DF Khoramandu Sea, Session 96 - Individual Distractions

    Our DF campaign has resumed. It was a short session for non-gaming reasons. Also, the player of Sir Yvor had to pull out at the last minute. Hopefully we will be back to normal for next Thursday. 

Session Date:    Thursday 29 July 2021

Party roster:

Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 525 points (PC)

- Jenkins, human servant, 249 points (NPC Ally)

Childerbert "Bert" Ingoberger, halfling locksmith (thief-bard), 415 points (PC)

Hemmu Gahrol, half-orc knight, 385 points (PC)

Adam Aesalor, half-orc wizard, 349 points (PC)

    We picked up where we left off, in the days following the defeat of the lich-marquessa. The wizard Davin has left the party on an urgent personal quest. Since the last adventure, the party has divided up the loot from the lich's tomb. They sold the dwarven scroll tablet, the lich's collection of books, various oddities of unknown mystical purposes, a large glowing rock acting as a manastone, 871 small silver coins of unknown goblin provenance, 348 electrum coins from the ancient Te-Minoan empire, a large silver bowl, 7 agate gemstones, and the Coin of Fate (DFRPG Magic Items 2); all were liquidated. One of the agate gems was given to Bert. Miao claimed the (now empty) ancient Te-Minoan earthenware jar decorated with scenes of procession. Adam got the bone wand of Fireballs enchanted by Master Zivor. The remaining money was divided between the party.

    With the recent engagement of Lady Miao and Sir Yvor, the couple intends to travel to the Kingdom of Olan, so that Sir Yvor may formally request permission from the Marquise of Felindia to marry her daughter. Before that can happen, the group must attend a festival in Marsh Hall to celebrate the death of the lich, in which Baron Stirling will formally thank the PCs and give them small tokens of appreciation.

    We touched on what each of the present PCs was doing individually in the days leading up to the day of festival, knowing that the group would be leaving town shortly thereafter. This involved getting their affairs in order; shopping, training, and preparing for their impending departure (or not).

    Bert, when he wasn't composing The Lays of the Thirteen Claws League, would deliberately trigger scuffles in taverns in order to show off his unusual Judo skills. This was apparently to publicise his abilities with the intent to setting himself up as a self-defence instructor in future. In one less salubrious establishment, Bert found himself summoned to an audience with "Skinny" Tobo, nephew to a notorious halfling crime boss in the capital city of Phessio. Tobo knew of some of Bert's prior activities in the capital, and of Bert's lack of affiliation and historical failure to pay his dues to Tobo's uncle. Tobo threatened Bert with punishment for non-compliance, and demanded 20 gold crowns in outstanding debts (a sum far in excess of Bert's current means). Bert asserted he was no longer in the "locksmithing" business, but this did not convince Tobo. Bert emptied his the contents of his purse onto the table as partial payment of his "debts". This seem sufficient to disentangle Bert from his immediate danger, although Tobo did not appear to be entirely satisfied.

    Hemmu, returning from one of her shopping trips, found herself called to by a goblin hiding in the shadow between two buildings. Hemmu's skill in Goblintongue being rudimentary (Broken level of comprehension), the goblin switched to Orcish. It transpired that the goblin was from the Caves of Chaos, and had travelled south to Marsh Hall, and snuck into the human town, specifically in search of Hemmu. The goblin was there in order to re-hire Hemmu and her group (see previous sessions 54 thru 70, in which the party killed both orc chiefs at the behest of the hobgoblin and goblin factions). Hemmu was told that the kobold faction was now a dire threat, and Hemmu was needed urgently. Hemmu said that she would have to speak to her teammates. The goblin said that he would not leave without her and that he would hide in town and await her answer urgently. At the sight of a passing member of the town guard, the goblin disappeared into the alleyway.

    Adam wrote a letter to his Elvish father in Phessio, informing him of the engagement, and his desire to accompany Miao and Yvor on their journey. Exiting from the magicians' guild, Adam spotted a yellow-robed wizard in the town square, having an animated discussion with a half-orc merchant running a small stall selling entirely mundane ironware. Adam couldn't make out the discussion, but it appeared to be partially in Orcish (which Adam doesn't speak). As he approached, Adam noticed the large guard dog chained to the stall, which immediately fixed its gaze upon Adam and growled ferociously at him (Adam has the supernatural Frightens Animals disadvantage). The half-orc reacted badly to Adam's attempt to be friendly, and told him to get lost. As Adam left the town square, the magician in yellow pursued him and asked Adam's knowledge of the whereabouts of the Goblin Market, a place that Adam believed to be nothing but a fairy tale for children. The magician Vilboon said that he had come seeking the Market which he had reason to believe was currently nearby, but Adam knew nothing of this. Vilboon had hoped that either the merchant or Adam might know more of the Goblin Market due to their orcish heritage, and he said that he would appreciate should Adam hear any news of the Market.

    Lady Miao was approached on the street by Alacus, a former hireling of dubious skill (session 28, prior to this blog). He has the distinction of being the only hireling to have been employed just once by Miao. Alacus looked rough, he hadn't been sleeping well, and his robe was splattered in dried blood. He congratulated Lady Miao on her engagement to Sir Yvor, but seemed anxious. Miao took him to the Cook and Keg tavern, and bought him a drink. Alacus told Miao that he had heard she was leaving town, and wanted to accompany her, at least as far as a port city. He wanted to return home, over the Khoramandu Sea, and was trying to get together the money to pay for passage. His sense of urgency, and his current state, apparently stemmed from an attempt to murder him by an unknown half-orc in the middle of the night. Alacus explained to Miao his reasoning: their prior quest had involved a dungeon full of half-orcs (session 28, again); everyone else involved in that quest had either left town or mysteriously disappeared, and none had returned (all save Miao, and Mantua); there were recent rumours of an attempted theft at the town watch barracks by an unknown half-orc (session 88); Miao was planning to leave town; and now 2 night's ago a half-orc had tried to assassinate him. Alacus had decided that it was no longer safe for him to remain in Marsh Hall, or even the whole kingdom of Ioscany. Miao agreed that he could accompany her, but warned she might not be able to pay him for his services. She took Alacus to Sir Yvor's cottage, where Jenkins ushered him off to have a bath. 

    The four party members gathered at the cottage (absent Sir Yvor) to discuss recent events, and their impending travel plans. There was a consensus that they should travel as quickly as possible, which meant sea rather than land. This surprised everyone, because Miao suggested it; despite her phobia of the W-word. Regarding the goblin trying to hire Hemmu, this was agreed to be in the wrong direction (at least 2 weeks travel, north and back again), and would constitute a major delay to their intended journey east to the kingdom of Olan. Bert has suggested introducing the goblin to his new "friends", ostensibly to see if they are interested in taking on the job in the party's absence. Bert's true motives in this matter are unclear...