Session 5: Something is Rotten in Little Ferry - Act III Report

General Summary

Odrinsday the 8th of Harvestide in the year 3025 AF The Fate Bound huddled in the temple of Morwen, happy to be inside after a cold, rainy day, but still concerned for their friend Tenzin who slept soundly in a bed before them. Much had happened on this day and they still were unsure what to do with the assassin Malcolm . Arveer and Leonardo argued that they should turn over the assassin to the Riverguard as he had killed Svegrin in cold blood. Druss expressed concern that perhaps not everyone in the government of Little Ferry could be trusted. They all knew that they could not leave him in the Temple of Morwen as that would be too dangerous. In the end, they decided that they would turn Malcolm over to the Riverguard and trust that Commander Zander would do the right thing. Before leaving, they asked Lydia if they could speak to Sister Amalia in person. Although initially reluctant, she could see the concern in the eyes of the Fate Bound and she brought Sister Amalia before them. The revered mother of the temple looked very tired and haggard. They told her what had happened between Tenzin and Malcolm and her eyes grew wide when she heard that all of them knew about the strange magical mark on Tenzin's chest. She told them not to tell anyone else of the incident and promised them that she would care for their friend. Creating an improvised stretcher, the heroes started to make their way to Fort Highwater. Shayne used his experienced eye to make sure that no one would be able to get the drop on his friends. They made it to the fort with no incidents and turned over the still unconscious Malcolm to the Riverguard telling them that he murdered the prisoner Svegrin that had been released to their custody. With heavy hearts, the Fate Bound trudged through the damp streets returning at last to the welcoming warmth of the River's Rest. The inn was packed as Merry's Merry Minstrels were already in the middle of performing the play that Gilligan had been invited to earlier in the day by Saranday a member of the troupe. The play ended with a beautiful nymph leading a human into the fey realm, both of them walking through an arch, the two clearly in love. The heroes were struck by this as it reminded them of the portal in the Druthain Wood that the kidnapped children disappeared into. Having not seen the entire play the Fate Bound were not sure of the meaning of this ending, but by the sound of the applause the performance was well liked. The heroes ordered some drinks and food and settled in to enjoy the evening. As Merry's Merry Minstrels passed around their hat collecting tips, Gilligan asked Saranday about the disguise kit and the elf told him that it would take about two days to secure it. Arveer challenged Sluggo the stagehand to an arm wrestling match. He accepted and the match began. Gilligan began an inspirational tune to help Arveer and was surprised to see that Merry Trumblefoot herself did the same for Sluggo . It was a close match, but Arveer emerged the victor. The crowd was quite disappointed as Sluggo was well-liked in the River's Rest. Arveer, not wanting to ruin the mood, then bought an entire keg of ale for all the patrons resulting in a loud hurrah from the thirsty crowd. The Fate Bound continued to relax after their hard day as Arveer was then challenged by his friend Leonardo. They struggled mightily with each other and it appeared that the arm wrestling contest would end in a draw, but eventually Leonardo emerged victorious earning Gilligan some coin for his side bet. To everyone's surprise, Iados then stepped up and challenged Leonardo to a match. Everyone gathered around and as Gilligan started to sing in praise of Iados because he had bet heavily on him to win, Merry Trumblefoot once again stepped up to compete with Gilligan and inspire Leonardo. To no one's surprise, Leonardo was victorious costing Gilligan some coin. Gilligan approached Merry Trumblefoot after the contest. He praised her for her troupe's performance and also for the friendly competition in inspiring the arm wrestling matches. Hoping to get some leads on the kidnappings, he showed her the symbol of Thydos that he had taken from the prisoner Malcolm . When she saw the symbol she immediately stepped back in surprise and asked Gilligan why he thought she would know anything about that symbol. Sensing the discomfort of his mistress, Sluggo stepped between them as Kingdom of Merrin bid Gilligan good night. Gilligan suspected she might know more and wanted to follow her until he saw that she was also staying at the River's Rest. As the heroes started to discuss the events of the day, they were frustrated. The death of Svegrin just as he was about to tell them about who hired him to help with the kidnappings left them at a dead end. At that moment, Jesapear burst into the bar and scanning the room quickly, his eyes rested on the Fate Bound. He pushed through the patrons straight toward the table where the heroes were sitting and almost out of breath he told them that the Riverguard were patrolling Dockside based on the tip that the Fate Bound had given to Sergeant Baldwin. They found a warehouse with strange noises coming from within and when they investigated they were attacked by viscous, two-headed dogs. The worst part was that his friend Brad was still inside the warehouse. The Fate Bound immediately rose from the table and followed Jesapear to Dockside. The warehouse was located along the river with two sets of double-doors, one facing the street opposite the river and another along the side of the bank. Two guards were positioned in front of each entrance making sure that whatever was in the warehouse stayed in the warehouse. The Fate Bound decided to approach the door facing the street. They asked Jesapear to remain outside with his men and prevent the creatures from leaving the warehouse and getting loose in the town. Arveer swung open the doors and looked upon an unlit, dark warehouse filled with crates and boxes. Shayne quickly stepped forward and conjured dancing lights, spreading them around the warehouse to illuminate the scene. In front of the door was the bloody, corpse of a Riverguard, his body mauled almost beyond recognition. Shadows played along a second story balcony with boxes and crates obscuring most of that level. Coming into view around the crates in the center of the room were two-headed dogs with matted fur and viscous fangs. They snarled and snapped as the heroes sprang into action.

