FC1 - User contributions [en]

Avale - Neighborhoods

2026-08-24T15:30:11Z

DB:

An alphabetical listing of all the neighborhoods of [[Avale]] with a '''short description and all points of interest (PoI)''' to be found there.

=== Abrinol ===
This formerly mainly industrial neighborhood now has a largely gentrified eastern side. To the west many manufactories can still be found. It is named for one of the three [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]].

====Happy Soles====
{{#lsth:Avale|Happy Soles}}
====[[Sulla Arena]]====
{{#lsth:Sulla Arena|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - Under-Barrow Savings
* Inn - The Steaming Pot
* Messengers Coalition, Ropemaker Way
* Shrine - [[Ehlonna]]

=== Bow Valley ===
Known for Manette Creek which winds its way along the valley further north into the city. This neighborhood is mostly industrial, including many paper-markers, interspersed with lower class housing and some middle class housing at the northern end.

====Vulpine Count====
{{#lsth:Avale|Vulpine Count}}

'''PoI'''
* Alchemist - Bottle Shock
* Cemetery - Babbling Brook
* Inn - Blue Balladeer Inn
* Inn - Grey Minstrel Inn
* Jeweler - Rock Bottom Prices
* Tavern - The Grape Escape

=== Cegir Town ===
Very much a middle class neighborhood though some more expensive homes can be found near the border with Downpark. It is know for its bookbinders and booksellers.

====[[Thal Sivale]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Sivale|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Barber - Hair Me Out
* Inn - The Plucked Pheasant

=== Center City ===
In the early days of Avale the seat of government could be found here, now it's a middle class neighborhood where many of the Docami live. Numerous bookkeepers, notaries & scribes can also be found here.

====State Museum====
{{#lsth:Avale|State Museum}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub/Tavern - Wine Me Up, owner: '''Bethryn Therthran''' (dwarf, female)

=== Clover Hill ===
An upscale neighborhood that is home to many embassies and specialty food stores.

====[[Hythe Maritime Services]]====
{{#lsth:Hythe Maritime Services|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Perfumer - Smells by Design
* Tavern - The Usual Place

=== Dawnbloom Heights ===
An upper class neighborhood known for its architecture and absurd prices for "top of hill" homes. Many law-firms can be found near the border with Uppark.

====[[Companions of Elric]]====
{{#lsth:Companions of Elric|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Alchemists & Apothecaries - Herb's Store, Cat Lane
* Cemetery - Mother Mensual

=== Downpark ===
Said to be 'less stuffy' than Uppark this neighborhood has a lot of (upper-)middle class housing next to all the services that a seat of government attracts. Many glaziers & mirrorers can be found here.

====Halls====
{{#lsth:Avale|Halls}}
====[[Lirr]]====
{{#lsth:Lirr|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - Pursue Hickory
* HQ - Humtache, Watch Plaza
* HQ - Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers

=== Fabrics ===
Much of the neighborhood consists of weavers, dyers, tailors, and clothes stores. Large warehouses dominate the riverfront. Other businesses here include furriers and instrument-makers.
====[[Istus]]====
{{#lsth:Istus|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Clothes store - Save Nine

=== Farmhold Hamlet ===
As the capital grew it, subsumed a number of villages near it, including this one. Over the centuries this '''neighborhood''' has changed completely and is now a '''bohemian hotbed''', very much looked down upon by all the other inhabitants as it is as far from the 'proper' Dolac lifestyle as one can get.

'''PoI'''
* Alchemist - Chimera and Chong's
* Theater - People’s Playhouse
* Nightclub - Bears, Amos Street
* Nightclub - Portinari Dance Hall

=== Fort Read ===
The Avale Armed Forces headquarters, there are more officers than enlisted personnel here.

=== Fractures ===
For a part still an agricultural neighborhood with many small farms to the east, known for its mushroom cultivation. Around the university many businesses have sprung up; hostels, taverns, laundries, brothels, and more.
====Avale School of Business (ASB)====
{{#lsth:Avale|Avale School of Business (ASB)}}

'''PoI'''

* HQ - Stonemasons Guild

=== Gill Gardens ===
This upper class neighborhood is also known as the Sea of Green. Many public gardens and parks are dotted around and the large estates all have their own grounds.
====[[Resa's Rest]]====
{{#lsth:Resa's Rest|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Inn - The Five Georges

=== Hookville ===
Known for it's slaughterhouses, this neighborhood is where most of the livestock trade takes place. About a third of the area is low class housing.

'''PoI'''
* HQ - Guild of Stevedores
* Inn - Pair O' Dice Inn

=== Jeoran Terrace ===
This neighborhood, two thirds industry and one third low class housing, is filled with manufactories of all stripes. It is known for its metal works, smiths of all stripes, and armorers.

====[[Ulaa]]====
{{#lsth:Ulaa|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Foundry - Big Brass Bells Foundry
* Inn - The Reverend’s Rest Inn
* Jeweler - Rings and Things
* Smith - Wesson's Smithy, Sito Road

=== Kalehaven ===
A mix of warehouses and industry such as basket weavers, masons, and soap-makers can be found here. A number of piers are the main ingress for any ship-bound freight destined for the city. Also known for '''The Coop'''; the '''large produce market''' where most of the city's grocers buy their goods.

====White Bridge====
{{#lsth:Avale|White Bridge}}

====[[Abraxis Combine]]====
{{#lsth:Abraxis Combine|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Spice Shop - Curry On My Wayward Son
* Surplus - POWMD: Pre-Owned Weapons of Maximum Destructiveness, ''"If it's in stock, we got it!"''

=== Kesslia ===
An upper-middle class neighborhood with beautiful, tree-shaded avenues and brooks. Home to many a professor and high ranking Docami.
====Venture Hall====
{{#lsth:Avale|Venture Hall}}

'''PoI'''
* Jeweler - Family Jules (Julegibisel, gnomes)
* Perfumer - Heaven Scent

=== Kipfield ===
Home of skinners, tanners, and leather-workers, the smell takes more than a little getting used to and the low class housing is cheap because of it.

'''PoI'''
* HQ - Leatherworkers Guild
* Tannery - The Three Tanners

=== Little Perches ===
Formerly a low class neighborhood, it has gentrified into a middle class neighborhood with many specialty stores, taverns, and eateries.

'''PoI'''
* Clothes - Second Hand News
* Perfumer - Eau My Gods
* Restaurant - This Scampi Happening

=== Longsee ===
A little less industrial than Kalehaven, this neighborhood none the less still contains more manufactories than housing. Bowyers, chandlers, and cobblers are found here.

====Pheld Ceramics====
{{#lsth:Avale|Pheld Ceramics}}

'''PoI'''
* Casino - He Bluffs Me Not
* Fishmonger - For Cod’s Sake, Shore Way
* Inn - The Boer Inn
* Inn - The Other Inn
* Tavern - The Adjective Noun

=== Lost Bay ===
This neighborhood used to be a bay but was reclaimed from the river with magic. '''Abyss Annex''' is the unofficial name for the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]] and Lost Bay neighborhoods''' that house the poorest of the poor, most not originally from [[Dolac]]. Crime is high here but so is ingenuity. It is bisected by the '''Sito Road''' which runs north through the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]] and [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]] neighborhoods'''.

====None Turned Away Clinic====
{{#lsth:Avale|None Turned Away Clinic}}

=== Mimico ===
One of the later additions to the city, it was built containing middle and upper class housing interspersed with many small gardens to give it a more bucolic character.

=== Narrow Park ===
Manicured to an inch, this park is full of water features and paths for a gentle stroll whilst discussing matters of import.

=== New Dunum ===
Created when Emperor Avale conquered the city, the neighborhood was of the highest class, filled with astounding buildings. Over time it has become middle class with only some of the old buildings still surviving. Many of the more successful shipwrights and cartographers have historically lived here.
====[[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]]====
{{#lsth:Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bakery - Tart of Darkness
* NPC - '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', Lookout Road
* Tavern - Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse

=== New Prospect ===
After years of protests from [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Mimico|Mimico]] residents this neighborhood was finally built. It contains mostly (lower-)middle class housing and to the west an area reserved for wagon-makers and caravan suppliers.

=== NoGWay ===
The short name for North of Grove Way, it used to be part of [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]]. Now it is a mostly middle class neighborhood though it has retained its cluster of alchemists and apothecaries.

====[[Kasarian Embassy]]====
{{#lsth:Kasarian Embassy|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Inn - The Evergreen Anteroom

=== Oakhurst ===
Known for its breweries and distilleries at the south end, the rest of the neighborhood is filled with (upper-)middle class housing and the shops and eateries that come with it. All on meandering streets with plenty of green.
====[[Thal Lithel]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Lithel|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Brewery - The Grog Father
* Brewery - This Is The Yeast We Can Do, owner: '''Bretmera Gremdain''' (dwarf female)
* HQ - Brewers Guild, Falanae Avenue
* Restaurant - Feywild Shroomhouse, Korb Street
* Sculptor - '''Parn Gemgiel''' (dwarf male)
* Theater - Catifras Theater

=== Old Yards ===
This is where the old naval yards used to be many centuries ago before they were moved up river. '''Abyss Annex''' is the unofficial name for the '''Old Yards and Lost Bay neighborhoods''' that house the poorest of the poor, most not originally from Dolac. Crime is high here but so is ingenuity. It is bisected by the '''Sito Road''' which runs north through the '''Kalehaven and Jeoran Terrace neighborhoods'''.

'''PoI'''
* Pawnshop - The Loan-ly Warrior's Stop

=== Parade Fields ===
Historically this is where the army would present its forces to the monarch and (foreign) dignitaries. These days it's mostly a large field used for whatever purpose one needs. Encroaching on it from the south is a '''large caravanserai''' where most of the overland trade starts and ends.

=== Pell Point ===
Here there's still some of the old fishing village that was the start of it all. While almost everything moved to the new port, net-makers are all found here, and there are still a few piers where fishing vessels dock and unload their catches to immediately be sold at auction. The few upper class buildings in this neighborhood are all in the hands of businesses, the other housing is a mix of lower class and (lower-)middle class.

====Bajakian Ferry====
{{#lsth:Avale|Bajakian Ferry}}
====[[House Ditta]]====
{{#lsth:House Ditta|[[Avale]]}}

=== Prester ===
A neighborhood in decline; these days it is known for its many flophouses where down on their luck sailors spend their time ashore. This brought with it many, many taverns, brothels, and other businesses of ill repute. Businesses that can be found here are paint makers and outfitters.
====Admiralty House====
{{#lsth:Avale|Admiralty House}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub - Spreaders, Blue Cloth Alley

=== Proviso Place ===
Though next to two of the less fragrant neighborhoods of the city, Proviso Place is not too badly affected thanks to it laying in something of a bowl. Formerly mostly full of warehouses, many have now been converted into middle class apartments. It is known for its many theaters and [[Dolac#Culture|niteries]].
====Scarlet Bonnet====
{{#lsth:Avale|Scarlet Bonnet}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub - Knight Moves, Twiller Street

=== Sevso Island ===
This island was '''reclaimed from the river at great expense''' after the city was conquered by [[Miforan Empire|Avale Sevso]]. It was the first of a number of islands that were connected with boat bridges to the western bank of the estuary. These days the island is '''a large neighborhood''' with low to middle class housing and one of the few locations in the city where the imperial name remained. It is connected to the city by the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#White Bridge|White Bridge]]'''.

'''PoI'''
* NPC - '''Alun Djames''', Reginald Avenue

=== Uppark ===
Full of imposing stone buildings, this neighborhood contains upper class and (upper-)middle class housing, the other half is dedicated to keeping the wheels of power spinning.

====Domicile of Diligence====
{{#lsth:Avale|Domicile of Diligence}}
====Inner Court Arcade====
{{#lsth:Avale|Inner Court Arcade}}
====[[Abjura Dolana]]====
{{#lsth:Abjura Dolana|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Pholtus]]====
{{#lsth:Pholtus|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - High Shore Bonding Company
* HQ - Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes
* HQ - Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors
* NPC - '''House''' (human unsure), Lock Street
* Tavern - The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden

=== Woodfall ===
This neighborhood is known for its many migrants from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]], [[Neniros]], [[Ogren]], [[Tilgay]], and other exotic places. Numerous woodshops line the streets here; furniture makers and more general carpenters. On '''Langspelme Road''' stands the recently built '''Endorn Theater''', named for the former boss of the Guild of Woodworkers who was instrumental in its construction. '''Promise Fields''' is filled with people at all hours and [[Dolac#Culture|gakker]] is played here, the local team is called the Bolters.

'''PoI'''
* Tavern - The Thirsty Recruit

[[Category:Locations]]

The Wreck - Chronological order of Events

2026-08-24T13:40:26Z

DB:

[[File:The Wreck.png|right|450x450px]]
Four very different people survive a shipwreck and end up on a tiny island. {{TextAnimations|Text=These are|Color=MediumBlue|Glow=1|Bold=1}} {{TextAnimations|Text=their stories.|Color=Red|Glow=1|Bold=1}}

== The protagonists ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|[[Darius Naffles]]
|-
|[[Dauphine Tirfelya]]
|-
|[[Oscar]]
|-
|[[Quinton Gemweaver]]
|}

== Dolac ==

=== Four journeys ===
This is how our four friends ended up in the capital of [[Dolac]]; [[Avale]].

==== Quinton Gemweaver ====
Quinton starts his journey to Avale following the Fiumare river. On the way he ran into a band of [[Nikanish]] who were trying to protect a tribe of bullywugs and the druid was asked if he wanted to help and he does. Later his camp was overrun by zombies but he managed to get away with all of his belongings.

Then a town happened to be visited by a bunch [[Kashtin]] revelers when Quinton arrived and this lead to some very hedonistic days. Journeying on alone was quite the contrast but the beautiful landscapes made up for it especially the [[Dolac#Sevso Sound|Sevso Sound]]. From there it took a number of bridges to the islands in the Tal delta and a ferry to get across and make it to Avale where he finds an '''inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]] neighborhood'''.

The city is huge and there is much to see. Quinton starts by getting a shave at Hair Me Out. Next he buys a mince mop from a street vendor. While walking and eating he nearly collides with a square-jawed, blond-haired man that steps out of an outhouse, dusting down his clothes, mumbling to himself.

A few days later in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] he passes by the Pursue Hickory bank and comes to a square where an expensively dressed gentleman is tending to a vagrant, pouring a potion down his throat which seems to make him feel a lot better.

During another exploration of the city, this time in the North of Grove Way neighborhood, also known as [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]], Quinton is lured into alley, where he is surrounded by four assailants. Things look bleak, this is an unwinnable fight and flight will also be difficult. But then an unassuming woman, short, with a cleft chin, and her dark hair in a knot, appears, and the four robbers run, saving him from an ignoble fate. The woman gives him a smile and leaves. There is no sign of her when the druid makes it back out on to the street.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Quinton to sign up.

==== Dauphine Tirfelya ====
On her donkey she makes it to the border with [[Otteun]], it’s been an interesting journey already, seeing the mammoths roam. Then Dauphine continues on to [[Midtal]], she’s never seen a big city and this is her chance. From the first inn in Otteun she finds out that elves are seen as rather exotic, people gaze at her, some small children even pull her hair.

The caravan she was traveling with, promptly got attacked on only the second day but fortunately they managed to fight off the robbers, Dauphine having to use her shortsword in anger for the first time. Midtal was an interesting experience, still getting lots of looks on account of being an elf but getting bothered a bit less. Surprisingly she made a little money when someone offered to pay her to paint a portrait of her.

Avale seemed the best possible next destination and the druid took passage on a river barge. The slow journey down the river gave plenty of time to focus on certain things she had been ignoring and to get to know her fellow travelers. At one village stop, Dauphine helped out one of her new friends when he was cheated on in a game of Three-Dragon Ante, managing to recover all the money.

The barge arrived at Avale disembarking everyone in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. Two of her fellow passengers knew of a '''good inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]] neighborhood''', called the Other Inn, and so she joined them and walked there, taking a room on the third floor. It cost a little extra but the view of the Tal estuary is worth it. The first thing she sees is a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat catch a girl who picked a dwarf’s pocket. He hands the money over to the victim and then takes a piece of pastry from his pocket and gives it to the child before letting her go.

Here, too, people still find elves quite the attraction, she finds. The nearby fish shop, For Cod’s Sake, introduced her to all kinds of new food and then she was told about another place that she just had to go visit. Following directions she went to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] neighborhood, where on Falanae Avenue she passed by Elassidil Villa, headquarters of [[Thal Lithel]]. At the intersection with Korb Street, a boy on crutches was brusquely told by a man in a carriage to get his ass in there. And then when the conveyance drove away she saw it; the Feywild Shroomhouse.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Dauphine to sign up.

==== Darius Naffles ====
After finishing his priestly training Darius was told to find his way in the world. Any direction was as good as the other but his father had told him that some far-flung family of his lived in Avale, so why not go there first?

On his way through [[Mifora]] his skills were called upon numerous times. Usually to give his blessing or heal the wounded. But one time he arrived at a village where a recently deceased had risen. Using his god given powers he quickly destroyed it, maybe a little more thoroughly than the grieving family had hoped for.

Then in another town, when money was low, Darius joined a group of adventurers who promised riches. The Toast of Tetia proved to be better at boasting than questing. It was only due to Darius that no one died and the riches turned out to be a single gem, that, split five ways, did not amount to all that much.

A less than stellar encounter with a wild boar made Darius happy to finally arrive in Avale. He’s told of a small shrine to [[Ehlonna]] in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]] neighborhood and the gnome finds an inn nearby; the Steaming Pot'''.

Walking through the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]] neighborhood, Darius sees three attractive, mid-thirties women coming out of Smells by Design, a perfume shop. As he passes by, he overhears part of their conversation: “Did you hear, Meghan Wellington is back in town, but the state of her...” says the brunette. “I heard she was married off to some [[Godfall]] dwarf who kept her in his cellar,” adds the blonde. “Who cares, Lilia, we have things to do down the road,” counters the redhead. “Alice, always chasing the sublime,” comments the dark-haired one.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Darius to sign up.

==== Oscar ====
The halfling wakes up with a headache in a small, stone room on a cot, a tiny window high on the wall provides some light. A pitcher of water stands on a table. In one corner there is a small hole in the floor that smells of excrement. A single door, locked or barred, blocks his way. Once a day the door is opened just wide enough to slide a bowl of gruel and a spoon inside. He can’t see much more than a hallway and a soldier, there is no sign, or smell, of the old man.

After the second night he wakes in a new environment, feeling weak and listless, like that one time he ate those red mushrooms. He finds himself in a large, wooden room that lists from side to side. Around his leg is a manacle that is clamped around a stout wooden beam. A scarred man wearing a red cloth hat comes to him twice a day, bringing food that is incredibly hard, he needs the also provided drink, grog, to make it chewable.

Additionally the sailor makes sure to check his manacle and the beam every time. He can move along the beam, about a meter or two, just enough to reach the small barrel smelling of excrement. There are many crates and barrels but all are out of reach. At least there are the rats who visit him at all hours. He supplements his diet this way.

After a long journey the ship reaches port, all the smells tell Oscar they are next to land and he makes sure he’s prepared. When the sailor removes the manacle the halfling pushes the man’s head into the wall, as hard as he can. Then he is up the ladder and soon on deck of the ship. The sight of a huge city in front of him is frightening but he sees the wooden pier and jumps onto it, running away from the ship and towards the city, pushing people away when he can’t avoid them, one, carrying a large crate, falls into the water.

Weak with hunger he makes his way into the city, there are so many people! He stumbles about, going wherever seems most quiet. He comes to a small park but is immediately chased by men wearing blue tabards. He keeps moving, coming to a road in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] where he startles a man and a woman in an intimate embrace. She hides her head behind the man as Oscar runs off and minute later he almost gets trampled by a horde of girls all yelling and chasing after a man with salt and pepper hair.

When it gets later in the evening there’s fewer people around but then the smell of food hits his nose and his stomach rumbles loudly. He follows the scent and finds a place where people sit outside and others come from inside a building, bringing food and putting it on the tables. He times his approach well and manages to snag an entire tray of food, running off, spilling some but losing any pursuit, hiding in a garden as he gobbles down the meal.

He sleeps there, hiding himself in the bushes till he is woken in the morning by all kinds of unfamiliar sounds and smells. A woman comes into the garden and Oscar bolts, leaving her confused shouts in his dust. Eventually he ends up at the south end of the city, in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]]'''.

Things are rather grimy here, but then he finds a market, so many stalls with food and other things. People seem to pay him less mind than in other parts of the city, everyone just trying to live their lives. He sees people handing over small discs of metal as they point at food and are then handed what they desire. He doesn’t have any of those but since grabbing and running worked last night, he tries again, grabbing a dead chicken and running off. These market people don’t like this at all and he is chased by multiple vendors and stock boys. But one greengrocer seems to see the lighter side of things and throws Oscar an apple from his stall which the halfling catches expertly before slipping under a stall and down an alley, eventually losing his pursuers.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; unfortunately Oscar can't read any of this. And he, sadly, doesn't spot the men who come when he's sleeping and knock him out, shanghaiing him.

== Sarodin Sea ==
Those signing up weren't told much and that's because it turns out to be a '''pirate hunting mission'''. A flotilla lead by the Whiskered Admiral is going to search for a small pirate fleet that was spotted not too far away. The navy is sending four ships; the Prince Willim, a 1st charter ship, two 2nd charter ships, the Ranhem and the Crowned Griffon, and a 3rd charter ship, the Arms of Dolac.

It's early in the morning and those shanghaied wake up feeling the worse for wear, it smells of sweat and sick, there are many conversations around. Some rays of sunshine penetrate the murk, the floor beneath them is moving in all directions. People are getting up from the floor and soon a hatch opens, the sunlight suddenly very bright, and some people come down a ladder.

Standing next to the ladder are a balding halfling, he looks to be in charge, a dwarf with a short beard, a half-elf, she has a rather big nose and her hair is dyed black, quite badly. Further there’s a gnome, her face looks to be sliding down her skull, and a large half-orc, with blonde dyed hair.

The halfling speaks: “I am Bosun Miller and you are on board the majestic Crowned Griffon, the best ship in the entire navy, run expertly by Captain Drumpf and Quartermaster Onel.” At the mention of the last name some people involuntarily scrunch their noses, he apparently has quite the musk. Miller continues: “We are on a mission to take out a pirate fleet and make sure these murderers, rapists, and drug dealers will never make it to our homeland.”

“Now, most of you might not be here voluntarily but you are finally going to do something worthwhile with your lives and get paid really well for it,” he tells the crowd. “Until we get anywhere near the pirates you will be assisting with the running of the ship, Chief Mate Luktnicks here will further explain.”

The dwarf looks around, “you will be doing grunt work even a wet goblin can do, complain or shirk and you will be going overboard, try your luck with the sharks. You might have noticed your weapons and armor are missing. We don’t want any accidental stabbings or other fights, get in one and you’ll get intimately familiar with the cat o' nine tails as wielded by Karoline here,” he motions towards the half-orc. She scowls as she looks around and rumbles “leave it”.

“You’ll get your weaponry back when we near the pirates, you can even put on your armor then, if you are fool enough to want to drown with it. Until then you report to the second mate, Juliana,” he points at the half-elf, “or the third mate, Kristi,” he motions towards the gnome.

Our four friends are selected by third mate Kristi to help with pulling the sails when there is need to, she puts a sailor in charge of them. The four introduce themselves to each other but soon find that the halfling doesn't speak. Quinton gives some grapes to the halfling, who we will refer to as Oscar, for the sake of convenience. Darius asks: “isn’t this the demon child?” The others shrug their shoulders. Then he speaks in Infernal: “do you understand?” Oscar doesn't, but Quinton does!

The gnome's question stems from the fact that during their weeks in town '''they heard lots of stories''' any time they were in a tavern, or really anywhere a lot of people gather and gossip. It's definitely possible they heard stories about other people with the same name or looks, but '''this is what they all think they heard about their new friends'''. It might all be just poppycock of course!

Quinton learned the following: people have said Oscar was being raised by an elf. Darius does not actually know where his mother is buried. He looked for the grave but never found it. Maybe for the best, because he would like to dig her up to find out how and why she died. Dauphine has a strange fascination for dead things. It's said she sometimes talks to dead animals.

Dauphine heard these stories: Rumor has it that during his training Darius wounded and even killed small animals to learn and practice his new spells. Most of them failed, which resulted in unneeded suffering. Quinton used to dress in women's clothes. Oscar is a wild child who will eat anything he comes across; plant, animal, human?

Darius heard the following rumors: Dauphine keeps dead animals rotting in her backpack. It's best not to follow her too closely when traveling because the dead smell coming from her backpack can only mean she's keeping dead birds... or something. Quinton became the owner of the family business at the tender age of 17. And... Oscar is a demon child.

Oscar doesn't understand Common but he was lurking and heard people say the following, even if he had no idea what they were saying: Darius buried his own father. He even fixed and prepared the body so that it could be presented in a coffin. Which was one hell of a job since his father died in a fireball. Darius invited all the locals to the funeral, but nobody came. Dauphine has found her armor in a second-hand shop. Quinton is said to have a scar from a date gone wrong on an undisclosed body part.
The four get to know each other a little better that first day and are put to work when needed. At this point it becomes clear to Third Mate Kristi that Oscar doesn't speak Common or even understands it. She complains to another crew-mate about the shanghai-ers, how they are bringing in totally useless people, which is overheard by our friends.[[File:Bound shark.png|right|300x300px]]
At some point Darius looks over the railing and sees a shark swimming just under the surface. But this is very strange, it looks like there is a sort of metal cage around its head. He calls over Kristi but it's gone when she arrives and she waves away his story, blaming it on his sea sickness.

Quinton tries to write something on the mast but is immediately scolded by a sailor who are a superstitious bunch and this spells bad luck.

The next morning our friends wake, and while they might still feel sea sick, their recent experiences have unlocked new abilities inside themselves. [They reached second level.]

During the next days they all get to know each other even more and experiment a little with their new found abilities. Quinton uses his Message cantrip to send a message to Darius, which freaks him out at first. Oscar hunts down a rat and eats it. Darius immediately calls Third Mate Kristi over and shows her that the halfling is not useless at all; he's a great ratter!

Then, during the night, '''a massive storm hits''' the flotilla. Our friends are asleep in the hold when they get tossed all over as the waves pummel the ship. A huge hole in the hull makes the ship list to the side. In nautical circles this is what is known as a ‘bad sign’. Before the party even knows it, for that is what they are now, they '''find themselves in the water'''. Huge waves spell their doom but fortunately '''half of a loading trapdoor floats nearby and they manage to cling on to it'''. Twice someone loses their hold due to the storm but twice they are rescued by the others.

=== Tiny Island ===
After floating on a calmer sea for many hours they eventually '''wash ashore on a tiny island''', about an hour before dusk. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and maybe one trinket or other item they kept close. The island is not a bounty one; one rock spur sticks about eight meters up in the air, the beach is more pebble than sand. There’s one small tree, not doing too well, other than that just some shrub bushes that don’t grow much in the way of food. One can walk a full circle around the island in about ten minutes.

There are some things that washed up on the shore with them. A large, iron anchor twisted into a spiral, they have no idea how it got there, it would definitely sink and not float. Oscar finds a cloak clasp shaped like a kraken, he has no idea what a kraken is but it looks nice so he keeps it. A barrel of mead is a nice find and they all immediately quench their thirst. Quentin finds a banged up scroll case that contains a scroll of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#enhance%20ability_phb Enhance Ability].

Oscar searches the island for food and other useful things, finding just a few berries and mushrooms but near the shore he finds [https://5e.tools/items.html#jellyfish%20vine_hhbh Jellyfish Vine], which are not dissimilar to a plant he knows; he'll be able to fashion this into something that will improve a weapon for a short time. Meanwhile Quinton has gone up to the one tree and found a branch that could serve as a weapon. He tries to make it into a quarterstaff but it becomes no more than a club.

Our friends discuss what to do next and Dauphine suggest climbing the rock spur to see if anything can be seen there, Darius and Quinton decide to go with. Oscar, who hasn't understood a word of the discussion follows a short distance behind. And he gets a great view of the three ahead '''falling through a thin sheet of rock into a shaft below''', debris flying everywhere.

The halfling gets there in time to see there is a force field at the bottom of a 30' shaft that has slowed down everyone's fall and they end up on the floor with little to no damage. Oscar then uses the handholds that have been carved into the rock to climb down to the others.

The bedrock has been carved out to create a room, the ceiling is about 15’ high, the shaft in the middle of it. It is pretty barren, on a stone shelf lies a book that has been totally overgrown with mold. A corridor leads away, there is a tiny bit of light coming from around corner. Only two of our friends have darkvision, Quinton can see almost nothing, the force field provides a little light.

A magic mouth on the wall starts speaking in an unknown language to most but Quinton knows Ancient, though he has never heard it spoken before; '''“This is containment area Manahuia. You do not have the proper authorization to be here. Leave now and do not return lest you’ll be destroyed.”''' Oscar has made it down by now and Dauphine tries to see if she can rescue a page from the middle of the book but fails utterly.

A minute later the magic mouth repeats its message and then '''incorporeal snakes come through the walls and start to attack'''. They are hard to hit and there are many, so the party flees down the one corridor. Here they find a natural cave that has been carved in places to heighten the ceiling to about 8’. There are signs of combat, scorch marks on the walls, a broken arrow lies just inside the corridor.

To the back of the cave is '''a dark opening, about three meters in diameter, maybe it’s their imagination but the inside of it seemed to move a bit, throb'''? It is almost entirely blocked by a stone wall that is crumbling, the druids are versed in Arcana and recognize it as one made by the Wall of Stone spell. Almost a foot of water has seeped into the cave and in the murky water they can just about make out four small mounds of stuff. In the left back corner of the room lies a ball of something rubber-like wrapped around itself.

The snakes haven't followed, yet, so they have time to explore. Three of the four mounds contain a dead body, very well preserved, and also a number of items. Going through all the items takes time but will likely lead to some good finds so most of our friends go through it carefully, whereas Oscar grabs something at random. The odds are 2.78% but he manages to grab a necklace of teeth, not unlike one he was wearing and lost in the storm!

Darius has gone to the rubbery thing and it slowly starts moving a little, waking up? It takes a while but it slowly unwraps its appendages and turns out to be some kind of golem-like entity? The party has been collecting items for a while and now the first incorporeal snake has found its way to them. The rubbery thing attacks with just a single appendage at first and hits hard; doing not just hit point damage but also giving Exhaustion to those hit.

Every round the golem attacks with one more appendage and escape becomes a necessity. Dauphine uses two Thunderwave spells to destabilize the wall and then Oscar manages to place the butt of the spear that Quinton found and gave him, in exactly the right place and he levers up and a huge chunk of wall comes down, enough for them to enter the strange tunnel that looks a lot like the inside of an esophagus, [[wikipedia:Peristalsis|peristaltic contractions]] and all.

Dauphine really wants more of the items but is hit again by the rubbery being and when the incorporeal then critically hits her, she's brought down! It's not easy but the others manage to get her out; Darius using a Cure Wounds spell and Quinton helping by providing another target for their foes. Everyone ends up inside the tunnel and the creatures don't seem to want to enter it.

As they walk down the sloped tunnel they heal themselves as best they can. The tunnel is long and continues downward, only after a long walk they arrive in another cave, slick with water. The tunnel looks about the same at this end as the other, very strange. Things look to be safe so our friends decide to have a long rest and '''look at all the items they managed to grab'''.

