Session 49 - More Baldur's Gate (recap)

In this session, our party investigated the Murkwater Maniac’s Hideout, did some shopping and planning, found a lost half-dragon, and prepared for a journey…

Investigation

  • The party searched the Murkwater Maniac’s Hideout
    • Pliny: “I know I always do pretty well searching through things, so do you want me to start digging through?” (Investigation 24)
    • Zoyana: “Me too.” (Investigation 16)
    • Aegar: “I also am very good at searching for things.” (Investigation 4)
      • Zoyana: “Yeah, I mean, Aegar you really could just… stand at the door…”
      • Pliny: “Aegar, why don’t you search for… feelings.”
  • On the Murkwater Maniac, Pliny found a magical rapier and three magical daggers, one of them that finely-wrought silver dagger that they had seen before. Pliny realized that there was something a little weird about the magic, but (Arcana 8) he couldn’t quite put his finger on the problem.
    • Zoyana was too distracted by her own investigation to add any Guidance.
  • Aegar found his feet.
  • Zoyana noticed among the books on the table, including The Followers of the Goldenbel Handbook, a number of writings talking about dragons and Tiamat, but also devils and dark magic, and Tarz’s Magic Spellbook.

The Story

  • The party were able to piece together that
    • Tarz had come across the The Followers of the Goldenbel Handbook in the Hopstra library.
    • Based on the handbook, he sought out the ruins of the temple that had once held the Fiery Head of Avarice (where our players had once played a one-shot with dfferent characters).
    • At the temple, Tarz found the chest that had held the Fiery Head of Avarice, along with a glowing symbol.
    • When Tarz touched the symbol, it flared and a fiendish creature appeared.
      • The creature gave him a magic tome that was tied to the Archdevil Bel, and had much more detail about the real story of The Followers of the Goldenbel.
    • The Followers of the Goldenbel were part of Bel’s plans to unseat Tiamat as the ruler of Avernus, the 1st level of the Nine Hells.
      • Bel wanted to thwart the Cult’s plans to summon Tiamat, and keeping artefacts, including the Fiery Head of Avarice, away from them was part of that plan.
    • The book listened and shared, and in the end it led Tarz into a Warlock pact with the Archdevil Bel. Tarz was promised to grow his bardic power, but he did not ask what he would give in return. This was where he started down his dark path. It drove him nuts.
    • Being touched with so much power, Tarz mashed up the story of a Cult’s plans to summon Tiamat with Bel’s plan to rise in Avernus.
    • As he gained in his theatrical skill through his demonic pact, Tara got tied in. And when things went awry, Tarz called to Bel for help to bring her back.
      • Instead of reviving her mortal form, Bel gave her eternal life… via vampirism.
    • Zoyana deduced that the Cult of the Dragon and the Followers of the Goldenbel would not be allies.
      • Because the Cult of the Dragon follows Tiamat and the Followers of the Goldenbel follow the devil Bel, and those two are in a struggle to rule the first of the nine levels of hell. There wasn’t enough in Tarz’s writings to describe the relationship between Tiamat and Bel directly, but it was clear that the two organizations, such as they were, would not be allies.
    • Pliny filled in details about his grandfather’s stories of chasing the Followers of Goldenbel and rumors of the Fiery Head of Avarice.
  • The party realized that the devil on the throne in the mural on the floor above was Bel, in all his devilish glory.
  • Zoyana suggested that they leave everything where they found it, since it showed the details and background of what Tarz had done.
    • The party agreed and Aegar left to find Marshal Ravenguard with Fang in tow.
      • Aegar: “There’s no need…”
      • Fang: “I can carry a message, yeah!”
  • While Aegar was gone, Zoyana and Pliny kept searching.
    • They found a number of weird books, a bunch of plays and poetry, some demonic tones and stories.
    • The building, including the The Unhappy Deceiver above, had been a temple of some sort to Eldath, goddess of Life and Nature, under another name. And had been commandeered before Tarz’s time by some followers of Bel. Bel’s emissaries introduced Tarz and Tara to the place.
    • Tara had only her dress.
    • Zoyana, spooked by the ghost at the John Wilkes Booth Theatre, searched thoroughly for a hidden door or room, but found nothing.

