shitlords!

[onefellswoop]

placeholder title above! hmmmm


1) Prelude: Ill-Natured Shrubbery.
2) The Party Gathers: If a Tree Burns in the Forest...
3) Death House Pt. 1: Family, If You Wish It.
4) Death House Pt. 2: Onward and Downward.
5) Awich: The Dead All Know, The Dead All Go.
6) Awich: Investigations.
7) Awich: After the Battle.
8) Loch Bien: Complications, Concerns, Frogs.

Comments

[onefellswoop]

The party regroups to examine the corpses and note that the girls aren't here, as Visento said. The trail is cold, the only hopeful clue to Manon's whereabouts being Calabra's presence in Loch Bien for the centennial.

There isn't much more to be done today; the night ahead is needed for rest and, if they wish, some time spent at the Nightmare Market before they continue north.

Nerys shows the group to a circle of caravans, their interiors containing coffins which, Nerys explains, are no longer occupied. It's a place to have their long rest, safe under the wards and protections used by the undead.

Faolan chooses to string up some canvas as a hammock outside the caravans. Sen is perfectly happy to enter his trance in one of the wagons.

When the party wakes, they find Nerys has sent for their things from the inn, and these each are carefully packed and waiting. Likewise, they find the NIghtmare Market is in full swing; Nerys has left a promissory note for Dmitri for his rewards for finding 'Seddum', as well as a sealed scroll with a new contract.

Faolan's suggestion is that they start making their way towards Loch Bien at first light; the sooner they catch up with Calabra, the sooner they can find Manon.

Sen's suggestion is they avoid Payl's shop until they have some good news they can deliver.

<.>

Dima would be eager to look over the items gathered from the major shitheads of the fight, at least to give them a quick check for magic.

[q: is this a thing he can do before zzz, or better to wait until after?
a: He can spend one hour studying specific items to learn their properties, or he can cast Identify if he has it. And he can identify that something IS magic with an arcana check

dm: Sen traces for four hours and could potentially just. Study everything and let him know in the morning. (Note: Sen's trances look suspiciously like being a passed out teenager.) ]

…Dima will begrudgingly. Go to Sen. And request that he examine everything overnight. :/

<.>

Sen examines his nails. "What did you call me?"

<.>

Rin, ps, is sleeping curled up very nearby with Curio.

Dima: "You'll need to be a bit more specific. Certainly nothing you didn't earn.”

Dima is already becoming impatient.

<.>

Sen raises an eyebrow, then stretches and yawns goodness he is so tired maybe he should sleep, after all.

<.>

Dima taking a deep breath.

Letting it out slowly.

"Sen. This will be to your benefit, as well.

"If there's no information to be gleaned from these items, there might at least be gold in them."

<.>

Sen pretends to consider this, then shrugs and smiles. "There might be. I suppose we'll never know, wuh -"

He seems to lurch forward a little, then speaks in the same halting manner as the flesh golem Mykola inhabited previously. "We will help. You help us. A return tide.

"A favor. Kept in our pocket."

And then, with another lurch, he hisses, "Dibs, for fuck's sake. Dibs!"

<.>

Rin, from the depths of sleep, mutters "Dibs!"

Dmitri just stares, blinks. "I would like very much to know who I'm dealing with at any point in time.

"I don't particularly see the use in signing over an unspecified favor for this particular task, nor do I comprehend the cause for your reluctance, save your usual recalcitrance."

He shakes his head, rubs at his temple. "You may keep whatever gold you salvaged from the ruins; is that enough for the time being?"

[q: how much time iS there between Nerys showing them to the caravans and next morning's first light?
a: probably a good 12 hours or so. Enough time to long rest, do whatever trade they need at the more mundane Market shops, have a meal]

Dima is running the calculations on how much time he can spare for examining these items, and realizing he is not likely to be able to manage more than maybe one. Which. He is not pleased with.

So after a moment, he'll offer 100gp for examination of the lot.

<.>

Sen considers this, weighs it against the likelihood that Dima will take back the name calling, and accepts.

And - "Mykola wants the die."

<.>

Dmitri looking very, very confused for a moment, and then, with a wave of his hand, "If we can find no use for it, Mykola can have the damned thing.

"Now if you'll excuse me, some of us do require sleep."

And, as he turns to leave, "Thank you, Sen."

He thinks it was very good of him to noT add 'you shithead.'

And Dima will at this point go get his own sleep in another caravan, 100% hanging out in a coffin.

