Party
Konguq-Human Wizard Captain
Ace-Human Rouge Quartermaster
Vodren-Human Cleric Healer and Navigation
Bron- Dwarf Fighter, Battle Master
Ryai-Elf Spellblade Night Watch
The next morning Ryai and Lindvai return to the Dandy Rose, with Lindvai's appearance changed to how she's wants to identify. When Vodren asks how she feels she says it's the first time in her life she feels truly happy.
They also investigate the item given to Konguq. It's a little golden seashell on a chain. When Konguq puts her ear to it she can hear the deep ocean. Konguq can tell it's made by the Geas spell. Ryai knows that since this was made by a hag, she can track them with it. However as long as Ryai is around that feature is nullified.
The party discusses their next move with Orissa. Bron still wants them to keep their word to Gregor. Ryai and Ace are fine leaving it be, but want to hear Orissa's side. Vodren offers the ability to remove the curse, to which all parties agree is a sound solution. They return to Orissa's house to find Gregor's body and attempt to re-unlock the door. After a failed attempt with the knock spell, Ace and Vodren go it alone while Ace breaks it open with thief's tools. Konguq, Ryai and Bron wait a little further away.
The two men enter the house and slink to the basement to find Gregor's body. And they find him lying face down in the cellar. Vodren preforms his rite and the body quickly decays to leather and bones. Vodren takes the time to place the corpse on the bed, putting it to rest.
Topside, Bron, Konguq, and Ryai see Orrisa, the Bakali, and a cloaked figure pull up to the docks on a row boat. Orrisa runs to the Red Flag, rallying pirates to help her kill the Dandies, the cloaked figure runs to the house, and the Bakali drinking a potion runs towards Konguq, Ryai, and Bron.
Ryai steps In-front of Konguq and takes the brunt of of the attack from the enhanced Bakali, damping it's blow. He recognizes the potion as one that grants draconic powers to the one that drinks it. And that it's only going to get stronger the longer the fight lasts.
Inside the house, Vodren and Ace hear the door slam open and cautious footsteps creak through the house. Vodren ducks under the bed and Ace hides under the the stairwell. Galea makes her way down the stairs and glances around. While she can't see the boys she knows they're in the basement and begins prepping a spell. Vodren rolls out and takes a swing at her, but misses and accidentally gives away Ace's location. Ace steps out and tries to sweep her legs, but it ends up jamming his cane sword. She does end up losing the concentration.
Ryai and Konguq continue to engage the Bakali while Bron tries to secure the door to the Red Flag. Ryai tries to talk to the Bakali and asks what Gregor did to Orissa. The Bakali tells him that Gregor and Orissa used to fight all the time and hit each other, until Orissa proved that she was stronger. Konguq tries to knock the Bakali out, but fails. Ryai continues to get the onslaught from the Bakali until the pirates break through Bron's attempt to secure the door. Knowing that they feasibly can't win this fight, Ryai attempts to call a parlay. The pirates agree, willing to talk it out. But Orissa still claims that the group betrayed her. Ryai say he knows what Gregor did to her and that he knows what it's like to have been hurt by a man, and just wants to hear her side. He manages to convince her as well to talk and she goes to her house, calling Galea off. Galea doesn't seem happy with the turn of events, but allows Ace and Vodren to join the rest of the party.
Everyone gathers by the Dock, including the rest of the Dandy crew, some town gaurd, and Gant's bugbear bouncer. Orissa is still furious that they wiped Galea clean of her stock. Bron takes full responsibility for it. The rest of the party implores that they return what they could. Orissa calls for Bron's punishment, and while Konguq struggles to come up with one, she does put him on cleaning duty for a week.
Ryai tries to press for more on what happened between Orissa and Gregor, but with the state of Gregor's body they only have Orissa's word to go by. Orissa wanting to wrap up things quickly accepts the terms provided and the encounter is settled.
On the ship, Vorlo is reluctant to return everything, especially since he used a lot. Ace reminds him that they said would return what they could. Vorlo catches on and the two lie and say they could only return 7 potions. Orissa is still pissed but tells them to get out of there.
With the party getting ready to set off, they promptly cross Good Bay off their map, with not many plans to return there soon.
They set up their next destination, Ankatavaka, and their search for Broud. Vodren offers in the next morning to try and reach out with sending to figure out where he is. Ace requests when he can, to send a message to Cyrus to make sure everything is alright
While they sail, Ace notices that there is a spot on the ship that the rain isn't hitting. He warns Konguq and Morris about it, and they all come up to investigate. The force lunges at Ace and it pulls him into it, and the group realizes it's a gelatinous cube. The party springs into action to pull Ace out of the cube, with Vodren summoning a Gorilla to try and pull him out. The Gorilla struggles with the acid, not used to the pain. Konguq however makes a Shepard's crook with her staff and hooks Ace out of it, causing it to weaken. Ryai returns the blow with his rapier and Ace pays it back by lodging a crossbow bolt into it. The cube deflates and the crew becomes more vigilant towards them now.
The next morning Vodren casts sending and asks Broud to meet the group in Ankatavaka. He receives a frantic reply confused as to who is talking to him and that he was sick and being held hostage by a cult, south of Good Bay. The party discussess thier options and they agree to get to Ankatavaka to resupply and to reach Broud on foot.