Arveer strode into the room and placed himself between his friends and the approaching dogs. Leonardo and Druss joined him to create an effective battle line. Iados stood behind them so that he could cast spells without fear of being attacked. Gilligan moved up the stairs to get a better view of the entire warehouse. At the top of the stairs he saw that Brad was standing stock still about 20-feet away next to some crates. He appeared to be paralyzed. The battle continued in earnest on the ground floor with all three warriors landing telling blows against the dogs. Iados sculpted his spells around his friends singeing the dogs with magical fire. Arveer reared back and breathed a cone of cold on the dogs while Leonardo and Druss sliced them with their swords. Shayne emerged from hiding behind a crate and stabbed one of the dogs and then moved closer to the balcony only to discover another dog awaiting him there. Gilligan continued up the stairs toward Brad, but stopped short as he looked down into the warehouse seeing that a Comet Spawn had also joined the battle. As the dogs began to fall, the Comet Spawn uttered a chilling scream and charged forward opening its teeth and biting Arveer attempting to swallow him whole! As Leonardo and Druss battled to kill the dogs and free Arveer, Iados continued to attack with spells. Gilligan did what he could to help his friends and also called out to Brad, but got no response. Then he heard chanting and a flaming sword appeared below next to Shayne having been conjured by an unseen spell caster hidden somewhere out of sight on the balcony. Gilligan moved toward the sound and was surprised when a woman dressed in red robes and a hood stood up and moved behind Brad holding a serrated knife to his throat threatening to kill him. As the battle raged below, Arveer was now unconscious in the mouth of the Comet Spawn. Leonardo and Druss finished off the last of the dogs and moved to help Arveer.