Dauphine found a potion of Stupendous Healing (3d10+level) and she knows these are very rare and not for sale, it might be worth a nice amount. She also found a bracelet made of gold, set with turquoise stones. Quinton found one exactly the same, each bracelet should be worth about a hundred gold pieces. Other items she managed to recover are a [[Demon Dash|'''Demon Dash''']], which she gives to Darius, and a water-proof scroll case containing a number of gems (200 gp worth) and spell scrolls of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#false%20life_phb False Life] and [https://5e.tools/spells.html#skywrite_xge Skywrite].

Darius found the rather strange [[Cyphers & Potions#Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion|'''Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion''']] and Stridden Boots that can give the wearer explosive speed as billowing flames blast from their feet and set anyone they get near to on fire. He also found a really strange tiny, red stinger; '''[[Phlegethos’ Pick]]'''. Quinton found the '''[[Spent Spear]]''' which he gave to Oscar and the halfling managed to grab the necklace with teeth; '''[[Past Primal]]'''.

[Room with the mounds of stuff and some of the items there with thanks to Dale Friezen.]

'''Darius rips a pant-leg from his trousers and turns it into an improvised mask''' which he puts around his face, only '''his eyes are still visible and they are purple''', instead of the blue they were earlier.
[[File:Steam Mephit.png|right|349x349px]]
After some good sleep they set off down the slick rock corridor, going ever further down, the temperature drops even more and everyone gets a headache. Eventually they come to a fissure, vapor rising from it, about ten foot across.

Right after Dauphine jumps over it, small, winged humanoid creatures with pale skin and wisps of vapor rising from their nose, mouth, and ears rise from it. They shed drops of steaming water when they move.

The creatures attack with their steam breath, hurting our friends quite a bit but they have quite some capabilities of their own and Oscar manages to use his Past Primal to critically hit one of them, killing it instantly.

The path continues on until they reach what must be a really big, stone door. A large stone frame runs up, across, and down a single slab of stone. There is no handle or lock visible but on either side there is a hole in the stone, just a bit bigger than a finger. After some discussion Darius and Dauphine '''each put a finger into one of the holes and the door slides open diagonally'''.

==== Midnight Altar ====
Beyond the doorway is a square room about 50’ on each side carved out of some kind of blue stone. A midnight altar, wrought from some superterrestrial metal, stands at its center. Faint lines of golden energy radiate from the altar along the floor to a large door. Above the altar float a number of symbols, most are white, two are purple. In the middle of the two side walls sit levers, both pointing up.

At the far end of the room is a large door, made of a dark wood and covered in many sigils that all radiate with magical power. Around the door and on the floor emblems have been carved, the same set repeats; a skull, a cloud, a triangle pointing downwards, something that might be an explosion, a scorpion. The door doesn’t seem to have hinges, a lock, or a handle. A tiny crack has formed at the bottom left of the door and a dark orange substance has seeped out, it looks like a small drop of syrup or honey.

Our friends investigate the room but can't make heads nor tails from the symbols above the altar. The door seems to be warded to keep something in, this might be some strange mystical prison? '''Darius rips off another part of his trousers and uses it to dab at the small drop of strange substance at the foot of the door, it absorbs into the cloth.'''

A Detect Magic spell shows that the two levers probably aren't connected to the warded door and since there is nowhere else for the party to go they decide to pull on them simultaneously. When they do, two things happen immediately. '''There is a sinking feeling as their room starts to float down''', and six parts of the wall are blown away and beyond them are niches in a strange shell like shape. Each contains a bench that is angled ninety degrees, a receptacle holding a potion vial, and a lever.

Everyone feels the pressure increasing in their heads and it stands to reason it will only get worse. Darius darts into one of the niches and pulls the lever. When he does so, a force field covers the open side of the niche as it is pushed away from the wall and starts to float to the surface. The gnome drinks the potion, figuring it might be needed at this point, it turns out to be a healing potion. When the escape pod pops out of the water it lands horizontally on the waves and the force field disappears, the bench is now in the right position to sit on.

Having seen the result of Darius' action, Oscar is next to scramble inside a niche and pull the lever. Dauphine and Quinton stay a bit longer, wondering if there's something else they can do here but with the pressure mounting, they too make their escape. Once on the surface, all of the pods find a way to each other and cluster together.

As they float there our friends talk about their experiences as Darius tries to explain to Oscar that the potion is a healing potion. The party discusses the '''strange black and white vision that talked to them as they entered the room'''. No one saw it in the room but somehow each saw a black and white apparition talking to them, it looked like a rather enigmatic version of their race. And it promised lots of power if they would help 'it', and clearly whatever the entity was, it was quite powerful. But '''they all declined its offer'''.

After floating in the middle of nowhere, the island is not in sight, for most of the day, they get very lucky and spot a ship. It's '''a fishing ship, the Twilight Wanderer, from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]]''' and our friends are taken on board. As he does so, Quinton notices from the corner of his eyes what looks to be '''a huge head sticking out of the water''', from about halfway up the nose. It's right at the horizon and must be enormous but it moves away before anyone else can spot it.

The crew consists of four people, all quite sunburned; Captain Raisa, tall, skinny, and quite sociable, Zaria, she has a broken nose, muscled arms, and is quite chatty, Blazh, he wears an earring with lapis lazuli, is missing a finger, and carries a hooked knife, he's quite jovial, and Kyrilu, a rather hirsute individual who squints a lot and is a bit grumpy.

The ship is cramped with eight of them on it but they make it work as they set sail home to Abrinol, the neighborhood in Avale is named for it. During the journey our friends get to know the crew a little better and learn of the fascinating culture of the Hundred Mile Islands, though Quinton isn't charmed by it and conspicuously moves away when these things are discussed. That first night everyone on the boat sees '''a falling star, blue streaked, and very low on the horizon, crossing the sky'''.

After a, blessedly uneventful, journey of a few days '''our friends arrive on Abrinol'''. It's quite the sight; the buildings on the island are all made of wood and painted red, though a Dolac would say their quality was less than they were used to. Off to one side of the town there are a few houses that are clearly built in older Dolac style, including one tavern, the Maiden and Flagon.

A few warehouses in Dolac style are situated to the left of the harbor, that’s also where two large piers can be found, each has a ship anchored there. The Prince Willim is one of those, it looks to have taken quite some damage from the storm. The other ship is a large merchant vessel named the [[Hythe Maritime Services|HMS]] Floris.

Captain Raisa invites the party over to dinner at her house and even offers to let them stay the night. First our friends go do a little shopping, selling the gold bracelets they found to get some new clothes and supplies. A few merchants sell flotsam and jetsam; they recovered a number of items from the flotilla, including Dauphine's [[Coloured lenses of Scotopia (Tanaquilya Lomë)|colored lenses of Scotopia]] and her [[Nochtoina]]. She buys both and also a part of the Crowned Griffon's name plate, it reads "owned". Oscar waits until the merchant is distracted and steals a gold tooth.

Our friends first go to the Prince Willim to see about passage, though none of them are much enamored with the navy at this point. They are offered passage, however they try the HMS Floris as well. The sailor at the gangplank has good news and bad news; the ship is sailing for Avale tomorrow, but all passenger berths are filled. When our friends ask if there's really nothing to be done, relaying how they were shipwrecked, a voice speaks from the railing and invites them up.

A blonde man, tall and wide shouldered, the type you would cast in your play to be the paladin or king, welcomes them onboard and '''introduces himself as Gerrut Hythe but tells them to call him Keeper'''. Apparently their story had an effect and he offers them passage and would like to discuss their experiences with the Admiralty.

The next morning, after a lovely dinner and a fun time in a tavern, they board the HMS Floris and find out that Keeper has vacated his personal cabin for them, he'll use a hammock on deck. They discuss bound sharks; he's seen a few over the years, but the giant head is totally new to him, and he has no experience with tiny islands and strange, sinking rooms.

== Dolac ==
Our friends make it safely '''back to [[Avale]]''' where the first order of business is to find an inn, as they decide to stick together; they learned that to get any adventuring work you need to be signed up as a group. They are told the Grey Minstrel Inn is a good place for what they are willing to spend so that's where they go.

As they approach the place in the Bow Valley neighborhood they see an old woman in dirty coat sitting on an upturned bucket at the entrance to an alley. A brown mackerel tabby with gray field lays on a window sill and gets up stretching its back. A little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in an old coat dances to music only she can hear. Inside the inn a lute missing its strings and a broken horn hang on the wall, a statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black stands in an alcove.

Next on the list is more shopping; our friends sell a number of the items they found and use the proceeds to buy weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. Dauphine has a shield made from the Crowned Griffon name board. Quinton looks into getting pan-flute lessons and ordering business cards.

Then '''a visit to the Adventurers Association''' in Kesslia. They have to fill out a form, asking where their strengths lie and '''give a party name, for some reason they decide on "The Daltons"'''. After a a short while they are lead to the offices of Jerry Tidwell, who will be their agent from now on. He's a tall halfling with dark hair and a big nose, and very outgoing, energetic. He offers them coffee that he has specially imported from [[Haza]].

They discuss what he can do for them as he plays around with a silvered horseshoe in his hands, in some places the original iron clearly visible. Jerry tells them they are in luck; Grand Master and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]] Geppert Cross, of the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors has died recently and there are '''jobs available as honor guard'''. It only pays 2 gp but he explains that it's important to get a relationship started with any guild, they are much more likely to hire people they have worked with in the past, and usually don't look closely at what the work was.

He also advises them to get a ‘money person’, it's such a waste to keep your money in a pouch or under your bed. The money person knows the best banks to put them in or other investment opportunities. “Me and some friends bought the rights to the Dolac blue conifer; whenever a single one of them is sold we get part of that,” he explains quite animatedly. He suggests a bookkeeper; Carla Tebaldo, she's a gnome and does most of his investments.

=== First Jobs ===
Our friends are told to go to Save Nine in the Fabrics neighborhood to pick up ceremonial staves and robes with the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors clue compass rose attached to them. Next they report to the Domicile of Diligence in Uppark. The procession will go to the Mother Mensual cemetery in the Dawnbloom Heights neighborhood and every hundred feet two people peel off to stand to the left and right of the street.

On their way they hear people in the crowd along the street talking. A halfling wearing a poncho with multicolored, diagonal lines comments: “you know what a dead Torchbearer is? A good start! I say burn them all, what have they ever done for us?” A woman in a hat with a blue compass rose emblem tells her companion: “I heard that thing that fell from the sky destroyed the entire city of [[Kostul]]!” A gorgeous half-elf in a blue dress says to her friend, who is equally stunning: “I used to have so much fun with Old Geppy, he was the loveliest little lapdog”.

When our friends get near Carriage Court it is their turn to take up positions. A dwarf with a beard woven into an intricate pattern asks: “Did they appoint anyone in place of the dead guy yet?” A man eating the last bit of his deep-fried giant answers: “No, this bunch are traditionalists and wait till the body is in the ground.” To which the dwarf replies: “Well, I hope that whoever gets in will be in favor of lowering taxes on labor, it’s got so bad I can hardly compete with foreign crap coming in.” Says the man: “This guild? Don’t hold your breath.”

As the funeral procession comes closer a man steps into the street, right between where our friends are standing. He throws a bottle of oil to the cobbles and pours another all over himself. He cries: “They ruined me! Those gods-damned guilds and their rules, destroying the common man and do they care? Do they fuck all!” as he takes out a tinderbox. People scramble backwards.

Our friends immediately respond and an Entangle spell plus a Command spell by Darius prevent the man from lighting himself on fire. Then Dauphine knocks him to the ground and the four of them work him to the side of the road before any of the dignitaries get there. When they do, one of them comes over to the party, a man with a heavy set build and hangdog facial features, who introduces himself as '''Alun Djames, a Master of the Stevedores Guild'''.

He's impressed with what they did and invites them over to his home for dinner the next day. Our friends arrive at his home on Sevso Island, located right at the river with a view of the rest of the city, and get introduced to his wife and three children. Dinner is great and Alun promises that he'll rustle up some work for them when he can.

The very next day Jerry sends a messenger; he has '''work for the party'''. "It's a twofer!" he exclaims enthusiastically when they enter his office. He has received requests from the '''Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild and the Messengers Coalition'''. Both seem to him a good match for our friends and he hands them the parchments; '''[[AAG - Request 1|Request for Ingredients]] & [[MC - Request 1|Missing Messenger]]'''.

==== Kenohob ====
Our friends make it to Kenohob without any trouble, all the while having kept an eye out for Herleva. Once there they find outshe picked up her package and left, right on schedule. They also learn that wild animals have been coming into the village causing havoc, this is not normal behavior, usually they know the risks and avoid the hamlet. Only last night the Furious Farmer lost a number of cows due to a wolf attack.

Our friends go visit her and the halfling tells them, pointing at the forest with her scythe, that the wolf went back into the nearby forest. Darius asks to buy an old scythe and our friends then track the wolf, they are quite skilled at this and easily follow its tracks between the trees. They lead to the dead body of the wolf, with an zombie boar standing over it. Battle is short and swift with the boar snuffing it in the end; Oscar critically hitting once more.

There's only an hour or so of daylight left but again our friends prove very proficient at tracking, following back the path the boar took. They arrive at an '''ancient barrow mound, deeper in the forest'''. Sitting on top of it is a '''redheaded girl and her dog, which looks quite undead''', but not in a way that Darius, or the others, have seen before.

The party talks with the girl as the carefully close and spread out a little. She '''confirms that she is Herleva''' and tells them that on her way back to Avale, her dog Snuffles dashed into the forest and she followed him. It lead to the barrow mound, one side had collapsed a bit and left a hole big enough for the dog to go through. '''When Snuffles came back out it was very much changed and now, anytime it came near a creature it turned it into a zombie.'''

The girl herself is fine, definitely not undead, though she is clearly malnourished. There is some speculation among the party about why she is not a zombie, maybe only beasts are affected? They throw her a goodberry and she eats it, feeling a bit better. But it's clear to her the party doesn't want things to stand as they are. She pleads with them to leave her and Snuffles alone, telling them she'll try and make sure it won't infect any other creature, she'll give them all her meager belongings but please, don't harm her only friend in the whole world.

The party has other ideas though, Darius definitely wants to end the undead dog's existence and the others agree that that's the best course of action. Quinton starts by casting a Sleep spell on the poor Herleva so she doesn't have to witness what is about to happen. Zombie forest creatures have by now made their way around the barrow mound and a battle ensues.

Darius uses his Turn Undead ability and a zombie wolf runs away. But the other opponents are tough and some of our friends are brought low, fortunately between the four of them they possess quite some healing magic. Darius activates his Stridden Boots and uses them to great effect, burning four enemies before the boots burn up completely and hurt him. Combat is over soon after with the party victorious.

The gnome uses his undertaker tools on Snuffles fails to learn anything useful. Our friends '''burn all the undead''' and they then very carefully investigate the hole in the barrow mound, using a large stick and a rope to pull a bone dagger and a wooden box from the interior. The engraved box contains twenty-six teeth, each engraved with the mirror image of all letters of the alphabet; when pressed into something soft they leave an imprint.

Our friends put anything that will burn into the interior of the mound and then light it, hoping that whatever turned Snuffles into what it became can be destroyed this way, or at least stop it from happening to anyone else. They then carry Herleva away and wake her up. She is incredibly distressed when told that Snuffles is no more and Quinton uses a Charm Person spell to blunt the edge.

Back in Kenohob they take a room at the Whispy Vapor Inn for all five of them, Herleva is still very sad about the events and Quinton goes into the village and finds someone with shepherd puppies and he brings two back for the girl. That definitely brings a smile to her face but it's a good, persuasive talk they have with her that eventually convinces her not to sneak out of the room at night to go back to the barrow mound.

The party all agree it's not a good idea to have Herleva go back to Avale by herself and figuring there is no rush for the other job '''they return to the capital with her and deliver her to the Messengers Coalition HQ'''. They then do some shopping and start the return journey to Kenohob the next day. From there they go south as indicated by the request and eventually come across an ogre.
[[File:Ogre Howdah.png|right|355x355px]]
But that's not all there is to it; someone built a palisaded wooden fort on its back! And in there are two goblins, one speaks up as the party approaches. “Ah, perfidious questers! Surrender your treasures and artifacts and your existences will be spared!” Our friends do not feel inclined to take this deal and move closer and the goblin speaks again: “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Flak Ogre!”

Battle is on and the two goblins are very adapt at sniping at the party with spell and bow before hiding behind the wooden cover again. Unfortunately for them they miss as often as they hit. The ogre hits more often and harder but it turns out that two druids with two Wild Shapes each have a nice buffer of hit points to make it through a fight.

'''Eventually the ogre topples''' and both goblins roll away, the spell caster of the two manages to escape, hurling insults as she disappears. The other the party manages to kill, unfortunately it doesn't have loot worth anything.

The next day our friends split in two groups and '''manage to find all the ingredients''' requested by Herb’s Store. They set up camp near a marsh and then proceed to '''have a very strange dream''' featuring a blue and green painted carriage and a mansion with a butler and long corridors full of doors.

=== Avale ===
Our friends deliver the ingredients and ogre parts and Herb, the proprietor, shows them a number of interesting items he is willing to sell them for their services, he tells them to check back often as his stock changes frequently. When they return to the Grey Minstrel Inn they are accosted by '''a dwarf with a rather tangled and unkempt beard'''. He is looking for a job and introduces himself as '''Aracuda Shovi''', it's clear he is far from home but our friends don't have any work for him. Dauphine asks him if he has ever heard of a Stone Dragon cave; he tells her it rings a vague bell, he will find her if he remembers more.

'''The piece of cloth that Darius dabbed in the dark orange substance''' has grown over time and the next morning he wakes to find it has wound tight around his torso and learns it's '''now an armor of sorts: [[Vessel Wraps]]'''. The quarter-scythe that he ordered has been completed and he pays with it by trading in his old armor. Oscar has seen Dauphine's shortbow and wants to try one as well so they buy one for him.

The next day a message from Jerry, their agent, arrives. He has '''a job for a druid to sub for one who got sick, the druid is to wild shape into two different animals for a play being staged at the Catifras theater in Oakhurst'''. He also included three free tickets for the play that night. Dauphine and Quinton decide that he should be the one to take the job and he goes to the theater that afternoon. The marquee reads: “'''Hanno Salt stars as Jack Hoida in Jack Hoida and the Forgotten Temple'''”.

He is met by the '''Long-Suffering Assistant Director''' who explains they need a panther in the first act and a giant snake in the third. He is then introduced to the Water Wrangler, the Pyronicist, the Sound Effecter, and the stage hands. He briefly meets Hanno Salt, a dark haired, square jawed man in dark pants, a white jacket with dangling fasteners, and black gloves, who sucks on a licorice stick and soon leaves with a giggling blonde. Quinton learns the play is about intrepid explorer cutting a swathe through vines and canoeing down white-frothing rivers in a territory composed almost entirely of jungle and implausible traps. He gets to practice his part with the Nervous Stand-in.

In the evening our friends take their places in the audience and Quinton is in the wings. The play starts with a bard singing an opening song as the backgrounds change and stagehands walk out with placards showing who plays who. At the end of the play another song is sung. Some quotes:<blockquote>"...and of course, Queen Tamarka was my lover, but now she wants my head on a stick. All because I gave away the secret of her immortality..."

"...and that's when I married the love of my life and retired. Only for her to be murdered six months later, dragging me back into my old life..."

"...after that I spent a year undercover as a pirate under Captain Rosaline, the River Rose. Also my lover, by the way. And come to think of it, she also wants my head on a stick..."</blockquote>Quinton does an ok job performing his animal forms on stage and is in the changing rooms afterwards when Hanno Salt steps in. “The production went as smooth as can be, you all deserve a drink. I love it when a play comes together,” he tells them before he leaves with a giggling blonde, not the same as the one in the afternoon. Quinton goes of with the cast and crew for a drink and the rest of the party also goes to a nearby tavern for a libation or two.

==== Night at the Museum ====
Not much later '''another job''' offer comes through; our friends are to '''act as guards for some animals on display at the [[Avale#State Museum|State Museum]] during a fundraiser'''. They are told to look the part more than anything; wear all the armor they have and bring their biggest weapons. At the location they are met by the '''Harried PA''' who explains she had to make a deal with the museum guards; the party has to stick to their location with the animals and are to leave everything else to the museum guards.

The event takes place in two large, connected rooms and in one corner there is a display; "'''Animals from [[Neniros]]'''". There's a large cage containing an orangutan, a large box with glass front and top in which a huge anaconda lies. Two smaller boxes with glass tops and fronts hold Neniros toads and blue poison dart frogs. A small cage hanging from a pole contains a single orange and black bird; a cock-of-the-rock.

The caterers are busy setting up tables full of food and drink and at some point someone calls out; “'''Hey, Naffles''', where in the Nine Hells are you?” Darius calls out that he's here but another voice also pipes up. This turns out to be '''the gnome's second cousin, Dersigos''', who works catering this evening. Then the first guests start to arrive.

Once everyone is present a short man with a large mustache steps up on a small podium. Quinton saw this man on his first day in the city, near the Pursue Hickory bank. They learn that he is '''Joseph Lacombe, the Grand Master and Boss of the Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes'''. He holds a short speech:<blockquote>“Friends, welcome, it is good to see so many familiar money pouches, I mean faces. We are so fortunate to be able to congregate here this evening and enjoy all the world has to offer, great food and drink a plenty. But we should spare a thought for those less fortunate, those that live in squalor, who don’t have a job, whose children are sick and going hungry. We should not allow our society to let this go on and thus I have started the Solutions for the Infirm charity and call on you for support. Please enjoy your evening in this wonderful ambiance but make sure to donate generously as I know you can.”</blockquote>He then steps from the podium and approaches one of the guests. “If it isn’t '''Fitzwallace-Keely''', my favorite guild boss, Jeffery, we need to talk about you opening your coffers,” he says, grabs a drink from a tray and then moves away with the ruddy haired man wearing an expensive suit with embroidered green scales.
[[File:Constrictor Snake.png|right|300x300px]]
The '''place is filled with the great and the good''' of Avale but unfortunately our friends don't know any of them and no one points them out to them. They do recognize the holy symbols of [[Osprem]] and [[Lirr]], so there are at least two, likely high-ranking, priests present. There is also a tiefling woman, she must be from the [[Kasarian Embassy]]. There are definitely a lot of guild members as many people wear guild insignia. Darius recognizes three socialite ladies when they oh and ah over the blue frogs; he saw them exiting Smells by Design when he first came to Avale.

Some time later there’s a flash coming from the other room and then lots of smoke, coughing people stumble into the adjoining room where our friends are. The party holds position near the animals, Dersigos and another waitress, this one more nattily dressed make their way over, still hacking and trying to catch their breath.

Eventually the museum guards go in and it becomes clear '''the Flame of Dolac, a transparent fiery orange Jacinth carved into the shape of a flame, is missing'''. '''The Humtache is called in''', lead by the '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat. Dauphine actually saw him from her room at the top floor of the inn catching a pick-pocketing girl.

After a little while he comes over to our friends and asks if they have been in the other room at all. Seeing as they haven't, he asks them to help interview some of the witnesses; he's pressed for time as all the powerful people in the room are bristling at being held here. He takes them over to talk to four men. The first introduces himself as '''Roger Newsome''', of the Mimico Newsomes, he adds when all he gets are blank faces. He's wearing a bracelet with a huge piece of jade and a ring set with a fire opal. He explains that he and his three friends Arthur Elliot, Theodore Grady, and Horace Sims, are gem aficionados, they call themselves the Stoned Boys. Unfortunately none of them have anything useful to report.

Our friends report this and then return to the animal corner. There they start discussing what the thief might have done; there were museum guards at all the exits and no one left the building so it should still be here. They then realize that putting it in one of the animal cages/boxes would be a great way to have it smuggled out and be relatively easy to retrieve.

With two druids present it's not too hard to talk to the animals and '''the anaconda complains about a sharp stone''' that was dropped into its box. '''Our friends let the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector know''' this and he agrees that just keeping an eye on the animals when they get transported out of the museum tonight should be a good way to catch the thief red-handed.

But then the party start to plot further and now think it might be safer to remove the gem from the snake box and put it with the blue poison dart frogs. They do so and then five people arrive to take the animals away. Darius and Quinton feel one of the five is ‘off’, the way she behaves is just different from the others and she doesn't do much.

Darius tries to cause a distraction but things go quite wrong and the animal people are quite unhappy and sort of send the party away. Near the exit the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector is waiting for them. He tells them that he put one of his detectives with the animal people but the party doesn't tell him that they moved the gem, thinking that he could actually be in on the theft.

Once outside our friends are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter''' from the [[Avale#Vulpine Count|'''Vulpine Count''']]. He was at the fundraiser and has lots of questions but the party dismisses him and go off to find the animal people. They follow their wagon to a warehouse of sorts and see them all go inside. Some time later four people leave the warehouse; the Humtache detective is still in there.

Loads of shenanigans ensue and at the end of it all '''Dauphine has apprehended''' the '''Natty Napster''' a block away from the warehouse. '''She doesn't have the Flame of Dolac''' on her and when the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector and his people '''rush back to the warehouse they can't find it there either'''. It's not with the frogs and not with the anaconda either.

Our friends leave the Humtache to their troubles and go get some sleep. In the days after, they learn '''the gem has still not been found''' and the Natty Napster can't be charged with any crime. There is also some general news; clouds have been seen in the shape of dragons; is it a sign?

==== Wayward Son ====
Some days later '''a distraught mother''' comes to the inn; she heard about the party finding the girl from the Messenger Coalition and '''her Wayward Son is missing''' and she has no one to turn to. Our friends promise to help and learn that she lives in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Woodfall|Woodfall]] neighborhood, working two jobs. Her son often goes to the [[Avale#White Bridge|White Bridge]] and to Promise Fields.

Quinton spots the little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in her old coat and he pays her to organize urchins to go look for the half-orc boy. Our friends then go out to look themselves and eventually find the boy's best friend who tells them that the Wayward Son made a bet he could find an oyster and left town to find one in the river.

Fortunately the party are quite skilled at tracking and they are pretty sure they are on the right trail. It takes a number of days and along the way they meet [[Ranna Amethystall|'''Ranna Amethystall''']] before eventually '''finding the boy''' near some cliffs at the riverside. A fight with some nasty creatures is unavoidable but our friends are victorious and save the Wayward Son while '''Oscar's blanket protects him and reveals to be called [[Thola's Blanket]]'''. Among the loot is a [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser]] cypher.

The party returns to Avale and return the boy to a relieved mother. And learn of some news; the Black Hare tavern is going out of business. Quinton is approached by the urchin girl and she wants quite a few silver pieces from him as she had loads of urchins looking for the Wayward Son for a full week. Not much later our friends run into an '''old acquaintance of the druid from back in [[Loveria]]; Brad Beck'''.

“Yo, bro, I haven’t seen you in what, two years? Still burning all that sandalwood? This dude, the stories I could tell you. I’ve got a great line on copper ore, want me to hook you up, bro?” He takes the party out to dinner and regales them with (embarrassing) stories about Quinton. He also asks them to help him smuggle saffron into the city but they politely decline.

==== Jilted Jinnie ====
Then an '''urgent messages from Alun Djames''' arrives; the Stevedores master wants them to get to the docks as soon as possible. Once there, he explains that he needs their '''help smuggling the guild's top boss and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]], Jinnie Affo, out of the city'''. Not only are the Humtache looking for her, but so are numerous guilds. He promises to “square it with Adventurers Association later”, and gives each of them a gem worth 25 gp.

He further explains she can't leave by boat as all will be searched. He has a wagon waiting for her at [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Parade Fields|Parade Fields]], they need to get her there unseen. But before that '''she needs to go to the Stevedores HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] to liberate some documents from her office and she wants to say goodbye to her family who are waiting for her in her brother-in-law’s house in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]]'''. He also makes it clear that if she were to die for any reason, '''her body can never be found'''.

The party sets off with her and decide to go see the family first as it'll be later in the evening when they visit the HQ and fewer people will be there. They manage to avoid several Humtache patrols and searching guild members before they are get accosted by six robbers in a dark alley. Their spells are enough to make the criminals flee but this has drawn the attention of a search party from the Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers. It takes a lot of bluffing but they manage to talk their way through without having to reveal who is wearing the big, dark, hooded cloak.

Our friends run into some familiar faces and with the use of a super urchin have a smooth five minute family goodbye before moving back north to the Stevedores HQ. Jinnie gives the party a clear description of where to find the documents in her office and the two druids make their way inside, find them, set fire to some other documents and then leave via the window as giant spiders.

Now our friends have to go all the way through the city to Parade Fields, sticking to alleys except for Dauphine and Quinton; one of them wild shaped into a horse and the other is leading them, walking a parallel route to scout for the others. In [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]], as they are looking to cross the street both Darius and Jinnie '''notice a girl being dragged into the next alley over'''. Darius looks at the guild boss and she grimaces; "we move on". As they cross the street and enter the next alley they hear sounds they would really rather not have heard, and so does Oscar.

Without further problems they all make it to Parade Fields. Just beyond some construction work for gakker grounds with stands and a concessions building they see a covered wagon waiting, just as Alun told them there would be. Two horses are standing in front of it and a driver sits on the box. Our friends sneak through the construction to get a closer look and notice the driver hasn't moved a muscle.

Quinton goes to investigate and sees that the man sitting there is very lifeless and rather blue. He moves to the back of the wagon and finds it filled with a random assortment of stuff that would work to conceal someone behind. He goes back to the others and they decide that Dauphine, who has some skill with wagons, is going to pretend to be Jinnie and drive the wagon to Kenohob to possibly draw out whoever killed the driver. The others will then hopefully take care of them and go meet the druid in Kenohob, where Jinnie can then take the wagon or find new transport.

Dauphine drives away without anything happening and after a bit of a wait the others set out on foot towards Kenohob as well. When they are about three hundred feet from the construction site '''Jinnie stumbles and an arrow protrudes from her back'''. She is turning blue and none of our friends is able to save her, she '''soon lays dead on the ground'''. Expecting more arrows to follow, the party quickly grabs the body and moves to the nearest cover.

When no other attacks follow they discuss what to do next, remembering Alun Djames' words that Jinnie's body can't be found. They decide to go in the direction of Kenohob and when they get near a forest they find an empty spot inside it and burn the Stevedores Guild Boss' body there as they take a long rest.

The next morning Darius seems very unhappy indeed and they bury part of Jinnie there and take the rest to disperse over their journey to meet up with Dauphine in Kenohob. Once there, they return to [[Avale]], seeing the old woman in her dirty, green coat collecting pebbles near their inn, where a message from Alun is waiting, saying to come see him as soon as possible.

Alun Djames speaks with them briefly at his place, learning of what happened. He's rather sad that Jinnie didn't make it but relieved her body won't be found. Quinton wonders if he had anything to do with her death but the man's feelings seem sincere. Her disappearance is dominating the news in town, lots of rumors are going around about her being corrupt and defrauding the government for sums of money up to one million gold pieces in some tellings of the story. Other news says the Black Hare tavern has been bought and renamed to The Thirsty Recruit.

==== Up the Alley ====
The next day Darius returns to the home of Jinnie's brother-in-law and leaves 65 gp for her grieving family. He then continues '''on to the alley where he saw the girl being dragged into''' and after a very thorough search '''finds a small silver earring'''. He tells Dauphine what happened that night and she gets quite distant after hearing the tale. Then the gnome shows the piece of jewelry to Quinton who appraises it as of not much value.

Darius has a very close look at the ring and spots two tiny letters: RT. Our friends decide to go to a jeweler in the hope to get more information. The nearest is Rock Bottom Prices but there they get nearly no help, being told to try someone where upscale. At Family Jules in Kesslia the party gets a lot more help. The middle-aged gnome woman behind the counter brings out her grandfather, an ancient gnome with huge, bushy eyebrows.