Reporting to Ravenguard

  • Aegar got directions from the guards above, and made his way across town to the residence of the Grand Duke.
    • It was late, but with the token Aegar had received from Ravenguard, the servants let him through.
    • As soon as he saw Aegar, Marshal Ravenguard stood and greeted the paladin.
    • Aegar provided a straightforward, militaristic update (Persuasion 16).
    • Marshal Ravenguard matched Aegar’s demeanor, and it didn’t take long before he began to follow Aegar back to the hideout with a couple of guards in tow.
  • Upon their return, Aegar showed Marshal Ravenguard the masks and art in the The Unhappy Deceiver, and then headed down to the hideout.
    • Marshal Ravenguard’s face grew dark as he saw the scene that his guards failed to find and catch. He was pretty stoic, but his seriousness spoke for itself.
    • Aegar provided a no-flourish play-by-play of the events, almost like writing a police report.
      • Pliny added numerous character notes about Tarz and Tara, and followed along intently as this real-life experience touched on his family lore and his grandfathers tales of the The Followers of the Goldenbel.
        • Among other things, he teased out the details of Tarz making his pact with the devil, how Tara got involved and the predicimant that got Tara killed and had Tarz calling out for help. Even with the best of intentions, he just couldn’t walk in that world and not get burned.
      • Zoyana hung back and smirked like the cat that caught the canary.
  • In the end, Marshal Ravenguard turned to the party and nodded, “Well done. I knew you could do it. Right tool for the job.” It was clear that he accepted that Tarz was the Murkwater Maniac, that the party was not involved, etc.
    • He pulled out a script and wrote a note that the party could change for the 3,000 gold that they were due.
    • He then turned to Pliny and nodded towards the bodies, “So what would you do with them?”
    • Pliny: “I think that they both deserve to be buried properly, I think he cared for a sister, and it went too far.”
    • Ravenguard shrugged, “Well then. We’ll have that done.” and nodded. He then turned to his men and gave them brief orders to seal off the place, prepare the catalog the belongings, and get the medics in here to clean up the bodies.
    • When the Looting Luters picked up the rapier and daggers, he nodded at them taking their spoils.
    • Aegar: “We appreciate the opportunity My Lord. Please call on us with more should the need arise. Although we should not be in town for much longer, I dare say.”
    • Ravenguard took the Flaming Fist tokens back, congratulated them once again, and nodded as they left.
  • The party returned to Baldur’s Barrow for a much-needed rest.

Shopping! Day 40

  • The party woke the next morning to birds chirping. It was a nice day. (Day 40).

Aegar’s School

  • Aegar returned to Hamdi in Little Calmishan and donated 1,000 gp for a school, with the mandate to take kids off the streets and bring them to a better life (likely with orphans from Norchapel, Stonyeyes, and Whitkeep).

Aegar’s shield

  • Aegar then visited the High House of Gond, and paid for 25 drake scales to be crafted into a shield for Zoyana. The artificers there found the project interesting, and only charged 100 gp.

Zoyana’s Pins

  • Zoyana returned to the Wide to search for Kara and her Curious Concession wagon, and (Investigation 21) found the wagon three stall over from where she had seen it before.
    • She walked straight up to the table and dropped down a purse of money with 37 platinum pieces and 5 gold pieces (375gp total), “All right, I got it. I earned it. Can you do it?”
    • Kara looks up from her chair, where she was holding and petting a fully-intact mouse skeleton, and seeing the look on Zoyana’s face put the skeleton down, “Yes, absolutely. And what else are you in the mood for?”
    • Zoyana wanted nothing else, so Kara took the gold and told her it would be 2 days until the pins could be ready.

Pliny’s Tribute to Tarz and Tara

  • Pliny went surreptitiously searching for some help go make and place a memorial statue for Tarz and Tara.
    • He was looking to have a small statue made of the pair as tribute for their love of theatre.
  • One of the things that makes a Baldur’s Gate so special is the large presence of the gnomes and other worshipers of Gond, and their two magnificent facilities:
    • High House of Wonders Temple of Gond
      • It was a gigantic, romanesque building, but it was also a giant tinker’s workshop. Upon approach, people were more likely to hear hammers and saws than majestic singing.
    • Hall of Wonders Museum of Gond,
      • It was smaller, but still magnificent in it’s own right. It housed numerous inventions, contraptions, and creations in the name of the god of craft, smithing, and inventiveness, most of which were much more aligned with the mundane and alchemical than your typical clerical facility.
  • Pliny knew a couple of gnomes from his days in Baldur’s Gate (gnomes like to party), and he found his old buddy Hiswin in the Temple’s district.
    • Hiswin had risen up a couple of ranks from the wild-drinking apprentice that he was, and so was able to take care of Pliny’s needs.
    • Pliny responded with a 200 gp donation to the House of Gond as thanks.