<.>

[loot review!
light crossbow: +1 (goes to rin)
key: Sen determines that the key does something, but he can't figure out what. It appears to be a skeleton key, but it fails to unlock anything he attempts it on. Whenever Rin would like to attempt to use it, there will be a die check. (goes to rin)
die: The die is, Sen discovers, loaded. He (or Mykola) can control which number it lands on. (goes to sen)
stone: The ruby is a Ruby of the War Mage. (goes to sen, after fae decides he has no use for it)
potions: two potions of healing
ring: it’s just a ring.

There was also 54gp so Dima owes Sen and Rin 46 gp.]

<.>

Dima will hand it over there u go.

<.>

Fae teasingly holds out a hand since Dima's handing out money.

<.>

Dima absolutely looking at Fae with a lip-bite smile. And puts his hand in Fae's.

<.>

Fae to Sen: “Ooo I got the better deal.” And pulls Dima into his lap.

<.>

Dima wraps his arms around Faolan's shoulders. "And I am the most fortunate of all."

Now that the gold has been handed over, Dima will also ask if Sen minds terriblY if he takes the crossbow. Since there are plenty of others weapons and yoU have that lovely die.

<.>

Sen shrugs and says it's up to Rin.

<.>

Rin is very busy studying their key. "Pardon, what?"

They think, they put the pieces together, and, "The thing is. I'll get more use out of it. Is the thing." Rin has decided they woulD in fact like the crossbow. "And anyway you can buY one."

To Sen: [ Moneybags. ]

Dima is entirely too pleased to be sitting on Fae's lap to continue with this.

So. He will concede: Rin gets it.

<.>

Fae watching all of this with a baffled expression. "Maybe you can switch off."

<.>

Rin looks Not So Sure about this... But it doesn't hurt to be open to the idea, and anyway they might forget and that'd probably make the whole deal void so! They nod. "Okay."

Dima offers a half-shrug, and determines to search out a crossbow of his own, because it woulD be useful.

[note: on waking, dima examined the new contract scroll from nerys.
dm: And the scroll is a request to find an item last seen near Loch Bien; seeing as the party was heading that way, Nerys thinks Dmitri could just. Work that in.
The 'item' is a dagger someone rather rudely crafted from a guard's humerus.
The guard is sick of the jokes.
q: does the contract say who the guard in question is?
a: It does nOT. However, Nerys has provided the radius bone that connects, with instructions that it will help them find the dagger. He did not explain how.

note also: nerys did pay out the gold for the completion of the first contract, and dima gives 100gp of the reward each to Fae, Sen, and Rin.]

Dima will acknowledge Sen's earlier suggestion to not speak with Gower until they have good news, but wonders out loud whether it might be worth asking Gower what Calabra or Calabra's fuckhead friends might know or have asked about his daughter and sister.

<.>

Faolan suggests sending Nerys to ask him. It'll be less loaded and Payl needn't know they're there.

[note: Dima and Rin say yes to this.]

<.>

[note: also a thing: Before they left the ruins, Dima would have suggested burning the remainder of Calabra's close cronies, cutting them up if time allowed (which tbh idk that it would and everyone waS tire), and dumping them in the river. Did not want those bodies easily accessible.

Mykola has Issues with dumping them in the river; therefore, so does Sen. But hey. Fae and Dima can burn them, nbd.

VERY nice bonding activity!]

Well with thaT.

Dima would like to find Nerys and see about asking him to speak with Gower. And Dima would like to invite Faolan to accompany him and Liviana through the Market.

<.>

Nerys agrees to speak with Gower to find out what he can, but makes no promises.

Faolan of COURSE goes along, keeps looking at Dima as though he's not quite real, and holds on tightly to his hand.

<.>

Nerys your effort is appreciated.

Dima holding equally tight to Fae's hand, smiling over at him; often with the warm and just a little daft smile; sometimes with that hint of sharpness, hint of teeth and Knowing.

Rin is going to tell Sen and Mykola they should find the friend golem who fought with them and see how said golem is doing!

<.>

They'll find the golem in the fighting pits, its arm reattached. It flips the bird at them as a greeting right before another golem slams bodily into it.

Is there anything specific Dima would like to look for in the market, things that might have caught his eye or that would catch his eye now?

<.>

Rin flips the bird right back before shouting "It's RUDE to interrupt a greeting like that!!"

And Dima! Is on the lookout for other sparkly things that Liv might take a shine to, and writing in Deep Speech or Abyssal, or anything made of particularly odd-looking bone. While keeping far out of sight of Gower's mirror world ofc ofc.

