Session 107: "You take the high road and I'll......." or "Splish, splash I was taking a bath".

22nd & 23rd day of Deepsnow 1492 

Mission:  Pass information to the council of Triboar

Campaign: Black Maw Bog

Location(s):  Triboar.

Present: Aerie, Anor, Bandur, Heimund & Droop, Karion, Paskan

Resting: Garet

22nd day of Deepsnow 1492 (Full Moon) - Late evening

The group get together to make a plan of action:

Aerie: "Personally I think we need to stay in town and investigate. Between the half orc "Viscous" and his apparent friend, the gardener from the Temple of Waukeen, what Garet found at the Maits compound, and Karion getting a poisoned arrow to his shoulder - who/what we're looking for is most likely here.

Most teleport spells that I'm aware of, and no, I'm not aware of them all, are short-distance; so chances are half decent that they're still here. Question is, where? 

So, my idea is honestly, to wander through town, and have both myself and Heimund, or  maybe Karion? Using our sense evil, and to hopefully have a chat with this gardener friend of Viscous. 

I could also use Divination to ask Aerdrie a single question- namely either what we'd find if you guys followed the patrol to gather info on the ambush, or where we'd need to go to pursue this half-orc and his peers."

Anor: "Can we not just kick down the door to the compound and then root around that and the house. If challenged, we can say we're concerned Waites had been taken over as Karion's been shot.... How's that sound?"

Bandur: "Bit too noisy for a quiet and shy Bandur."

Aerie: "Honestly? Sounds like a great way to land ourselves in jail. If someone shot Karion within the compound itself, wouldn't the arrow have been lodged in his chest or torso area? Plus, Garet didn't see anyone there beyond the workers in the workshop. Nah, I think Maits is being watched so the enemy knows when to set up another ambush and strike. If we're still worried about Maits, we'll have Garet try another sneaky-beaky for records."

Heimund: "Why don't we split up into 3 groups, with Aerie, Karion and myself in separate groups, that way it would increase our chances of detecting an evil presence?"

Bandur: "Good idea, I'm with the big man....Goliath!"

Heimund: "Before we do, I have some administration to complete"

As the group went outside, they saw the 2 Halflings they had saved from death.

Heimund: "Now you two must fight each other, depending on how well you do, will depend on whether I grant you the honour of becoming Conquest Paladins and having the Conquest Tenet tattooed on your arm."

Without further ado both Halflings gave a good account of themselves, however one did become the eventual winner.

Heimund: "Congratulations on winning, your name shall now be Doomfist the Eternal. You, the loser, don't look downhearted, you fought well and although you lost, I name you, Skarbrand the Slayer. You shall both be initiated into the ranks of the Conquest Paladin, I give you each a short sword to mark this event."

Master Raemund: "You are too much at times Heimund, I will take on these two erstwhile Halflings as squires, in a few years they may gain elevation to the next rank".

The shenanigans over, the plan was adopted, Aerie and Paskan, Karion and Anor, Heimund with Bandur and Droop would each pick a different route to the market and try and sense where evil was more prevalent.

23rd day of Deepsnow 1492 (Full Moon) - early morning

It was still early, the streets not yet awake. As they left the Temple of the Gauntlet, they had witnessed the various patrols of the '12' leave Triboar via the Phandalin Gate. 

With differing degrees of success, each of the 3 groups detected or sensed some form of evil near the market square.

The metal bull was still there, they had heard someone had come up with a plan to mount it on a plinth, like the Minotaur statue.

Whilst Heimund and Droop checked out the Minotaur Statue, and the well for any signs of an evil presence, the remainder approached the Temple of Waukeen. 

It was here, at the well that Heimund had an overpowering sense of evil coming from the well itself. He called over to the rest of the group.

SPLASH

Heimund jumped back and started checking his gear, all present, the group came closer then:

Bandur: "Where's Droop, anyone seen him, he'll be up to mischief!"

It quickly became apparent that Droop had caused the splash. Looking in the well all that could be seen was water, not a ripple (ed: chocolate or otherwise) nor Goblin could be seen.

Confused as to where or how Droop had fallen into the well the group began to discuss whether the water from the well was the source of the sense of evil. That was disproved as various people had been observed drawing water from the well, and now they watched another draw water and drink from the well itself, with no obvious ill effect.

Unseen the militia Sergeant and his companion from yesterday had arrived.

Sgt Ulfan: "Not you lot again, what mischief have you been up to now? Kicked down any doors lately, against the law that is you know, you'd end up in the pokey!"

Bandur: "It would seem our friend, a rather small individual has fallen down the well."

The well was not very wide, Heimund had already decided he could not fit down.

Aerie: "It's ok, I'll climb down and see if he's there"

Sgt Ulfan: "You'll do no such thing, that well is for drinking and not to be sullied by the likes of you!"

The argument continued and the few people in the market gathered round the Sgt and started to berate him to let Aerie climb down to get her friend.