Pliny’s research into the Murkwater Maniac’s enchanted weapons

  • While at the House of Gond, Pliny had the magical rapier and dagger Identified.
    • After some digging into where Pliny had found them (“In an old family chest…”), Hiswin was able to recognize that the enchantment had been placed in the past couple of days and would likely be gone by tomorrow.
    • Pliny: “Am I… safe.. with the enchantment?”
    • Hiswin: “Oh yeah. This is simple temporary magic. You know how, when you drink a potion, you get whatever the effects are: you can fly, get super strong, or all that? It’s like that, but for objects. There’s a little enchantment on this, but it’s a temporary one, though. Lasts a couple of days, you get the thing from the enchantment. In this case, you know, these are weapons so they get better.” and he shrugged.
    • Hiswin: “It’s kind of a funny thing, though, you find having that in a family chest. It’s like some kind of cool magical chest? Any chance I could see it?”
    • Pliny demurred, “No, no, it… I think that my grandma be very upset if I brought anyone else into the House. But… I thank you. Is there anything else I should know when I’m using these, that I need be careful with?”
    • Hiswin: “The pointy end goes in the other guy…”
  • Pliny thought back to the Murkwater Maniac’s hideout (Insight 16) and a few things rang bells for him:
    • There was nothing about enchantments in the writings and Tarz didn’t have any tools that would enchant a blade for any amount of time. He might have had a spell that enchants a weapon for an hour or so, but not that would place a true enchantment.
    • The thought of where he could have gotten it made him think of the pool in the locked room with the button to open the doors. The party pressed the button on the top, but there was a pool full of water surrounding the button.

Aegar’s stocking up

  • Aegar stocked up on the party’s standard supplies and went in search (Investigation 19, Nat 20) of Healing Potions and found… whatever he wanted.
    • Among the crowds, he noted a variet of people, including the 7’ tall guy they’d seen in the Wide before the Murkwater Manica adventures began.
    • In the end, Aegar purchased 3 Greater Healing Potions and 3 regular Healing Potions for 600 gp.

Zoyana’s Amulet

  • In search of help in crafting her amulet, Zoyana also sought out the High House of Wonders Temple of Gond and the Hall of Wonders Museum of Gond.
  • As she started up the steps, looking around and checking things out, Zoyana was greeted by a tiny little gnomish priest of Gond with a friendly voice, “Good day, what are you here for?”
    • Z: “I got word that you might be able to help me with a project that I’m trying to do.”
    • He started to get a little animated, gesticulating as he talked: “Oh yes, yeah we specialize in projects, we have all kinds of things, what is it that you’re thinking about?”
    • Z: “Well… I am working on… making… hoping to create a… token of protection for my friends and I. And I want to see if you can help me speed up the process.”
    • “Oh… Well, that’s a thing that we do here. What is it that you’re trying to enchant with this enchantment and turn into your token? Have you a coin or something?”
    • Z: “I actually had a ruby given to me by faerie dragons.”
    • Priest: “Oh well, that’s a story I’d like to hear some time. May I see it?”
    • Zoyana (Insight 14) got the sense that he’s a friendly old gnome who’s a greeter and, if anything, maybe a bit to skilled to have the job of being greeter. So she showed him the ruby.
    • Priest: “Well now. Let me see… Ah, yes… You’re looking to incorporate the magical essence of your friends to extend the powers of an Amulet of Health (itself no small magical undertaking to build and grow). Yes? This is no simple infusion. If you’re successful, this item will outlast you, and even your great great grandchildren if it is not lost or destroyed. Ah… Oh… Let me see… this part. What? What is this? What’s this bark stuff that you have around it? It’s…”
    • Z: “It was given to me from a Wood Woad.”
    • P: “Oh… That would explain it, that would work, that’s interesting.” He pointed to a spot where the bark was directly touching the ruby. “You see how it has started to grow around the ruby itself? In time, it should grow to surround it completely, like a shell… or a cocoon. Yes, like a cocoon. Yeah, you’ll want whatever enchantments you make to be complete before that cocoon closes. After that, the enchantment will fix and it will grow and ultimately complete. You’ll know it’s done when when the shell falls off.”
    • He stepped back from his lecture, “Now what are you doing to support the growth and stability of the bark while it’s growing? Looks like it’s just kind of come hanging there…”