The old one takes out a loupe and finds the jeweler’s mark. “Such sloppy repair work, bah, does no one have pride in their craft anymore?” When prompted he tells them the letters in the earring mean it was made by Rings and Things in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. When Darius takes the earring from the jeweler's hand, the ancient gnome grabs his wrist, quick as water. "What is wrong with you, boy?" he asks, "you are full of emptiness." He tells Darius to stay away from his granddaughter as the party leaves the premises.

At Rings and Things they don’t keep a list of sales but due to the repair work the woman there recognize it as one sold to '''Joser Jalbuck''' for his daughter. When asked she tells them he lives at Bell Way. Once there they learn he works at Wesson's Smithy and won't be home till the evening. Eventually they talk to him in his home and explain they found an earring that must belong to his daughter. He takes it and thanks them, saying he will give it to her when she gets home. Our friends ask some questions about her and her state of mind, which makes the halfling rather suspicious, but they do learn she works at a mansion as a domestic servant.

They wait for her to return home and intercept her, resulting in a very awkward conversation. They learn she works for the '''Verdin family''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] and, yes, when walking home about a week ago, she was dragged into an alley and assaulted. Oscar puts her a little at ease by using the Heart Sight ability from [[Thola's Blanket]]. She doesn't want to talk about it but tells them that the assailant smelled heavily of Hatchet, a popular perfume. And after more pressing, she tells them that the son of the Verdin family, Gabriel, wears the perfume, but so do his friends.

Darius tells her they will try to get justice for her and won't contact her again so she won't have to relive it again. On their way back to the inn they discuss what they can do to bring the culprit to justice and Dauphine tells Darius: “you could have stopped him earlier, now it’s much more difficult”. The next morning the party goes to Gill Gardens where they do some very thorough gathering of information before trailing the son to a tavern where he meets up with friends and they observe the group but no one sticks out as particularly suspicious.
[[File:Kerstkaart 2025.jpg|right|410x410px]]
Then when they walk home, red skies are gleaming, sea-gulls are flying over, swans are floating by, they are approached by a rather thin, tall man who asks them for help finding part of his conveyance that he lost while driving home. Quite a few things happen, including a visit to the This Is The Yeast We Can Do Brewery, before they recover the bauble, get a sweet reward and a thousand memories.

The next morning a letter is waiting for them at the inn, it's from '''Brook Jalbuck''', she has remembered that the assailant smelled so heavily of the perfume that it seemed he was drenched in it and '''she doesn't think it was Gabriel Verdin'''. Our friends decide to investigate the perfume angle and Quinton takes the lead, visiting the nearest perfumer; Eau My Gods. There they learn that Hatchet, known as Bobcat in certain other countries, is very popular indeed, so much so a bootleg version of it is made. The girl at the shop mentions that only a week or so ago there was actually a burglary at Heaven Scent in Kesslia.

Their new destination clear our friends visit and learn that one or two people broke in and made a mess of things, breaking a lot of the supplies. One person has actually been arrested by the Humtache, he left a rather easy to follow trail. The alley where Brook was assaulted is just one street over, giving our friends little doubt as to what happened, though they wonder why someone would be so dumb.

The Humtache HQ is in nearby [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] and our friends happen to know a certain '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', so that's who they go and see. When he brings them to his office he starts by '''interrogating Darius, telling him that when they looked back at the events at the warehouse it became clear the gnome was there alone with the Flame of Dolac''' for at least a minute. Did he take it? Why was he there? The priest doesn't have any really good answers to these questions and things get hot under his collar. But without any direct evidence the Inspector eventually drops it and asks for the reason of their visit.

They tell him what they know of what happened in the alley and of the burglary at the perfume store. It's not his case and the Inspector won't let them talk to the suspect but he'll have a talk with the officer in charge. Walking home Dauphine asks Darius outright if he stole the Flame of Dolac and the gnome denies doing so. “Don’t ever tell me you stole it,” the druidess tells him.

Returning next day they learn that the '''suspect, Douglas, fits the height and build of the assailant''', which also matches Gabriel's. He hasn't given up his accomplice and hasn't admitted to being in the alley either. '''The officer is pretty sure he did it''' though, but without a confession they can't make it stick. He will be going to jail for a year for the break in though. '''Darius then writes a letter to Brook''', telling her the man won't be going to jail for doing what he did to her but will be in jail for something else.

== Sarodin Sea ==

==== Chirurgeon Browns ====
The party receives a message from Jerry, their agent, and it tells them to '''go to a house on Lookout Road in the New Dunum neighborhood, and to bring [[Otteun#Food|bay ribs]]'''. They buy half a dozen at a street vendor and go to the address. The door is opened by a blond man with very square jaws and a pointed chin. He wears leather pants, as many people do here, and a plaid shirt. He asks if they are the adventurers he hired and then invites them inside.

He introduces himself as '''Hirsute Looking Glass''' and is rather surprised at the lack of reaction to his name, mumbling how normally people all get up in his business over it. He takes the box of bay ribs, immediately sucks the meat of off it and throws the bone over his shoulder. His place is quite a mess; there's an old couch he indicates for them to sit on, an old wooden trestle table that has seen better times and all kinds of alchemical equipment is covering any flat surface.

He tells the party he needs them to '''go to Hogan Island and bring back a log of tomko tree''', at least a few meters long. Why go all the way there? It's the nearest place that he learned the trees can be found. He has '''hired a ship, the Wetterlund''', that will bring them there. And why does he need adventurers? Apparently the island is uninhabited but full of dangerous forest creatures; baboons, owlbears, regular bears, giant varieties of toads, wasps, spiders, etc. In short; no lumberjacks were willing to take his contract, such nonsense!

Having eaten all of the six bay ribs by now and told them all they need to know, the man now herds them from his place and tells them to bring him back his tree as soon as possible. Oscar has been reacting strangely to this man and the feeling seems to be mutual so it doesn't take long before the party is back out on the street. Fortunately Dauphine remembers reading about tomko trees; they are quite tall with a dusky bark and dark leaves with tiny holes in them. They always grow in a ring of twelve for some reason.

Our friends go do some shopping; cutting down a tree that size won't be easy. [[Quinton Gemweaver|Quinton]] happens to walk by the vintage shop Second Hand News in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Little Perches|Little Perches]] where he sees a rather interesting robe hanging behind the counter. After some tough negotiating and borrowing some money, he pays 84 gold pieces and his pearl trinket to become the new owner of the [[Robe of Advantages]].

'''The Wetterlund is a large ship'''; pretty close to the Crowned Griffon that the party sailed on before. '''Captain Reynolds''' is a brusque halfling with red hair in a ponytail and a limp. She invites them for dinner in the captain's quarters and they enjoy a really tasty meal. Our friends learn about the captain's former career; cheese rolling. She broke her leg in multiple places but is still very enthusiastic, describing how she barreled downhill, chasing [[Cheeses of the world#Glevum|Twin Glevum]] cheese. Over dinner it also becomes clear to the very observant that '''Darius doesn't eat anything of his meal'''.

In the morning they sail past [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] and after a good number of days they arrive at their destination; '''Hogan Island''', it's bigger than they expected. As it's an hour before dusk they decide to wait till the next day. At dawn they all get into a launch and are rowed over to a small beach. It's quite misty in the morning and the mist is so firm that you need to push through it, one could even sculpt it.

The flora here is rather strange, some is much larger than elsewhere, other much smaller; there are tiny apple trees with apples the size of cherries, and huge oak trees with very large acorns. Massive mushrooms grow here as well, including [[Sprite member|sprite members]] that are almost two meters tall. Dauphine notices that the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]] feels more moist here on the island.
Our friends come across '''a piece of green and blue fruit, the colors swirling slowly around its skin'''. Dauphine's studies indicate it will grant some kind of boon when eaten but she doesn't know what kind of benefit it will be. However, Darius tells them he wants it as it can be used to improve his armor. Eventually it is decided he can use it and his [[Vessel Wraps]] gains the Store property.[[File:Needle Lord.jpg|right|300x300px]]After about a day and half, helped by a Locate Animals or Plants spell from Dauphine they find the tomko trees they are looking for; a circle of twelve. Very sharp vines grow between a number of them and Darius uses his scythe to remove them. As he does so, they are attacked by creatures made of just twigs full of needles. They launch these in great numbers and when most are taken out, a much larger specimen arrives. It's a bloody fight but our friends persevere.

Afterwards Darius cuts open the big creature hoping to find something to take back to Herb's Store but there's not much. Meanwhile Oscar discovers that [[Thola's Blanket]] has gained the Pins and Needles property. Our friends came prepared and brought the right tools to cut down one of the trees and then cut off a three meter piece.

It takes a good while but they bring it back to the ship and load it on board. The journey back gets eventful when a pirate ship approaches but '''Captain Hornigold''' doesn't stay around for long, just collecting some hats.

== Dolac ==
Soon our friends find themselves back in [[Avale]] and deliver the log to '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', putting it in his backyard that is full of esoteric things; other logs of wood, strange stones, a cauldron that could fit Quinton, and more.

They return to the Grey Minstrel Inn and learn the latest news; the '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in Downpark burned down when they were away. Dauphine quips that at least none of them were responsible for this, for a change. In the evening they have a drink at their favorite tavern; the Grape Escape. Instead of the nice, relaxing evening they hoped to have, instead they get an encounter with the fabled '''yortho''' and might just have saved the entire city.

==== The Great and the Good ====
'''Jerry''' invites our friends over to his office at Venture Hall and informs them that the Solutions for the Infirm has hired them to run security for less than a day and are paying extremely well, once again. He also has a present for them, tickets to a new play, Turnabout, at the People’s Playhouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]] as a thank you for a fruitful relationship with the '''Adventurers Association'''.

It turns out that the play is not what they expected and while Darius and Oscar have a whale of a time, the other two leave early. Two days later they report to a square in town where Solutions for the Infirm has set up a large tent and roped off the area. The party is met once again by the '''Harried PA''' who explains that they are giving new clothes to the indigents and our friends are to make sure everything runs smoothly.

There are crates with clothes stacked outside the tent, all made by '''Eldritch Honor of [[Thimonnier]]''', in the sizes small, medium, and large. At the exit side of the tent a large trestle table holds baked goods for those that have gotten their new clothes. And there lies the current problem; urchins have been darting in and grabbing food of the table that technically isn't meant for them.

'''Joseph Lacombe''', the founder of the charity and top boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes|Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes]], is there himself and comes over to the party and thanks them personally for their work at the State Museum during the fundraiser, he heard about all their good work. He doesn't stay long; after the first few indigents have received their new clothes he gets into his carriage and leaves.

Quinton rather escalates things with the urchins and they retreat but from what they are yelling, they will be back soon enough. The druid goes into the tent to ask what to do but only finds a man and a woman dressed in white, measuring an indigent's head and noting things on a clipboard before giving them a set of clothes.

He is directed to the small tent and finds the Harried PA there, who has finally found a moment to relax and is rather sad to be disturbed once again. She tells Quinton to do whatever is necessary and will see if she can get more food delivered. The urchins soon return with reinforcements and things turn into something of a battlefield with two fog clouds covering one flank. Eventually hostilities are ceased and at the end of the day there is food left for the urchins to take as the tent is broken down and the square restored to it's regular form.

A number of days later another job lands; our friends are to provide security for someone in the employ of '''Jeffery Fitzwallace-Keely''', boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Mercantile Guild|Mercantile Guild]]. The instructions are to meet them early in the morning at the Coop in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. There they meet the '''Glib Adviser''' who brought two empty backpacks and hands one over. They go across the market and a number of merchants hand over small, heavy pouches, likely filled with coins and or gems that are put into the backpack.

From there they travel up town, going through a number of neighborhoods and stopping at different places, including the Tabernacle of Industry, temple to [[Ulaa]] and the [[Kasarian Embassy]] where some of them see their first ever tiefling, every time a new pouch fills one backpack and then the other. At some point they notice some shady types are following them but the Glib Adviser walks them to a nearby Humtache station and he goes inside for a good while, making the pursuers give up their quarry.

Eventually the city tour ends at a small warehouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]], where a group of four adventurers or mercenaries are just leaving. The Glib Adviser thanks them for their services as he takes the backpacks. Since things ran so smoothly and they spotted the possible waylayers he tips each of them a gold piece. Dauphine wants to go back to the Tabernacle of Industry and talks there with the priest who handed the Glib Adviser a pouch. She asks what this transaction was for but is told that's above her pay-grade.

=== The Stoned Dragon ===
Some days later '''Aracuda Shovi''' appears as our friends exit the inn. He tells Dauphine he '''remembered some more about the Stoned Dragon Caves'''; it's near some place called New Monkhome, you get there via the cellars. The elf tries to confirm that it's an actual name and not a nickname, the dwarf thinks so.

She then asks Alun Djames if she can use the library at the Stevedores HQ, and he's fine with that. There she learns '''New Monkhome is the ancestral home of the Count of Ranhem, found near Ranhem, capital of Guel province'''. It's not exactly around the corner and she asks the other party member if they will come with her to try and find the cave and recharge the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]].

They accept and soon they are taking a barge up the river to [[Thimonnier]]. From there they travel by road, fortunately the journey goes without any problems, unless one would count their spending of 150 gp at {{TextAnimations|Text=Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}} where Darius even tries to pick pocket Quinton.

When our friends '''arrive at New Monkhome''' they find it's not a castle, there's no signs of a moat or curtain wall. But '''the building is very, very old''', even the one wing that was a later addition is still many centuries old, it could have been a proper castle long ago. It’s busy, there a number of carriages parked out front, a wagon is being unloaded off to the side by what looks to be the staff entrance. A banner says: “'''Welcome to the Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild National Congress'''”.

They are met by '''Lady Ranhem''', dressed impeccably but anyone with a good eye can tell the clothes have been repaired more than once. “Welcome to New Monkhome, are you the people Torchbearer Albert Charles is expecting?” she asks. Before anyone can answer, she says “excuse me one second.” She walks over to a girl of about 15 and a boy of about 12 and speaks to them. Quinton's sharp ears pick up the conversation: “'''Ermengard''', '''Goswin''', you know these are busy days and they are important, not just for your father and I, but for you as well, you want to live here, don’t you? Then please, help out, there is so much to do, go inside and ask Jervis what you can do, please be a dear for me.” Neither looks very enthusiastic but they go inside and Lady Ranhem returns.

Our friends get into some real negotiations; they ask for a tour and to spend the night but she explains that with the current guests everyone is too busy and there are no rooms left. But they offer one of the [[Cheeses of the world#Ciwiruil Adv’Tmyywy|Kasarian Cheese Horns]] that Quinton found in one of his crates and she offers them a place to sleep in some of the empty staff rooms.

With a deal struck they go to said rooms and after a quick talk with a local rat they learn about the entrance to the cellars; it's almost right next to their rooms. It's still early in the afternoon and they quickly go have a look. The cellars are full of broken furniture, rolled up carpets, old painter’s supplies, empty frames and racks that might have held bottles, weapons, armor, who knows, there’s a stuffed bear that has seen better days, and a tree root comes through the ceiling, causing part of the cellars to have some standing water.

They spot a secret door that hasn’t fully closed, beyond it a narrow passage leads to 10-foot wide and high ancient stone tunnels that are likely of dwarven make, all spotlessly clean, lit by continual flames. Looking for any signs of what direction to go, our friends find raspberry jam prints on the wall. They pick a random direction and start walking.

They find empty rooms behind the doors in the corridors; it looks like whoever left and took everything that wasn't bolted down. Right around a corner at an intersection standing aimlessly are a corpse riddled with shards of glass and a skeleton still wearing scraps of armor and holding a shield and a longsword. Their eyes light up red as they turn to the party. Battle is swift and the party wins. A few corners later a skeleton stands in the corridor carrying what looks like its own skin. Then it suddenly throws the skin at our friends and the skin animates, trying to wrap itself around whoever it hits. This fight is not as easy but our friends still come out on top. '''Darius checks every undead carefully''' for any tell tale signs of a necromancer, '''he wants all of them destroyed'''.
[[File:Gelatinous Cube.jpg|right|375x375px]]
They continue on and come to an intersection where to one side they see what looks like the '''entrance of crypt''', they can see sarcophagi. But standing in front of the entrance is a flaming skeleton and it hurls bolts of flame at anyone it sees. As they start shooting back Oscar moves into the opposite corridor and steps right into a gelatinous cube. Things get really hairy as the cube moves up and engulfs Dauphine, others manage to jump out of the way.

The druid almost succumbs but a Healing Word spell from Darius brings her back and she then manages to escape from the ooze. It's quite hardy but eventually they bring it down and then immediately go back to fighting the flaming skeleton. It's flaming bolts hit hard and it manages to bring down Darius who is then brought back by Quinton. Lots of spells and arrows later the skeleton crumbles to the floor.

Now our friends see a new figure standing just inside the crypt; it's '''Goswin''', the-12 year old son of the count and countess. In his hands he holds '''a large disc of infernal iron inscribed with Infernal writing, with a hole in the middle'''. Darius and Quinton both read Infernal and see that it's something called the '''Seal of Souls''', it could be the instrument that created the undead creatures.

When Quinton runs up to the boy and tells him to lay down the artifact, Darius and Oscar follow, but the boy shouts "no, it's mine!" and '''Necrotic energy flies out in a cone, bringing our three friends down''', only Dauphine, who didn't rush, is outside of the effect.

[[Robe of Advantages|Quinton's robe]] stabilizes him as Goswin takes some steps back, the expression on his face showing he did not expect what happened. Dauphine uses goodberries to bring the others back and then a rather tense discussion develops with the 12-year old, who still clutches the Seal of Souls, but promises not to use it.

He confirms that '''he created the undead''' but according to him they are harmless, he just played with them and had no idea the party fought their way through them to get where they are now. He also did not know about the gelatinous cube. They are standing inside the crypt now; there is quite some dust here and many sarcophagi, deeper inside there seems to be an ossuary. There is also a large plinth with relief art depicting a man being crowned and an empty recess which looks to be the home of the Seal of Souls.

Running footsteps can be heard and three people arrive; '''lord and lady Ranhem and their daughter'''. The man sends his wife and children back upstairs, telling them how important it is to make sure the event at the mansion goes without a hitch and promising the party he will explain to them what is going on.

In short; '''the artifact was created for the family shortly after the [[Collapse]] by a Duke of Hell and it is how they attained their position as Count of Ranhem'''. However, the item came with certain requirements. At age 16 every heir must pledge themselves to the Seal, if that should ever not happen, all ancestors, dating back to the one who made this deal will rise as undead with the sole intent to do as much damage as possible.

The count had no idea that his son had found the crypt and the artifact, he is horrified the boy used it to create undead, he tells our friends that the family decided over six centuries ago to never use it again and so far they had kept to this. He promises that he will take extra precautions, lock the item away, to make sure something like this can never happen again and he begs them not to talk about this to anyone.

The man also explains that it's been quite difficult these days to make enough money to be able to afford the upkeep of the place but moving is not great, considering where the family crypt is and what their options would be. Our friends appreciate his position; they would like to destroy the item but lord Ranhem says that according to what he was told by his father and those before him that that will also make all his ancestors rise as undead.

As our friends discuss all this Dauphine wants to know what the language on the seal is and then asks Quinton why he knows Infernal and if he has a pact himself, he answers he does not. They can't think of a real solution for the Seal of Souls and decide that it's probably safe in the current Count's hands but they do fear that any future generation might get other ideas which could lead to real troubles. They decide that for now they will not do anything but should the learn anything during their adventuring careers or gain certain powers they might come back here.

They also discussed the [[Cave of the Stone Dragon|Stone Dragon Cave]] with the count who lets them know in no uncertain terms that there is no such thing here; what there is, is a coal fire, which people seem to repeatedly interpret as a dragon snoring underground. He tells them they are free to explore the rest of the place, telling them he knows there are natural caverns deeper down. He doesn't know what the complex was used for in the past, only that is was likely of dwarven make and existed before New Monkhome was built, the crypt was added then as well.

He goes back upstairs to help out with the event and our friends explore further, eventually finding what seems to be a dwarven kiva with a large ramp running down along the wall of the hundreds of feet deep chamber. As they make their way down they trigger a trap that shoves everyone but Darius, who was taking up the rear, down into the chamber.

Fortunately all of them still had their Feather Fall boon and thus make it down safely, including Darius who jumped over the trigger for the trap only to land on a trigger for a second, similar trap. At the bottom they '''find the skeleton of what looks to be a dwarf'''. His clothes and leather armor are mostly gone and laying around him are the remains of an axe and a hammer with a spike. A crossbow exploded into many pieces, its marvelous silver inlay now all twisted up but a similar inlay can be seen on the obsidian amulet around the skeleton’s neck.

Laying further away are a number of hizagkuur springs and folded umber hulk chitin plates, all twisted or outright destroyed. A backpack on the skeleton’s back has been mostly eaten away, the same goes for much of its contents. What’s left is some torches, a mess kit, a holy symbol of [[Ulaa]], a sergeant’s insignia, and a dried mindflayer tentacle.

Dauphine takes a look at the amulet and finds out it is '''a sentient magic item called the [[Temple Ton]]'''. The sentience is happy for the druid to take it and wear it, looking forward to new adventures.

Further exploration leads to a cavern where the only other exit has collapsed and where one of the walls is much too hot to touch; the coal fire. The party returns to the mansion and stay to help out in the kitchen, making sure the event goes smoothly for the family. Afterwards they even help count Ranhem to create a small vault to keep the artifact in so no one can just take it. Before they leave, Dauphine gives Goswin the book How to Become a Bard, that she got from one of the clearance crates.

==== Getting a Head ====
On their way back our friends stay the night in the '''town of Balmer'''. They have a drink at the Lumber Hulk tavern where they spot '''a rather strange looking woman'''. Some people at another table keep looking over at her, but then, most people are. But those four rush over to start a brawl with her, hoping to garner glory by bringing her down.

Our friends jump in the fray and help the woman, not that she really needs it; four drunk villagers are no match for her. Afterwards she buys them a drink and they learn that she is '''[[Chrysanthemum]], a bounty hunter'''. They enjoy some time together, trading stories, before she calls it a night. Quinton is approached by a young couple to join them for a night of fun but the druid declines.
[[File:Lelio bust.jpg|right|375x375px]]
The next morning our friends are approached by a '''bald halfling woman with a missing left hand'''. She says she saw them at the tavern last night and wants to hire them. “'''Bring me the head of Lelio Euphorbia''',” she tells them, to then explain that it's a bust that was kept in the lobby of the Critical Hit Theater. She is the current owner and Lelio was the founder. She suspects that it was stolen by someone from the new theater that opened across town recently; the Natural One Lounge.

The party walks over to the theater with her and looks for clues but doesn't find much. However, the woman's niece was present when the bust was stolen and saw the thief. She'll be at the Critical Hit after lunch and our friends decide to go check out the Natural One Lounge. It looks to be empty and Quinton uses a Misty Step spell to get inside at the backdoor, opening it for the others.

Darius shows Oscar how to use [[Phlegethos’ Pick]]; the halfling seems to have a talent for it, he opens the door to the office in no time. There's no evidence of the bust or any clues to its whereabouts. Oscar also opens the safe and helps himself to the bag of money inside it. When he later has time to count, he finds out there's 43 gp worth of mostly silver pieces in there. He gives the cleric a handful but the gnome can't condone this behavior and puts 30 gp of his own money back into the safe before closing it.

By this point the sound of conversation about the backdoor being unlocked had alerted the party that people had arrived. Quinton grabbed a janitor's coat and mop and pretended to be the janitor, only for a man to call out, asking what he was doing with ''his'' coat! The druid starts talking in Ancient and acting erratically. The man and woman who arrived think he's addled-brained and the woman goes off to get the Humtache, the man follows her, not wanting to be alone with Quinton.

Eventually the other three manage to leave the theater without being seen and they meet up back at their inn and have a nice lunch. Then they return to the Critical Hit Theater and get from niece Hilna the robber's description. She also says she found a little piece of fabric trapped in the doorway, likely coming from the man's jacket.

This is great news for the druids as they can wild shape into a dog and hopefully follow the spoor. Dauphine does so and manages to lead the party to a workshop where the windows are mostly covered up. She tries to follow the scent further as the likely robber has traveled further these last 48 hours, regrettably she loses the trail a few streets later.

Back at the workshop Oscar unlock the door and Dauphine slips inside, still in dog form. She manages to not step on a tripwire attached to a bunch of cans that would have made a lot of noise. Oscar goes in second and not only avoids the trap but even disables it in one smooth motion. The suspect seems to be in the back part of the workshop and they plan their approach. Dauphine goes inside and pretends to be a dog with the zoomies.

As she does so, both the front and back door to the place are busted open and a number of Humtache guards rush inside, arresting the person at the workbench, one Ollie Stein. Our friends are held and questioned on the spot, one of the guards is then sent to the theater to confirm their story of recovering a bust for them. Meanwhile Ollie has been taken to the HQ and the remaining guards are searching and cataloguing the place.

Once released, the party goes back to the inn and decide to wait till evening to search the workshop and attempt to talk with the robber. They don't find anything useful there and then go to the Humtache HQ. On the way they discuss many ways to get inside and how to make Ollie tell them about the bust. Using the [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser cypher]] Quinton makes himself look like the arresting sergeant and pretends to have a sore throat.

He and Darius enter and they successfully bluff their way into the cells where the cleric pretends to be there to measure Ollie up for a coffin and give him his last rites. They tell the robber that the owner had a heart attack due to the theft of the bust and both he and another prisoner call bullshit, he can't be held responsible for that. But they have managed to rattle the boy and when the 'sergeant' tells him that he also thinks it's going to far he says that he's willing to make the bust disappear so he can't be held responsible for the crime. Ollie tells him that he stole the bust for an old gnome who's name he doesn't know. But he can give a pretty accurate description and tells them they met at the Noble Nap inn.

Our friends leave and the next morning they go to this inn and find a gnome fitting the description having a late breakfast. Quinton sits down at the man's table and tries to engage him in conversation but the man is utterly deaf and not interested in a talk. But they do manage to learn that he has a room here. The party also gets a room on the same floor and break into his room when the gnome goes out for lunch. They don't find the bust or anything incriminating, nor any weapons or magical paraphernalia. But he sure has a lot of keepsakes and other sentimental nick-knacks. Most importantly; his name is on his steamer trunk; '''Archibald Euphorbia'''.

The follow him to lunch and then decide to talk to the owner of the theater about this new discovery. She tells Darius and Quinton that Archibald is Lelio's son and that years ago he made an offer for the bust but it was very low and she considers it part of the theater which Lelio wanted to remain in its original state. Our friends make some suggestions about him maybe buying the bust but then leaving it at the theater, or maybe even convince him to exhibit more at the theater.

Back they go to the Noble Nap and then things go sideways when a guest sees Oscar listening at the door to room 101. Quinton pratfalls to distract people but soon enough the concierge shows up and tells them to leave. Dauphine runs after him and it takes everything she has to persuade him to let them stay.

They now decide to lay everything out to Archibald by writing a letter with their proposal. Some time later he shows up at their door and accepts the suggestion of a small exhibition of his father's things in the theater lobby. As they walk over to the Critical Hit he starts to get really enamored with what he now starts to think of as his plan. '''A deal is soon struck''', the bust will be returned, and he is even going to pay for extending the size of the lobby.

The party gets paid and they then return to their own inn where a certain Humtache sergeant is waiting for them. He wants to talk with Darius who tries to bluff that he accompanied him into the station last night. They are all taken to the station and none of them manage to convince their interrogators of their innocence. But since no real harm was done and the investigator hates the paperwork, '''he just bans them from his town''', he wants them to leave next morning.

Back at the inn there's another surprise; a package had been delivered for Oscar two days ago but they only hand it to him now. It's a present from '''[[Chrysanthemum]]'''; a small stuffed toy of a furry marsupial with big ears and a big mouth, which turns out to be a [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager Cypher]]. There's also a note that the halfling can't read, saying how the bounty hunter thought this might be helpful in his travels.

On the way back to Avale a flooded road means a detour via to village of Dunwoody, known for its natural springs. And it seems they arrive just in time for [[Ehlonna#Holy days and observances|Ehlonna’s Turning Ceremony]]. The villagers speak of divine providence that just now a priest of the Goddess of the Woodlands turns up, and an elf as well! They tell Darius that their local priestess died recently and ask his help with the ceremony. He will do so and the party is given a free stay at the local inn and a sumptuous meal is cooked for them. In the evening, he and Dauphine shadow a girl called Kendra and then a banquet is enjoyed.

==== Training Montage ====
Our friends arrive back in [[Avale]] and learn of some recent news: there was an explosion at a tannery in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kipfield|Kipfield]], the Three Tanners, one of the owners lost his life. Back at the Grey Minstrel Inn they see the old woman in green coat looking through trash, and the brown mackerel tabby jumping from one balcony to another as they walk in and get their old rooms once again.

[[Bruneor Argent]] who resides in Dauphine's [[Temple Ton]] amulet is happy with her carrying him but he thinks that she should toughen up, and he is also of the opinion that Darius could be a much better healer. So he takes them to the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#None Turned Away Clinic|None Turned Away Clinic]]''' in the Lost Bay neighborhood. '''Durit''', the old dwarven woman who keeps the place running takes B.A. now being inside an amulet in stride, and they are sent in to meet all the medics.

Bruneor has them working 14 hour shifts for five days where they get to deal with an average week of issues at the clinic. Highlights include cauterizing a bleeder that almost reaches the ceiling, dealing with a cow's breech birth, amputating a leg, two rival gangs arriving and threatening each other whilst demanding help for their many wounded, an outbreak of cackle fever, and on their last day, the nearby Lacombe Asylum collapses, leading to a 20 hour shift where they try their very best to save who they can.

In this same week Quinton comes across a poster: “Confidently Communicating Commitment; Lessons in Leadership”. Five evening seminars at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Scarlet Bonnet|Scarlet Bonnet]] for 25 gp that will improve leadership skills. Since he has been looking to improve himself in that regard, he signs up and that evening finds himself in a room with almost exclusively guild middle managers.

On the stage appears a very slick woman who introduces herself as '''Zeran Merados'''. She explains that every of the seminars will be dedicated to a different c-word: credibility, communication, commitment, confidence and creativity. She is full of energy and pumps the room up as she starts into her first talk.

Afterwards some of the audience go for a drink at the tavern and invite Quinton along. Here he meets a young gnome; '''Emser Quinson'''. He's quite the character with his bright orange shoes and tattoos of bells on his hands. They get to talking and when he learns of the seminar asks what the druid thinks leadership really is.

The next evening they meet again and the evening after that again. During this third seminar Quinton managed to look past all the buzzwords and realized that none of it has anything to do with real leadership. He invites Emser to come to the next evening's seminar as he thinks they could convince the others to their point of view.

And the gnome is waiting at the hall before the seminar begins and the druid takes him inside. As Zeran comes up on the stage Quinton rushes up and starts talking, managing to take the wind out of the woman's sails long enough to invite his new friend up on the stage. He gives Emser the word and the gnome starts telling the audience that they don't have to be sheep and listen to nonsense for five long evenings; revolution!

The crowd responds enthusiastically and that's the end of the seminars. Lots of people swarm Zeran and she promises to repay them all. However, the next day she isn't there as promised and is not to be found again. Quinton has a drink with some of the middle managers and convinces one to give up his job; "woodworking has always been my passion, I'm resigning first thing tomorrow!" the woman says.

Everyone but Oscar can do with a break after all that's happened and they learn that the Adjective Noun tavern has something rather special; the '''Wheel of Death'''. This is a wheel with no less than a thousand numbers and lots of prizes to be won. It's installed there to promote the soon to come opening of a new casino, the He Bluffs Me Not in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee neighborhood]].

