Session 3: Baths, Barrels, and Bereavement
General Summary
You disembark from your ship into the bustling docks of Port Nyanzaru, still rattled from the strange storm and the ghostly, malformed thing you saw in the clouds. Burg Quott (the Traumatised), is quieter than usual, mumbling softly to himself. During the voyage, cloistered in the cabin, Rubi set herself towards making an Alchemy Jug. Mayonnaise, anyone?
As you walk down the docks in the heat of midday, Azaka Stormfang suggests you stay a day in the port city and head off in the morning. On your way back to the Thundering Lizard, you hear a loud bellowing. "Rahlg'n!" shouts a massive Chultan man, his black dreads streaked with white swaying as he marched up to the party, not a day of his obvious age showing in his swagger. "You son of a bitch!" he cries as he and Rahlg'n lock fists, flexing their muscled biceps. "What's the matter, Ral? Presidio got you pushing too many pencils?" Al'dilxwan (or Al), Ralg'n's old captain and mentor had retired here to Port Nyanzaru, being Chultan but travelling abroad with Presidio during his decorated career as a mercenary leader.
Al'dilxwan shakes everyone's hand, accidentally crushing Chomsky's mage hand within his mitten and dropping it to the floor. After being initially shocked, he laughs it off as Chomsky convinces him he's just missing an arm. Al offers to meet the party at the public baths after work, hefts the massive crate he was carrying and gets back to it.
The party go towards the Red Bazaar, intent on trying some dinosaur steaks. A large Minotaur is delicately wielding a gnome-sized trident and sword as a knife and fork to cut through a steak, chewing appreciatively. Chomsky and Rubi note their family's handicraft with approval. Rahg'n has a lovely raptor sandwich (the closest thing to chicken, right?) as Burg Quott (the Hungry) uses his telepathy to project one ominous word into the mind of the shopkeeper: "MEAT". Understandably shocked, the stallholder gives him a steak before shuttering the shop in a panic. He does this to everyone, scattering the crowd and causing others to shut up shop, except for one shakily offered steak from a halfling.
They take their meals into the Thundering Lizard, less thunderous during the middle of the day (but not less chunderous, as some guy is yakking in the corner). John Notagnome performs a small melody to the crowd, and as he steps down to rejoin the group, a young half-elf with a small red pseudodragon on her shoulder introduces herself. Her name is Xandala, and she asks for help locating her father, Artus Cimber, who apparently left town recently with a reptilian man who smelled strangely and carried a giant sword. She offers you a sending stone to contact her, and her pseudodragon, Summerwise, asks for a sip of tej, which Rahlg'n pours out onto a plate.
Burg Quott (the Mumbling), Rahlg'n and Douglass head off to the baths, leaving the Goldsomething gnomes with Xandala. As the former group are walking along, someone cries "LOOK OUT!" as a massive water barrel plummets towards Burg Quott (the Startled). He dodges out the way as the barrel smashes on the cobblestones. Looking up, he sees the rope has been cut and a Yuan-ti Pureblood is slinking away. The party give chase, with Rahlg'n vaulting up the scaffolding in pursuit. Douglass uses Mould Earth to collapse a pile of loose stone atop the building, knocking over the Yuan-ti as Burg Quott (the Psychically-gifted) lances her with a mind-spike. Rahlg'n pins her to the ground and as he "interrogates" her by punching her kidneys from the front, she screeches "You will never find what you seek, you'll never find the -" she is cut short by an arrow puncturing her skull, swiftly dissolving her to naught but ash in seconds. Douglass races up, looking in the direction of the shot. In the distance, someone in black, wispy robes covering even their face lowers their bow and jumps from the roof. Rahlg'n picks up the arrow and, perturbed, they head to the baths.
Meanwhile, the Chomsky and Rubi (or rather, John Notagnome) asks Xandala for more details about her search for Artus Cimber. She says she came by rumours that Artus had passed through, helping the people of Malar's Throat with an undead invasion, but something about her story isn't adding up. When asking about the Ring of Winter mentioned in the bardic tales, she gets a little avaricious, prompting Chomsky to probe. Something isn't adding up, and when Chomsky asks "What's something I can say, that only he and you would know", she replies "that I found Summerwise in Neverwinter wood." Before leaving, she shakes John's hand, and Summerwise bounces happily over his arms and shoulders like a kitten. While rubbing up against his face Summerwise says "when you use the stone, think of me instead." At this, you feel a small electric zap from the pseudodragon and the stone simultaneously, before Summerwise bounces back and Xandala departs.