    • Zoyana: “Well, I have this alchemy jug, and I was wondering if there’s something that I could do with that. I would be willing to have it just sit in the alchemy jug if needed to help make this go faster. I’m not sure if anything would help, but I heard you were the one to ask.”
    • P: “Huh. Yes. Well, I think… yeah, you could probably come up with a nice little concoction. You get some honey and some salt water. And you mix it up good. You could probably make yourself kind of like a bit of a tree sap kind of thing. Just to kind of prompt growth. Yeah. You occasionally water it was some fresh water. You could definitely do that. Yeah you could do that.”
    • Z: “Okay, would I leave it in the Alchemy Jug, or is this something that I would want to do separately with the poltice I’ve already created?”
    • He looked at it with a scrunched face, “Huh.”, muttering to himself, “This whole thing is a bit too… alive for my tastes… but to each their own.”, and then continued, “I think, no no no, I think it likes being against your skin. I think that maybe what I would do would be a morning and night kind of thing. Like before you go to bed, make sure that it’s got all of the nutrients that it needs. Make sure it’s all cleaned up. Wake it up with a nice spritz of water, and maybe dab the ruby parts that you can see with some honey to kind of promote some growth over it. I think that would definitely help.”
    • Z: “So a little bit of salt water at night, fresh water and then honey in the morning is what you think? Or vice-versa?”
    • P: “I think yeah… dab the honey on the ruby. You’re wanting to make sure that it has the pliability it needs. And just kind of watch it once you’re doing that, you’re just making sure… Really, with this kind of magic, it’s about the love. And so when you love the things that you’re crafting, it really helps. And so by putting the honey on, it will really really help. I’m really excited for you.”
    • Zoyana seemed to have reached her limit with his exhuberance, “Un, ok”
    • P: “I just want you to be your best. I’m more of a gears and bobs kind of person, but that’s that’s pretty cool.”
    • Z: “But you think it’s just as simple as doing that?”
    • P: “Simpl? Oh, definitely no, not simple, no. Just look at what you’re doing! But as far as what you can do to help it at this point? Yeah, it’s not rocket science.” he pointed “The rocket science department’s over there. If you want to do something like complicated, it’s over there. Your thing is much more like ‘You just gotta feed it.’ Think like a little baby, you gotta feed it, and change it every once in a while, and then it will probably mostly take care of itself. Just, like… don’t drop it.”
    • Z: “Well, that definitely won’t happen”
    • P: “If it cries, run away. Something went wrong, horribly wrong, if you hear crying from it. Run away.”
    • The priest nodded “Thats… yes. That’s what I would do. That’s a lovely enchantment. Where did you come across something like that? How did you figure out how to do such a thing?”
    • Z: “I figured it out myself.”
    • P: “Oh. A natural. I like it.”
    • Z: “A natural? What do you mean?”
    • P: “What? Did you go to school for this?”
    • Z: “No”
    • P: “You figured it out on your own?”
    • Z: “Yeah.”
    • P: “We call those people naturals. Have you ever thought about joining a Guild? Maybe making that a profession, or…”
    • Z: “Would I have to stay in the city to do that?”
    • P: “As a Guild, yes. The guilds are centered in the cities.”
    • Z: “Then no. No no no.”
    • P: “This wonderful House of Gond that we’re in? It’s a wonderful place. Full of wonderful things. And you can learn to expand beyond growing things into the inanimate objects. And with those can be so much more precise and they do exactly what they want, and… they don’t cry.”
    • Z: “No. Thank you. No.”
    • P: “Well, thank you. That was a wonderful gift you gave me to be able to see such a thing. Please I would if you would come back and show me when it’s done. I would like to see what happens once that cocoon grows and hatches.”
    • Z: “I will see what I can do…” and she handed over 15 gold coins. “Thank you”
    • P: “Thank you. What is this for?”
    • Z: “For your help.”
    • P: “Well, the gracious of Gond is kind. I will spend this on some wonderful bits and bobs. And if you have anything else that you need, my name is Kaltor Hornscruntle. And I’m happy to talk you through anything else. Your name was?”
    • Z: “Just call me Z.”
    • P: “Z. Well that’s simple. I like it.”
    • Z: “Why, thank you.”
    • P: “It has been great talking with you Zed.”
    • Z: “Perhaps, once the amulet is finished, if I make my way back to Baldur’s Gate, I will be sure to come and see you…”