by Andrew Fire

Cultist of Thydos Shayne avoided the magical sword and jumped up on the balcony. He did so quietly so that he could sneak up on the woman holding the knife to Brad. He tried to strike a killing blow, but he missed the mark. To everyone's horror, she cried out and slit Brad's throat from ear-to-ear. Down below, the dogs and the Comet Spawn were defeated and Arveer was freed from the creature's maw. As Brad crumpled to the ground with his life pouring from his body in an expanding red pool, the woman sprinted to the other end of the balcony cackling with glee and raced down a ladder there. Gilligan and Shayne rushed after her yelling to their friends to stop her from escaping. Shayne reached the end of he balcony first and without hesitation deftly jumped off of the balcony, and shifting his weight in mid-air, drove his sword through the woman's body killing her instantly. He then took the bloody blade and angrily carved another mark into his arm. With the battle now over, the Fate Bound surveyed the scene. Gilligan ran over to Brad cradling the fallen guard's head in his hands and trying to staunch the flow of blood. It was no use, Brad was gone. Druss called Jesapear in and gave him the bad news about his friend and showing him the bloody bodies of the dogs and the Comet Spawn he asked him to go immediately to Fort Highwater to inform Sergeant Baldwin. They searched the warehouse, but could find nothing to give them a clue as to who the owner might be. As they stacked up the bodies in the center of the room, Druss noticed a crate with a label reading, Whiskey Gold. He opened the crate to find bottles of his favorite whiskey. It was also quite valuable and rare. Gilligan also told them all the sad story about Brad's crippled sister in Dockside. Now that Brad was gone she would have no one to take care of her. He then sang a somber song to mourn the death of Brad. Shayne was troubled by what had happened to Brad. If he had been able to kill the cultist with one blow then perhaps the brave guard would not have died. As he listened to Gilligan's lament, he thought of his sister Makaila back in their home village of Darwin. He had made a promise to her when he left and now more than ever he wanted to keep that promise. He decided then and there that he would try even harder to do better. He would not be defined only by the deaths he had caused. With heavy hearts, the Fate Bound returned to the River's Rest after a long and difficult day. As they retired for the night, Shayne wrote a letter to his sister, determined to send it in morning. 9th day of the 9th month in the year 3025 AF Our heroes awoke to a cloud filled day with muted sunlight occasionally breaking through, but thankfully there was no rain. At breakfast they decided on what they would do for that day. They wanted to check in on Tenzin first and then after that they would pay a visit to Jennifer Alstott in Dockside and look in on her after the death of her brother Brad. While they were still discussing the plan for the day, Rory Harfoot the proprietor approached them with a note he had received for them that morning. It was an invitation to lunch with Colwyn Arnbyte at his mansion in Cliffside. The Fate Bound were surprised at the invitation, but looked forward to following up the lead on the missing children. The first stop was the temple of Morwen as they wanted to check on the health of their friend Tenzin. Lydia met them upon their arrival and told them that there had been little change in their friend. Tenzin was still asleep and had not moved since they had last seen him. Thanking Lydia they left and headed to Dockside. On the way to visit Jennifer Alstott, Shayne asked around and found a trade caravan that was heading out to his home village of Darwin. He spoke to the caravan master and paid him 15 silver pieces to deliver his letter to his sister Makaila. The Fate bound then found the home of Jennifer Alstott. Jesapear was standing outside looking distraught. They comforted him and he told them the Riverguard would see to Jennifer's safety. They knocked on the door and Jennifer let them in. They expressed their condolences on the loss of her brother and gave her his dice bag that he always carried. She refused the money they found on the cultist calling it blood money, but accepted their generous gift of 26 gold pieces that they had put together from their own pouches. She asked them to put an end to the vile cult, not only for her brother, but also for the good people of Little Ferry. As it was now nearing noon, the heroes headed to Cliffside to their lunch appointment with Colwyn Arnbyte. Once again the door was opened by the major domo who welcomed them in leading the way into a well-appointed dining room. The table was covered with a fine, white, tablecloth with silverware and plates. A fire burned in the hearth giving the room a cozy feel. The walls were covered with family portraits and many stuffed animal heads from deer to wild boar. They sat down awaiting their host. After a few minutes, Colwyn Arnbyte swept into the room. He was wearing a tunic with hose and a fur lined vest. He walked with a cane although it appeared that he did not need it to help him get around. Sitting down at the head of the table, he welcomed them and lunch began. He served ale and wine with fine cheeses and bread and well-cooked venison. The Fate bound asked him about the incident with poor Quinn Jacoby and Colwyn told them the same story they had already heard. The boy went off into the woods chasing after a buck he had just shot. When they went to look for him he was gone. A search turned up nothing and there have been no leads even after Colwyn himself had put up a reward for any information leading to the return of the boy.