<.>

Fae, hearing he's looking for a sparkly thing for Liv, produces the ring that was taken from Visento; the stone is a tourmaline, refined to a high shine. It would be easy, he says, to pop the stone out so she can keep it however she likes.

<.>

Liv flutters her wings and 'toks' and very pleased 'tok,' and will in fact hop over to Faolan's shoulder for a minute or two in a show of approval! And will in fact also send Fae a telepathic image composed of a sky full of shining stars, all of them the blue of the tourmaline.

She keeps happily rustling her feathers.

<.>

Fae looks quite pleased with himself and Liv's reaction; he assures her quietly that he'll find someone here to do it, or a clever enough jeweler who won't harm the stone in removing it.

<.>

He gets a little nudge from Liv's beak.

And Dima is looking at him with absolute admiration. Dima is in fact also very happy.

<.>

[onefellswoop]

As for the rest of the shopping: there's a shop that deals exclusively in oddities like books from the Abyssal Plain. An odds and ends merchant has two books in Deep Speech that he claims came from uncharted reaches of the Underdark. A lot of merchants sell bones. A. Lot.

<.>

Dima would like to take a look at the books in Deep Speech and try to determine whether they're genuine and potentially of interest. And ask the shopkeep how he came into possession of them.

<.>

One of the books appears to be a naturalist's guide to the Underdark. The other is, apparently, a book of Dwarven poetry.

The shopkeeper just stares at Dima. This is probably an impolite question, as "came into possession" usually involves an untimely end.

<.>

Dima begs the shopkeeper's forgiveness, and says he appreciates the chance to have encountered these books and will keep them very much in mind.

He will aLso, though, head to the shop of oddities and look at the books for the Abyssal Plain, suggesting that Faolan see whether there's anything that catches his interest around the shop.

<.>

Faolan lingers behind a moment or two, eyeing the naturalist's guide.

<.>

Liviana is going to stay with Fae for now, which makes Dima a little less reluctant to move on to the books.

<.>

Fae KNEW he'd kept something from the Durst house: after a moment of searching, he produces the iron pendant with the devil's face that Rin didn't want. The shopkeeper examines it thoughtfully, then makes the trade for the book.

Fae trots back over to Dima and holds it out. "You'll be around long enough, won't you? To read this to me?"

He doesn't speak Deep Speech.

<.>

Dima touches the book cover, letting his touch linger, then smiling up at Faolan. "Oh, yes. And it would be my pleasure, Fae.

"In fact. If you'd like, I might teach you some measure of the language? So we can read it together, of course."

<.>

Fae holds the book close for a while, smiling to himself and not quite trusting any of this - but it feels nice nevertheless.

And as for the Abyssal Plain, the book is a deeply boring treatise on planar doors.

<.>

Does it seem like particularly rare knowledge at all? If non, Dima would like to look around the rest of the shop for any items either containing magical properties or usual in the casting of spells.

<.>

The book looks like it's not useful at all.

[note: Dima will pass on this one.]

However, while they're wandering, Fae finds something...else.

He almost misses it, in fact: it's thin, coptic bound, with water damage to its cover and some of the pages. However, the title is barely visible - just enough that he picks it up curiously and holds it out.

In faded gothic text are the words, "Book of the Raven".

<.>

Dima is going to stare at it, smile slightly, and move to Faolan's side as he takes the book, so that Fae and Liv can also see.

Also Dima absolutely saying, "Oh, beautifully done," to Fae as he reads the cover.

[q: is this anything Dima (or tbh Liv) might have heard of? and/or what is it :O!
dm: This is nothing either of them have ever encountered; however, there are familiar contents within.]

And he does open the book.

<.>

The first thing Dima will notice is that the cover is made from thin, unvarnished sheets of black oak covered with bird scratches and indentations from beaks. Within the covers are thirty-three pages bearing tiny, blotchy brown script written in an unsteady hand by an unidentified author.

It appears to be a firsthand account written in Common. The author, after falling off her horse and breaking her leg, was rescued and befriended by Vistani travelers who graciously nursed her back to health. The account details her three-month travels with the Vistani.

Though richly detailed in description of the Vistani, the book only names two: Drasha, a teenaged girl who applied the author's bandages, and Darzin, a one-armed boy with a terrible fear of wolves, who sang beautiful songs to take the author's mind off the pain from her leg.

All told, the book seems to be an anthropological study of the Vistani way of life.

The ending is abrupt, with the troupe approaching a the gates of a tall, winding castle and a description of its dreadful countenance. There are four blank pages following the ending, which comes mid-sentence.

Most intriguing, however, is a piece of parchment that has been folded and slipped between two pages. The map doesn't seem to have been a part of the book to begin with.