Oscar has a go and manages to spin the wheel to 000; Death! In actuality Death is just the patrons having a good laugh as you get completely covered in tar and are then locked up in a cage in the middle of the establishment. But to show they are not all bad you get one chance to avoid your fate; simply throw a bullseye on a dartboard from the other side of the room.

The halfling takes his position and throws. He hits the board but the dart bounces off and lands on someone’s plate on a nearby table. Meanwhile the board falls down, rolls slowly to the right over the tail of sleeping cat in the corner and then falls flat. The cat jumps up with a screech and launches itself into a passing barmaid. She cries out and stumbles back in a pirouette, her tray hitting a bottle on the bar. The neatly lined up bottles slowly, and then faster, fall over, neatly in a row.

The last bottle hits the counter and the cork shoots from it and bounces against the walls a few times before hitting a Sandy Table player in the back of the head just as he was about to take his shot. He launches his disk wildly, it hits the side and flips into a parabolic trajectory landing on the head of a Kasarian tiefling, rolling between his horns and traveling onwards, flying through the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, catching on fire before landing right into a very alcoholic drink which immediately vaporizes with a whoosh.

The goblet teeters one way and then the other before finally falling right next to the plate, hitting the handle of the spoon which has the dart laying on it. The dart gets launched towards the corner of the room and once it has lost all energy it flips and streaks downwards, landing right in the bullseye of the dartboard laying on the floor. The tavern erupts when this happens and many people come over to give Oscar a pat on the back.

It's been quite the week but at the end of it Dauphine is a lot more Tough, Darius can consider himself a Field Medic, Quinton became an Inspiring Leader, and Oscar has Bountiful Luck.

==== XWING ====
Our friends are asked to help crew a Stevedore boat at the '''eXtremely Wild International Naval Games''' and manage to even win.

=== Super Tuesday ===
A few days later '''Jerry''' invites the party over to the '''Adventurers Association'''. After a customary coffee where he regales them of his latest money making scheme; lending money at Under-Barrow Savings to buy up turnip futures, he tells them that '''Super Tuesday will be in two days time'''. Since they are new to the city he wanted to make sure they understand that '''it will be more than pandemonium, the guild bylaws are insane and it's always the craziest day of the year'''.

It's the day of all the guild elections and that means loads of people on the streets all day, many wearing guild colors and some getting rather boisterous and unruly. Urchins and other pranksters might try and waylay ballot chests that have to arrive at the counting station on time or they won’t be validated. Sometimes it’s not pranks though but quite serious.

Our friends have been '''hired by the Guild of Stevedores''' and will be the ones to '''escort one of the ballot boxes'''. Every guild does things differently so all Jerry can tell them is that they will be escorting two guild members both chained to a ballot box. They will go to a voting station and then after voting closes they need to escort them to the counting station.

Jerry hasn't been told where either of these places are, he suggests talking with the guild and also advises them to make sure to be at the guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] at the break of dawn, or even earlier, maybe spend the night in a nearby inn. After impressing upon them enough to take this job seriously he let's them go and wishes them well.

Our friends go talk with '''Alun Djames''' who gives them more details on the job; where they will need to go, the exact rules, they are not allowed to interfere with the process and there are time limits. They also learn there's also a by-election for a new top boss due to '''Jinnie Affo''' going missing; there are two frontrunners; '''Vola Zorgar''', a half-orc, and '''Garth Auric'''. Alun lets slip that as far as he is concerned it wouldn't be a disaster should the votes be invalid.

Then preparations; shopping, walking the likely route, etc. In the evening they take rooms at the Pair O' Dice Inn, near the Stevedores HQ. Darius checks with the others about how they look at the job; will they do everything by the book, cut corners, interfere? The consensus is to just do it as it was given.

The next morning Avale is alive even as the sun comes up, it looks like half the city is out on the streets; many people dressed in their guild’s colors, Humtache patrols, food sellers hoping to make a small fortune, and urchins hoping for lots of food. Getting to the Stevedore’s HQ takes quite a bit longer than it would have on a normal day.

At the HQ they are introduced to the two 'volunteers'; '''Vakna Throndor''', a young, slight dwarven woman, and '''Randall Gilliam''', a young, strapping human man. They are manacled to the chest that is the ballot box and then our friends leave on their journey to [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. Along the way they first meet '''Herleva Boden''' and her growing puppy, Snuffles Two. They see '''Roger Newsome''' exit the State Museum.

There's an encounter with a marching band and urchins but eventually they make it to their destination on time; The Reverend’s Rest Inn, across from the Tabernacle of Industry, the temple of [[Ulaa]]. Twelve hours of voting later they've managed to make things go pretty smoothly and are ready to now go to the Scarlet Bonnet in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Proviso Place|Proviso Place]] where the votes will be counted.

Immediately on leaving they are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter'''. “Hey, you are the people from when the Flame of Dolac was stolen; strange how that was never found, must have been an inside job, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” he says. Quinton: “That will be only known by us.” “Anyway, what is your comment on the story that '''Vola Zorgar''' is on [[Otteun]]’s payroll and responsible for the disappearance of '''Jinnie Affo''' and the false evidence against her?” Quinton: “We heard this kind of rumor but have no opinion on it.”

Somewhat later it’s pandemonium as a bunch of creatures that look like a hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat spill out of a driveway and straight into the people on the street, picking at them, wings flapping as they try and make their way through the panicking crowd. These creatures turn out to be cockatrices and it's only due to the party's quick response that no one on the street turns to stone.

The party continues on and at the main branch of the High Shore Bonding Company they see from a distance how four robbers descend from the building as an alarm bell sounds. They decide it's not their problem and leave it to the Humtache who show up soon after.

Our friends make it to the Scarlet Bonnet on time. There are lots of people standing outside the building and inside it doesn’t get any less busy. They deliver the ballot box on time and their job is done. They see the now familiar Bite Me Catering people and have something to eat and drink, spotting '''Dersigos Naffles''' carrying a tray of drinks.

==== A Marquis Job ====
The party gets an invite from Jerry and at the meeting are told that they are in luck; since no one else is available they are getting a job from Markiz (Marquis) '''Borislav Kucan Skok-Ratenicz''', who pays very well. And their job is just bringing a package from the port to his mansion in [[Duneford]]. 25 gold pieces for a few hours of work; nice if you can get it!

The next day they wait for the ship to arrive and are handed the package which Oscar carries in a backpack. The captain also gives them a large lump of silver and asks them to tithe it for his ship, crew, and himself at the [[Osprem|Osprem's]] '''Temple of Tidal Tranquility''' which is right next to Duneford. The party agrees and sets off on their journey.

Before reaching their destination they are attacked and unfortunately the package gets destroyed, the assailants get away as well. Our friends continue on, determined to bring what remains to their employer. In Duneford they run into '''Roger Newsome''' and his sister, '''Ruth''', the man telling them he donated some new gems to the City Museum.

Then they are accosted by two dwarves, one male, one female, and one human woman, they all have short hair, wear leather armor, and have a short sword or hand axe on their belt. They show the party a sketch of a man with a large mustache and a distinctive birthmark and ask if they have seen this individual. They haven't and reply thusly.

The party continues on and reached '''Shadow Pond''', the mansion. There are guards on the door and the butler brings them through the house, down a corridor full of paintings all of similar men with dark hair in a widow's peak and a rather intense look. On a huge balcony with view of the sea two men are having tea and coffee. The Marquis is tall, very thin, pale, has silver-grey hair and wide ears, he wears an expensive grey business suit. The other is a halfling with a large nose, curly hair, dressed business casual.

Borislav speaks slowly with sing-song voice and comments to the halfling that it seems they need to take more measures when the party tell him about the attack and hand over what remains of the package. After they have given all the details the Marquis dismisses them and he thanks them for their work, even if it wasn't a success.

Back in Duneford proper they have some lunch and then go to Osprem's temple to deliver the tithe. There they are approached by the man from the sketch earlier. He explains that he used to be a major in the [[Otteun#The Ott|Ott]] and he is now on the run after destroying a dangerous project. This '''Ranald Kassimir''' pleads for them to help him get to the Avale port as he knows the people after him have likely already identified the temple as the most likely place he is hiding.

Our friends come up with all kinds of interesting plans to do so and eventually decide on one. It seems to work as they make it back to Avale unharmed and the man thanks them profusely as he runs off to the port and hopefully a new life far away from here.

=== The Ballad ===
The next week or so there's no work but there is news in town; a huge, albino crocodile has eaten three people in the last week, a bounty has been placed on its head. Then our friends receive an official government missive announcing a meeting in a private room at their inn in the morning, two days hence. The visitor turns out to be no one less than Torchbearer Council Standing Secretary '''Saer Barclay Pergay'''. He tells them that unofficially they have been awarded the Star of Dolac, a very prestigious medal. And also unofficially this might be because of a certain yortho incident.

Some days later '''Jerry Tidwell''' invites the party to dinner at a nice restaurant; This Scampi Happening. Over dessert he confesses to a motive; he owes a friend of his, impresario and nightclub owner '''Anthony Prince''' a favor and the man need some people for a job that needs plausible deniability. If our friends go to his club Knight Moves then Tony will explain. They can use the phrase "Ken sent me" to skip the line.

The party has some reservations about this kind of work but decide to hear the man out. At the club they first talk with a man looking for a prince's bride and then get to see Antony Prince. Who then explains that he promised '''Yurdan Amaerth''', a real estate developer, to get some things done that have turned out more difficult than expected.

First is the lot containing the burned down '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]]. Yurdan wants to buy it and build an apartment building on it. But to be allowed to do so, the zoning law needs to be changed. The city planner, a Docami by the name of '''Nola Brogunn''', has the authority to do so. He tells the party that she can't be bribed so our friends will need to find a different avenue to get her to play ball. Once that is done, they can quickly buy the lot.

After asking a number of questions our friends go to their inn for a long planning session. The next morning the party is outside [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Halls|Halls]] and see Nola approach. Oscar trips her and then manages to steal her day planner from her bag as he helps her up and says sorry. Our friends then go check out the burned down church and check the crypt, finding it in an ok condition.

The day planner shows that on average four times a week the phrase "Wine Me Up" appears with a time next to it, anywhere from 20:00 to 22:30. But tonight's mention, with a time of 21:00, has been crossed out aggressively, as have all other future dates with that phrase. It turns out that Wine Me Up is a nightclub/tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], not all too far from Nola's home address which is also in the day planner.
[[File:Wine Me Up.png|right|450x450px]]
The party goes to have a look after lunch and learn that Nola performed here as a singer, but has recently been banned for saying some really nasty things, though the owner doesn't specify exactly what. Our friends then go to Tony to see if he can help them find out more about this ban, he being in the same kind of business. They find him at Bears, in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]].

As they arrive they find him cradling an effeminate looking young man who has been beaten up. Tony tells them this happened not thirty minutes ago and he tells them to find the three boys responsible for it and "put the fear of Tony into them. Tell them that if they ever do something like this again in this town they will disappear without a trace." The boys are easily found and swiftly dealt with.

Tony has reached out and learned that apparently Nola said nasty things about the owner of Wine Me Up. Our friends go back there at the time Nola should have been performing and listen to her replacement sing. Afterwards Darius approaches this '''Marion Guff''' and in the short talk they have his insight tells him that she is very happy Nola is gone, and might likely be the cause of the ban.

He goes to confirm this with the owner and manages to convince her that Nola was an innocent victim and gets her ban undone. He even manages to get a slot for her to sing tonight. He and Dauphine rush over to her home and explain all that has happened and make their case for changing the zoning law on the way back to Wine Me Up. She sings her heart out that night and the next morning she signs the paperwork, changing the zoning for the lot.

Our friends report back to Tony and he is happy to receive some good news, lately there has been little of it. He tells them to go to the Pholtans and buy the lot directly for '''Yurdan Amaerth''', acting as his agent. He doesn't know who is in charge of this, but it's going to be someone at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Pholtus|Basilica of the Blinding Light]]. He impresses upon them to not let anyone know the zoning law has changed and offer a 'reasonable' amount so as not to draw suspicion.

The party goes to the temple in Uppark and find out that the Master of Properties is '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', someone from [[Darius Naffles#Childhood|Darius’ past]]. This leads to a rather awkward meeting but also rather easy negotiation; the priest accepts the first bid of fifty gold pieces. As Gormain leaves the room Darius puts his head in his hands. When the man returns they tell him that they'll pay 100 gp instead.

With their business concluded Darius and Gormain remain in the office to have a private conversation. Darius asks if they ever found who was behind the undead from their first meeting. He tells him that he has remained in contact with Lambert and knows that they went back to the scene but apparently there was nothing to report. Gormain changed a lot since Darius last saw him and they part ways, saying they'll keep in touch.

With that dealt with, our friends return once more to Tony and learn that the second thing that the impresario promised Yurdan was a wand called Lizard's Lament. He did some research before hiring the party and learned that [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abjura Dolana|Abjura Dolana]] was somehow involved with the sale of one. This leads our friends to speculate why someone would want the ruins and a magical wand, is this related somehow?

==== A History Lesson ====
Eventually they decide to do some research at Abjura Dolana's library before asking about it directly. As they are waiting in the lobby an old gnome mage with a mouse perched on her shoulder walks by and she sees the [[Past Primal]] around Oscar's neck. She asks the halfling how he came by it but Oscar doesn't say much. Fortunately Dauphine is there to help though she is weary to say anything. But when it turns out the grey-haired mage is a Sentinel, '''Phiceli Zercoderes''', and willing to help the party, things get easier.

She takes them up to her rather large study and serves them drinks. The place is filled with all kind of magical and mundane knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. She then explains that the Past Primal is a very old item from the [[Eras|Era of Strife]], she's something of an expert on it and it caught her eye immediately. When she learns the party is here for information on the Lizard's Lament, she remarks it's another Era of Strife item and she knows Abjura Dolana brokered a deal for one recently when she was out of town, and asks her secretary to find out more.

Dauphine and the others are now ready to tell Phiceli where they found the Past Primal. The Sentinel listens with mounting astonishment and when our friends describe the [[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events#Midnight Altar|altar room]] she then surprises the party by being able to describe things before they get the chance. Phiceli decides to tell them what they likely found but makes sure to impress upon them not to share this information with anyone.

She starts with a short overview of the Era of Strife and explains how '''four bulwarks were built to stop what is now the [[Sarodin Sea]] from growing larger'''. Four people gave up their nature and through a long process created the altars that power these bulwarks. '''When the [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now#The Primordials|Primordials]] escaped after the [[Collapse]], those who defeated them reached back to this same magic to recreate the prisons for these beings.'''

Which means that '''the party stumbled upon a Primordial prison''', the Sentinel laments being unable to tell which one. The prisons definitely involve the use of extra-planar magic but each has a control room in the physical world, such as the one they found. As far as Phiceli knows none have ever been found, and with the party triggering the fail-safe that made it sink, and probably activated more defenses, finding this one will be very difficult, which is for the best.

While this is going on, Oscar has been hearing a high, girlish voice whispering in his ears in words that he understands perfectly. No one else seems to be hearing it and he slips out of the room to follow the sound. It leads him down one floor to a room with a large metal door, covered with mystic sigils, that stands ajar.
[[File:Aridni.png|right|300x300px]]
Sneaking inside '''he finds a small moth-winged creature in a summoning circle''', though he doesn't know that's what it is. "There you are, please come closer, help me escape from here," she says and Oscar again understands her words perfectly. He's wary though and doesn't come close yet, first scanning the rest of the room. It's filled with cabinets, bookcases, and the like. On a table rests a small quiver with very nice arrows inside it. "Throw it to me," the creature tells him.

As they talk Oscar learns that either she is an Aridni and/or her name is Aridni, she's being rather vague on this topic. But she is rather clear on the fact that she is being trapped here and wants to escape. Oscar comes up with a good plan, he wants to use the Heart Sight property from [[Thola's Blanket]] to see if she is being truthful.

He needs to touch her to do so and unbeknownst to him, he brakes the circle's containment purely by stepping inside of it as he carefully avoids stepping on any markings. And when he gets close to her, she kisses him on the mouth, tells him: "thanks, brother!" then rushes over to the quiver, grabs it and then disappears in a puff of dark silver smoke in a sort of star pattern.

The halfling then quickly goes back to Phiceli's office where Dauphine asks if the mage wants to have a look at her [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]], which she is happy to do, it's something she's never encountered before. And Phiceli has a small gift for the druid; a teacup made from a varnished mushroom cap that magically keeps its liquid contents lukewarm. She also mentions off hand to Quinton that the Lizard's Lament could improve his [[Robe of Advantages]], "I haven't seen a robe like that in a long while."

Oscar sort of understands what's going on and offers his blanket, he's still shook by what just occurred. The mage casts one spell and sort of shrinks back a little and returns the blanket to the ranger, telling him it's going to be ok. Oscar then uses his Heart Sight with Darius who can tell something has happened to the halfling.

Outside there are now sounds of some urgency and the secretary arrives and gives Phiceli a note; he found out who the buyer was. When asked, the mage assures our friends that this particular wand isn't all that dangerous, it can't be used for any really dangerous purposes, as far as she can tell. She's happy to share with them that the buyer was one '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', a name quite familiar to them. With that her time is up and she brings them back to the lobby as they thank her for all her help.

==== Chirurgeon's Balls ====
It's lunch time and our friends have a lot to discuss so they find the nearest tavern; The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden. Oscar tries to explain what he did when he left Phiceli's office but it's hard, his page of icons is quite limiting here. They also discuss the things they didn't tell the mage, like Darius' [[Vessel Wraps]] being created from something that was coming through what must have been the prison door. They all agree it was a good choice not to mention the '''Count of Ranhem''' and his family problem. Darius also tells the others about what happened on his first meeting with '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', which explains why their meeting today was the way it was.

They also decided to see if they can get any information on Hirsute Looking Glass before talking to him about the Lizard's Lament. Once in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#New Dunum|New Dunum]] they look for the tavern nearest his house and find Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse. They ask the patrons if he ever drinks there and learn that he doesn't but they do know of him. He's a weird one alright, they don't know if he has a job or anything but he gets food delivered all the time and he's always tinkering with stuff in his yard.

They then buy some bay ribs before going to his house, remembering last time. He opens the door, wearing an apron covered in a red substance/liquid and happily accepts the ribs, telling them to wait as he closes the door. A minute or two later he opens it again and invites our friends inside, except for Oscar, "he's not potty trained!" The halfling decides to stay outside, thinking it might be the perfect moment to have a look at the yard.

Inside the party spots part of a sheep sticking out of a bin and make a first offer for the Lizard's Lament. Hirsute laughs in their face at the amount but eventually they negotiate a deal where they pay 2,000 gp, which was as high as Tony was willing to go, and they will do a task for Hirsute. He takes Quinton aside for a moment: “we humans, why do we have to deal with all these weird races and their crazy customs, it must be so tough to have to be around them all day.”He then brings them to his backyard where Oscar is waiting.

There's quite a lot of weird things here and a few new things stand out. '''A huge spool holds a rope with tomko tree wooden balls, each with a small rod of unfamiliar metal in it, at every twenty meters.''' Two large buoys, each weighed down with rather random things; a marble statue of a woman, missing an arm, a plate armor that is riddled with holes an inch across, a professional iron stove that has ruptured, a cauldron with some kind of dark substance caked inches thick to inner surface.

Hirsute explains that they need to get those items onto a ship and then '''go to [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] where to the west of it they are to drop the first buoy, connect the rope from the spool to it and then go in a west-north-westerly direction running out the rope''' till it's all used up and then connect it to the second buoy which is to be dropped then.

Our friends go to Tony and tell him about the deal; he is willing to pay for the rent of a boat and the transport of the items to the boat. They find a working boat that is willing to take it on; the Barley a Wake. The next morning they leave port and start their journey. All goes well though they do have an encounter with a rather strange animal and they find a message in a bottle from a certain '''Bevis Cartal'''.

Back in Avale they visit Tony to get cold, hard cash and then '''return to Hirsute and finally buy the [[Lizard's Lament]]''' from him. He seems sad to let it go, patting the wand before he hands it over to Dauphine. From there they directly go to '''Yurdan Amaerth's''' mansion in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]] as directed by Tony. On the way there Darius explains that his [[Vessel Wraps]] has asked for the wand and since Quinton can use it as well, it then mentions they could split it, though this would destroy the wand. A number of plans to take possession of the wand after handing it over are discussed.

The mansion turns out to be a quite gaudy building with lots of marble. Whilst waiting outside his home office for the secretary they hear certain sounds coming from behind the door. Oscar opens it and sees a prematurely balding dwarf with a very short beard, wearing a suede suit, a gold chain and ditto bracelet. However he's not quite fully dressed; the dwarf quickly moves behind his chair but not before the young halfling noticed '''Yurdan''', for that's who it is, is in his underpants.

The dwarf quickly dresses while at the same time Dauphine, who tried to stop Oscar from opening the door barge right into the ranger and both spill to the floor. This is also when the secretary returns and after some apologies they are invited into the office. "'''Drusilia''', I'll see you soon," the dwarf says to a so far unseen gorgeous elven woman with long, slender legs and long raven hair who sits on a couch of to the side. She then leaves, giving every party member a smile.

The office is just as gaudy as the rest of the place, there's a niche which hold a [[Beljovac#Roncee & Roncee|Roncee & Roncee]] hand crossbow made almost entirely of gold. One table holds a model of [[Avale]] with a number of colored flags placed around the city. Quinton spots a flag on where the church burned down and memorizes one of the other locations. Another table holds a model of a yacht, almost two meters long.

They hand Yurdan the Lizard's Lament and he comments: "hmm, that's it? Not what I expected," before throwing it on the couch. He tells them Tony informed him of their success and he wants to hire them for a job; he'll pay 50 gp each if they get the job done, he doesn't care how. The job: he has problems with [[Avale - Guilds#Stonemasons Guild|Stonemasons Guild]] on his latest project, an office block called ‘The Amaerth Executive Suites’ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], and wants party to ‘convince’ the Grand Master in charge of construction, '''Borylla Tusarlig''', to finish it at the original price, contract be damned.

When asked he says that a ship sinking and other issues have increased the price. Meanwhile Oscar has been all over the office, touching the hand crossbow so Yurdan moves him away. Quinton calls his yacht gaudy in an effort to distract him and sits down on the couch, on the Lizard's Lament but the dwarf sees this and puts the wand on his desk. Oscar then breaks the main mast of the yacht and tries to put it back, failing, over and over and over.

Our friends accept the job though stress they won't do anything illegal which Yurdan infers as being said with a wink. The party then goes to the Stonemasons Guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fractures|Fractures]]. Some handy work by Quinton with the receptionist means they eventually get a meeting with Borylla the next morning and the rest of the party investigates the sunken ship. They learn it was a freak storm that sunk the Big Deck Energy as it returned from the [[Sarodin Sea#Salt Lions|Salt Lions]] and nothing nefarious.

At the meeting with '''Borylla Tusarlig''', a dwarven woman with a sensible haircut and practical clothing our friends learn that all of the extra cost incurred are specified in the contract and typical construction issues, something Yurdan, a real estate developer, definitely knows about. She tells them she intends to keep the dwarf to his contract and they have come in vain.

But then the party mentions how they are good at getting deals arranged and things done. That makes her pause and she comes with an offer; '''she will personally eat half the extra cost if the party will do something for her''', Yurdan will have the pay the other half, however. She explains the wives of some [[Avale - Guilds#Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild|Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild]] masters are organizing a social get-together and she wants an invite to it. As they leave, Oscar gives her a hand, copying what Quinton did at the start of the meeting.

Our friends then manage to convince Yurdan to take the deal, they notice the mast of the model yacht has been repaired, there's no evidence it was ever broken. Borylla told them the event is being held at The Evergreen Anteroom, an inn in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]] in a few days' time. Our friends go there and find out that the three organizers are currently there, inspecting the garden where they want to host the event.

The party quickly orders a fancy tea as Dauphine goes to invite them to join so they can ask for a favor. The three socialite ladies, all looking to be in their thirties, introduce themselves, '''Lilia Calidus''', a petite blonde, '''Jennifer Cole''', a slender brunette, and '''Alice Lemuel''', a green eyed redhead with an aquiline nose and perfect teeth. Darius actually came across them the day he arrived in Avale, though neither party remembers.

Jennifer dismisses our friends' request out of hand; “Why would we want to invite such a boring nobody?” Lilia interjects: “No need to be so hasty, my dear compeer,” she tilts her head and looks at Alice, “why don’t we order some sandwiches and have chat.” Jennifer: “I just love sandwiches, don’t you?” As they wait, Lilia asks Dauphine what it's like to spend her days with the other party members.

During the conversation Oscar plays with his [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager]] cypher and eventually the ladies say '''they will extend an invitation if the party does some ‘trivial tasks’''' for the ‘little fête’ they are organizing. Our friends have had their fill of doing favors but they have little choice but to accept. The first task is to collect some rare fruits from Princes Island in the Tal estuary. As they leave everyone but Darius notices Jennifer putting silver teaspoons in her purse.

The next morning they deliver the fruit to Jennifer Cole's house as that is where all three ladies are. Their next task is to invite an exotic guest; the three tried to invite a minotaur that arrived in town recently but he snubbed them, they want the party to change his mind. Lilia comments: “He’d be the horniest guest we’ve ever had.” The minotaur can be found at The Usual Place, a tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]].

When they arrive there it turns out that Dauphine knows this particular minotaur; [[Evgenis Voúkeros|'''Evgenis Voúkeros''']], a friend from earlier in her life. When he sees the druid he invited her to join him at his table; “have some coffee.” He is talking about caravan routes with a man who introduces himself as [[Cassian Vellor|'''Cassian Vellor''']]. They soon manage to convince him to attend the fête though he's still disappointed he is not allowed to perform. More interestingly it is clear for all the party that '''Dauphine has quite the crush on him'''.

The third task is quite simple; bring a tiny tree to the singer that has been contracted for the event.Jennifer: “It’s earthly and divine, I’m sure it’ll enchant her.” Lilia adds: “If two lovers, of nature, were to present this then I’m sure they right sentiment will be firmly planted.” She is staying in the penthouse of The Five Georges in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] under the name Frazierdaughter.

The party goes there and learns the singer is '''Cobblar Languid''', a very popular artist. She too has a favor to ask... “Would you know anywhere in town where they sell a potion of golden throat? It’s made with harpy vocal cords.” Our friends definitely know as they sold some to Herb's Store in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]]. They go there and get the requested item, Dauphine also buys a [https://5e.tools/items.html#skull%20of%20revelation_hhhvi Skull of Revelation]. Oscar shows Herb the vials he got from Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates and is told they are illegal but quite nice.

The final task is to bring the pièce de résistance to the inn’s garden. They hired the sculptor '''Parn Gemgiel''' to craft an immense, five by five by five meter, ice sculpture of a woman alchemist. At the man's studio in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] they learn that a brown mold has been placed in a wooden box painted eggshell white and cerulean blue at the bottom of the sculpture to keep it cold.

Fortunately our friends are smart enough to look for some professionals and manage to deliver the sculpture at the inn. They overhear a conversation between three men in evening dress: “I hate wearing these monkey suits.” “And having to suck up to the boss even outside of working hours.” “That’s nothing, have you seen the bill for this? They are spending *our* money like water. I’m gonna have a chat with Lilia when this is all over.” Laughter from the other two, “yeah, sure you will.”

The ladies have already sent the invite to '''Borylla Tusarlig''' and that means they have completed their job. The next morning they '''get paid''' by '''Yurdan Amaerth''' and in the afternoon they visit the socialite ladies one more time as they promised a bespoke reward for all four of them. It's individualized perfumes, some are more of a hit than others. And with that the chain of jobs that started with Gay Tony come to an end.

==== It's a Blast! ====
The next day Darius is teaching Common to Oscar in the common room and when things go slow, in frustration, he accidentally casts the Tongues spell on the halfling. They continue lessons but Oscar doesn’t really talk though he now understands all the conversations around him perfectly. The ranger then uses the Heart Sight property on Darius; his state is disappointed and overwhelmed vs frustration and and a willingness to help from the gnome. Oscar rushes off to a nearby park and listens to some conversations around. Then the spell runs out and Oscar returns to the inn, determined to learn the word they were practicing; saying ‘arrow’ perfectly.

Some days later '''a blast of visible greenish energy shoots through the city and beyond''', doing quite a number on anyone caught in it. Our friends trace it back to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abjura Dolana|Abjura Dolana lodge]]. Quite a few people have gathered outside but the mages, most bleeding from their nose or ear, have no real idea what happened and are telling people the lodge is closed for now.

The next day Dauphine gets an invite from '''Phiceli Zercoderes''', the entire party tags along and the old gnome mage looks quite the worst for wear. She explains she was experimenting with the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]] and when she cast a spell on it, it released the energy wave they all got caught up in yesterday. Though it seems unlikely, her best guess is that the shard is a piece of the fabled Netlaniloyan.

The Era of Strife artifact was supposedly used in one or more volcanoes and it was powered by everything available at the time; ritual offerings, willing sacrifices, blood magic, dragon magic, even arcane magic. Stories claim that when it was completed the Netlaniloyan contained one million souls. Nothing of this is certain but considering the power unleashed it does stand to reason it was part of something incredibly potent.

The shard is now quite inert and perfectly safe, however, returning its original function seems quite difficult, they'd need Era of Strife magic, a spell or item, something related to water magic, which was not very common at the time. Phiceli doesn’t have anything that could do the trick but she’ll reach out to some people to see if anyone has something helpful.

A few days after this our friends run into Crazy Clyde and they get invited to {{TextAnimations|Text=Celebrate Characters – Clyde’s Comedy Cavalcade|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}}. It's being held at The Chortle Chamber, a warehouse in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fabrics|Fabrics]] neighborhood that has been converted to a temporary theater. An improvised time is had by all. The next day [[Evgenis Voúkeros|'''Evgenis Voúkeros''']] takes a room at the party's inn.

== Sarodin Sea ==
Some time goes by and the latest news in town is that the government is contemplating imposing a wheel tax.

=== Would You Kindly? ===
Our friends are invited over by Jerry who has a new job for them. This one comes with some strings attached though; '''their employer is the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kasarian Embassy|Kasarian Embassy]] and they want absolutely secrecy'''. Not only that, but their agent tells them that '''another group of adventurers got the same job and haven't been in contact for some time'''. He knows the Kasarians only care about the job but he asks our friends to see if any of the other group are still alive and, if so, rescue them.

At the embassy they are briefed by '''Oramyr Noxor''' who tells them they will all '''have to accept a Geas spell''' before she tells them anything else. When they agree she explains she is '''sending them to a [[Baltur#Exploration|Balturan Gardyl]] to recover an item'''. Unfortunately she doesn't know exactly what the item looks like; it's either whole made of some kind of blue gem or part of it is. Either way, it is not Balturan so it should stand out enough for them to recognize it. When asked she tells them that the first party sent consisted of '''Dhold Gruzuik''' a dwarven mage, '''Tagga Lammar,''' a half-orc fighting type, '''Shalanna Stillwater''', a human 'skilled adventurer', and '''Kaj Kulenov''', a human, but she's not quite sure of his role.

She has a ship, the Upward Bound, waiting for them in the harbor to bring them to the location and she will be in contact with one of them, Darius, daily via a Sending spell, the gnome has access to that spell as well. Dauphine asks for something that can cast Sending, should the gnome not be able to. She tells them to make sure to bring plenty of food or magic that makes food, and answers any other questions the party has, telling them they lost contact about three days ago and then our friends do some quick shopping.

Just as they are leaving for the port they see the old woman in her dirty, green coat laying in the alley opposite the inn. They cast some healing spells which helps a little and Dauphine pays the innkeeper to get her further help. At the port our friends are directed to the Utility Basin and when they see their ship the first thing they notice is what looks to be a huge church bell on the deck.