Karion used the distraction to change into owl form. He flew down the well some 30 feet. He saw a brick was missing and changing back to his normal form wedged one foot in the place of the missing brick and the other jammed onto the wall on the far side opposite. The water was barely 12 inches below it was clear, not murky and he could see perhaps another 3 feet down into the water. Quickly thinking he took from his belt pouch a potion, of coloured liquid, a minor healing potion, he poured the contents into the water. The coloured liquid drifted down slowly for about 3 feet then just as suddenly was whisked away. There was a very fast current 3 feet below. Droop, if he had fallen into the water was surely gone.

Karion changed back into owl form and flew up the well and landed on Aeries shoulder. The Sgt was taken aback,

Aerei: "Don't worry, the owl is mine".

Karion wasted no time in relaying what he had seen and found out to Aerie, who could understand Karion in owl form as she understood Avian.

Sgt Ulfan: "Listen, you lot should speak to the blacksmith, his child fell down the well a ways back, and survived. Turned up at the Yartar gate some 2 weeks after falling in the well. We're heading back that way we can show you where he is to be found."

Sgt Ulfan: " Hey Orville these folk want to talk to you about your son, when he fell down the well."

The Sgt and his companion, who had drawn water, went behind the blacksmiths house and entered a door in the town wall. 

Orville was well over 7 feet tall. Muscle bound and glistening with sweat and naked but for a leather covering him as he worked his forge. He stopped and looked over at the group.

Orville: "Orville Wright, blacksmith. Now pretty lady what can we do for you".

Aerie blushed.

Heimund spoke up.

Heimund: "We seek information, a friend of ours has fallen down the well in the square. We belive the same thing happened to your son.....and he survived?"

Orville turned back to his work.

Orville: "Yes my son, 6 he was then, fell into the well. A prank they say, well his friends do. He returned 2 weeks later. Changed he was. Couldn't get a word out of him for 2 months. Even after then he was like a scared rabbit. My wife has taken him out of Triboar, to her folk's farm, to the north of here."

Heimund: "Are there any tunnels down there? Sewer system, caverns etc that you know of?"

Orville: "None that I know of, you'd have to ask people more knowledgeable than I about stuff like that. Now if'n you'll excuse me I've work to do. Good day.....pretty lady".

The group headed back to the Temple of the Gauntlet. Luckily Master Raemund was still around. He told them perhaps the priest at the Shrine of Kelumvor could help. Triboar had been rebuilt many times over the years and there were no maps or plans of sewers and water courses under the town anywhere he knew of. But the Shrine was the oldest part of Triboar and that part of Triboar was the oldest part of Triboar. As the town grew it had expanded west.

Anor nodded his head and expanded on Kelumvor, it was a deity of his home city Luskan.

Anor: "He is a lawful God, a Good God. He is also called the Lord of the Dead and the Judge of the Damned. His shrines, or places of worship normally have a skeletal arm holding up the scales of balance." 

The group split in two. Anor, Karion and Heimund would head for the Shrine of Kelumvor and Aerie, Bandur and Paskan would head for the Temple of Waukeen.

The priest bid Anor, Heimund and Karion welcome. 

Anor: "Do you know of any tunnels around the well in the market square?"

Priest: "Surely the answer you seek is in prayer to Kelumvor. Remember to make a suitable offering before you leave."

Anor knelt before the shrine as Heimund and Karion looked on.

Anor: "Lord of the Dead and Judge of the Damned, I seek knowledge of a friend of mine who is missing. Are there hidden tunnels below the market well?"

The answer appeared in Anor's mind like smoke drifting in a gentle breeze, if Anor thought too long on the words in his head they drifted away. 

Anor: "Well my prayer was answered, if we seek, we shall not find, if we don't, he shall be found".

Anor left as large sum of coin as an offering to Kelumvor. The priest nodded his thanks.

They headed back to the TotG (Temple of the Gauntlet), they had arranged to meet up with the others there.

The Temple of Waukeen:

Aerie, Paskan and Bandur arrived at the Temple of Waukeen. Aerie looking over the not too tall wall could see a gardener. She immediately had a strong sense of evil when looking at the gardener. Paskan could see well into the mat the front of the temple.

Paskan: "Hey, you, what are you up to and are there any tunnels below the well? A friend of ours has fallen in. We want him back."

Gardener: "Dunno 'bout tunnels. Digging graves I am for two olduns who passed away last night."

Paskan was doubtful. A door in the Temple opened and a striking, middle aged woman dressed in green came out. She looked at the gardener and asked if the graves would be ready soon. He answered they would if strangers didn't keep bothering him.

She looked towards Aerie and Paskan. She smiled, it was a warm deep smile that conveyed peace and sereneity. Paskan waved, the lady in green waved back and turned and went back inside.

Paskan: "That gardener maybe shifty but I think he's telling the truth."

Early Evening:

There seemed no point in remaining, so they made their way back to the TotG. Aerie was slightly upset with herself, she thought she had missed an opportunity to speak to the lady in green about possible tunnels but had forgot to do so.

The two groups shared their information with each other and Garet.

Master Raemund found the group.

Master Raemund: "The '12' patrol to Westbridge has returned, they were ambushed along the road, north of the Black Maw Bog. They did bring news of a very large army moving north up the road and that it would arrive at Triboar in 4 to 6 hours. They also have a Frost Giant!"