Game Notes, Session 15

Session XV Notes:

Gameplay begins shortly after it leaves off, with Guy, Floyd, and Chris Tennison heading for Drea and Guarm’s to return Sally and pick up Ethan. Unfortunately, Guy comes down with a nasty flu shortly in to their journey, and Floyd and Chris Tennison return Guy to the Cracked Flagon. Floyd and Chris Tennison then head to Drea, where they see Havarn, who tells them that he had recently spoken with Jared, who convinced him to lift his ban on making magic weapons. Floyd gives Havarn his rapier, along with a little platinum, and Havarn tells Floyd he will work on it for him, and have something finished in about three weeks.

Floyd and Chris Tennison then head to see Guarm, who informs them that Ethan has already left, heading north toward the shield splitter inn. The boys also learn that Gruth is headed toward the inn, too, and that there is a bard there who can tell them more about Doogal. Guarm tells the boys that Doogal is a merchant who imports and exports tobacco, liqour, and sugar to and from Gortia, Larst, and Arimathea (although he does not export anything from Arimathea). What’s more, he’s able to sell these products in Arimathea at a significant discount, lower than the farmers in Arimathea can afford to grow them. Gaurm reasons that at the prices he sells his products for over there, he must be doing so at a loss, leading Floyd and Chris Tennison to reason that there is an economic warfare component to his dealings. Gaurm shows Floyd Doogal’s seal, and Floyd copies it.

The pair then return to the Cracked Flagon, where Virgil asks about his staff, but Floyd forgot to pick it up in all of the information that they were given. This creates a bit of tension between the pair, but that soon eases as Floyd and Virgil hatch a horse-stealing plan together in an effort to alleviate their travel woes. The two make off with three horses: one work horse, one riding horse, and one exceptionally well-taken care of royal messenger horse. Virgil takes the message scrolls from the horse, and reads them; there, he learns that Gortia and Doogal have formed a sort of alliance.

The party rides to the Shield Splitter Inn, where they stable the horses (at a pretty high rate), put peace knots on their weapons, and take an oath not to practice offensive magic in the inn except in defense. The party goes into the dining hall, and finds Gruth there. Floyd and Brix have a brief conversation with Gruth, where he boasts of the growing numbers in Doogal’s thrall, and mentions that Doogal may know how to release the Hunt (as the party suspected). They are unsuccesful at convincing Gruth to go outside, as he acknowledges that they can easily defeat him. Back in the common room, the party admires the “Shield Splitter,” a really good looking axe. This belongs to the owner of the inn, and the shield in question that was split belonged to Hemis, who’s namesake hill is where Chris Tennison’s remainder of his weapon lies. The owner reveals that he would like to reform that shield someday. The owner of the inn takes a liking to the party, and they show him some of the weapon pieces they’ve found (Chris Tennison’s staff, the hammer, etc.). They retire to a meeting room, where they show him the Imperial Scepter and the Shiva Sword. The owner (a dwarf) tells the party that anyone wearing Prytorean Guard armor (as Malus is) can be controlled with the Imperial Scepter. He also offers to take the Shiva Sword into his posesssion, to be protected by a group he is a member of. The party declines, explaining that they do not know or trust the other group’s members. Floyd even goes so far to suggest he might be part of Jared’s group, but the mention of Jared’s name makes the SSI Owner freeze. He pours whiskey on Virgil’s arm, revealing a dark mark. Floyd and Brix (and presumably, Guy) are found to have them, too. It is revealed that this is the way Jared has been keeping tabs on them.

The owner of the inn, now very suspicious of the party, asks them to leave. The party demands time to talk to the bard, which they are given. Through the bard, Floyd learns more about the bard trials in Illrea, specifically that he’ll need to know 2nd level spells before he can take the test, but that it is something that will definitely be worth his while. The bard also tells them a little more about Doogal, none of which I can seem to remember now.

Soon it is time to go, but as a part of their bargain, the owner of the inn has to show the boys where the portals are. Virgil tries out the first five portals, and Floyd takes the other seven. They lead to as follows:

I. Visgoth’s Tower (supposedly)
II. Some sort of weird underwater Chthulu land
III. A pantry in an upper class house (servants overheard speaking common)
IV. An eastern continent with strange, futuristic technology
V. An alleyway in the capital of Arimathea – going back requires knowing which brick to press
VI. A Ziggurat on the other side of the world
VII. The moon
VIII. Hell
IX. A gateway to the other side of the world, and the kingdom of evil elves (collapsed with Alvin’s help – now Floyd “owes him one.”
X. Holy place with a supreme being / gaurdian angel type
XI. Room with an Illithid
XII. Where the Hunt sleeps

After checking out all the portals, the party goes through door V to Arimathea, and they find an inn. There, they summon Jared, and have a talk with him, but Jared is not revealing in the details, and rather curtly tells them not to summon him unless it is an emergency. He departs, and the party sleeps.

End of Session XV