They are met by the operations officer, '''Ovina Gallor''', a young-looking dwarf with orange hair; she explains that they carry a diving bell. She shows them around the ship and the interior oft the bell which is just about large enough for four human adults. The first day of their journey the party is not allowed above deck or have any sight of the sea so as to keep their destination hidden.

They arrive somewhere in the middle of the Sarodin Sea in the afternoon and the crew immediately gets ready preparing the bell. Our friends have been instructed on its use and the use of the message bell rope. Ovina explains that once the bell gets to fifty meters it should be near some kind of blue force field which they can go through and they should then have breathable air. She's not been down there herself so that's all she knows.

After a harrowing descent that takes six hours the party see a blue-ish light that slowly materializes into a domed force field that sits at the top of a large structure carved out of the seabed. A Water Breathing spell courtesy of Dauphine makes the fifteen meter swim from the bell to the force field quite easy. Going through the force field dries them completely and '''they end up in what looks to be a huge ballroom''' though just about everything in there seems to have been destroyed.

All the walls and floor are perfectly smooth, Balturan engineering at its finest. Marble-like veins that glow a dim, dark blue are present in all of the rock surfaces. The metal light fixtures on the walls are all twisted though most still produce light. What looks to be a large pearl in a brass-like enclosure in the middle of the ceiling looks to have fared better.

They are still getting their bearings when '''suddenly a voice comes from the ceiling''', it sounds somewhat female though also quite low. “Thank the gods you have arrived, please help me, '''I am stuck and ran out of food days ago''', my water is almost gone. '''I am Tagga Lammar, I’m the only one left and I am locked into Central Control''', please come find me. I can’t hear you but go to the door to the left and down to the lower level, find a door marked '''Maintenance 2''', in Dwarvish, and go through. You can '''use the stuff there to call the thing to bring you further down'''.” Unfortunately they can't hear anything the party says. Darius is the only one of the four who doesn't quite trust the voice.

They go down the stairs to find the same smooth rock floors with dark blue veins. This must have been an amazing concourse at some time but now it’s totally destroyed. Right where the stairs brought them down, a large arcane circle is inscribed on the floor but most of the material used is gone. Above it on the ceiling is another one of those large pearls in an enclosure. “Go right and you should see the doorway to your right after a short walk,” the voice tells you, “oh, and '''be careful, magic works weird further down, except for the stuff from here'''”.

Our friends decide to not follow directions and go left to do an almost full circuit of the concourse and get a better look at the place. They go into three of the many, many shops and restaurants but don't find anything still intact or of value. They do come across more of the circles and pearls where the voice pleads with them to go to Maintenance 2.

They come to a doorway with Maintenance 1 above it first and find a heavy pressure door with a tiny porthole and a non-functioning machine made out of metal. Looking through the porthole they see mostly darkness but there seems to be water as well. They speculate that they might be looking into the meters-wide metal tubes they saw running down the structure when they arrived. A metal cabinet that holds twenty vials, each with a hypodermic needle at the end of it, filled with a blue substance. On the label it says in Dwarvish: '''Electro Bolt dimsalp'''. They take all of them with them and continue on.

After having seen four of the arcane circles and more exhortations from Tagga Lammar they end up at a doorway that says Maintenance 2. The room is an exact copy of the other maintenance area except that eight of the vials are missing from the cabinet. They try the levers on the machine but nothing happens, they also press down on the red and green gems on it, without success. Dauphine then returns to the nearest circle and indicates that they don't know what to do and Tagga explains to use the dimsalp.

Darius decides that with his medical knowledge he should try the potion first and when he injects it into himself he finds that a cantrip has been added to his list of cantrips. With it he can shoot a small bolt of lightning at a creature but he can also shoot it at a machine which then has power for 18 seconds. He does so at the contraption in the room and after some experimentation they manage to make something move up the large tube outside the door.

Eventually a conveyance arrives, the pressure doors lock and they can open the outer one and then the inner one to take place in a pill shaped boat. It has six portholes that all show quite dark water. There's another machine in here and after closing the doors they engage the mechanism and then slowly descend along the structure while the air gets more and more stale, eventually '''arriving at the center section'''.

They arrive in a larger Maintenance facility. Not much more than a little debris remains except for the now familiar cabinet on the wall. They look out at '''a very large, multi-level structure''' with few stairs or ramps, more common are vertical metal rings a meter in diameter that form columns next to different levels of floor. A floor which is again made of the same stone with dark blue, dimly glowing veins.

The Maintenance depot is hidden away a little but as they exit the nook our friends see how large the place really is, '''[[Avale|Avale's]] Parade Fields would fit easily inside here'''. Where there are no building the outside wall is dotted with force fields that show the sea beyond, a sea turtle swims past the nearest. They now also see that a little distance away a flickering, colorful image hovers in the air, it’s hard to be sure at this distance but it might be a map.
[[File:Erutpar Map.png|right|518x518px]]
As the party gets near they see another large circle inscribed on the floor and one of those big pearls hanging from a wall nearby, under it there’s a panel made of the same brass-like metal. “There you are, finally!” the voice cries out before launching into a hacking cough, “'''you need to go to the middle of this plaza, at a lower level is another Maintenance facility where you can use a tube to get to the lower levels''', please hurry!” The floating image does indeed turn out to be a map and it labels many parts of the structure, next to, helpfully, pointing out where you are.

Suddenly there is a clomping noise and '''two, what look to be small statues of dwarves, maybe a meter high approach, shouting “intruders” in Dwarvish'''. They immediately start to fire off spells at our friends and combat is on. The statues are two levels higher than the party but the druids easily wild shape into spider form to climb up the wall, where Darius and Oscar try the circle thing which, as they deduced let's them move up and down between floors though it doesn't work flawlessly.

Neither does their magic, they soon find out. '''Any time they cast a spell, strange things happen''', like half of Quinton's body becoming transparent; the line down the middle looks like a detailed corpse dissection, which distracts Darius quite a bit. The statues prove very tough, being able to absorb a lot of damage and when Darius uses Necrotic damage it even seems to heal them.

Our friend eventually bring down their opponents but at that point Quinton has turned into an indigo Faerie Dragon, Oscar used the last charge of his [[Past Primal]] which left him turned into a panther. Darius somehow managed to summon a skeleton and a zombie, the former died immediately to an attack but the other is still around, whilst the priest himself lies unconscious on the floor.
[[Category:Events]]

Deck of the Dealer

2026-08-24T13:21:52Z

DB:

Carried by [[Husk]].

''This deck of playing cards looks to be ancient, it has turned'' {{TextAnimations|Text=bone yellow|Color=LightGoldenRodYellow|Italic=1}} ''and shows many signs of use. However, the cards don’t bend at all. The illustration on the back of the cards is a complex web of thread.''

As long as you are attuned to this deck, it has the following properties.

'''Curse''' This item is cursed. You are unwilling to part with the deck until the curse is broken with nothing short of a wish or similar magic. Should you and the deck be separated somehow, you will find it on your body at the end of a Long Rest.

'''Cardistry''' The following rules are always in effect for any of the below properties. The deck contains 54 cards, 13 cards of four suits: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades, and two joker cards. The number cards have a value equal to that printed on them, face cards have a value of ten, aces have a value of either one or eleven, your choice, and jokers are wild, meaning you can have them take any value and suit available in the full deck when drawn.

Cards can either be drawn or pulled from the deck; the physical technique for doing so is the same but the distinction of terms is important for how certain properties work. Any cards drawn or pulled are put aside until you finish a Short or Long Rest, they are then added back to the deck and the deck is shuffled. It is impossible to control this deck via Sleight of Hand or other magical or mundane means.

'''Double Lift''' Whenever any of the below cards are drawn or pulled, in the use of any of the other properties of this deck, they confer the bonus below in addition to the normal effect of that property. Each can be used once before your next Short Rest.

* '''Jack of Clubs''' '''♣''' The illustration on this card shows an ancient looking gnome. You can choose to roll with Advantage on one skill check if any beast of CR 1 or lower is proficient at that skill [Athletics, Perception, Stealth].
* '''Jack of Diamonds''' <span style="color:red">'''♦'''</span> The illustration on this card shows a man dressed to the nines. When you deal damage to a single target you can choose to roll one more damage die.
* '''Jack of Hearts''' <span style="color:red">'''♥'''</span> The illustration on this card shows a smirking man with three dots under each eye. You can choose to roll with Advantage on one Charisma check.
* '''Jack of Spades''' '''♠''' The illustration on this card shows a dark-haired man with sunken eyes and a five o'clock shadow. The first time you deal damage before your next Short Rest you must draw a card and deal the card value as extra damage but you take the same amount of card damage which can't be reduced in any way.

'''Quick-Change''' As a Bonus Action you draw a card from the deck and regain one expended use of Bardic Inspiration. You can't use this property again until you finish a Short Rest.

'''Miser's Dream''' As a Bonus Action draw one card from the deck and gain the effect based on the suit of the card:

* '''♣ Clubs''' The next time you deal damage before the end of your next turn increase the damage by half the value of the card (round up).
* '''<span style="color:red">♦</span> Diamonds''' The next time you deal damage before the end of your next turn decrease the damage by half the value of the card (round up).
* '''<span style="color:red">♥</span> Hearts''' You regain a number of Hit Points equal to the value of the card.
* '''♠ Spades''' You take damage equal to the value of the card; this damage can't be reduced in any way.

This property has a number of uses equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short Rest.

'''Mightier than the Sword''' As an Action you can pull a single card from the deck. If the pulled card is the '''Three of Clubs''' select one creature within 60 feet that you can see. Then draw a number of cards from the deck equal to your Proficiency Bonus and add the values of these cards together. You chose if the creature now either regains a number of Hit Points equal to the total card value or if it makes a Constitution saving throw versus your Spell save DC. On a failed save, the target takes damage equal to the total card value. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage. You can't use this property again until you finish a Short Rest.

'''House of Cards''' While you're holding the deck, you can use an Action to shuffle it and cause the cards, including those put aside, to deal themselves out and transform into a shelter made of cards. The shelter can be shaped however you desire, but it must fit in a 40-foot cube centered on a point within 30 feet of you. The shelter has one door and up to four windows, and only you can open or close them. It has a floor and a roof, and it maintains a comfortable temperature inside.

The shelter has AC 15, 50 hit points, and immunity to Poison and Psychic damage. The shelter lasts for 24 hours, until you dismiss it as an Action, or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. When the shelter's duration ends, it transforms back into a deck of cards and appears in your hand. Once the deck has transformed into a shelter, this property can't be used again until the next dawn. As long as the deck is transformed into a shelter you can’t use its other properties.

'''Hidden Ace''' When using the Cartomancer's Hidden Ace benefit, set a card aside from your deck as the chosen card. When you use the Hidden Ace Bonus Action, reveal the card. If it is a Jack, the Double Lift property comes into effect.
[[Category:Items]]

Deck of the Dealer

2026-08-24T13:17:06Z

DB: Added Hidden Ace

Carried by [[Husk]].

''This deck of playing cards looks to be ancient, it has turned'' {{TextAnimations|Text=bone yellow|Color=LightGoldenRodYellow|Italic=1}} ''and shows many signs of use. However, the cards don’t bend at all. The illustration on the back of the cards is a complex web of thread.''

As long as you are attuned to this deck, it has the following properties.

'''Curse''' This item is cursed. You are unwilling to part with the deck until the curse is broken with nothing short of a wish or similar magic. Should you and the deck be separated somehow, you will find it on your body at the end of a Long Rest.

'''Cardistry''' The following rules are always in effect for any of the below properties. The deck contains 54 cards, 13 cards of four suits: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades, and two joker cards. The number cards have a value equal to that printed on them, face cards have a value of ten, aces have a value of either one or eleven, your choice, and jokers are wild, meaning you can have them take any value and suit available in the full deck when drawn.

Cards can either be drawn or pulled from the deck; the physical technique for doing so is the same but the distinction of terms is important for how certain properties work. Any cards drawn or pulled are put aside until you finish a Short or Long Rest, they are then added back to the deck and the deck is shuffled. It is impossible to control this deck via Sleight of Hand or other magical or mundane means.

'''Double Lift''' Whenever any of the below cards are drawn or pulled, in the use of any of the other properties of this deck, they confer the bonus below in addition to the normal effect of that property. Each can be used once before your next Short Rest.

* '''Jack of Clubs''' '''♣''' The illustration on this card shows an ancient looking gnome. You can choose to roll with Advantage on one skill check if any beast of CR 1 or lower is proficient at that skill [Athletics, Perception, Stealth].
* '''Jack of Diamonds''' <span style="color:red">'''♦'''</span> The illustration on this card shows a man dressed to the nines. When you deal damage to a single target you can choose to roll one more damage die.
* '''Jack of Hearts''' <span style="color:red">'''♥'''</span> The illustration on this card shows a smirking man with three dots under each eye. You can choose to roll with Advantage on one Charisma check.
* '''Jack of Spades''' '''♠''' The illustration on this card shows a dark-haired man with sunken eyes and a five o'clock shadow. The first time you deal damage before your next Short Rest you must draw a card and deal the card value as extra damage but you take the same amount of card damage which can't be reduced in any way.

'''Quick-Change''' As a Bonus Action you draw a card from the deck and regain one expended use of Bardic Inspiration. You can't use this property again until you finish a Short Rest.

'''Miser's Dream''' As a Bonus Action draw one card from the deck and gain the effect based on the suit of the card:

* '''♣ Clubs''' The next time you deal damage before the end of your next turn increase the damage by half the value of the card (round up).
* '''<span style="color:red">♦</span> Diamonds''' The next time you deal damage before the end of your next turn decrease the damage by half the value of the card (round up).
* '''<span style="color:red">♥</span> Hearts''' You regain a number of Hit Points equal to the value of the card.
* '''♠ Spades''' You take damage equal to the value of the card; this damage can't be reduced in any way.

This property has a number of uses equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short Rest.

'''Mightier than the Sword''' As an Action you can pull a single card from the deck. If the pulled card is the '''Three of Clubs''' select one creature within 60 feet that you can see. Then draw a number of cards from the deck equal to your Proficiency Bonus and add the values of these cards together. You chose if the creature now either regains a number of Hit Points equal to the total card value or if it makes a Constitution saving throw versus your Spell save DC. On a failed save, the target takes damage equal to the total card value. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage. You can't use this property again until you finish a Short Rest.

'''House of Cards''' While you're holding the deck, you can use an Action to shuffle it and cause the cards, including those put aside, to deal themselves out and transform into a shelter made of cards. The shelter can be shaped however you desire, but it must fit in a 40-foot cube centered on a point within 30 feet of you. The shelter has one door and up to four windows, and only you can open or close them. It has a floor and a roof, and it maintains a comfortable temperature inside.

The shelter has AC 15, 50 hit points, and immunity to Poison and Psychic damage. The shelter lasts for 24 hours, until you dismiss it as an Action, or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. When the shelter's duration ends, it transforms back into a deck of cards and appears in your hand. Once the deck has transformed into a shelter, this property can't be used again until the next dawn. As long as the deck is transformed into a shelter you can’t use its other properties.

'''Hidden Ace''' When using the Cartomancer's Hidden Ace benefit set a card aside from your deck as the chosen card. When you use the Hidden Ace Bonus Action, reveal the card. If it is a Jack, the Double Lift property comes into effect.
[[Category:Items]]

The Wager - Chronological order of Events

2026-08-21T13:11:02Z

DB:

[[File:The-rack.jpg|right|300x300px]]
Who will wager what, when woes weaken weary wanderers.

== The protagonists ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|[[Dieter von Mündelheim|Dieter Albrecht von Mündelheim]]
|-
|[[Guydust]]
|-
|[[Husk]]
|-
|[[Wallace Linnaeus]]
|}

== Dolac ==

=== Three journeys ===
This is how our four friends ended up in the capital of [[Dolac]]; [[Avale]].

==== Wallace Linnaeus ====
Wallace starts his journey to Avale following the Fiumare river. On the way he ran into a band of [[Nikanish]] who were trying to protect a tribe of bullywugs and the druid was asked if he wanted to help and he does. Later his camp was overrun by zombies but he managed to get away with all of his belongings.

Then a town happened to be visited by a bunch [[Kashtin]] revelers when Wallace arrived and this lead to some very hedonistic days. Journeying on alone was quite the contrast but the beautiful landscapes made up for it especially the [[Dolac#Sevso Sound|Sevso Sound]]. From there it took a number of bridges to the islands in the Tal delta and a ferry to get across and make it to Avale where he finds an '''inn, the Plucked Pheasant, in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]] neighborhood'''.

The city is huge and there is much to see. Wallace starts by getting a shave at Hair Me Out. Next he buys a mince mop from a street vendor. While walking and eating he nearly collides with a square-jawed, blond-haired man that steps out of an outhouse, dusting down his clothes, mumbling to himself.

A few days later in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] he passes by the Pursue Hickory bank and comes to a square where an expensively dressed gentleman is tending to a vagrant, pouring a potion down his throat which seems to make him feel a lot better.

During another exploration of the city, this time in the North of Grove Way neighborhood, also known as [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]], Wallace is lured into alley, where he is surrounded by four assailants. Things look bleak, this is an unwinnable fight and flight will also be difficult. But then an unassuming woman, short, with a cleft chin, and her dark hair in a knot, appears, and the four robbers run, saving him from an ignoble fate. The woman gives him a smile and leaves. There is no sign of her when the druid makes it back out on to the street.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Wallace to sign up.

==== Dieter Albrecht von Mündelheim ====
Starting out from Zâram-Tûm, Dieter’s journey to [[Banak]] is uneventful. But his next stretch to [[Martell]] is a different story. The caravan he was traveling with, promptly got attacked near the border with [[Otteun]], but fortunately they managed to fight off the robbers, Dieter showing off his skill with his zweihänder to all around. Midtal was an interesting experience, he made a little money when someone asked about his perfectly tailored clothes and showed off his other skills.

Avale seemed the best possible next destination and the landsknecht took passage on a river barge. The slow journey down the river gave plenty of time to focus on certain things he had been ignoring and to get to know his fellow travelers. At one village stop, Dieter helped out one of his new friends when he was cheated on in a game of Three-Dragon Ante, managing to recover all the money.

The barge arrived at Avale disembarking everyone in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. Two of his fellow passengers knew of '''a good inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]] neighborhood; The Boer Inn'''. And so he joined them and walked there, taking a room on the third floor. It cost a little extra but the view of the Tal estuary is worth it. The first thing he sees is a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat catch a girl who picked a dwarf’s pocket. He hands the money over to the victim and then takes a piece of pastry from his pocket and gives it to the child before letting her go.

The nearby fish shop, For Cod’s Sake, introduced him to all kinds of new food and then he was told about another place that he just had to go visit. Following directions he went to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] neighborhood, where on Falanae Avenue he passed by Elassidil Villa, headquarters of [[Thal Lithel]]. At the intersection with Korb Street, a boy on crutches was brusquely told by a man in a carriage to get his ass in there. And then when the conveyance drove away he saw it; the Feywild Shroomhouse.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Dieter to sign up.

==== Husk & Guydust ====
After quite some adventures on [[Threepwood Isle]] the duo arrive at the docks in Avale. New to the city, they '''find an inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Proviso Place|Proviso Place]] neighborhood'''. From there they start to explore the city and one evening when coming to a road in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] they startle a man and a woman in an intimate embrace. She hides her head behind the man as they leave. A minute later Husk and Guydust almost gets trampled by a horde of girls all yelling and chasing after a man with salt and pepper hair.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get both of them to sign up.

== Sarodin Sea ==
Those signing up weren't told much and that's because it turns out to be a '''pirate hunting mission'''. A flotilla lead by the Whiskered Admiral is going to search for a small pirate fleet that was spotted not too far away. The navy is sending four ships; the Prince Willim, a 1st charter ship, two 2nd charter ships, the Ranhem and the Crowned Griffon, and a 3rd charter ship, the Arms of Dolac.

It's early in the morning and those shanghaied wake up feeling the worse for wear, it smells of sweat and sick, there are many conversations around. Some rays of sunshine penetrate the murk, the floor beneath them is moving in all directions. People are getting up from the floor and soon a hatch opens, the sunlight suddenly very bright, and some people come down a ladder.

Standing next to the ladder are a balding halfling, he looks to be in charge, a dwarf with a short beard, a half-elf, she has a rather big nose and her hair is dyed black, quite badly. Further there’s a gnome, her face looks to be sliding down her skull, and a large half-orc, with blonde dyed hair.

The halfling speaks: “I am Bosun Miller and you are on board the majestic Crowned Griffon, the best ship in the entire navy, run expertly by Captain Drumpf and Quartermaster Onel.” At the mention of the last name some people involuntarily scrunch their noses, he apparently has quite the musk. Miller continues: “We are on a mission to take out a pirate fleet and make sure these murderers, rapists, and drug dealers will never make it to our homeland.”

“Now, most of you might not be here voluntarily but you are finally going to do something worthwhile with your lives and get paid really well for it,” he tells the crowd. “Until we get anywhere near the pirates you will be assisting with the running of the ship, Chief Mate Luktnicks here will further explain.”

The dwarf looks around, “you will be doing grunt work even a wet goblin can do, complain or shirk and you will be going overboard, try your luck with the sharks. You might have noticed your weapons and armor are missing. We don’t want any accidental stabbings or other fights, get in one and you’ll get intimately familiar with the cat o' nine tails as wielded by Karoline here,” he motions towards the half-orc. She scowls as she looks around and rumbles “leave it”.

“You’ll get your weaponry back when we near the pirates, you can even put on your armor then, if you are fool enough to want to drown with it. Until then you report to the second mate, Juliana,” he points at the half-elf, “or the third mate, Kristi,” he motions towards the gnome.

Our four friends are selected by third mate Kristi to help with pulling the sails when there is need to, she puts a sailor in charge of them. The four introduce themselves to each other and discuss the mission they have now been given. During their weeks in town '''they heard lots of stories''' any time they were in a tavern, or really anywhere a lot of people gather and gossip. It's definitely possible they heard stories about other people with the same name or looks, but '''this is what they all think they heard about their new friends'''. It might all be just poppycock of course!

Wallace learned the following: Guydust has a smoking hot sister; twice as easy on the eyes and dangerous in all the right places. She wants to be a mighty pirate queen. He heard the following about Husk: “That chip he carries? Cursed. If he ever cashes it in, someone dies. Or five people. Depends who you ask.” Dieter is said to have deserted the army.

Dieter heard these stories: “Husk used to be some kind of performer, proper fancy stages, not the tavern kind. Someone said he lost his voice for a while. Couldn’t sing a note. Came back different.” Guydust was once in deep trouble; chained and tossed into the ocean. It's said he only survived by stubbornly holding his breath for over five minutes. Wallace has been called "somewhat demented" by people.

Husk heard the following rumors: Guydust has a terrible nemesis; an undying pirate captain. Even though that fearsome "Leslough" has been slain thrice or more, he keeps coming back for vengeance. As a zombie, a ghost, once even as a haunted carnival attraction. Dieter used to run a tailor's shop with his father. And he learned that Wallace was the strange man heard shouting at the ???.

Guydust learned the following: “Husk once pulled a man out of the canal after a bad bet went worse. Didn’t want thanks, just muttered, ‘No one deserves to lose everything in one night.’ Sounded like he knew.” Wallace is supposed to be some kind of doctor. And Dieter's sword is supposedly larger than the man himself.

The next morning our friends wake, and while they might still feel sea sick, their recent experiences have unlocked new abilities inside themselves. [They reached second level.] Guydust seems to be in quite a bit of pain. He asks the others to hide him from view as a [[Crossed Bones|hand crossbow made of bones]] is expelled from his body quite gruesomely. Dieter manages to cure his wounds and the rogue quickly hides the weapon under his clothes. The four get to know each other a little better and are put to work when needed.
[[File:Bound shark.png|right|300x300px]]
At some point Dieter looks over the railing and sees a shark swimming just under the surface. But this is very strange, it looks like there is a sort of metal cage around its head. He calls over the others but it's gone when they arrive. Wallace has never heard of anything like that and starts to list of numerous sea creatures which it could have been. Later that day a whale breaches not too far away from the ship to the delight of all.

Guydust approaches Bosun Miller and tries to persuade him to do some entertainment for Captain Drumpf or others, explaining that that is where his expertise lies. But the halfling is not swayed being a person devoid of any sense of whimsy.

Then, during the night, '''a massive storm hits''' the flotilla. Our friends are asleep in the hold when they get tossed all over as the waves pummel the ship. A huge hole in the hull makes the ship list to the side. In nautical circles this is what is known as a ‘bad sign’. Before the party even knows it, for that is what they are now, they '''find themselves in the water'''. Huge waves spell their doom but fortunately '''half of a loading trapdoor floats nearby and they manage to cling on to it'''. Guydust loses his hold due to the storm but Dieter manages to grab his arm and pulls him back onto the trapdoor.

=== Tiny Island ===
After floating on a calmer sea for many hours they eventually '''wash ashore on a tiny island''', about an hour before dusk. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and maybe one trinket or other item they kept close. The island is not a bounty one; one rock spur sticks about eight meters up in the air, the beach is more pebble than sand. There’s one small tree, not doing too well, other than that just some shrub bushes that don’t grow much in the way of food. One can walk a full circle around the island in about ten minutes.

There are some things that washed up on the shore with them. A single coconut lays on the beach, still intact and filled with delicious victuals. Husk spots a vial containing a troll's finger. And Wallace manages to find a single gold doubloon.

Our friends search the island for food and other useful things, finding just a few berries and mushrooms but near the shore Husk finds a Marid's Tail, which can function as an improvised dagger, once. Meanwhile Dieter has gone up to the one tree and found a branch that could serve as a weapon. He manages to remove it in one piece and then uses anything around to sharpen it into a spear.

Considering their condition they feel an early long rest is in order and they wake up early the next morning. They try and catch some fish using some interesting techniques as Husk plays with a [[Deck of the Dealer|deck of cards]] that he someone managed to keep hold of. Then Wallace decides that he'll put his shirt onto the top of the rock spur as a flag. He wild shapes into a goat and clambers up there, holding the shirt in his mouth.

Dieter follows, reckoning that when the gnome changes back to himself to attach his flag, he might well come sliding down the rocks. But as the landsknecht makes his way he '''falls through a thin sheet of rock into a shaft below''', debris flying everywhere. The others have fortunately noticed this; Guydust and Husk walk up to the hole and Wallace wild shapes into a large spider now, making his way down.

There is a force field at the bottom of a 30' shaft that has slowed down Dieter's fall and he ends up on the floor without hurting himself. '''A magic mouth on the wall starts speaking in an unknown language, sounding quite serious''', as he gets his bearings. The bedrock has been carved out to create a room, the ceiling is about 15’ high, the shaft in the middle of it. It is pretty barren, on a stone shelf lies a book that has been totally overgrown with mold. A corridor leads away, there is a tiny bit of light coming from around corner.

Spider Wallace climbs down the shaft and goes through the force field and sees that Dieter is fine. He then climbs back up the shaft and surprises Husk as he exits, causing the gambler to startle and fall right into the shaft. Fortunately the force field also arrests his fall and he manages to land safely in the room below. Wallace tries to indicate it's safe and Guydust follows so all four end up in the room.

The gambler and the entertainer then manage to very carefully remove a single page from the book as the rest disintegrates completely. The voice speaks again and our friends go down the one corridor. Here they find a natural cave that has been carved in places to heighten the ceiling to about 8’. There are signs of combat, scorch marks on the walls, a broken arrow lies just inside the corridor.

To the back of the cave is '''a dark opening, about three meters in diameter, maybe it’s their imagination but the inside of it seemed to move a bit, throb'''? It is almost entirely blocked by a stone wall that is crumbling, Wallace is well versed in Arcana and recognize it as one made by the Wall of Stone spell. Almost a foot of water has seeped into the cave and in the murky water they can just about make out four small mounds of stuff. In the left back corner of the room lies a ball of something rubber-like wrapped around itself.

Three of the four mounds contain a dead body, very well preserved, and also a number of items. Going through all the items takes time but will likely lead to some good finds so most of our friends go through it carefully, whereas Wallace, still in spider form goes over to the rubbery thing. It slowly starts moving a little, waking up? The druid tries to help with the unwrapping, using his spider limbs.

Then incorporeal spiders come slithering through the walls, floor, and ceiling from the other room and they start to attack. The rubbery thing attacks with just a single appendage at first and hits hard; doing not just hit point damage but also giving Exhaustion when it hits Wallace. Every round the golem attacks with one more appendage and escape becomes a necessity.

Dieter has been using his improvised spear to try and pull the wall down but without much success at first. But eventually he levers up and a huge chunk of wall comes down, enough for them to enter the strange tunnel that looks a lot like the inside of an esophagus, [[wikipedia:Peristalsis|peristaltic contractions]] and all, a place the snakes and golem don't seem to want to enter. Husk can't resist grabbing just one more item on the way out and they all barely make it to safety with two of them having multiple levers of exhaustion.

As they walk down the sloped tunnel they heal themselves as best they can. The tunnel is long and continues downward, only after a long walk they arrive in another cave, slick with water. The tunnel looks about the same at this end as the other, very strange. Things look to be safe so our friends decide to have a long rest to recover from their exhaustion and '''look at all the items they managed to grab'''.

Dieter found a potion of Stupendous Healing (3d10+level) and someone knows these are very rare and not for sale, it might be worth a nice amount. He also found a rather curious '''[[Doomed Dagger]]'''. Guydust found the '''[[Spent Spear]]''' which he gave to Dieter in return for the dagger. He also found a bracelet made of gold, set with turquoise stones. Husk found one exactly the same, each bracelet should be worth about a hundred gold pieces. Other items the gambler managed to recover are a helmet carved out of hardwood, shaped like a dragon’s head, boots made of dark leather that have turned very soft and floppy, and a really strange tiny, red stinger; '''[[Phlegethos’ Pick]]'''.
[[File:Steam Mephit.png|right|384x384px]]
[Room with the mounds of stuff and some of the items there with thanks to Dale Friezen.]

After some good sleep they set off down the slick rock corridor, going ever further down, the temperature drops even more and everyone gets a headache. Eventually they come to a fissure, vapor rising from it, about ten foot across.

Wallace can't jump that far and wild shapes into an elk. When he jumps across with Husk on his back, small, winged humanoid creatures with pale skin and wisps of vapor rising from their nose, mouth, and ears rise from the chasm. They shed drops of steaming water when they move.

The creatures attack with their steam breath, hurting our friends quite a bit doing damage even in death as they explode in a burst of steam. Fortunately they are not as difficult to hit as most of their species are and the party has plenty of spells and Guydust's hand crossbow to take care of the three creatures.

The path continues on until they reach what must be a really big, stone door. A large stone frame runs up, across, and down a single slab of stone. There is no handle or lock visible but on either side there is a hole in the stone, just a bit bigger than a finger. After some investigation and discussion Dieter and Wallace '''each put a finger into one of the holes and the door slides open diagonally'''.

==== Midnight Altar ====
Beyond the doorway is a square room about 50’ on each side carved out of some kind of blue stone. A midnight altar, wrought from some superterrestrial metal, stands at its center. Faint lines of golden energy radiate from the altar along the floor to a large door. Above the altar float a number of symbols, most are white, two are purple. In the middle of the two side walls sit levers, both pointing up.

At the far end of the room is a large door, made of a dark wood and covered in many sigils that all radiate with magical power. Around the door and on the floor emblems have been carved, the same set repeats; a skull, a cloud, a triangle pointing downwards, something that might be an explosion, a scorpion. The door doesn’t seem to have hinges, a lock, or a handle. A tiny crack has formed at the bottom left of the door and a dark orange substance has seeped out, it looks like a small drop of syrup or honey.

