tell Stiegler?”
“Why would we do that? If we find the dwarf and the paychest, are we really bringing it back here to Ubersreik?” Elodie made a lot sense.
“The witchy woman makes a lot of sense.” Fritz stuffed one last mouthful of sausage into his face and stood up. “To the Guild, my friends?” Elodie and Dieter nodded in agreement and rose up from their chairs.
“Paychest, what?” JeHan stood up as well, preparing to leave. He was eager to hear more.
“What what?” Egon stood up, confused. He missed most of the conversation.
* * *
Comments