Colwyn Arnbyte Sensing he was not telling them everything, Arveer asked if they could speak with his son Cory. Colwyn told them that that would not be possible as his son was very upset over the disappearance of his friend and in any event he would not be able to add anything new anyway. Druss changed the subject quickly and asked their host if he had any Whiskey Gold as it was a drink he was very fond of. Colwyn was proud to tell him that indeed he did have some of that spirit on hand and that he was the exclusive distributor of it in the north. He proudly offered them a glass and it went down very well. As they left the mansion, the Fate Bound realized that the Whiskey Gold linked Colwyn to the warehouse and they praised Druss for his quick thinking. As the Fate Bound headed toward Fort Highwater to tell the commander what they had learned they realized that they were being followed. Gilligan and Shayne peeled away from their friends and snuck off to the side to surprise their stalker. As he passed by they sprung the trap and grabbed him only to be surprised that it was a young boy. He looked scared and demanded that they let him go. They did so warning him not to run.

Cory Arnbyte The looked frightened, clearly shaken as he was surrounded by the Fate Bound. He introduced himself as Cory Arnbyte the son of the merchant that had just had them over for lunch. Calming him down they asked why he was following them. The boy told them that his father would not want him to speak with them at all, but he did not care. He wanted to let them know what had happened the day his friend Quinn had disappeared. He told them that after the deer was shot he wanted to chase after Quinn to find him right away, but his father stopped him from doing so. When the boy asked him why, his father told him because it might be dangerous. They waited for what seemed like an eternity and then went to look for Quinn. He asked them not to tell anyone that they had spoke and they told him that they would keep it a secret and with that he left them in a rush. Continuing on to the fortress, they talked among themselves, now more than ever suspecting that Colwyn Arnbyte was involved with the kidnappings. They decided that they would speak to Malcolm immediately and ask him what he knew about the cultists and the possible involvement of Colwyn in the hope that he could reveal more information about him. Malcolm was awake and slightly more lucid than he had been the night before. They asked him about Colwyn and he told them he did not know what they were talking about. As he rambled on, they pushed him for information on the cultists. In a rare moment of recall, he told them that they would never survive the storm that was coming. Arveer was so upset that he slammed him up against the wall and demanded that he tell them where the cultists were hiding. Clearly shaken, Malcolm looked him in the eye and said, "Look for them in the halls of his fathers". When pressed to tell them what that meant, he passed out, falling unconscious on the floor. The Fate Bound then went to visit Commander Zander to fill him in on their investigation. He thanked them for what they had done at the warehouse. Even though he had lost two men, if the heroes had not intervened, then not only would more of his guards have perished, many more townsfolk would have fallen to the vile creatures in the warehouse. As a reward, he offered them a choice of either 50 gold pieces each or their choice of gear from the armory. Arveer selected a suit of splint mail and Shayne chose a suit of studded leather armor. The rest of the Fate Bound accepted the gold. Here ends session 5.

Rewards Granted

50 GP reward for stopping he cultist in the warehouse given to: Druss, Iados, Gilligan and Leonardo. Arveer chose a suit of split mail from the armory Shayne selected a suit of studded leather from the armory

Missions/Quests Completed

Stopped the plans of the cultists of Thydos to unleash a Comet Spawn and viscous two-headed dogs on the unsuspecting townsfolk of Little Ferry.

Character(s) interacted with

Lydia and Sister Amalia clerics of Morwen who both agreed to attend to Tenzin who was unconscious after using his empathic powers to bring the assassin Malcolm back to life.
Merry's Merry Minstrels who performed a play in the River's Rest
Brad of the Riverguard who was killed by a cultist of Thydos trying to stop her from unleashing viscous creatures into Little Ferry.
Jesapear of the Riverguard who enlisted the heroes to kill the creatures in the warehouse.
Sergeant Baldwin who gained new respect for the Fate Bound after their actions helping the Riverguard at the warehouse in Dockside. Jennifer Alstott the sister of the slain member of the Riverguard Brad Alstott. She lives in Dockside in the town of Little Ferry.
Colwyn Arnbyte a wealthy shipping merchant from Dockside who invited the heroes to lunch to discuss what happened when Quinn Jacoby disappeared. The heroes suspect that he has something to do with the kidnapping.
Cory Arnbyte the son of Colwyn Arnbyte who secretly approached the Fate Bound and told them that his father prevented him from searching for his friend Quinn Jacoby when he disappeared during their hunting trip.
Commander Zander who rewarded the heroes for stopping the cultist in the warehouse.

Campaign

Into the Maelstrom

Protagonists