As soon as someone enters the room '''a voice sounds in their head''' and they, but no one else, sees a black and white vision looking like an enigmatic version of a human, or in Wallace's case, a gnome. The '''entity sounds ancient and powerful, it offers each of them power''', saying it can help with certain things they are dealing with, '''in exchange for doing certain things for it'''.

'''Wallace asks the others if they heard the same voice and he tells them that he is considering making a deal.''' Husk and Guydust tell the gnome that it's a bad idea, especially cause the entity is not clear on what it wants them to do. Wallace negotiates a bit, stipulating he doesn't want to torture people or be sent to go kill a bunch of people. He also makes sure his soul is not at risk. With the bargain struck the voice tells him to '''touch the doubloon he found to the small drop of syrup like substance'''. When he does so, the substance covers the doubloon and then sinks into it. On the surface of the coin '''the old markings are gone and what looks like [[Doubloon of Doom|a stylized letter D has appeared]]'''.

Their knowledge of Arcana shows that the symbols over the altar are likely a sort of status report and purple is probably not good.Guydust thinks the room might be related to a deity but not one of the current [[Eras|era]].

The two levers are the one thing in the room that they haven't dealt with; Dieter and Wallace pull on them simultaneously. When they do, two things happen immediately. '''There is a sinking feeling as their room starts to float down''', and six parts of the wall are blown away and beyond them are niches in a strange shell like shape. Each contains a bench that is angled ninety degrees, a receptacle holding a potion vial, and a lever.

Everyone feels the pressure increasing in their heads and it stands to reason it will only get worse. Dieter gets into one of the niches and Wallace quickly jumps into the same one before the landsknecht pulls the lever. When he does so, a force field covers the open side of the niche as it is pushed away from the wall and starts to float to the surface. When the escape pod pops out of the water it lands horizontally on the waves and the force field disappears, the bench is now in the right position to sit on.

Having seen the result of Dieter's action, Husk and Guydust stay a bit longer, grabbing potions from two niches, but with the pressure mounting, they too make their escape. Once on the surface, all of the pods find a way to each other and cluster together.

After floating in the middle of nowhere, the island is not in sight, for most of the day, they get very lucky and spot a ship. It's '''a fishing ship, the Twilight Wanderer, from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]]''' and our friends are taken on board. As they do so, Dieter and Guydust notice from the corner of their eyes what looks to be '''a huge head sticking out of the water''', from about halfway up the nose. It's right at the horizon and must be enormous but it moves away before anyone else can spot it.

The crew of the fishing vessel consists of four people, all quite sunburned; Captain Raisa, tall, skinny, and quite sociable, Zaria, she has a broken nose, muscled arms, and is quite chatty, Blazh, he wears an earring with lapis lazuli, is missing a finger, and carries a hooked knife, he's quite jovial, and Kyrilu, a rather hirsute individual who squints a lot and is a bit grumpy. Amazingly, Guydust has actually heard two pirates arguing about this ship; one said not to attack it cause his cousin Zaria was aboard.

The ship is cramped with eight of them on it but they make it work as they set sail home to Abrinol, the neighborhood in Avale is named for it. During the journey our friends get to know the crew a little better and learn of the fascinating culture of the Hundred Mile Islands. That first night everyone on the boat sees '''a falling star, blue streaked, and very low on the horizon, crossing the sky'''.

After a, blessedly uneventful, journey of a few days '''our friends arrive on Abrinol'''. It's quite the sight; the buildings on the island are all made of wood and painted red, though a Dolac would say their quality was less than they were used to. Off to one side of the town there are a few houses that are clearly built in older Dolac style, including one tavern, the Maiden and Flagon.

A few warehouses in Dolac style are situated to the left of the harbor, that’s also where two large piers can be found, each has a ship anchored there. The Prince Willim is one of those, it looks to have taken quite some damage from the storm. The other ship is a large merchant vessel named the [[Hythe Maritime Services|HMS]] Floris.

Captain Raisa invites the party over to dinner at her house and even offers to let them stay the night. First our friends go do a little shopping, selling the gold bracelets they found to get some new clothes and supplies. Guydust goes to the merchant vessel and his story of the shipwreck gets enough sympathy that someone offers him one of their old outfits.

Our friends learn that the Prince Willim won't be returning to Avale for a while but the HMS Floris is sailing there tomorrow. They go over to the ship and a blonde man, tall and wide shouldered, the type you would cast in your play to be the paladin or king, welcomes them onboard and '''introduces himself as Gerrut Hythe but tells them to call him Keeper'''. Apparently their story had an effect and he offers them passage and would like to discuss their experiences with the Admiralty.

The next morning, after a lovely dinner and a night in a real bed, they board the HMS Floris and find out that Keeper has vacated his personal cabin for them, he'll use a hammock on deck. They tell him about some of their experiences after being shipwrecked. Wallace goes on an hour long story that goes nowhere and is at crossed porpoise.

== Dolac ==
Our friends make it safely '''back to [[Avale]]''' where the first order of business is to find an inn, as they decide to stick together; they learned that to get any adventuring work you need to be signed up as a group. They are told the Blue Balladeer Inn is a good place for what they are willing to spend so that's where they go.

But first they stop by [[Avale#Admiralty House|Admiralty House]] in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Prester|Prester neigborhood]] where Wallace's knowledge of bureaucracy comes in very handy. He talks the receptionist in circles and they soon leave with 20 gp of wages for their time in the employ of the navy. Next they go to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fabrics|Fabrics neighborhood]] where Dieter buys some tools and lots of fabric.

As they approach the place in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Bow Valley|Bow Valley neighborhood]] they see an old woman in dirty coat sitting on an upturned bucket at the entrance to an alley. A brown mackerel tabby with gray field lays on a window sill and gets up stretching its back. A little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in an old coat dances to music only she can hear. Inside the inn a lute missing its strings and a broken horn hang on the wall, a statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black stands in an alcove.

Then '''a visit to the Adventurers Association''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]]. They have to fill out a form, asking where their strengths lie and '''give a party name, for some reason they decide on "The Drowned Pussies"'''. After a a short while they are lead to the offices of Jerry Tidwell, who will be their agent from now on. He's a tall halfling with dark hair and a big nose, and very outgoing, energetic. He offers them coffee that he has specially imported from [[Haza]].

They discuss what he can do for them as he plays around with a silvered horseshoe in his hands, in some places the original iron clearly visible. Jerry tells them they are in luck; Grand Master and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]] Geppert Cross, of the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors has died recently and there are '''jobs available as honor guard'''. It only pays 2 gp but he explains that it's important to get a relationship started with any guild, they are much more likely to hire people they have worked with in the past, and usually don't look closely at what the work was.

He also advises them to get a ‘money person’, it's such a waste to keep your money in a pouch or under your bed. The money person knows the best banks to put them in or other investment opportunities. “Me and some friends bought the rights to the Dolac blue conifer; whenever a single one of them is sold we get part of that,” he explains quite animatedly. He suggests a bookkeeper; Carla Tebaldo, she's a gnome and does most of his investments.

=== First Jobs ===
Our friends are told to go to Save Nine in the Fabrics neighborhood to pick up ceremonial staves and robes with the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors clue compass rose attached to them. Next they report to the Domicile of Diligence in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Uppark|Uppark]]. The procession will go to the Mother Mensual cemetery in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights neighborhood]] and every hundred feet two people peel off to stand to the left and right of the street.

On their way they hear people in the crowd along the street talking. A halfling wearing a poncho with multicolored, diagonal lines comments: “you know what a dead Torchbearer is? A good start! I say burn them all, what have they ever done for us?” A woman in a hat with a blue compass rose emblem tells her companion: “I heard that thing that fell from the sky destroyed the entire city of [[Kostul]]!” A gorgeous half-elf in a blue dress says to her friend, who is equally stunning: “I used to have so much fun with Old Geppy, he was the loveliest little lapdog”.

When our friends get near Carriage Court it is their turn to take up positions. A dwarf with a beard woven into an intricate pattern asks: “Did they appoint anyone in place of the dead guy yet?” A man eating the last bit of his deep-fried giant answers: “No, this bunch are traditionalists and wait till the body is in the ground.” To which the dwarf replies: “Well, I hope that whoever gets in will be in favor of lowering taxes on labor, it’s got so bad I can hardly compete with foreign crap coming in.” Says the man: “This guild? Don’t hold your breath.”

As the funeral procession comes closer a man steps into the street, right between where our friends are standing. He throws a bottle of oil to the cobbles and pours another all over himself. He cries: “They ruined me! Those gods-damned guilds and their rules, destroying the common man and do they care? Do they fuck all!” as he takes out a tinderbox. People scramble backwards.

Our friends immediately respond and a Sleep spell by Husk has the man on the cobbles without anyone else being affected. Then Dieter and Guydust carry him off to the side and wait for the Humtache to show up, handing him over. Meanwhile Wallace removes the shards of the broken oil bottle. When the procession comes by, one person comes over to the party, a somewhat heavy set person but quite indistinct, it seems impossible to tell if they are human, half-elf, elf, or dwarf, and their gender is unclear as well. They introduces themselves as '''House'''.

They impressed with what our friends did and invites them over to their home in Uppark for lunch the next day. Our friends arrive at the mansion and the door is opened by a servant wearing a red vest over a white shirt and a green cap. As they are being led to the sun room, they go through rooms that are filled with all kinds of things that almost entrance Husk.

There is an ornate roulette wheel, some kind of contraption that shows three symbols and has a metal lever to the side. There are many decks of cards in display cases; regular decks, three-dragon ante decks, tarot decks, and decks the bard can't place. On the wall hang displays with poker chips, all have different symbols; a golden pitchfork, a silver ship, a red whip, a gold ring, and many more. There's also a painting of dogs playing cards, Wallace thinks one of them might be him.

Everyone has a lovely lunch; mimosas are provided as Wallace had asked for. The party learns that House is a recent arrival to the city and is in the process of starting a new venture, something they might just be able to use our friends for. House promises that they will have some work for them in the near future.

The very next day Jerry sends a messenger; he has '''work for the party'''. "It's a twofer!" he exclaims enthusiastically when they enter his office. He has received requests from the '''Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild and the Messengers Coalition'''. Both seem to him a good match for our friends and he hands them the parchments; '''[[MC - Request 1|Missing Messenger]]''' '''& [[AAG - Request 1|Request for Ingredients]]'''.

==== Kenohob ====
Our friends make it to Kenohob without any trouble, all the while having kept an eye out for Herleva. Once there they find out she picked up her package and left, right on schedule. They also learn that wild animals have been coming into the village causing havoc, this is not normal behavior, usually they know the risks and avoid the hamlet. Only last night the Furious Farmer lost a number of cows due to a wolf attack.

Our friends go visit her and the halfling tells them, pointing at the forest with her scythe, that the wolf went back into the nearby forest. First Wallace and then Husk try to track the wolf but fail utterly at it. With a sigh the Furious Farmer points to where the creature entered the forest and once they enter the forest Dieter has a look and he unerringly finds the trail, even being able to tell how long ago it was made. The tracks lead to the dead body of the wolf, with an zombie boar standing over it. Battle is short and swift with the boar snuffing it in the end. [Wallace manages to roll two 1's when rolling with Advantage; activating a new property on his [[Doubloon of Doom]].]

There's only an hour or so of daylight left but again our friends prove very proficient at tracking, following back the path the boar took. They arrive at an '''ancient barrow mound, deeper in the forest'''. Sitting on top of it is a '''redheaded girl and her dog, which''' '''has very red eyes and looks strange somehow'''.

The party talks with the girl as they carefully come closer. She '''confirms that she is Herleva''' and tells them that on her way back to Avale, her dog Snuffles dashed into the forest and she followed him. It lead to the barrow mound, one side had collapsed a bit and left a hole big enough for the dog to go through. '''When Snuffles came back out it was very much changed and now, anytime it came near a creature it turned it into a zombie.'''

Herleva wants to stay here with her best friend, she knows that returning to civilization is not a good idea so she has resolved to just stay here for as long as she can. She is clearly malnourished and likely quite exhausted. Wallace uses a Speak with Animals spell to talk to Snuffles and there seems to be some kind of malevolent presence that has taken hold of the border collie. The dog explains he just wants to make more 'friends' and when challenged he sends in six zombified forest creatures; battle is on!

It's a very tough combat with both Guydust and Dieter dropping to the forest floor. It's a good thing Husk can heal at a distance. With their resources almost completely depleted they finally bring down the last of their opponents. All the while Herleva and Snuffles remained on top of the mound watching what was happening in front of them.

Now Husk tries to talk to the girl again and he eventually uses a Minor Illusion spell to create a copy of Snuffles next to him, sans red eyes. He bluffs and tells the girl that this is the real Snuffles, even having Guydust bark to sell the illusion. Herleva runs towards the illusionary dog and then Snuffles follow her before being intercepted by Guydust who ties up the animal.

Meanwhile Dieter has walked around the mound and found the opening into it. Inside he sees numerous gifts one would leave a buried chieftain; hack-silver, simple jewelry, a bone dagger, and a wooden box. Fortunately he doesn't enter the hole and just shouts to the others about his find and what to do next.

The others come over and Husk manages to put Herleva to sleep by singing her a lullaby. There is a lot of discussion what to do next, is there a way to cure Snuffles? Dieter meanwhile removes all the dead creatures from the scene, moving them deeper into the forest. The party comes up with a plan so out there, it just might work.

Dieter casts Heroism on Snuffles and gives it some Bardic Inspiration, having received some himself from Husk. They throw the dog into the mound with a rope attached and when encouraged it manages to shake off the malevolent presence, his eyes returning to their natural color. The party then quickly pull him out and then seal up the mound.

They return to Kenohob and take a room at the Wispy Vapor Inn for all six of them. The party all agree it's not a good idea to have Herleva go back to Avale by herself and figuring there is no rush for the other job '''they return to the capital with her and deliver her to the Messengers Coalition HQ'''. They then do some more shopping and start the return journey to Kenohob the next day. From there they go south as indicated by the request and eventually come across an ogre.
[[File:Ogre Howdah.png|right|355x355px]]
But that's not all there is to it; someone built a palisaded wooden fort on its back! And in there are three goblins, one speaks up as the party approaches. “Ah, perfidious questers! Surrender your treasures and artifacts and your existences will be spared!” Our friends do not feel inclined to take this deal and move closer and the goblin speaks again: “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Flak Ogre!”

Battle is on and the goblins are very adapt at sniping at the party with spell and bow before hiding behind the wooden cover again. Unfortunately for them they miss as often as they hit. The ogre hits more often and harder but it turns out that a druid with two Wild Shapes has a nice buffer of hit points to make it through a fight.

'''Eventually the ogre topples''' and the goblins roll away, escaping as they run between the trees, making any parting shots difficult.

The next day our friends '''manage to find all the ingredients''' requested by Herb’s Store. They set up camp near a marsh and then proceed to '''have a very strange dream''' featuring a blue and green painted carriage and a mansion with a butler and long corridors full of doors.

=== Avale ===
Our friends deliver the ingredients and ogre parts and Herb, the proprietor, shows them a number of interesting items he is willing to sell them for their services, he tells them to check back often as his stock changes frequently. When they return to the Grey Minstrel Inn they are accosted by '''a dwarf with a rather tangled and unkempt beard'''. He is looking for a job and introduces himself as '''Aracuda Shovi''', it's clear he is far from home but our friends don't have any work for him. Husk says that he might be interested in having a retainer in the future.

The next day a message from Jerry, their agent, arrives. He has '''a job for a druid to sub for one who got sick, the druid is to wild shape into two different animals for a play being staged at the Catifras theater in Oakhurst'''. He also included three free tickets for the play that night. Wallace takes the job and he goes to the theater that afternoon. The marquee reads: “'''Hanno Salt stars as Jack Hoida in Jack Hoida and the Forgotten Temple'''”.

He is met by the '''Long-Suffering Assistant Director''' who explains they need a panther in the first act and a giant snake in the third. He is then introduced to the Water Wrangler, the Pyronicist, the Sound Effecter, and the stage hands. He briefly meets Hanno Salt, a dark haired, square jawed man in dark pants, a white jacket with dangling fasteners, and black gloves, who sucks on a licorice stick and soon leaves with a giggling blonde. Wallace learns the play is about intrepid explorer cutting a swathe through vines and canoeing down white-frothing rivers in a territory composed almost entirely of jungle and implausible traps. He gets to practice his part with the Nervous Stand-in.

In the evening our friends take their places in the audience and Wallace is in the wings. The play starts with a bard singing an opening song as the backgrounds change and stagehands walk out with placards showing who plays who. At the end of the play another song is sung. Some quotes:<blockquote>"...and of course, Queen Tamarka was my lover, but now she wants my head on a stick. All because I gave away the secret of her immortality..."

"...and that's when I married the love of my life and retired. Only for her to be murdered six months later, dragging me back into my old life..."

"...after that I spent a year undercover as a pirate under Captain Rosaline, the River Rose. Also my lover, by the way. And come to think of it, she also wants my head on a stick..."</blockquote>Wallace does a passable job and is in the changing rooms afterwards when Hanno Salt steps in. “The production went as smooth as can be, you all deserve a drink. I love it when a play comes together,” he tells them before he leaves with a giggling blonde, not the same as the one in the afternoon. The gnome goes off with the cast and crew for a drink and the rest of the party also goes to a nearby tavern for a libation or two.

==== Night at the Museum ====
Not much later '''another job''' offer comes through; our friends are to '''act as guards for some animals on display at the [[Avale#State Museum|State Museum]] during a fundraiser'''. They are told to look the part more than anything; wear all the armor they have and bring their biggest weapons. At the location they are met by the '''Harried PA''' who explains she had to make a deal with the museum guards; the party has to stick to their location with the animals and are to leave everything else to the museum guards.

The event takes place in two large, connected rooms and in one corner there is a display; "'''Animals from [[Neniros]]'''". There's a large cage containing an orangutan, a large box with glass front and top in which a huge anaconda lies. Two smaller boxes with glass tops and fronts hold Neniros toads and blue poison dart frogs. A small cage hanging from a pole contains a single orange and black bird; a cock-of-the-rock.

The caterers are busy setting up tables full of food and drink and at some point someone calls out; “'''Hey, Naffles''', where in the Nine Hells are you?” '''Wallace looks around and spots his fourth ex-wife, Dersigos''', who works catering this evening. Earlier in their journey the party has learned that '''the druid has 12 ex-wives'''. Wallace tries to hide from her but she sees him and comes over, they speak a few sentences but her boss needs her back and she tells the gnome they'll talk after the event. Then the first guests start to arrive.

Once everyone is present a short man with a large mustache steps up on a small podium. Quinton saw this man on his first day in the city, near the Pursue Hickory bank. They learn that he is '''Joseph Lacombe, the Grand Master and Boss of the Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes'''. He holds a short speech:<blockquote>“Friends, welcome, it is good to see so many familiar money pouches, I mean faces. We are so fortunate to be able to congregate here this evening and enjoy all the world has to offer, great food and drink a plenty. But we should spare a thought for those less fortunate, those that live in squalor, who don’t have a job, whose children are sick and going hungry. We should not allow our society to let this go on and thus I have started the Solutions for the Infirm charity and call on you for support. Please enjoy your evening in this wonderful ambiance but make sure to donate generously as I know you can.”</blockquote>He then steps from the podium and approaches one of the guests. “If it isn’t '''Fitzwallace-Keely''', my favorite guild boss, Jeffery, we need to talk about you opening your coffers,” he says, grabs a drink from a tray and then moves away with the ruddy haired man wearing an expensive suit with embroidered green scales.
[[File:Constrictor Snake.png|right|300x300px]]
The '''place is filled with the great and the good''' of Avale but unfortunately our friends don't know any of them and no one points them out to them. They do recognize the holy symbols of [[Osprem]] and [[Lirr]], so there are at least two, likely high-ranking, priests present. There is also a tiefling woman, she must be from the [[Kasarian Embassy]]. There are definitely a lot of guild members as many people wear guild insignia. There are three memorable socialite ladies who rather oh and ah over the blue frogs.

Some time later there’s a flash coming from the other room and then lots of smoke, coughing people stumble into the adjoining room where our friends are. The party holds position near the animals, Dersigos and another waitress, this one more nattily dressed make their way over, still hacking and trying to catch their breath.

Eventually the museum guards go in and it becomes clear '''the Flame of Dolac, a transparent fiery orange Jacinth carved into the shape of a flame, is missing'''. '''The Humtache is called in''', lead by the '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat. Dieter actually saw him from his room at the top floor of the inn catching a pick-pocketing girl.

After a little while he comes over to our friends and asks if they have been in the other room at all. Seeing as they haven't, he asks them to help interview some of the witnesses; he's pressed for time as all the powerful people in the room are bristling at being held here. He takes them over to talk to four men. The first introduces himself as '''Roger Newsome''', of the Mimico Newsomes, he adds when all he gets are blank faces. He's wearing a bracelet with a huge piece of jade and a ring set with a fire opal. He explains that he and his three friends Arthur Elliot, Theodore Grady, and Horace Sims, are gem aficionados, they call themselves the Stoned Boys. Unfortunately none of them have anything useful to report.

Our friends report this and then return to the animal corner. The museum slowly empties, they've been told they will be the last to be allowed to leave. As the catering staff leaves and four animal handlers in blue coveralls approach Husk realizes that '''hiding the gem with the animals might be a good way to smuggle it out and he tells the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector this'''. He is thanked for this insight and the short detective tells him he'll look into it, they can go home now.

Once outside our friends are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter''' from the [[Avale#Vulpine Count|'''Vulpine Count''']]. He was at the fundraiser and has lots of questions but they don't tell him anything useful, or even true. As they walk home Husk spots '''the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector and another Humtache are tailing a wagon loaded with the animals from the fundraiser'''.

The party follows the followers and see the wagon being moved into a warehouse with the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector and the other guard taking up positions to observe. Dieter uses a Disguise Self spell and pretends to be a drunk, moving down the road and then observing the place from the opposite way.

Wallace wild shapes into a giant spider and he and Husk climb up onto the roof of the block of warehouses. Through an opening in the roof they see the waitress from earlier that night sitting on the third floor, observing the scene below. Unfortunately our friends made a little too much noise and she spots them.

This sets off a cavalcade of events which includes Wallace the Spider using his web to pull open the large pen the anaconda remains in, giving the thief the perfect opportunity to dash inside and look for the gem. A hidden guard who came in with the animal handlers gets out of her hiding spot and calls out loudly, alerting people outside.

Spider-Wallace manages to trip up the thief and pin her down on the bed of the wagon but she eventually manages to escape, maybe also because the snake is now attacking the spider. She manages to make it out of the door and is not fazed by a sleep spell from Husk. But before she can use her superior dashing powers she is surrounded and brought down by Dieter's great-sword, spider bites, and a guard's club.

Husk quickly gets on top of her and pretends to stabilize her as he manages to lift the Flame of Dolac from her and pockets it. The Well-Meaning Detective Inspector isn't born yesterday and makes sure to keep everyone in place as he sends for more guards. He chides them for getting involved and they are taken to the Humtache HQ where they are further questioned.

'''Husk returns the gem and asks for a signed affidavit that they were helpful''' in recovering the national treasure. This he gets and then the party is escorted from the premises and told to go home. Who knows, some time in the future they might get an actual thank you from the government, stranger things have happened.

The next day the attempted theft of the Flame of Dolac dominates the news; the Humtache is praised for their swift recovery of the national treasure, our friends are not mentioned. There is also some general news; clouds have been seen in the shape of dragons; is it a sign?

==== Wayward Son & Saffron ====
Some days later '''a distraught mother''' comes to the inn; she heard about the party finding the girl from the Messenger Coalition and '''her Wayward Son is missing''' and she has no one to turn to. Our friends promise to help and learn that she lives in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Woodfall|Woodfall]] neighborhood, working two jobs. Her son often goes to the [[Avale#White Bridge|White Bridge]] and to Promise Fields.

Since Wallace can change into a dog and Husk owns a dog, our friends accompany the mother to her home to get an article of clothing from the son. The trail leads to Promise Fields first and then the bridge where they find the boy's best friend who tells them that the Wayward Son made a bet he could find an oyster and left town to find one in the river.

It takes a number of days and along the way they meet [[Ranna Amethystall|'''Ranna Amethystall''']] who once took an elective with professor Wallace and asks how his wife is. Eventually they '''find''' '''the boy''' near some cliffs at the riverside. A fight with some nasty creatures is unavoidable but our friends are victorious and save the Wayward Son. They find some money and a necklace in the cave nearby and also '''a sentient magic item: [[Fleur]]'''.

Husk feels for the boy and our friends take a full day to search for a pearl but don't find any. Then the party returns to Avale and return the boy to a relieved mother. In the next few days Dieter makes some new clothes for the boy and his mother, of the best quality. They also learn of some news; the Black Hare tavern is going out of business. Not much later our friends run into an '''old''' '''gambling acquaintance of Husk; Brad Beck'''.

“Yo, bro, I haven’t seen you in what, two years? Still chasing those royal flushes? This dude, the stories I could tell you. I’ve got a great line on copper ore, want me to hook you up, bro?” He takes the party out to lunch and regales them with (embarrassing) stories about Husk. He also '''asks them to help him smuggle saffron''' into the city...

Our friends agree to help after Dieter negotiates for a little more pay. They are told a wagon is waiting south of [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]] and they are to help get it in safely. The party splits up and each go alone so they are less conspicuous in the 'bad' neighborhoods and can get a lay of the land. Wallace arrives first and when the dwarf at the wagon asks if he's the only one coming to help, the gnome tells him a druid is never alone and extends his arm. And low and behold; the cock-of-the-rock from the museum lands on it!

The driver is rather nervous though and explains that they need to get to a warehouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]] but they need to '''avoid any tax inspectors''' and going through Abyss Annex means they might have to deal with gangs. Dieter manages to calm the dwarf down quite a bit, which will help a lot with the upcoming trip.

The driver has a forged waybill that claims they are carrying wheat bought by The Grog Father brewery while in actuality the saffron they are smuggling is destined for a spice merchant; Curry On My Wayward Son. Husk manages to forge a fake seal on the papers but unfortunately there's only one bag of wheat at the bag of the wagon, should there be an inspection.

Wallace wild shapes into a mastiff and Husk sits next to the driver while Dieter, using a Disguise Self spell, walks along looking like a mercenary. It doesn't take long when Husk spots something. Next to a food stall in front of The Loan-ly Warrior's Stop pawnshop an old man nudges a young boy next to him and nods towards the wagon, the boy then runs off.

Our friends are pretty sure what's going to happen next but have no real recourse but to continue on their way; the wagon doesn't really fit down other streets. They are waylaid by a gang of over ten people, the leader telling them they are called the Impellers. He is a reasonable man and only wants to see what they are carrying, and once he does, he asks for a reasonable 20 gold to let them continue on. Husk manages to talk him down to 15 gold and the party gets to travel on and make it to the warehouse without any further issues.

==== Jilted Jinnie ====
Then an '''urgent messages from''' '''House''' arrives; they wants the party to get to the docks as soon as possible. Once there, they explain that they need '''help smuggling the''' '''Guild of Stevedores' top boss and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]], Jinnie Affo, out of the city'''. Not only are the Humtache looking for her, but so are numerous guilds. House promises to “square it with Adventurers Association later”, and gives each of them a gem worth 25 gp.

Then further explains Jinnie can't leave by boat as all will be searched. House has a wagon waiting for her at [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Parade Fields|Parade Fields]], they need to get her there unseen. But before that '''she needs to go to the Stevedores HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] to liberate some documents from her office and she wants to say goodbye to her family who are waiting for her in her brother-in-law’s house in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]]'''. House also makes it clear that if she were to die for any reason, '''her body can never be found'''.

Our friends go to the HQ first as that's closer and find there's not just Humtache but also people from the Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild observing the front entrance. They convince Jinnie that they can destroy the papers and she explains where they can be found. Wallace then wild shapes into a gecko and manages to slip inside. His luck runs out once he's on the top floor and happens upon one of the few people still there.

This half-orc freaks out and attacks with his dagger; hitting the druid but Dieter's Inspiring Leader' temporary hp make that he remains wild shaped. The guild member rushes down the stairs, yelling about a gecko and Wallace slips under Jinnie's office door. He manages to burn the documents and climbs down from a neighboring window. He is spotted by another interested party on the street, someone calls out: "was she there?" to which the gnome coolly replies "negative" and then walks away.

From there our friends travel to Cegir Town, having a close call when someone sees through Husk's Silent Image spell as they try to cross the street behind it. Fortunately an Entangle and a Fog Cloud spell from Wallace is enough to delay the pursuers and lose them. Dieter has been scouting ahead and he notices two figures standing in a doorway, keeping a close eye on Jinnie's brother-in-law’s house. He disguises himself as a Humtache and successfully bluffs them into believing he was sent to tell them Jinnie has been apprehended.

She then has a quick goodbye with her family, her five year old son can't stop crying. With no time to lose they continue southeast and in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]], as they cross a street, with Dieter ahead, all the others spot the shoes of someone being dragged into an alley and some muffled sounds that go with that. They all look at each other and Jinnie grimaces; "we move on".

But Husk can't let someone be dealt such a bad hand, he goes to investigate as the others go on and blows his signal whistle. He goes to the alley and sees a halfling girl laying on the cobbles, and an assailant running off, his pants undone as he disappears around the corner. Husk leaves and Dieter arrives, still in the guise of a Humtache. He helps the girl up and she asks him if he can escort her home. But he can hear the sound of boots rushing over, likely a patrol and he tells the girl that his 'colleagues' will be there soon and then runs off after the rest of the party.

In [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Bow Valley|Bow Valley]] Dieter manages to rumble a group of would-be robbers and our friends then arrive at Parade Fields. Just beyond some construction work for gakker grounds with stands and a concessions building they see a covered wagon waiting, just as House told them there would be. A horse is standing in front of it and a driver sits on the box.

Together they move towards it when Wallace hears a slight *pop* sound coming from behind them and he sees '''Jinnie stumbling and falling to the ground'''. He now also realizes that the driver has not moved a muscle all this time and not much later when a cloud moves away from the moon they can see that both the driver and Jinnie are rather blue.

They '''correctly surmise poison is the likely culprit and they do try a Cure Wounds spell but it's too late for that'''. So they hastily put Jinnie and the driver into the back of the wagon and drive it south all through the night. Once it seems likely they are not being followed they wonder why the guild boss was killed if people wanted to get information from her. They build a pyre and burn both bodies on it, making sure there's nothing left to be found.

They return to Avale, seeing the old woman in her dirty, green coat collecting pebbles near their inn, where a message from '''House''' is waiting, saying to come to the mansion as soon as possible. They aren't very happy to hear of what happened but glad the body won't be found. A chance encounter with '''Herleva Boden''' makes Guydust set up an account at Under-Barrow Savings for food for her two puppies.

'''Jinnie's''' disappearance is dominating the news in town, lots of rumors are going around about her being corrupt and defrauding the government for sums of money up to one million gold pieces in some tellings of the story. Other news says the Black Hare tavern has been bought and renamed to the Thirsty Recruit.

==== Up the Alley ====
The next day the party goes '''to the alley where the girl''' '''was being dragged into''' and do a careful search. They find nothing of interest but an urchin shows up willing to sell them '''a small silver earring''' they found there. They take it to the local Humtache but without a victim and more evidence they say they can't do anything.

Our friends then decide to go to a jeweler in the hope to get more information. The nearest is Rock Bottom Prices where the guy behind the counter is anything but helpful. After a large enough bribe he uses a loupe and tells them it was made by Rings and Things in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]].