They pull into the docks of Ankatavaka, and with previous warnings of their...more old fashioned views had Ace and Morris meet the Dock Master and pay the fee. Ace asks if they've seen Broud and they reply that they had asked him to leave since no one was going to take him. The Dock Master asks why they're looking and Ace tells him that thier Scholar wants to speak with him, pointing to Ryai. They're a little skeptical that an elf is looking for a half-ogre, but it sates the Dock Master's curiosity.
The group splits from there, with Vodren and Ace going to look for a guide through the wilderness, Ryai and Konguq go to acquire the owl he's been looking for, and Bron going to restock Ace's crossbow bolts.
Konguq and Ryai end up at Justin's House of Owls, closed. Ryai knocks and a light goes on with a woman peaking out the window. She looks a little surprised to see an elf looking to do business, especially late at night. But Janus comes down and opens up shop. They talk about what Ryai is looking for in an owl and she questions him on his capabilities to take care of it. Ryai tells her that between traveling with a cleric of Habakkuk, his friend who has experience with animals, and his ability to talk to animals, that he should be covered to be able to take care of the bird. Janus looks confused for a moment until Konguq removes her hood and she recognizes who the group is, having heard stories of what they did in Crossing. She does business with Ryai and in turn he purchases a rare coastal owl named Marovie. Marovie seems a little surprised that Ryai is able to talk to him, but Ryai tells him that he's looking forward to their partnership. Janus asks why they're in town and they tell her that they're looking for a friend, a Half-ogre named Broud. They ask if she knows anything about him, but she tells them that he sent a letter to Newport to trying to get a hold of his family.
Ace and Vodren go looking for a guide, using the guise of wanting to save their friend from a cult. After asking around for a bit they find a young hunter named Larion to help them out. He offers that for 20 steel he'll take the group to the village and back, all through the night if he has to. They ask how long it would be on foot, and he says maybe a day and a half if the Gully isn't flooded. While they appreciate his eagerness, Vodren worries that he might be unwilling to help with certain members of the group. Larion assures them that he's perfectly fine with whoever they bring. Larion tells them the name of the fishing village is Vikaze.
The party regroups and they decide that to take the risk on foot and leave that night. Larion meets them and is surprised to see Vorlo the Hobgoblin with them. But now understood why Vodren was concerned. The group heads out on their trek to get to Broud.
While they travel, Konguq and Vodren are on the lookout, Ryai records the region, and Bron and Ace gossip with Larion. During their gossip they learn that Qualinost is looking for real holy men. A situation that sounds too similar to Ryai's personal trial in Wayreth...
As Ryai records he finds in his journal a couple of Shemesh Cards that are not from his deck. He recalls that usually when this happens, pixies are keeping an eye on you and trying to help you out. And that if the person who uses the card tries to fulfill the role of the card, they gain a boost to it. Ryai hands out a few, but keeps the rest for the time being.
As the group continues, they make it to the gully and find that it is miraculously not flooded. As they traverse they find a large bug like creature called a Skrit blocking the way. Vodren recognizes the creature, but is surprised to see one here since they are usually in the desert. Larion assures the party it's harmless and that he's crawled over them all the time. They send Ryai in first since Skrits are known for their paralyzing bite and Ryai is immune. Ryai attempts to sneak past it but ends up startling it. To avoid it from barreling over him Ryai jumps onto it's back and tries to talk to it. It's to panicked to listen and before it can attack, Vodren calms it with a prayer. It stops and the party very quickly moves past it. Larion is shocked to see the thing act so violently but they try to assure him that they just startled it.
They make to Vikaze not long after, and long after, some of the party tired from the trek. Vikaze is rather small, with only a few houses to speak of. There is house that has too many animals and they don't look well. While discussing their next step a man Podrick approaches the group asking what their business was with the village. They explain that they were looking for a friend and they were told he could be found here. Podrick immediately dismisses them and is overall distrusting and hostile. Not long into their conversation a woman wearing all white and mask covering her face appears. She calls herself Seeker Rohrta, and answers some of the party's questions.
When they ask about Broud, she tells them that he was in the village for a short time before he began setting fire to some of the houses. The party asks if they could see the houses but she said they were caught in time and the damage is very minor. She asks the the wizards if they allow people like Broud in their ranks to which Ryai replies they are unified by magic.
Seeker Rohrta does take the party through the village to find Broud's tracks to follow him. She offers them food, to which Larion and Vorlo take up. She also explains that if it wasn't for the Seekers the village wouldn't be here since food was growing scarce. She takes them to edge of the village and bids the party farewell.
The party doesn't trust a word of what she says.
Vodren casts sending to Broud again to ask him for more information. He can't give much but he warns them not to eat the food. Larion drops it immediately and Volro does a taste test to inspect it. He tells them it tastes like when Ryai used prestidigitation to make the spoiled wine he was drinking taste better. They consider the possibility that magic is being used to mask the scarce food problem and the people are being fed spoiled food.
For the time being, they decide to continue on and find and save Broud, following his tracks deeper into the woods. Larion tells them he'll wait a day by the Gully for them.
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