Back at the bath house, Douglass gets a dog wash and dry while Burg Quott (the Hygienic) immerses himself underwater, his skin runes shifting to a deep purple as steam rises from the water. He remains in his shell underwater for some time, emerging a lot more chipper than his usual demeanour. Meanwhile, Rahlg'n is busy showing off and telling (fabricated) deeds of his exploits and how he lost his leg to all the cute massage girls (who are just eating it up), flexing with two sitting on each bicep, and just loving life.
You hear a clink in the bathhouse collection bowl and in bursts Al'dilxwan, all sweat and swagger. After a catch up with Rahlg'n in which he mentions the Death Curse, he suggests they visit Jessamine, the Merchant Prince (Princess?) who deals in herbs, poisons, and assassinations (only do please call them "sanctions"). The well-scrubbed four meet up with Rubi and Chomsky, who are busy collecting rocks and buying glass bottles. When asked for some of the best rocks, Douglass finds 3 loose stones, which John Notagnome puts down his shirt (?) with a hollow rattling noise (???).
They all head to Goldenthrone in the seaside dusk light, smelling rather incredible. Only waiting for an hour, they are the last in to see Jessamine, who tends to work later than others for, well, obvious reasons. Burg Quott (the Inexplicably Cheery) declines to take a seat. Noting the black bandages around her hands and voluminous robes, she explains she's been struck by the Death Curse as well, and is rather invested in the party's quest. She also helps by giving them a magical item each, asking to be kept appraised daily via a sending stone that she gives the party. She also has an aide examine the arrow. It's of Yuan-ti make, poisoned, with a necromantic spell on the tip and a divination spell on the fletching. It was designed to find and kill a specific target - the would-be assassin - and not leave a trace. The aide mutters to himself, "so they're finally making a move..."
The party leave with thanks. They head back to the Thundering Lizard, where the bard makes a killing singing about the exploits of Artus Cimber. The next day the aide from Jessamine arrives with their magical items and the sending stone. The party also reunite with Azaka Stormfang and Undril Silvertusk, who is excited to be off. Azaka seems out of sorts and impatient to be leaving.
As the party leave down through an archway hung with colourful banners and bedecked with geometrically-shaped dinosaur murals, they're greeted by the ancient ziggurats of the Old City, festooned with wooden huts, structures, and joined by a massive wooden bridge. Walking past the ziggurats, the party are greeted by the great pit of Executioner's Run. Looking down into the pit, you see a civil servant scraping some blood off the sand.
Once used for an Amnian ball game, it's now used as both blood sport and execution for criminals. When Azaka is asked about it, she glares into the pit bitterly. "This level of corporal punishment is cruel. People ripped apart for petty crimes while their neighbours look on." When pressed, she says she lost someone here a few days ago. A nephew. Douglass asks "Oh, was his name Malec?"
Azaka is furious. "How do you know his name?" She hisses. "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NEPHEW?!" Azaka moves her hands close to her scimitars. Her hands are wringing, open and closed, and you hear a low, rumbling growl in time with her breathing. Thinking quickly, Chomsky comes clean, and says that Malec was caught pickpocketing him (and Rubi), and despite his best efforts the guards took him away. She hears that they tried to stop him being taken, and deflates. She shakily inhales and exhales, sheds a tear, looks ready to walk back to Port Nyanzaru, but with a flash of anger storms off towards the jungle. By a slim margin, you avoided losing your guide.
As you walk along the road out of town, past the slowly steaming refuse pit. Several strange eye-stalks (from Otyughs) turn to regard you as you pass by. Down the road, you drop your canoes into the water and push off down the mighty Soshenstar River. Paddling along the sluggish, green waters, the jungles of Chult open up before you...
Report Date
09 Sep 2021
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