At Rings and Things they don’t keep a list of sales but due to the repair work the woman there recognize it as one sold to '''Joser Jalbuck''' for his daughter. When asked she tells them he lives at Bell Way, and she thinks he works at Wesson's Smithy. Once there the foreman won't let them talk to him until his lunch break. So Husk goes to find a card game and wins big; 10 gp! Dieter goes looking for a new sword, and Wallace spots the cock-of-the-rock!

Eventually they talk to the halfling and explain they found an earring that he tells them belong to his daughter. They then tell him what happened in the alley which comes as quite a shock, his daughter hadn't told him anything. He takes the earring and thanks them, saying he will give it to her when she gets home. Our friends give him the name of their inn, telling him to ask her to come see them.

Very early the next morning the girl, '''Brook Jalbuck''', comes by the inn. She's quite unhappy they told her father what happened. But she is willing to talk with them when they promise they'll try to get the culprit jailed. She doesn't remember much more than before; the assailant stank of Hatchet, like he was drenched in it. The son of the family she works for, Gabriel, uses it, and he has the same build and height as the assailant, but he can't be the one. And lots of his friends wear it as well.

She leaves to get to her job in time and our friends decide to split up. Dieter and Wallace will go to a perfumer and see what they can learn about this Hatchet, and Guydust and Husk will check out the son. The latter two go to [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] and knock at the door to the family mansion. A butler opens and Guysdust bluffs that he owes money to the son of the house and needs to hand it over personally. The butler does not budge; the son isn't available right now. Our two friends leave and start working on what to do next.

At the nearest perfumer; Eau My Gods, Dieter and Wallace learn that Hatchet, known as Bobcat in certain other countries, is very popular indeed, so much so a bootleg version of it is made. The girl at the shop mentions that only a few days or so ago there was actually a burglary at Heaven Scent in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]]. Their new destination clear our two friends visit and learn that one or two people broke in and made a mess of things, breaking a lot of the supplies. The alley where Brook was assaulted is just one street over, giving our friends little doubt as to what happened. Wallace wild shapes into a dog and follows the still very noticeable trail of the perfume. It leads through quite a few neighborhood but ends up at the Humtache HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]].

When the party meets up, all four go to the HQ and ask to speak to the '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector'''. He tells them that he heard of the break in but it's not his case. He'll talk to the officer in charge of it and says there's a small chance they could make the guy confess to the assault but this isn't the criminal's first time being caught, so chances are not all that high.

Our friends then go and tell '''Brook''' that the culprit is in jail at least for another crime and that there is a chance he might still get time for his attempted assault. Some of our friends are just too curious about the murder of '''Jinnie Affo''' and while the others say that investigating it is risking their relationship with '''House''', and their lives, they still go to Parade Fields.

Once there they investigate the area thoroughly and are lucky to find some small pebbles and other unassuming objects, all the same distance away from each other, that are all just slightly phosphorescent. It looks like the assassin was there long enough to prepare the kill zone, and was likely positioned at the construction site. Guydust goes to House to tell about a potential mole and 'flirts' a little.

== Sarodin Sea ==

==== Chirurgeon Browns ====
The party receives a message from Jerry, their agent, and it tells them to '''go to a house on Lookout Road in the New Dunum neighborhood, and to bring [[Otteun#Food|bay ribs]]'''. They buy half a dozen at a street vendor and go to the address. The door is opened by a blond man with very square jaws and a pointed chin. He wears leather pants, as many people do here, and a plaid shirt. He asks if they are the adventurers he hired and then invites them inside.

He introduces himself as '''Hirsute Looking Glass''' and is rather surprised at the lack of reaction to his name, mumbling how normally people all get up in his business over it. He takes the box of bay ribs, immediately sucks the meat of off it and throws the bone over his shoulder. His place is quite a mess; there's an old couch he indicates for them to sit on, an old wooden trestle table that has seen better times and all kinds of alchemical equipment is covering any flat surface.

He tells the party he needs them to '''go to Hogan Island and bring back a log of tomko tree''', at least a few meters long. Why go all the way there? It's the nearest place that he learned the trees can be found. He has '''hired a ship, the Wetterlund''', that will bring them there. And why does he need adventurers? Apparently the island is uninhabited but full of dangerous forest creatures; baboons, owlbears, regular bears, giant varieties of toads, wasps, spiders, etc. In short; no lumberjacks were willing to take his contract, such nonsense!

Having eaten all of the six bay ribs by now and told them all they need to know, the man now herds them from his place and tells them to bring him back his tree as soon as possible. Fortunately Wallace remembers reading about tomko trees; they are quite tall with a dusky bark and dark leaves with tiny holes in them.

Our friends go do some shopping; cutting down a tree that size won't be easy. '''The Wetterlund is a large ship'''; pretty close to the Crowned Griffon that the party sailed on before. '''Captain Reynolds''' is a brusque halfling with red hair in a ponytail and a limp. She invites them for dinner in the captain's quarters and they enjoy a really tasty meal. Our friends learn about the captain's former career; cheese rolling. She broke her leg in multiple places but is still very enthusiastic, describing how she barreled downhill, chasing [[Cheeses of the world#Glevum|Twin Glevum]] cheese.

In the morning they sail past [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] and after a good number of days they arrive at their destination; '''Hogan Island''', it's bigger than they expected. As it's an hour before dusk they decide to wait till the next day. At dawn they all get into a launch and are rowed over to a small beach. It's quite misty in the morning and the mist is so firm that you need to push through it, one could even sculpt it.

The flora here is rather strange, some is much larger than elsewhere, other much smaller; there are tiny apple trees with apples the size of cherries, and huge oak trees with very large acorns. Massive mushrooms grow here as well, including [[Sprite member|sprite members]] that are almost two meters tall. Our friends come across '''a piece of green and blue fruit, the colors swirling slowly around its skin'''. Wallace puts it in a pocket where he keeps the [[Doubloon of Doom]], the fruit disappears, and the item might just have gained a new property.
[[File:Needle Lord.jpg|right|300x300px]]
After about a day and half, helped by a Locate Animals or Plants spell from Wallace they find the tomko trees they are looking for; a circle of twelve. Very sharp vines grow between a number of them. As our friends prepare to cut one tree down, they are attacked by creatures made of just twigs full of needles. They launch these in great numbers and when most are taken out, a much larger specimen arrives. It's a bloody fight but our friends persevere.

Afterwards Wallace cuts open the big creature hoping to find something to take back to Herb's Store but fails at the task, opening up quite some wounds on his arms. Our friends came prepared and brought the right tools to cut down one of the trees and then cut off a three and a half meter piece.

It takes a good while but they bring it back to the ship and load it on board. The journey back gets eventful when a pirate ship approaches but '''Captain Hornigold''' doesn't stay around for long, just collecting some hats.

== Dolac ==
Soon our friends find themselves back in [[Avale]] and deliver the log to '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', putting it in his backyard that is full of esoteric things; other logs of wood, strange stones, a cauldron that could fit Quinton, and more.

They return to the Blue Balladeer Inn and learn the latest news; the '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in Downpark burned down when they were away. In the evening they have a drink at their favorite tavern; the Grape Escape. Instead of the nice, relaxing evening they hoped to have, instead they get an encounter with the fabled '''yortho'''.

It's Wallace who gets taken over by it and the creature plays it cool, not trying to escape at once but waiting for a good moment which eventually arrives. With the other party members relatively far away and distracted, he wild shapes into a rat and sneaks out under the front door. It was almost perfectly timed but the Drunk Cooper noticed and cries out. This warns the others and Dieter is first to react, jumping through the large front window. A Feather Fall and then a Shatter spell take out the druid just as he jumps into a grate to a water drain. Meanwhile Husk used his signal whistle and the Humtache show up, now the party can try and explain they might just have saved the entire city.

==== The Great and the Good ====
'''Jerry''' invites our friends over to his office at Venture Hall and informs them that the Solutions for the Infirm has hired them to run security for less than a day and are paying extremely well, once again. He also has a present for them, tickets to a new play, Turnabout, at the People’s Playhouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]] as a thank you for a fruitful relationship with the '''Adventurers Association'''.

It turns out that the play is not what they expected but Dieter can get in a lot of parry practice. Two days later they report to a square in town where Solutions for the Infirm has set up a large tent and roped off the area. The party is met once again by the '''Harried PA''' who explains that they are giving new clothes to the indigents and our friends are to make sure everything runs smoothly.

There are crates with clothes stacked outside the tent, all made by '''Eldritch Honor of [[Thimonnier]]''', in the sizes small, medium, and large. At the exit side of the tent a large trestle table holds baked goods for those that have gotten their new clothes. And there lies the current problem; urchins have been darting in and grabbing food of the table that technically isn't meant for them.

'''Joseph Lacombe''', the founder of the charity and top boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes|Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes]], is there himself and comes over to the party and thanks them personally for their work at the State Museum during the fundraiser, he heard about all their good work. He doesn't stay long; after the first few indigents have received their new clothes he gets into his carriage and leaves.

Husk has a talk with the urchins and promises them food, sending Guydust off to buy some. When looking for the Harried PA they look into the tent and find a man and a woman dressed in white, measuring an indigent's head and noting things on a clipboard before giving them a set of clothes. Dieter also talks to the urchins and promises to make some good quality clothes for them; he is very persuasive! That takes care of the urchins; job done.

A number of days later another job lands; our friends are to provide security for someone in the employ of '''Jeffery Fitzwallace-Keely''', boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Mercantile Guild|Mercantile Guild]]. The instructions are to meet them early in the morning at the Coop in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. There they meet the '''Glib Adviser''' who brought two empty backpacks and hands one over. They go across the market and a number of merchants hand over small, heavy pouches, likely filled with coins and or gems that are put into the backpack.

From there they travel up town, going through a number of neighborhoods and stopping at different places, including the Tabernacle of Industry, temple to [[Ulaa]] and the [[Kasarian Embassy]] where some of them see their first ever tiefling, every time a new pouch fills one backpack and then the other. Guydust quickly goes over to the priest at the temple and asks about the transaction, he's told it's above his pay-grade.

At some point they notice some shady types are following them and Guydust and Husk start a pretend argument. The others walk on and when the would-be robbers reach the duo, things kick off. But a liberal use of spells, including an entangle soon has the shady types running away. The Glib Adviser tells them to keep a low profile, leave the robbers be and leave before the Humtache shows up.

Eventually the city tour ends at a small warehouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]], where a group of four adventurers or mercenaries are just leaving. The Glib Adviser thanks them for their services as he takes the backpacks. Another job done.

=== The Stoned Dragon ===
Some days later '''Aracuda Shovi''' appears as our friends exit the inn. He tells Husk that '''Della Silvermane''' passed away and that she hid something for him at a place called the Stone(d) Dragon Caves which supposedly can be reached via the cellars of a place called New Monkhome

Husk and Wallace go to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Lirr|Lore Repository]] to do some research. There they learn '''New Monkhome is the ancestral home of the Count of Ranhem, found near Ranhem, capital of Guel province'''. It's not exactly around the corner; it will be close to two weeks of travel. There's not much to find about the Stone(d) Dragon Caves but one source says it's a place where smoke comes up from a rocky area of ground.

Soon they are taking a barge up the river to [[Thimonnier]]. From there they travel by road, fortunately the journey goes without any problems, unless one would count their spending of 200 gp at {{TextAnimations|Text=Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}} where Guydust doesn't linger and Wallace experiences intense feelings of empathy for any living thing after drinking a liquid from a small vial. He also gets an instant tattoo of a great tit.

When our friends '''arrive at New Monkhome''' they find it's not a castle, there's no signs of a moat or curtain wall. But '''the building is very, very old''', even the one wing that was a later addition is still many centuries old, it could have been a proper castle long ago. It’s busy, there a number of carriages parked out front, a wagon is being unloaded off to the side by what looks to be the staff entrance. A banner says: “'''Welcome to the Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild National Congress'''”.

They are met by '''Lady Ranhem''', dressed impeccably but anyone with a good eye can tell the clothes have been repaired more than once. “Welcome to New Monkhome, are you the people Torchbearer Albert Charles is expecting?” she asks. Before anyone can answer, she says “excuse me one second.” She walks over to a girl of about 15 and a boy of about 12 and speaks to them. Their sharp ears pick up the conversation: “'''Ermengard''', '''Goswin''', you know these are busy days and they are important, not just for your father and I, but for you as well, you want to live here, don’t you? Then please, help out, there is so much to do, go inside and ask Jervis what you can do, please be a dear for me.” Neither looks very enthusiastic but they go inside and Lady Ranhem returns.

Husk bluffs that they are indeed Albert Charles' people and she takes them inside, leaving them alone to refresh for a bit. Guydust then manages to get the location of the door to the cellars from Jervis and they are off to the races. It's early in the afternoon and they quickly go down the stairs. The cellars are full of broken furniture, rolled up carpets, old painter’s supplies, empty frames and racks that might have held bottles, weapons, armor, who knows, there’s a stuffed bear that has seen better days, and a tree root comes through the ceiling, causing part of the cellars to have some standing water.

They spot a secret door that hasn’t fully closed, beyond it a narrow passage leads to 10-foot wide and high ancient stone tunnels that are likely of dwarven make, all spotlessly clean, lit by continual flames. Looking for any signs of what direction to go, our friends find raspberry jam prints on the wall and go into that direction.

They find empty rooms behind the doors in the corridors; it looks like whoever left and took everything that wasn't bolted down. Right around a corner at an intersection standing aimlessly are a corpse riddled with shards of glass and a skeleton still wearing scraps of armor and holding a shield and a longsword. Their eyes light up red as they turn to the party. Battle is swift and the party wins.

The party decides on a short rest and Wallace talks about mammoths as he determines that the undead are not the same age at all. When they get going again, a few corners later a skeleton stands in the corridor carrying what looks like its own skin. Then it suddenly throws the skin at our friends and the skin animates, trying to wrap itself around whoever it hits. The fight isn't too tricky and again Wallace learns the undead are quite disparate in age.
[[File:Wallace gelatinous bear.jpg|right|300x300px]]
They continue on and come to an intersection where across they see what looks like the '''entrance of crypt''', they can see sarcophagi. But standing in front of the entrance is a flaming skeleton and it hurls bolts of flame at anyone it sees. As they start the fight Husk moves into a side corridor and steps right into a gelatinous cube.

Dieter manages to pull him out but the two of them are now cut off from the others and keep having to backpedal from the ooze. Fortunately Wallace in brown bear form takes care of the skeleton with Guydust taking potshots at both foes to good effect. Then Wallace charges at the gelatinous cube and finishes it off.

Now our friends see a new figure standing just inside the crypt; it's '''Goswin''', the-12 year old son of the count and countess. In his hands he holds '''a large''' '''iron disc inscribed with sigils, with a hole in the middle'''. The boy exclaims: "why did you destroy them all?!" When Wallace then comes at him, still in bear form, Goswin holds up the disc and '''Necrotic energy flies out in a cone''', hitting the druid hard enough to bring him out of his wild shape.

The boy runs back into the crypt and Guydust follows him inside. The crypt is full of sarcophagi and dust, deeper inside there seems to be an ossuary. There is also a large plinth with relief art depicting a man being crowned and an empty recess which looks to be the home of the disc. The boy is clearly shaken, it seems he did not expect the disc to do what it did to the gnome

The rogue sits down next to Goswin and they talk, though the Ranhem child makes sure to keep the disc away from Guydust. It turns out that Goswin created the undead with the disc and played with them, he did not know about the gelatinous cube's existence. He's just lonely with no one to play with, living over half a day's travel from town with no one but his father, mother, sister, and the butler.

Guydust tries to brighten his mood and create some rapport by telling him he's not the only one to feel that way and more words to that effect. When Goswin's guard is down the rogue quickly grabs the disc and as he does so he learns that the item is called the '''Seal of Souls''', and quite powerful, doing a lot of necrotic damage to him, the pink spots on his face opening into black eyes, before he slams it home in the recess.

Everyone calms down and takes a breath. A minute or so later, running footsteps can be heard and three people arrive; '''lord and lady Ranhem and their daughter'''. The man sends his wife and children back upstairs, telling them how important it is to make sure the event at the mansion goes without a hitch and promising the party he will explain to them what is going on.

In short; '''the artifact was created for the family shortly after the [[Collapse]] by a Duke of Hell and it is how they attained their position as Count of Ranhem'''. However, the item came with certain requirements. At age 16 every heir must pledge themselves to the Seal, if that should ever not happen, all ancestors, dating back to the one who made this deal will rise as undead with the sole intent to do as much damage as possible.

The count had no idea that his son had found the crypt and the artifact, he is horrified the boy used it to create undead, he tells our friends that the family decided over six centuries ago to never use it again and so far they had kept to this. He promises that he will take extra precautions, lock the item away, to make sure something like this can never happen again and he asks them not to talk about this to anyone.

They also discussed the Stone Dragon Cave with the count who lets them know in no uncertain terms that there is no such thing here; what there is, is a coal fire, which people seem to repeatedly interpret as a dragon snoring underground. He tells them they are free to explore the rest of the place, telling them he knows there are natural caverns deeper down. He doesn't know what the complex was used for in the past, only that is was likely of dwarven make and existed before New Monkhome was built, the crypt was added then as well.

The man also explains that it's been quite difficult these days to make enough money to be able to afford the upkeep of the place but moving is not great, considering where the family crypt is and what their options would be. The party then comes up with ideas for making money; like making the 'dragon' cave a tourist destination or creating hot springs.

The count goes back upstairs to help out with the event and our friends explore further, eventually finding what seems to be a dwarven kiva with a large ramp running down along the wall of the hundreds of feet deep chamber. As they make their way down they trigger a trap that shoves Dieter and Wallace down into the chamber, fortunately the bard has a Feather Fall spell. Guydust and Husk then jump over the trap only to land on a second one and to also be pushed over the edge. Dieter hears them coming and has a second spell ready for them.

At the bottom they '''find the skeleton of what looks to be a dwarf'''. His clothes and leather armor are mostly gone and laying around him are the remains of an axe and a hammer with a spike. A crossbow exploded into many pieces, its marvelous silver inlay now all twisted up but a similar inlay can be seen on the obsidian amulet around the skeleton’s neck.

Laying further away are a number of hizagkuur springs and folded umber hulk chitin plates, all twisted or outright destroyed. A backpack on the skeleton’s back has been mostly eaten away, the same goes for much of its contents. What’s left is some torches, a mess kit, a holy symbol of [[Ulaa]], a sergeant’s insignia, a dried tentacle, and a playing card with strange writing on it, in remarkably good condition.

Husk immediately grabs the playing card. There is writing on the back of it: “I know you never felt truly at home, Della.” When he brings the card close to his [[Deck of the Dealer]] it merges with it, though the card count stays at 54, and gives it the House of Cards property.

Further exploration leads to a cavern where the only other exit has collapsed and where one of the walls is much too hot to touch; the coal fire. The party returns to the mansion and since it's around nine in the evening decide to stay the night. Wallace tries to approach one of the armor smiths at the conference but the count escorts him from the room. The next morning the druid gets to explain; he thinks the count might be able to sell the remains of what they found below; a collapsible shield to someone and make money that way.

==== Getting a Head ====
On their way back to Avale our friends stay the night in the '''town of Balmer'''. They have a drink at the Lumber Hulk tavern where they spot '''a rather strange looking woman'''. Some people at another table keep looking over at her, but then, most people are. But those four rush over to start a brawl with her, hoping to garner glory by bringing her down. Dieter figures out their intent and moves before they do, interposing himself between the woman and the four.

Our other friends jump in the fray and help the woman, not that she really needs it; four drunk villagers are no match for her. Husk also comes to her table and trying to be his most charming, tells her: “seven foot tall, red fur, terrifying eyes, if you’ve also have the equipment, I might have found my most specific weakness.” When later Guydust tries to throw a bottle at one of the brawlers but misses, the gambler grabs the bottle in mid-air and pours the woman at the table a full glass.

Afterwards she buys them a drink and Husk makes toast: "to terrifyingly beautiful women and terrible decisions we are going to make". The party learns that she is '''[[Chrysanthemum]], a bounty hunter'''. They enjoy some time together, trading stories, etc. When she calls it a night, she and Husk go to her inn together. Then Guydust is approached by a young couple to join them for a night of fun at their home, which he agrees to.
[[File:Lelio bust.jpg|right|375x375px]]
The next morning our friends are approached by a '''bald halfling woman with a missing left hand'''. She says she saw them at the tavern last night and wants to hire them. “'''Bring me the head of Lelio Euphorbia''',” she tells them, to then explain that it's a bust that was kept in the lobby of the Critical Hit Theater. She is the current owner and Lelio was the founder. She suspects that it was stolen by someone from the new theater that opened across town recently; the Natural One Lounge.

The woman's niece, Hilna, was present when the bust was stolen and saw the thief. She'll be at the Critical Hit after lunch and our friends decide to go check out the Natural One Lounge. It looks to be empty and Guydust has no trouble opening the lock on the backdoor. The lock on the manager's office also poses no problem. The safe is a bit more tricky but with the help of [[Phlegethos’ Pick]] it soon stands open. Inside is a bag containing 43 gp worth of mostly silver pieces.

There's no evidence of the bust or any clues to its whereabouts. By this point the sound of conversation about the backdoor being unlocked has alerted the party that people have arrived. Wallace is on the main stage, wild shapes into a cat, and starts meowing loudly. The two people come over, wondering how a cat got in; the door was unlocked but closed.

Husk and Guydust then come over and claim to be there for a surprise plumbing inspection, Guydust had indeed written down "Plumbing Inspectors" on a piece of paper. They are so convincing in their bluff that the two people are flabbergasted. Wallace Cat climbs into the curtains, giving Husk a moment to use an illusion spell to create the image of a key off to the side. “The key is over there,” he tells them, as they claimed they had a spare key given by the constructor who built the place. Guydust then pretends to drop it between floorboards and they all leave.

They have a nice, early lunch and then go to the Critical Hit Theater and learn from niece Hilna the robber's description though it's not very detailed or distinctive. However, she also says she found a little piece of fabric trapped in the doorway, likely coming from the man's cloak.
[[Category:Events]]

Deck of the Dealer

2026-08-18T19:14:44Z

DB: Added House of Cards

Collapse

2026-08-17T12:11:46Z

DB:

[[File:Collapse.png|446x446px|right]]
Exact details are hard to come by but a number of things can be said about this event.

The Magus (dwarven arch-wizards) of ancient '''[[Baltur]] developed magic the kind of which has never been seen since'''. They named it '''Shathûr magic''' and though it was '''hard to control and could be fatal to the wielder''', it '''allowed for feats that other magic could never equal'''.

Still not satisfied with all they could do, the Magus now '''desired the power of the gods themselves'''. Many decades of research culminated in a '''massive ritual that was to unlock the powers of the universe and bring the Magus dominance over existence'''.

We will likely never know what happened, if this power even existed, or if anything could control it. But something did happen, witnesses at the time '''described it as the sky falling down'''. The '''capital city of Banad-Gathol''', where the ritual took place, '''exploded outwards in a wave of destructive magic that did not stop for hundreds of miles and obliterated everything in its path'''.

But the destruction on the ground was nothing compared to that of the home of the gods. '''All the gods' divine essence was snuffed out in an instant and the gods were no longer. The same was true for magic; it either left the world entirely, or at the very least stopped functioning.'''

It took '''decades for magic to return''' to the world and work reliably again. First it existed only in small pools and then slowly it made its way across the world. This had a profound effect on the more magical races and on any nation, ruler, or other power that relied mostly on divine or arcane magic; '''the world and the power balance changed dramatically'''. '''Shathûr magic no longer worked''', and though over the ages [[Tipatshimun|many]] have tried to bring it back, it has never worked again. Certain permanent spells and artifacts created before the Collapse are rumored to still work, though always erratically.

Divine energy took just as long to coalesce again, '''over time new deities introduced themselves to the world'''. Not as many as there had been before, and these '''new gods were quite different''' and had other spheres of interest.

Over time the '''survivors started to rebuild what was left of their country'''. With many leaving, and so much damage to the remaining cities, not to mention the scorched earth, it took a mighty effort but the remaining dwarves persevered. T'''he center of the explosion is now the [[Haklur Desert]]''', a vast emptiness and around it we now find the '''nation of the [[Godfall]]''', not even a shade of Baltur's former glory, but a home to many.

'''See [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now]] for a greater historical perspective.'''
[[Category:Events]]

Baltur

2026-08-17T12:07:25Z

DB:

[[File:Baltur.jpg|479x479px|right]]
'''This dwarven Magocracy was the preeminent realm of the [[Eras|Era of Renewal]] before the [[Collapse]] - which they caused - destroyed it.''' It '''spanned all lands''' '''from the Kasar Mountains''' in the west '''to the Mator's Spikes Mountains''' in the east and '''ran north to [[Fir Lanear]]'''. Nowadays we find the [[Haklur Desert]], the [[Godfall]], and a few other countries there.

The mages of Baltur '''raised magic to a level never seen before or since''', powerful enough to make buildings fly. The '''capital of Banad-Gathol''' was a sight to behold.

They also became '''marvels at architecture and construction'''. Magic allowed the dwarves to locate rare components; then using alchemical processes to create '''unique building materials'''. The formulas to create these was jealously guarded and many have been lost since the Collapse.

== Shathûr Magic ==
The Magus (arch-wizards) developed a magic stronger than anything seen these days, '''powerful enough to destroy mountains and transport entire armies'''. After the cataclysm of their own making it turned out to be '''impossible to use these types of magic anymore'''. However, many spells still in effect continued working when magic returned, though often erratically. The few artifacts created through this magic reportedly still function as well. These days an organization called [[Tipatshimun]] is trying to return to magic of this power and greater.

==== Zahar-Bund ====
These '''stone statues''', some five meters tall, others smaller, were carved from something called Kurhiz-stone, all remaining records lack information on where this material was found or possibly created. The statues were '''imbued with some kind of limited intelligence''', though, again, the records are more than vague on the how. They were used as '''guardians''' and placed outside of all cities. They '''could cast powerful combat spells''' and were also able to '''send messages'''. '''One source claims all Zahar-Bunds were connected in some way''' and could share anything they saw and heard, though this seems fanciful.

[See [[Godfall Caverns]] and [[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events#Statuesque|Statuesque]].]

== Exploration ==
In their '''quest for rare materials''' the dwarves of Baltur '''traveled the entire world and mapped it extensively''', most maps these days are still based on theirs. When a rare metal or mineral was found, the dwarves often '''built a redoubt called a Gardyl'''. From here they then mined the resource and magically transported it back to their cities. Some Gardyls grew to be full cities though most were purely for resource extraction.

[See [[Udvjor Gardyl]] and [[One Shot - Era of Renewal]].]

== Notable People ==

==== Kalervo Ubran ====
Preeminent Magus, creator of many spells, and '''one of the few detractors of the ritual that caused the Collapse'''. As he was in Banad-Gathol on that fateful day, he none-the-less died as all the others.

==== Pinja Galgruc ====
Magus, put her servant Aatu Kasgret into a soul coin. The coin was later [[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events#Just Desert|found by Izzy]] in/under the Haklur Desert.

[[Category:Locations]]

The Wreck - Chronological order of Events

2026-08-17T11:52:33Z

DB:

[[File:The Wreck.png|right|450x450px]]
Four very different people survive a shipwreck and end up on a tiny island. {{TextAnimations|Text=These are|Color=MediumBlue|Glow=1|Bold=1}} {{TextAnimations|Text=their stories.|Color=Red|Glow=1|Bold=1}}

== The protagonists ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|[[Darius Naffles]]
|-
|[[Dauphine Tirfelya]]
|-
|[[Oscar]]
|-
|[[Quinton Gemweaver]]
|}

== Dolac ==

=== Four journeys ===
This is how our four friends ended up in the capital of [[Dolac]]; [[Avale]].

==== Quinton Gemweaver ====
Quinton starts his journey to Avale following the Fiumare river. On the way he ran into a band of [[Nikanish]] who were trying to protect a tribe of bullywugs and the druid was asked if he wanted to help and he does. Later his camp was overrun by zombies but he managed to get away with all of his belongings.

Then a town happened to be visited by a bunch [[Kashtin]] revelers when Quinton arrived and this lead to some very hedonistic days. Journeying on alone was quite the contrast but the beautiful landscapes made up for it especially the [[Dolac#Sevso Sound|Sevso Sound]]. From there it took a number of bridges to the islands in the Tal delta and a ferry to get across and make it to Avale where he finds an '''inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]] neighborhood'''.

The city is huge and there is much to see. Quinton starts by getting a shave at Hair Me Out. Next he buys a mince mop from a street vendor. While walking and eating he nearly collides with a square-jawed, blond-haired man that steps out of an outhouse, dusting down his clothes, mumbling to himself.

A few days later in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] he passes by the Pursue Hickory bank and comes to a square where an expensively dressed gentleman is tending to a vagrant, pouring a potion down his throat which seems to make him feel a lot better.

During another exploration of the city, this time in the North of Grove Way neighborhood, also known as [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]], Quinton is lured into alley, where he is surrounded by four assailants. Things look bleak, this is an unwinnable fight and flight will also be difficult. But then an unassuming woman, short, with a cleft chin, and her dark hair in a knot, appears, and the four robbers run, saving him from an ignoble fate. The woman gives him a smile and leaves. There is no sign of her when the druid makes it back out on to the street.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Quinton to sign up.

==== Dauphine Tirfelya ====
On her donkey she makes it to the border with [[Otteun]], it’s been an interesting journey already, seeing the mammoths roam. Then Dauphine continues on to [[Midtal]], she’s never seen a big city and this is her chance. From the first inn in Otteun she finds out that elves are seen as rather exotic, people gaze at her, some small children even pull her hair.

The caravan she was traveling with, promptly got attacked on only the second day but fortunately they managed to fight off the robbers, Dauphine having to use her shortsword in anger for the first time. Midtal was an interesting experience, still getting lots of looks on account of being an elf but getting bothered a bit less. Surprisingly she made a little money when someone offered to pay her to paint a portrait of her.

Avale seemed the best possible next destination and the druid took passage on a river barge. The slow journey down the river gave plenty of time to focus on certain things she had been ignoring and to get to know her fellow travelers. At one village stop, Dauphine helped out one of her new friends when he was cheated on in a game of Three-Dragon Ante, managing to recover all the money.

The barge arrived at Avale disembarking everyone in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. Two of her fellow passengers knew of a '''good inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]] neighborhood''', called the Other Inn, and so she joined them and walked there, taking a room on the third floor. It cost a little extra but the view of the Tal estuary is worth it. The first thing she sees is a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat catch a girl who picked a dwarf’s pocket. He hands the money over to the victim and then takes a piece of pastry from his pocket and gives it to the child before letting her go.

Here, too, people still find elves quite the attraction, she finds. The nearby fish shop, For Cod’s Sake, introduced her to all kinds of new food and then she was told about another place that she just had to go visit. Following directions she went to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] neighborhood, where on Falanae Avenue she passed by Elassidil Villa, headquarters of [[Thal Lithel]]. At the intersection with Korb Street, a boy on crutches was brusquely told by a man in a carriage to get his ass in there. And then when the conveyance drove away she saw it; the Feywild Shroomhouse.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Dauphine to sign up.

==== Darius Naffles ====
After finishing his priestly training Darius was told to find his way in the world. Any direction was as good as the other but his father had told him that some far-flung family of his lived in Avale, so why not go there first?

On his way through [[Mifora]] his skills were called upon numerous times. Usually to give his blessing or heal the wounded. But one time he arrived at a village where a recently deceased had risen. Using his god given powers he quickly destroyed it, maybe a little more thoroughly than the grieving family had hoped for.