Aegar & Pliny talked - Broken people who have found each other

  • Back at Baldur’s Burrow, while Zoyana was out working on her amulet, Aegar and Pliny talked.
  • Aegar: “Pliny, have you given any thought to your professor’s offer?”
  • Pliny: “You know, I think you would be happy to know I have given it some thought, Aegar.”
  • A: “And what have you decided?”
  • P: “I’ll tell you on the road… I’ll let you know on the road, but… but… ah… You’ve seen me out of the room last few nights, right? I’ve tapped into some more. So I’m pretty close. I think I can do it.”
  • A: “That is good to hear. I want you to know that I respect you no matter what decision that you make. I think you are a fine bard, with or without the paper that makes it so.”
  • P: “I appreciate that Aegar. I think you are ah… an excellent man. And I appreciate all you’ve done. Hey, it’s funny, when I’ve been going to all of the old stomping grounds throughout town, and I’ve seen Zoyana sometimes in passing, and I’ve seen different things, but I haven’t seen you at all. Are you going back to the room? What are you…? You haven’t been anywhere in the boroughs that I told you about, that I know.”
  • A: “I have been spending time in Little Calmishan. There is a church of Ilmater there and I have been speaking with some of the priests about what it means to be a follower of Ilmater.”
  • A: “I must confess, there was far more to it than I realized.”
  • A: “When we met I had only begun my path of servitude and I did not understand everything of what it meant. The priests have been helping me realize that.”
  • A: "It has been cathartic.
  • P: “My time here has been the same.”
  • A: “I hope so. I know that you… were very apprehensive about about returning to your old home. I hope that you found some peace.”
  • P: “Thank you. I found some piece. I think I’m ready to leave for a while, but I think that would be more willing to return than I previously had been.”
  • A: “It is good to hear. It does seem that you have established bonds here that deserve to be kept up.”
  • P: “Frankly, Aegar, I know that you did some searching before you decided to become a priest and had obviously something you were doing before for all this time in becoming a Paladin of Ilmater. What did you do in between the military and being a paladin, if you don’t mind me asking? I know that I’m kind of in that spot where I’m done with school… err almost… and music won’t be forever.”
  • A: “I… ran.”
  • P: “Your own track team?”
  • A: “I… no. Although I would be very good at track, but…”
  • P: “Stealthy. No one would know you were about to pass them.”
  • A: “Stealth is one of my one of my many attributes, yes. My many fine attributes.”
    • P: “That was a good joke Aegar”
  • A: “I ran away. As you know, I am from the east. I ran away from there as far as I could and that led me to Phlan where we first met. And I have been running this way ever since.”
  • A: “But I feel like this quest that we are on is providing purpose sorely needed.”
  • P: “I agree”
  • A: “I was… I was a different person back in my home. I am not sure that either one of you would have liked the person that I was.”
  • P: “But I’d probably have liked that, better than I liked Zoyana.”
  • Aegar smirked, “I, I do believe that you enjoy Zoyana. And I am very insightful. I do believe that you to enjoy each other’s company far more than you let on.”
  • P: “Probably. I think all of us are our own worst enemy, Aegar”
  • A: “We are broken people have found each other.”
  • P: “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this. But sometimes I think about opening a band called Rascal Flatts. And writing a song called ‘God Bless the Broken Road, That Led Me Straight to You’, Aegar. You want me to play it for you?”
  • A: “If you like.”
  • Zoyana joined them, “Oh God, why did I…”
  • P: “Uh, oh. It looks like we have a tiny seen servant Aegar. Maybe we should…”
  • A: “Zoyana, come sit at the table.”
  • Z: “Oh God, what are you two up to?”
  • A: “Sharing stories. And Pliny was just telling me his future plans. He intends to start a new band.”
  • P: “Called Rascal Flatts. You might know, I wrote a song about our journey. It’s called, ‘Life is a Highway’. I hope it’s someday in the movie Cars.”
  • Z: “What are cars? What is a highway, Pliny?”
  • P: “Zoyana, you have not been buying the right magic items, my friend. You do not know these things?”
  • Z: “I don’t. What are these things?”
  • A: “I too am unfamiliar with these terms. Is this something you learned at your university?”
  • P: “Maybe maybe someday I’ll take you back in and show you those those departments.”
  • A: “I look forward to it.”
  • P: “Zoyana, you found some books when we were at the bar. Do you maybe want to sit on them, so you can join a conversation?”
  • Z: “Do I want to to sit on them?”
  • A: “I do not understand.”
  • Z: “Are you making a short joke again? Again Plkiny? I need to sit on books to be tall enough to talk to you?”
  • P: “Yo. Your man Pliny’s back. Widow Swift is out of here. My concerns about Baldur’s Gate out of here.” He started to gesticulate, “Lookit. We’re back guys. We’re like when we started. Only like better.”
  • Z: “I really want to get the fuck out of this town.”
  • A: “In fact, I know that you have found some peace here Pliny. But I too feel the need to leave.”
  • P: “Okay, all right. Well, if we are all ready to leave, then I know that we all put a few orders in. We can we can go when everybody’s ready.”
  • A: “Well, we are still waiting on word of our quarry, we have to find Rezmir’s wagon train. What is our plan? What is our plan once we find her?”

Planning

  • Zoyana continued, “I don’t think we’re going to be as lucky as we were with that blue half dragon. Taking out Langaderosa, Aegar.”
  • Pliny: “One thing that I prepared, just in case we came across another dragon was Calm Emotions, but I agree, I think it’s gonna be harder.”
  • Aegar: “Was our intention was to follow her? To stop her? To join her caravan? What is it we’re trying to do?”
  • The party continued into a conversation about what they were trying to do.
    • They had been trying to figure out what the Cult of the Dragon was doing.
      • They weren’t wanting to attack her here in Baldur’s Gate.
    • Based on Rezmir’s comments and Frulam’s writings, they were planning to follow Rezmir to Castle Naerytar, or to the Mere of Dead Men, or wherever her Cult caravans were going.
    • The plan was to catch up with Rezmir and her carts here in Baldur’s Gate, and then to follow them to wherever they were going. And find out what they could along the way.
    • The party had expected Rezmir to join one of the northbound caravans to Waterdeep, and planned to join (nobody followed that road alone).
  • After some negotiation among themselves, the party agreed to check in with Ackyn again, and somehow join up with Rezmir’s caravan once they or Ackyn found the Cult of the Dragon coming through Baldur’s Gate.
  • Aegar dished out some gifts: Pliny and Zoyana received one greater healing potion and one regular healing potion each.

