Session 1: Tattoos, Gamblers, and Chance Meetings

General Summary

The party meets for the first time when they all are forced to stay in the same inn for the night, The Copper Eel. Their interest is caught by the bartender arguing with the innkeeper over a magical tattoo; upon further dicussion, they decide that it can't be a magical tattoo but is definitely suspicious. Tomas, Oyik, and Lark go upstairs with them to investigate further, discovering that the Innkeeper has been marked with a tracking spell - probably due to the fact that when he was losing at cards the night before, he pickpocketed a group of travelers, and is now in possession of a magical box, a bit of map, and a mysterious key. Interested for various reasons from apprehending criminals (Kurt) to just blatant curiosity (Oyik) and wanting to maybe help people (Tomas), the four travelers agree to set up a sting to catch the gamblers if they come back for their goods.

Quick Look

Campaign

The First Adventure

Protaganists

Kurt Marlowe
Lark Summerglade
Tomas Brightrunner
Oyik Guath

Report Date

September 29th, 2022

Locations

Austra
Free Territory of Galanthis
Oriath
The Copper Eel

Notes

Everyone has a reason to need somewhere stay for the night. No beds anywhere else because it's the end of the election period and the procrastinators are here to vote.
They settle at the Copper Eel Inn. It is located in the Copper District and is very crowded
Kurt; early 50s, mug of ale and several empties, with a young guardswoman nagging him
Tomas; having dinner and a drink, trying to ignore the noise & crowd (Sable's outside, unhappy)
Oyk + Lark; having a nice meetup
Bartender {Cael} is albino + very young
Bartender + his father {Leo} are arguing about chest pain
Leo asks Lark about magic tattoos - Leo wake up with a dragon turtle "tattoo" on his chest (probably not actually - normal magic tattoos require attunement, can't just do that while someone sleeps)
Innkeeper {Leo} + Son {Bartender/Cael} + Tomas +Oyik + Lark → sitting room on third floor, close windows
Leo remembers almost nothing re: a poker game a few nights ago - won lets of money, a puzzle box, and the tatoo
- Puzzle box is intricate + rattles when shaken, image on top is of water (common motif) and bottom is organizational (?) emblem
Detect magic results:
- Divination magic on Leo's chest (Oyik: "someone is trying to spy on you")
- Transmulated box
When water image gets wet (Tomas & shape water), the water image dissolves and engraved words say "What can you keep when it is not needed and throw when it is needed"
Leo's wife (Cael's mom) has a drinking problem
When Tomas says "anchor" the box becomes & smaller box + a key
Smaller box opens easily, full of trinkets (marble, sand, hair ribbon, common inexpensive magic components)
Key has "24" on it, etched poorly - home labeled key, nice brass, moderately complex mechanism
Convo with the Innpeople:
- Cael: "five guys, not from around here, even weirder than regular election season, refused bread (??) just wanted to play cards with everyone
- Kurt: "is your dad a good card player?"
- Cael: "above average but not great," there were 3 men, I woman, I dragon-kin people."
- Kurt: "Where'd they go?"
- Cael: "don't know"
- Tomas: "where did they come from?"
- Cael: "don't know!!"
- Oyik: "do you remember any thing else?"
- Cael: "no"
- Leo: **clueless arms spread** lost maybe pocketwatch, some coin maybe STOLE THE BOX
Kurt attempts to arrest Leo on pickpocketing, Cael doubts anyone would arrest them because bribery
Leo produces 10 silver, I gold, small figurine of goddess Shadi (one of six deities most humans worship), bag of pipe tabacco, very folded/faded piece of parchment - all from the gamblers' pockets

Shadi is one of The Lovers, associated with the smallest moon
Parchment has handwritten set of directions to ??? (turn left, # of steps, turn right, # of steps, etc.)
Nothing magical about anything in his pockets

Jaren {The Bard, Relative} was there on the night in question
- "Those guys? Those guys were...good at cards"
- Dragon dude making fun of short dude for having statue of Shadi all the time "maybe if short dude was better at his job he wouldn't need so much help"
Sting Setup: (per Kurt)
- Leaving all the stuff on the counter (they are tracking the stuff, intending to come back)
- Sable is covering the residence (back door)
- Kurt "passed out" in booth near door
- Oyik, Tomas, and Lark split the watch in 2nd floor front room