[q: Would Dima know anything particular or general about the Vistani?
a: Dima would probably know quite a bit about them. (+includes screenshot of info)]

<.>

Dima is very, very intrigued by and drawn to this. He tells Fae and Liv his intention to see about securing the book, and if there are no objections, he's going to speak with the shopkeeper to see whether he might have the book as the final bit of contract payment.

[note: The shopkeeper seems only too happy to part with the book.]

Dima is pretty hype to give this a thorough read and study. And he'll be examining that map, trying to determine where it might be.

[dm: Dima will recognize some of the map locations as older landmarks in Morovsk. The names aren't the same, but Scorch of the Red Wyrm is an active volcano he would be aware of.

q: how old do the book and map appear to be?
a: it's at least seventy or eighty years old]

And Dima will not be examining this especially far right now, since there is not a whole whole lot of time in the night, but he'll keep glancing at and through it as he continues to walk with Fae, and yes he is just going to slip his arm through Faolan's, and tell him this just might be a future adventure to share.

<.>

Faolan smiles, pleased to have found something for Dima that takes his interest so thoroughly. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of adventures besides."

"So we will. Plenty of adventures, and a life's worth of time to share between our wanderings. In peace, in fury, and in our own rejoicing." His eyes travel once more from the book to Faolan, catching on that smile, his heart hitching its bear upon the sight. And, voice softer, "You'll be very happy, Faolan. We both will be.

"When we rest, and when we burn the world just as we please."

<.>

[onefellswoop]

At first light, the group reconvenes to continue their journey to Loch Bien. On the way, they'll pass through Awich again; it's an opportunity to sell off anything in need of selling and to restock things like rations, potions, etc.

They can also here make the decision to either walk the three or four day trek to Loch Bien or to take Awich's river to the coast and journey a half day from there. While the latter is considerably shorter an option even going against the current, it is known to be more perilous.


So begins some shopping and housekeeping!

q: Did Nerys have any info from Gower?
a: Nerys will talk to Gower on the road between markets, so as not to hassle him while he's "working.”

q: if they take the river to the coast, would they be traveling by boat to Loch Bien?
a: They can take either boat or walk the coast road.

q: when is The Gathering Of Nobles supposed to begin?
a: The gathering of nobles is meant to begin in about a week or so; everyone was arriving with ample time to enjoy the hospitality of Alfrig.

q: would the goblin's hand have found someone to stay with at the market? or does rin still have it?
a: The hand will be staying with Nerys for a while.

note: Rin gave friend golem a pouch containing ten ball bearings
dm: The golem friend appreciates the gift as it has never been given one before, and will cherish it greatly.

Rin proposes selling off the weapons they pulled from the ruin corpses unless anybody wanted to keep any of them. Dima and Rin both agree it'd be wise to buy rations and potions; Dima would also like to look into a light crossbow.

dm: For selling the weapons, probably everything prices out to about 300gp, more or less. A lot of it was damaged by golems or fire.

Dima pays 25gp for a light crossbow, then 50gp for powdered silver and iron. Fae sells a quarterstaff and scimitar for 15gp. Other items are sold and bought, money is divvied up. Sen ends up with the Ruby of the War Mage and the hand crossbow from the party’s collective inventory.

Rin has put everything they stole from Calabra (except the money and the whetstone/cloth taken from Torrio's nightstand) in the Bag of Holding, unless anyone wants to keep any of it in-hand. Dima does take the correspondence.

dm: I will allow people in the party (apart from Rin, who has no focus (lmao in multiple ways)) to work together while traveling upriver to cast an enchantment on Dima's light crossbow. I’ll say 3 days - the entirety of the journey to Loch Bien plus some time in an inn room - and no cost, as all of them are either magical or using a focus, and they're not crafting an item, just enchanting.

Rin, not having a focus, isn’t included in the enchanting work and is free to pick pockets and talk to Curio and do what Rins do. Rin can handle food prep! Maybe do some scouting around wherever they camp and practice their Elvish.

And since Dima is reading the book on the Underdark to Fae at night, roll a d20.

(Dima rolls a 5. Thankfully, Fae rolls higher.)

Dima and Fae both learn a piece of lore from the book that gives them advantage in a specific Underdark scenario: They gain advantage in attack rolls against Drow Mages.

After the first night of travel to Loch Bien, Dima would have contacted Derzhena via sending to let her know that Something Is Up with Calabra, and that Dima found 'Her' aka Liv.

Thus ends the housekeeping! And the party advances to Loch Bien.

<.>