The Next Day - Day 41

Shopping and Downtime

  • Pliny noticed that the daggers with the weird magical essence were no longer magical.
  • Aegar cast Find Steed and turned his elk into a horse again to fit in.
  • Pliny sold the weapons taken from the Murkwater Maniac as well as the Playwright’s notes (300 gp to a purveyor of fine arts) found in the theater. This left him with a total of 1,999 gp.
  • Aegar gifted his blue drakescale shield of lightening resistance to Zoyana for when they, eventually, fought the dragon.
    • Zoyana: “This is for me? Oh. Thank you Aegar.”

A reply from the Library - the Purple Mist report

Rezmir - Day 42

Zoyana’s Pins part 2

  • Zoyana returned to Kara’s Curious Concession and collected her pins.
    • She also picked up a few more vials.
  • As she was paying, Zoyana looked over her shoulder, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a black-scaled hand pulling closed the curtains of a palanquin.
    • She felt every hair on her body stand on end, she saw a quick flash in her mind, and in her soul she was sure that was Rezmir.
  • The palanquin continued its way across the Wide, carried by four humans.
  • Zoyana turned on her heels and without a word to Kara, booked it back to Baldur’s Burrow.

Regrouping

  • Zoyana burst through the door, “She’s here! She’s fucking here! I fucking found her! She’s fucking here!”
  • Aegar looked startled, “Who? Who is here?”
  • Zoyana: “Aegar, who do you think? Black. Scales. Rezmir. Come on.”
  • Zoyana: “What the fuck are we doing guys? She’s fucking here.”
  • Pliny immediately reached for the Elven Battle Spirit and poured a round for the group.
  • Aegar “Zoyana, our plan again is is to incorporate ourselves into her group. To find her, not to fight her. We need to figure out what the cult of the dragon is doing. They’re going up to Waterdeep, so we’re following them in the caravan. That’s what we hired Ackyn to do for us.”
  • Zoyana: “Fuck that. But she’s here guys. It’s different now that she’s here. It feels different…”
  • Zoyana: ""
  • Aegar “If we take her down now, there is a chance that we never figure out what the Cult is doing. We risk… If we take the small fish down, we may let the big fish go.”
  • After a bit more talk, the party made haste to Ackyn’s compound.

Ackyn’s Outfitters

  • It was approaching mid-day when the party arrived, and the workers in Ackyn’s compound were just sitting down at picnic tables in the yard to have lunch.
  • As they entered, Ackyn saw them and tossed her head toward the building with the office.
  • The party updated Ackyn on finding Rezmir. She had not yet gotten any hits on finding the half-dragon or the Cult.
  • Aegar jumped into logistics-mode, “What are the courses of action we need to take to be able to have you recruit us into her campaign or into her caravan? She is going to need guards to get to Waterdeep, correct?”
  • Ackyn broke out into a giant smile, “Actually, I solved that one for you. I set you up with a protection job for a gentleman that you will find quite amusing. His name is Timothy Dexter.”
    • She continued, “He’s an idiot, but just don’t don’t challenge him at anything stupid, and you’ll be fine. At worst, no one will look twice at you while you’re with him.”
    • She shifted into planning, “I can get him to go whenever I need him to go. You have a cart to guard, and you’ll be part of the caravan. We just need to find your caravan.”
  • Discussion shifted to how to find Rezmir and align with her caravan.
    • Ackyn: “Where is she?”
    • Zoyana: “She was in one of those like people carrier things. Getting carried through the Wide.”
    • Ackyn: “Okay, where was she going?”
    • Zoyana: “I don’t know, I went to go find Aegar and Pliny.”
    • Ackyn: “You… didn’t follow her?”
    • Zoyana: “No.”
    • Ackyn: “Okay, how are you gonna find her?”
    • Zoyana: “Well, I have ways of doing that.”
    • Ackyn: “You do? Okay, like what?”
    • Zoyana: “Well, I have a spell that I can cast to find her.”
    • Ackyn: “Okay cast it.”
    • Zoyana: “Okay.”
    • Ackyn just looked at her with a serious face, nodding and waiting to get back to her lunch.
    • Zoyana cast Locate Creature and got a hit to the Northeast.
  • After much discussion, Ackyn and the party headed in the direction indiciated by Zoyana’s spell.

The Fox Traveler Outfitters

  • Ackyn and the party followed Zoyana’s lead toward the Northwestern outskirts of the Blackgate.
  • They only needed to get a block away for Ackyn to know they were headed for the Fox Traveler Outfitters.
    • That gave Ackyn an in: the outfitters in the Blackgate coordinated, and her people could talk to their people.
  • “Will they recognize us?”
    • There was discussion of whether the Cultists would recognize the party.
      • Rezmir might remember Zoyana, but she was little in the flashbacks of when her family disappeared.
      • The party let a red wizard escape from the cave with the dragon eggs. So the Cult might have their descriptions.
        • He would know what they party looks like, and know that a halfling, a half-elf, and a paladin were together.
      • From Frulam’s journal, Zoyana didn’t think that the Cult had any idea who they were before their raid on the dragon eggs.
  • The Fox Traveler Outfitters itself was a wooden building. In that part of town, there were wooden walkways, so the approach opened to the “front” door, while the outfitting, horses, etc were behind in the back.
    • Pliny and invisible Fang headed toward the door.
    • Pliny was extra careful as he approached, checking the door for traps with his Mage Hand. The door opened like any door of any establishment open to the public.
    • The front room was set up like a dining hall or tavern, with a bar in the back and a number of round and rectangular open tables throughout the room.
    • As Pliny entered, most of the heads turned to look at him. “Finally, a place for a drink. It’s feels a little dry over on this part of town.”
      • He walked past a lady, obviously the proprietor, and over to the furthest part of the bar where he could have a view of the whole room.
  • Pliny surveyed the room:
    • He looked down to his left to see a hellhound curled up asleep.
    • To his right were a couple of blue-collar guys sitting at the bar.
    • Across the room was a tall, silver-haired elven woman flanked by two blue dragonborn, obviously guards.
      • Something tickled Pliny’s mind about the dragonborn.
  • The proprietor had been talking to the elven lady. At Pliny’s arrival, she persed her lips and walks around toward the bar. When she gets about halfway, she addressed Pliny, " Okay, how can I help you friend? What can I get ya?"
    • Pliny and the proprietor each tried, and failed, to gather information on the other.
    • The elven lady started tapping her foot in annoyance.
    • The proprietor slid Pliny his ale and headed across the bar and out through a door.
      • She was gone for a few minutes then came back and nodded her head at the elven lady.
    • The elven lady went stomping through the same door and down the hall. Her dragonborn followed her.
  • Pliny pulled out a slip of paper and started doodling some notes about the layout of the room and the people he’d seen: the proprietor, the tall, silver-haired elven woman, the two blue dragonborn, the hellhound, the two men at the bar, and four other travelers sitting and talking at a table across the room.
    • He added a note to the others “Join if you see fit, otherwise I’ll keep exploring.”
    • Fang took the procured note and flew it invisibly to Zoyana and Aegar outside.
  • Zoyana and Aegar chose to stay outside, not wanting to blow their cover if they had one. Instead, they planned to stake out the place.
    • After long nursing of ale, Pliny returned to his friends.
  • Fang stayed to stake out the Fox Traveler Outfitters, and the rest of the party returned to Ackyn’s.

Preparations - Day 43 and 44

  • The next morning, Zoyana woke and immediately cast Locate Creature on “the red wizard” (Azbara Jos). She did not detect him within 1,000 feet, which covered the entire Blackgate district.
  • Not too long after that, one of Ackyn’s friends came in and whispered in her ear.
    • She nodded and give the party an update:
      • The cultists were planning on heading out soon, a couple of days.
      • “I didn’t get more details than that, but everything else kind of checks out with the story that we’ve been working on that they’re prepping to head out.”
  • Throughout the night, Fang kept watch.
  • Pliny asked Ackyn about Timothy Dexter: “He’s a merchant, he’s a little touched in the head. But things tend to go his way. So he’s going up to Waterdeep with some damn-fool idea to make money. And it can’t possibly make money, so knowing him, it will make money.”
  • Fang, during his night of stakeout, spied Rezmir through a window to her room at Fox Traveler Outfitters. He redoubled his stakeout, and in the morning relayed that he had seen her.
  • Ackyn started the work of coordinating the caravan itself, and ensuring that the party and the cultist would be banding together.

Pinning ceremony

  • The night before the caravan was set to depart, Zoyana gathered the party and shared with them pins that she had made:
    • “I do think that it would be good for us to keep these hidden during our next little excursion. Nevertheless, I want you guys to have these.”
    • Aegar: “This wonderful Zoyana. Thank you.”

Gathering for the caravan - Day 45

  • When the party started gathering for the caravan the next day, everything was basically going according to the plan they expected, except Rezmir was not there.
  • That sent the party on edge, and they went back to the Fox Traveler Outfitters to investigate.
    • They found that Rezmir, along with a few of the others they thought were Cultists, were gone.
    • The wagons that were set out to go with the caravan were still there, including the carts the party had flagged as having come from Greenest.
    • It felt to the party (Pliny Perception 25) that Rezmir took off, and left the carts and the guards for those carts, including the six folks that Pliny had seen inside.
  • The others wanted to go back and prepare to leave, considering the plan in tact. Zoyana disagreed:
    • Zoyana: _“We need her. I need her._”
    • Aegar: “Why?”
    • Zoyana: “Because, she has a clue to my family.”
    • Aegar: “Okay, let’s Locate her.”
    • Zoyana cast Locate Creature. Nothing.
    • Zoyana: “She’s fucking gone.”
    • Pliny: “Aegar, why don’t we… it’s important Zoyana so… you and I start getting ready start preparing for the carts. Do our orientation. Do whatever we need to do.”
      • He continued, “Z, can you change into something small, and go check the room to see if there’s anything that she had? Notes or anything she left? Get some closure on this place before we get out of here.”
    • Zoyana: “Yeah. Before even that, let’s have Fang do what he did before and see what he can see through the window.”

Fang’s exploration

  • At the Fox Traveler Outfitters, Fang observed the bustle expected of an outfitters with a caravan preparing to depart.
  • Fang waited for a time when no one was looking and slipped into Rezmir’s room throught the window.
    • The room was pretty empty. There was a trunk that was closed, a bed with some ruffled sheets, a couch, an empty writing table, and a nearly-full trash can. In the trash can, Fang saw letters and papers, but he of course could not read Common.
  • Fang returned to the party: “There’s papers! The room’s empty, but there was a trunk. I didn’t want to open it… I didn’t want to like set off an alarm or something! But then there was there were papers in the trash! Yeah, yeah I left them there.”
  • The party discussed:
    • Zoyana: “I can go check it out.”
    • Pliny “Aegar, you know the time, what do you think?”
    • Aegar “If we need to find Rezmir, then this is our best bet of doing it so. It is either that, or we wait and hope that we find her along the way.”
    • Zoyana: “Well, they all were splitting off. I don’t know that she’s going to meet back up with us, wherever we’re going. It seems like they’re splitting off into factions, and maybe she’s going somewhere else.”
    • Aegar ""
    • Pliny “I also think it’s important we figure out exactly why she felt this was the only time she had to meet up with them.”
    • Zoyana: “I’m going to go.”

Zoyana the Spider

  • Zoyana wildshaped into a spider and snuck around the outside of the Fox Traveler Outfitters and into Rezmir’s room through the window.
  • She looked around (Investigation 17), and found a few legible notes in the trash can:
    • A simple, 3 word note with a signature: “Where is it? -Lennithon”
    • A note that looked like it was instructions to someone as part of a letter, but got some ink spilled on it. The name at the top was smudged, but a number of fragments were legible:
      • “…wait for the last cart to arrive…”
      • “…caravan to Waterdeep through to the Roadhouse…”
      • “…regroup at Castle Naerytar…”
      • “…blip to the Hunting Lodge…”
      • In a more abrupt script: “…Make the damned delivery to Severin and get back to work…”
  • Zoyana returned to the others and shared what she had seen.

Loot

  • Murkwater Maniac’s Rapier (25 gp)
  • Murkwater Maniac’s Silver Dagger (300 gp)
  • Two additional daggers (2 gp) from the Murkwater Maniac
  • The Followers of the Goldenbel Handbook
  • Tarz’s Book of Shadows, the magic tome tied to the Archdevil Bel, with detail about the real story of The Followers of the Goldenbel, and the incantations of a number of magical spells.
  • Tarz’s writings about Tiamat
  • Aegar donated 1,000 gp for a school
  • Aegar traded 25 blue drake scales and 100 gp for a blue drakescale shield of lightening resistance, and then gifted it to Zoyana
  • Zoyana paid 375 gp for some pins
  • Pliny made a 200 gp donation to the House of Gond as thanks for the memorial statue of Tarz and Tara.
  • Aegar purchased 3 Greater Healing Potions and 3 regular Healing Potions for 600 gp.
  • Zoyana received a reply from the library: Purple Mist report
  • Amulet of Health countdown:
    • Started on Day 31
    • 40 days to completion: done day 71
    • Sped up 5 days from help from Wood Woad: done day 66
    • Sped up 5 days from help from Kaltor Hornscruntle, priest of Gond: done day 61

NPCs Interacted With

  • Marshal Ulder Ravengard
  • Kyra Lark
  • Tarz and Tara Selebon (remembered)
  • Hiswin the Gnome
  • Kaltor Hornscruntle, priest of Gond
  • Langaderosa (mentioned)
  • Frulam (mentioned)
  • Ackyn Selebon
  • Timothy Dexter (mentioned)
  • Rezmir
  • Fox Traveler proprietor
  • Tall, silver-haired elven woman
  • Two blue dragonborn guards
  • Azbara Jos, the red wizard (mentioned)

Locations Visited

Experience Per Character

Session Task or Accomplishment Day Aegar Pliny Zoyana
49 Investigation & Unraveling Tarz’s Tale 39 300 300 300
49 Reporting to Ravenguard 39 250 250 250
49 Aegar’s School 40 200 - -
49 Aegar’s shield 40 200 - -
49 Pliny’s Tribute to Tarz and Tara 40 - 350 -
49 Enchanted Weapons Research 40 - 100 -
49 Magical Crafting - visit to House of Gond 40 - - 200
49 Aegar & Pliny talked 40 250 250 -
49 Purple Mist report 41 - - 350
49 Finding Rezmir 42 - - 200
49 Scouting the Fox Traveler Outfitters 42 - 100 -
49 Not finding the red wizard 43 - - 250
49 Pinning ceremony 44 - - 200
49 Zoyana the Spider 45 - - 250
Total Total 1200 1350 2000