Then in another town, when money was low, Darius joined a group of adventurers who promised riches. The Toast of Tetia proved to be better at boasting than questing. It was only due to Darius that no one died and the riches turned out to be a single gem, that, split five ways, did not amount to all that much.

A less than stellar encounter with a wild boar made Darius happy to finally arrive in Avale. He’s told of a small shrine to [[Ehlonna]] in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]] neighborhood and the gnome finds an inn nearby; the Steaming Pot'''.

Walking through the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]] neighborhood, Darius sees three attractive, mid-thirties women coming out of Smells by Design, a perfume shop. As he passes by, he overhears part of their conversation: “Did you hear, Meghan Wellington is back in town, but the state of her...” says the brunette. “I heard she was married off to some [[Godfall]] dwarf who kept her in his cellar,” adds the blonde. “Who cares, Lilia, we have things to do down the road,” counters the redhead. “Alice, always chasing the sublime,” comments the dark-haired one.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Darius to sign up.

==== Oscar ====
The halfling wakes up with a headache in a small, stone room on a cot, a tiny window high on the wall provides some light. A pitcher of water stands on a table. In one corner there is a small hole in the floor that smells of excrement. A single door, locked or barred, blocks his way. Once a day the door is opened just wide enough to slide a bowl of gruel and a spoon inside. He can’t see much more than a hallway and a soldier, there is no sign, or smell, of the old man.

After the second night he wakes in a new environment, feeling weak and listless, like that one time he ate those red mushrooms. He finds himself in a large, wooden room that lists from side to side. Around his leg is a manacle that is clamped around a stout wooden beam. A scarred man wearing a red cloth hat comes to him twice a day, bringing food that is incredibly hard, he needs the also provided drink, grog, to make it chewable.

Additionally the sailor makes sure to check his manacle and the beam every time. He can move along the beam, about a meter or two, just enough to reach the small barrel smelling of excrement. There are many crates and barrels but all are out of reach. At least there are the rats who visit him at all hours. He supplements his diet this way.

After a long journey the ship reaches port, all the smells tell Oscar they are next to land and he makes sure he’s prepared. When the sailor removes the manacle the halfling pushes the man’s head into the wall, as hard as he can. Then he is up the ladder and soon on deck of the ship. The sight of a huge city in front of him is frightening but he sees the wooden pier and jumps onto it, running away from the ship and towards the city, pushing people away when he can’t avoid them, one, carrying a large crate, falls into the water.

Weak with hunger he makes his way into the city, there are so many people! He stumbles about, going wherever seems most quiet. He comes to a small park but is immediately chased by men wearing blue tabards. He keeps moving, coming to a road in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] where he startles a man and a woman in an intimate embrace. She hides her head behind the man as Oscar runs off and minute later he almost gets trampled by a horde of girls all yelling and chasing after a man with salt and pepper hair.

When it gets later in the evening there’s fewer people around but then the smell of food hits his nose and his stomach rumbles loudly. He follows the scent and finds a place where people sit outside and others come from inside a building, bringing food and putting it on the tables. He times his approach well and manages to snag an entire tray of food, running off, spilling some but losing any pursuit, hiding in a garden as he gobbles down the meal.

He sleeps there, hiding himself in the bushes till he is woken in the morning by all kinds of unfamiliar sounds and smells. A woman comes into the garden and Oscar bolts, leaving her confused shouts in his dust. Eventually he ends up at the south end of the city, in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]]'''.

Things are rather grimy here, but then he finds a market, so many stalls with food and other things. People seem to pay him less mind than in other parts of the city, everyone just trying to live their lives. He sees people handing over small discs of metal as they point at food and are then handed what they desire. He doesn’t have any of those but since grabbing and running worked last night, he tries again, grabbing a dead chicken and running off. These market people don’t like this at all and he is chased by multiple vendors and stock boys. But one greengrocer seems to see the lighter side of things and throws Oscar an apple from his stall which the halfling catches expertly before slipping under a stall and down an alley, eventually losing his pursuers.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; unfortunately Oscar can't read any of this. And he, sadly, doesn't spot the men who come when he's sleeping and knock him out, shanghaiing him.

== Sarodin Sea ==
Those signing up weren't told much and that's because it turns out to be a '''pirate hunting mission'''. A flotilla lead by the Whiskered Admiral is going to search for a small pirate fleet that was spotted not too far away. The navy is sending four ships; the Prince Willim, a 1st charter ship, two 2nd charter ships, the Ranhem and the Crowned Griffon, and a 3rd charter ship, the Arms of Dolac.

It's early in the morning and those shanghaied wake up feeling the worse for wear, it smells of sweat and sick, there are many conversations around. Some rays of sunshine penetrate the murk, the floor beneath them is moving in all directions. People are getting up from the floor and soon a hatch opens, the sunlight suddenly very bright, and some people come down a ladder.

Standing next to the ladder are a balding halfling, he looks to be in charge, a dwarf with a short beard, a half-elf, she has a rather big nose and her hair is dyed black, quite badly. Further there’s a gnome, her face looks to be sliding down her skull, and a large half-orc, with blonde dyed hair.

The halfling speaks: “I am Bosun Miller and you are on board the majestic Crowned Griffon, the best ship in the entire navy, run expertly by Captain Drumpf and Quartermaster Onel.” At the mention of the last name some people involuntarily scrunch their noses, he apparently has quite the musk. Miller continues: “We are on a mission to take out a pirate fleet and make sure these murderers, rapists, and drug dealers will never make it to our homeland.”

“Now, most of you might not be here voluntarily but you are finally going to do something worthwhile with your lives and get paid really well for it,” he tells the crowd. “Until we get anywhere near the pirates you will be assisting with the running of the ship, Chief Mate Luktnicks here will further explain.”

The dwarf looks around, “you will be doing grunt work even a wet goblin can do, complain or shirk and you will be going overboard, try your luck with the sharks. You might have noticed your weapons and armor are missing. We don’t want any accidental stabbings or other fights, get in one and you’ll get intimately familiar with the cat o' nine tails as wielded by Karoline here,” he motions towards the half-orc. She scowls as she looks around and rumbles “leave it”.

“You’ll get your weaponry back when we near the pirates, you can even put on your armor then, if you are fool enough to want to drown with it. Until then you report to the second mate, Juliana,” he points at the half-elf, “or the third mate, Kristi,” he motions towards the gnome.

Our four friends are selected by third mate Kristi to help with pulling the sails when there is need to, she puts a sailor in charge of them. The four introduce themselves to each other but soon find that the halfling doesn't speak. Quinton gives some grapes to the halfling, who we will refer to as Oscar, for the sake of convenience. Darius asks: “isn’t this the demon child?” The others shrug their shoulders. Then he speaks in Infernal: “do you understand?” Oscar doesn't, but Quinton does!

The gnome's question stems from the fact that during their weeks in town '''they heard lots of stories''' any time they were in a tavern, or really anywhere a lot of people gather and gossip. It's definitely possible they heard stories about other people with the same name or looks, but '''this is what they all think they heard about their new friends'''. It might all be just poppycock of course!

Quinton learned the following: people have said Oscar was being raised by an elf. Darius does not actually know where his mother is buried. He looked for the grave but never found it. Maybe for the best, because he would like to dig her up to find out how and why she died. Dauphine has a strange fascination for dead things. It's said she sometimes talks to dead animals.

Dauphine heard these stories: Rumor has it that during his training Darius wounded and even killed small animals to learn and practice his new spells. Most of them failed, which resulted in unneeded suffering. Quinton used to dress in women's clothes. Oscar is a wild child who will eat anything he comes across; plant, animal, human?

Darius heard the following rumors: Dauphine keeps dead animals rotting in her backpack. It's best not to follow her too closely when traveling because the dead smell coming from her backpack can only mean she's keeping dead birds... or something. Quinton became the owner of the family business at the tender age of 17. And... Oscar is a demon child.

Oscar doesn't understand Common but he was lurking and heard people say the following, even if he had no idea what they were saying: Darius buried his own father. He even fixed and prepared the body so that it could be presented in a coffin. Which was one hell of a job since his father died in a fireball. Darius invited all the locals to the funeral, but nobody came. Dauphine has found her armor in a second-hand shop. Quinton is said to have a scar from a date gone wrong on an undisclosed body part.
The four get to know each other a little better that first day and are put to work when needed. At this point it becomes clear to Third Mate Kristi that Oscar doesn't speak Common or even understands it. She complains to another crew-mate about the shanghai-ers, how they are bringing in totally useless people, which is overheard by our friends.[[File:Bound shark.png|right|300x300px]]
At some point Darius looks over the railing and sees a shark swimming just under the surface. But this is very strange, it looks like there is a sort of metal cage around its head. He calls over Kristi but it's gone when she arrives and she waves away his story, blaming it on his sea sickness.

Quinton tries to write something on the mast but is immediately scolded by a sailor who are a superstitious bunch and this spells bad luck.

The next morning our friends wake, and while they might still feel sea sick, their recent experiences have unlocked new abilities inside themselves. [They reached second level.]

During the next days they all get to know each other even more and experiment a little with their new found abilities. Quinton uses his Message cantrip to send a message to Darius, which freaks him out at first. Oscar hunts down a rat and eats it. Darius immediately calls Third Mate Kristi over and shows her that the halfling is not useless at all; he's a great ratter!

Then, during the night, '''a massive storm hits''' the flotilla. Our friends are asleep in the hold when they get tossed all over as the waves pummel the ship. A huge hole in the hull makes the ship list to the side. In nautical circles this is what is known as a ‘bad sign’. Before the party even knows it, for that is what they are now, they '''find themselves in the water'''. Huge waves spell their doom but fortunately '''half of a loading trapdoor floats nearby and they manage to cling on to it'''. Twice someone loses their hold due to the storm but twice they are rescued by the others.

=== Tiny Island ===
After floating on a calmer sea for many hours they eventually '''wash ashore on a tiny island''', about an hour before dusk. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and maybe one trinket or other item they kept close. The island is not a bounty one; one rock spur sticks about eight meters up in the air, the beach is more pebble than sand. There’s one small tree, not doing too well, other than that just some shrub bushes that don’t grow much in the way of food. One can walk a full circle around the island in about ten minutes.

There are some things that washed up on the shore with them. A large, iron anchor twisted into a spiral, they have no idea how it got there, it would definitely sink and not float. Oscar finds a cloak clasp shaped like a kraken, he has no idea what a kraken is but it looks nice so he keeps it. A barrel of mead is a nice find and they all immediately quench their thirst. Quentin finds a banged up scroll case that contains a scroll of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#enhance%20ability_phb Enhance Ability].

Oscar searches the island for food and other useful things, finding just a few berries and mushrooms but near the shore he finds [https://5e.tools/items.html#jellyfish%20vine_hhbh Jellyfish Vine], which are not dissimilar to a plant he knows; he'll be able to fashion this into something that will improve a weapon for a short time. Meanwhile Quinton has gone up to the one tree and found a branch that could serve as a weapon. He tries to make it into a quarterstaff but it becomes no more than a club.

Our friends discuss what to do next and Dauphine suggest climbing the rock spur to see if anything can be seen there, Darius and Quinton decide to go with. Oscar, who hasn't understood a word of the discussion follows a short distance behind. And he gets a great view of the three ahead '''falling through a thin sheet of rock into a shaft below''', debris flying everywhere.

The halfling gets there in time to see there is a force field at the bottom of a 30' shaft that has slowed down everyone's fall and they end up on the floor with little to no damage. Oscar then uses the handholds that have been carved into the rock to climb down to the others.

The bedrock has been carved out to create a room, the ceiling is about 15’ high, the shaft in the middle of it. It is pretty barren, on a stone shelf lies a book that has been totally overgrown with mold. A corridor leads away, there is a tiny bit of light coming from around corner. Only two of our friends have darkvision, Quinton can see almost nothing, the force field provides a little light.

A magic mouth on the wall starts speaking in an unknown language to most but Quinton knows Ancient, though he has never heard it spoken before; '''“This is containment area Manahuia. You do not have the proper authorization to be here. Leave now and do not return lest you’ll be destroyed.”''' Oscar has made it down by now and Dauphine tries to see if she can rescue a page from the middle of the book but fails utterly.

A minute later the magic mouth repeats its message and then '''incorporeal snakes come through the walls and start to attack'''. They are hard to hit and there are many, so the party flees down the one corridor. Here they find a natural cave that has been carved in places to heighten the ceiling to about 8’. There are signs of combat, scorch marks on the walls, a broken arrow lies just inside the corridor.

To the back of the cave is '''a dark opening, about three meters in diameter, maybe it’s their imagination but the inside of it seemed to move a bit, throb'''? It is almost entirely blocked by a stone wall that is crumbling, the druids are versed in Arcana and recognize it as one made by the Wall of Stone spell. Almost a foot of water has seeped into the cave and in the murky water they can just about make out four small mounds of stuff. In the left back corner of the room lies a ball of something rubber-like wrapped around itself.

The snakes haven't followed, yet, so they have time to explore. Three of the four mounds contain a dead body, very well preserved, and also a number of items. Going through all the items takes time but will likely lead to some good finds so most of our friends go through it carefully, whereas Oscar grabs something at random. The odds are 2.78% but he manages to grab a necklace of teeth, not unlike one he was wearing and lost in the storm!

Darius has gone to the rubbery thing and it slowly starts moving a little, waking up? It takes a while but it slowly unwraps its appendages and turns out to be some kind of golem-like entity? The party has been collecting items for a while and now the first incorporeal snake has found its way to them. The rubbery thing attacks with just a single appendage at first and hits hard; doing not just hit point damage but also giving Exhaustion to those hit.

Every round the golem attacks with one more appendage and escape becomes a necessity. Dauphine uses two Thunderwave spells to destabilize the wall and then Oscar manages to place the butt of the spear that Quinton found and gave him, in exactly the right place and he levers up and a huge chunk of wall comes down, enough for them to enter the strange tunnel that looks a lot like the inside of an esophagus, [[wikipedia:Peristalsis|peristaltic contractions]] and all.

Dauphine really wants more of the items but is hit again by the rubbery being and when the incorporeal then critically hits her, she's brought down! It's not easy but the others manage to get her out; Darius using a Cure Wounds spell and Quinton helping by providing another target for their foes. Everyone ends up inside the tunnel and the creatures don't seem to want to enter it.

As they walk down the sloped tunnel they heal themselves as best they can. The tunnel is long and continues downward, only after a long walk they arrive in another cave, slick with water. The tunnel looks about the same at this end as the other, very strange. Things look to be safe so our friends decide to have a long rest and '''look at all the items they managed to grab'''.

Dauphine found a potion of Stupendous Healing (3d10+level) and she knows these are very rare and not for sale, it might be worth a nice amount. She also found a bracelet made of gold, set with turquoise stones. Quinton found one exactly the same, each bracelet should be worth about a hundred gold pieces. Other items she managed to recover are a [[Demon Dash|'''Demon Dash''']], which she gives to Darius, and a water-proof scroll case containing a number of gems (200 gp worth) and spell scrolls of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#false%20life_phb False Life] and [https://5e.tools/spells.html#skywrite_xge Skywrite].

Darius found the rather strange [[Cyphers & Potions#Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion|'''Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion''']] and Stridden Boots that can give the wearer explosive speed as billowing flames blast from their feet and set anyone they get near to on fire. He also found a really strange tiny, red stinger; '''[[Phlegethos’ Pick]]'''. Quinton found the '''[[Spent Spear]]''' which he gave to Oscar and the halfling managed to grab the necklace with teeth; '''[[Past Primal]]'''.

[Room with the mounds of stuff and some of the items there with thanks to Dale Friezen.]

'''Darius rips a pant-leg from his trousers and turns it into an improvised mask''' which he puts around his face, only '''his eyes are still visible and they are purple''', instead of the blue they were earlier.
[[File:Steam Mephit.png|right|349x349px]]
After some good sleep they set off down the slick rock corridor, going ever further down, the temperature drops even more and everyone gets a headache. Eventually they come to a fissure, vapor rising from it, about ten foot across.

Right after Dauphine jumps over it, small, winged humanoid creatures with pale skin and wisps of vapor rising from their nose, mouth, and ears rise from it. They shed drops of steaming water when they move.

The creatures attack with their steam breath, hurting our friends quite a bit but they have quite some capabilities of their own and Oscar manages to use his Past Primal to critically hit one of them, killing it instantly.

The path continues on until they reach what must be a really big, stone door. A large stone frame runs up, across, and down a single slab of stone. There is no handle or lock visible but on either side there is a hole in the stone, just a bit bigger than a finger. After some discussion Darius and Dauphine '''each put a finger into one of the holes and the door slides open diagonally'''.

==== Midnight Altar ====
Beyond the doorway is a square room about 50’ on each side carved out of some kind of blue stone. A midnight altar, wrought from some superterrestrial metal, stands at its center. Faint lines of golden energy radiate from the altar along the floor to a large door. Above the altar float a number of symbols, most are white, two are purple. In the middle of the two side walls sit levers, both pointing up.

At the far end of the room is a large door, made of a dark wood and covered in many sigils that all radiate with magical power. Around the door and on the floor emblems have been carved, the same set repeats; a skull, a cloud, a triangle pointing downwards, something that might be an explosion, a scorpion. The door doesn’t seem to have hinges, a lock, or a handle. A tiny crack has formed at the bottom left of the door and a dark orange substance has seeped out, it looks like a small drop of syrup or honey.

Our friends investigate the room but can't make heads nor tails from the symbols above the altar. The door seems to be warded to keep something in, this might be some strange mystical prison? '''Darius rips off another part of his trousers and uses it to dab at the small drop of strange substance at the foot of the door, it absorbs into the cloth.'''

A Detect Magic spell shows that the two levers probably aren't connected to the warded door and since there is nowhere else for the party to go they decide to pull on them simultaneously. When they do, two things happen immediately. '''There is a sinking feeling as their room starts to float down''', and six parts of the wall are blown away and beyond them are niches in a strange shell like shape. Each contains a bench that is angled ninety degrees, a receptacle holding a potion vial, and a lever.

Everyone feels the pressure increasing in their heads and it stands to reason it will only get worse. Darius darts into one of the niches and pulls the lever. When he does so, a force field covers the open side of the niche as it is pushed away from the wall and starts to float to the surface. The gnome drinks the potion, figuring it might be needed at this point, it turns out to be a healing potion. When the escape pod pops out of the water it lands horizontally on the waves and the force field disappears, the bench is now in the right position to sit on.

Having seen the result of Darius' action, Oscar is next to scramble inside a niche and pull the lever. Dauphine and Quinton stay a bit longer, wondering if there's something else they can do here but with the pressure mounting, they too make their escape. Once on the surface, all of the pods find a way to each other and cluster together.

As they float there our friends talk about their experiences as Darius tries to explain to Oscar that the potion is a healing potion. The party discusses the '''strange black and white vision that talked to them as they entered the room'''. No one saw it in the room but somehow each saw a black and white apparition talking to them, it looked like a rather enigmatic version of their race. And it promised lots of power if they would help 'it', and clearly whatever the entity was, it was quite powerful. But '''they all declined its offer'''.

After floating in the middle of nowhere, the island is not in sight, for most of the day, they get very lucky and spot a ship. It's '''a fishing ship, the Twilight Wanderer, from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]]''' and our friends are taken on board. As he does so, Quinton notices from the corner of his eyes what looks to be '''a huge head sticking out of the water''', from about halfway up the nose. It's right at the horizon and must be enormous but it moves away before anyone else can spot it.

The crew consists of four people, all quite sunburned; Captain Raisa, tall, skinny, and quite sociable, Zaria, she has a broken nose, muscled arms, and is quite chatty, Blazh, he wears an earring with lapis lazuli, is missing a finger, and carries a hooked knife, he's quite jovial, and Kyrilu, a rather hirsute individual who squints a lot and is a bit grumpy.

The ship is cramped with eight of them on it but they make it work as they set sail home to Abrinol, the neighborhood in Avale is named for it. During the journey our friends get to know the crew a little better and learn of the fascinating culture of the Hundred Mile Islands, though Quinton isn't charmed by it and conspicuously moves away when these things are discussed. That first night everyone on the boat sees '''a falling star, blue streaked, and very low on the horizon, crossing the sky'''.

After a, blessedly uneventful, journey of a few days '''our friends arrive on Abrinol'''. It's quite the sight; the buildings on the island are all made of wood and painted red, though a Dolac would say their quality was less than they were used to. Off to one side of the town there are a few houses that are clearly built in older Dolac style, including one tavern, the Maiden and Flagon.

A few warehouses in Dolac style are situated to the left of the harbor, that’s also where two large piers can be found, each has a ship anchored there. The Prince Willim is one of those, it looks to have taken quite some damage from the storm. The other ship is a large merchant vessel named the [[Hythe Maritime Services|HMS]] Floris.

Captain Raisa invites the party over to dinner at her house and even offers to let them stay the night. First our friends go do a little shopping, selling the gold bracelets they found to get some new clothes and supplies. A few merchants sell flotsam and jetsam; they recovered a number of items from the flotilla, including Dauphine's [[Coloured lenses of Scotopia (Tanaquilya Lomë)|colored lenses of Scotopia]] and her [[Nochtoina]]. She buys both and also a part of the Crowned Griffon's name plate, it reads "owned". Oscar waits until the merchant is distracted and steals a gold tooth.

Our friends first go to the Prince Willim to see about passage, though none of them are much enamored with the navy at this point. They are offered passage, however they try the HMS Floris as well. The sailor at the gangplank has good news and bad news; the ship is sailing for Avale tomorrow, but all passenger berths are filled. When our friends ask if there's really nothing to be done, relaying how they were shipwrecked, a voice speaks from the railing and invites them up.

A blonde man, tall and wide shouldered, the type you would cast in your play to be the paladin or king, welcomes them onboard and '''introduces himself as Gerrut Hythe but tells them to call him Keeper'''. Apparently their story had an effect and he offers them passage and would like to discuss their experiences with the Admiralty.

The next morning, after a lovely dinner and a fun time in a tavern, they board the HMS Floris and find out that Keeper has vacated his personal cabin for them, he'll use a hammock on deck. They discuss bound sharks; he's seen a few over the years, but the giant head is totally new to him, and he has no experience with tiny islands and strange, sinking rooms.

== Dolac ==
Our friends make it safely '''back to [[Avale]]''' where the first order of business is to find an inn, as they decide to stick together; they learned that to get any adventuring work you need to be signed up as a group. They are told the Grey Minstrel Inn is a good place for what they are willing to spend so that's where they go.

As they approach the place in the Bow Valley neighborhood they see an old woman in dirty coat sitting on an upturned bucket at the entrance to an alley. A brown mackerel tabby with gray field lays on a window sill and gets up stretching its back. A little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in an old coat dances to music only she can hear. Inside the inn a lute missing its strings and a broken horn hang on the wall, a statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black stands in an alcove.

Next on the list is more shopping; our friends sell a number of the items they found and use the proceeds to buy weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. Dauphine has a shield made from the Crowned Griffon name board. Quinton looks into getting pan-flute lessons and ordering business cards.

Then '''a visit to the Adventurers Association''' in Kesslia. They have to fill out a form, asking where their strengths lie and '''give a party name, for some reason they decide on "The Daltons"'''. After a a short while they are lead to the offices of Jerry Tidwell, who will be their agent from now on. He's a tall halfling with dark hair and a big nose, and very outgoing, energetic. He offers them coffee that he has specially imported from [[Haza]].

They discuss what he can do for them as he plays around with a silvered horseshoe in his hands, in some places the original iron clearly visible. Jerry tells them they are in luck; Grand Master and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]] Geppert Cross, of the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors has died recently and there are '''jobs available as honor guard'''. It only pays 2 gp but he explains that it's important to get a relationship started with any guild, they are much more likely to hire people they have worked with in the past, and usually don't look closely at what the work was.

He also advises them to get a ‘money person’, it's such a waste to keep your money in a pouch or under your bed. The money person knows the best banks to put them in or other investment opportunities. “Me and some friends bought the rights to the Dolac blue conifer; whenever a single one of them is sold we get part of that,” he explains quite animatedly. He suggests a bookkeeper; Carla Tebaldo, she's a gnome and does most of his investments.

=== First Jobs ===
Our friends are told to go to Save Nine in the Fabrics neighborhood to pick up ceremonial staves and robes with the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors clue compass rose attached to them. Next they report to the Domicile of Diligence in Uppark. The procession will go to the Mother Mensual cemetery in the Dawnbloom Heights neighborhood and every hundred feet two people peel off to stand to the left and right of the street.

On their way they hear people in the crowd along the street talking. A halfling wearing a poncho with multicolored, diagonal lines comments: “you know what a dead Torchbearer is? A good start! I say burn them all, what have they ever done for us?” A woman in a hat with a blue compass rose emblem tells her companion: “I heard that thing that fell from the sky destroyed the entire city of [[Kostul]]!” A gorgeous half-elf in a blue dress says to her friend, who is equally stunning: “I used to have so much fun with Old Geppy, he was the loveliest little lapdog”.

When our friends get near Carriage Court it is their turn to take up positions. A dwarf with a beard woven into an intricate pattern asks: “Did they appoint anyone in place of the dead guy yet?” A man eating the last bit of his deep-fried giant answers: “No, this bunch are traditionalists and wait till the body is in the ground.” To which the dwarf replies: “Well, I hope that whoever gets in will be in favor of lowering taxes on labor, it’s got so bad I can hardly compete with foreign crap coming in.” Says the man: “This guild? Don’t hold your breath.”

As the funeral procession comes closer a man steps into the street, right between where our friends are standing. He throws a bottle of oil to the cobbles and pours another all over himself. He cries: “They ruined me! Those gods-damned guilds and their rules, destroying the common man and do they care? Do they fuck all!” as he takes out a tinderbox. People scramble backwards.

Our friends immediately respond and an Entangle spell plus a Command spell by Darius prevent the man from lighting himself on fire. Then Dauphine knocks him to the ground and the four of them work him to the side of the road before any of the dignitaries get there. When they do, one of them comes over to the party, a man with a heavy set build and hangdog facial features, who introduces himself as '''Alun Djames, a Master of the Stevedores Guild'''.

He's impressed with what they did and invites them over to his home for dinner the next day. Our friends arrive at his home on Sevso Island, located right at the river with a view of the rest of the city, and get introduced to his wife and three children. Dinner is great and Alun promises that he'll rustle up some work for them when he can.

The very next day Jerry sends a messenger; he has '''work for the party'''. "It's a twofer!" he exclaims enthusiastically when they enter his office. He has received requests from the '''Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild and the Messengers Coalition'''. Both seem to him a good match for our friends and he hands them the parchments; '''[[AAG - Request 1|Request for Ingredients]] & [[MC - Request 1|Missing Messenger]]'''.

==== Kenohob ====
Our friends make it to Kenohob without any trouble, all the while having kept an eye out for Herleva. Once there they find outshe picked up her package and left, right on schedule. They also learn that wild animals have been coming into the village causing havoc, this is not normal behavior, usually they know the risks and avoid the hamlet. Only last night the Furious Farmer lost a number of cows due to a wolf attack.

Our friends go visit her and the halfling tells them, pointing at the forest with her scythe, that the wolf went back into the nearby forest. Darius asks to buy an old scythe and our friends then track the wolf, they are quite skilled at this and easily follow its tracks between the trees. They lead to the dead body of the wolf, with an zombie boar standing over it. Battle is short and swift with the boar snuffing it in the end; Oscar critically hitting once more.

There's only an hour or so of daylight left but again our friends prove very proficient at tracking, following back the path the boar took. They arrive at an '''ancient barrow mound, deeper in the forest'''. Sitting on top of it is a '''redheaded girl and her dog, which looks quite undead''', but not in a way that Darius, or the others, have seen before.

The party talks with the girl as the carefully close and spread out a little. She '''confirms that she is Herleva''' and tells them that on her way back to Avale, her dog Snuffles dashed into the forest and she followed him. It lead to the barrow mound, one side had collapsed a bit and left a hole big enough for the dog to go through. '''When Snuffles came back out it was very much changed and now, anytime it came near a creature it turned it into a zombie.'''

The girl herself is fine, definitely not undead, though she is clearly malnourished. There is some speculation among the party about why she is not a zombie, maybe only beasts are affected? They throw her a goodberry and she eats it, feeling a bit better. But it's clear to her the party doesn't want things to stand as they are. She pleads with them to leave her and Snuffles alone, telling them she'll try and make sure it won't infect any other creature, she'll give them all her meager belongings but please, don't harm her only friend in the whole world.

The party has other ideas though, Darius definitely wants to end the undead dog's existence and the others agree that that's the best course of action. Quinton starts by casting a Sleep spell on the poor Herleva so she doesn't have to witness what is about to happen. Zombie forest creatures have by now made their way around the barrow mound and a battle ensues.

Darius uses his Turn Undead ability and a zombie wolf runs away. But the other opponents are tough and some of our friends are brought low, fortunately between the four of them they possess quite some healing magic. Darius activates his Stridden Boots and uses them to great effect, burning four enemies before the boots burn up completely and hurt him. Combat is over soon after with the party victorious.

The gnome uses his undertaker tools on Snuffles fails to learn anything useful. Our friends '''burn all the undead''' and they then very carefully investigate the hole in the barrow mound, using a large stick and a rope to pull a bone dagger and a wooden box from the interior. The engraved box contains twenty-six teeth, each engraved with the mirror image of all letters of the alphabet; when pressed into something soft they leave an imprint.

Our friends put anything that will burn into the interior of the mound and then light it, hoping that whatever turned Snuffles into what it became can be destroyed this way, or at least stop it from happening to anyone else. They then carry Herleva away and wake her up. She is incredibly distressed when told that Snuffles is no more and Quinton uses a Charm Person spell to blunt the edge.

Back in Kenohob they take a room at the Whispy Vapor Inn for all five of them, Herleva is still very sad about the events and Quinton goes into the village and finds someone with shepherd puppies and he brings two back for the girl. That definitely brings a smile to her face but it's a good, persuasive talk they have with her that eventually convinces her not to sneak out of the room at night to go back to the barrow mound.

The party all agree it's not a good idea to have Herleva go back to Avale by herself and figuring there is no rush for the other job '''they return to the capital with her and deliver her to the Messengers Coalition HQ'''. They then do some shopping and start the return journey to Kenohob the next day. From there they go south as indicated by the request and eventually come across an ogre.
[[File:Ogre Howdah.png|right|355x355px]]
But that's not all there is to it; someone built a palisaded wooden fort on its back! And in there are two goblins, one speaks up as the party approaches. “Ah, perfidious questers! Surrender your treasures and artifacts and your existences will be spared!” Our friends do not feel inclined to take this deal and move closer and the goblin speaks again: “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Flak Ogre!”

Battle is on and the two goblins are very adapt at sniping at the party with spell and bow before hiding behind the wooden cover again. Unfortunately for them they miss as often as they hit. The ogre hits more often and harder but it turns out that two druids with two Wild Shapes each have a nice buffer of hit points to make it through a fight.

'''Eventually the ogre topples''' and both goblins roll away, the spell caster of the two manages to escape, hurling insults as she disappears. The other the party manages to kill, unfortunately it doesn't have loot worth anything.

The next day our friends split in two groups and '''manage to find all the ingredients''' requested by Herb’s Store. They set up camp near a marsh and then proceed to '''have a very strange dream''' featuring a blue and green painted carriage and a mansion with a butler and long corridors full of doors.

=== Avale ===
Our friends deliver the ingredients and ogre parts and Herb, the proprietor, shows them a number of interesting items he is willing to sell them for their services, he tells them to check back often as his stock changes frequently. When they return to the Grey Minstrel Inn they are accosted by '''a dwarf with a rather tangled and unkempt beard'''. He is looking for a job and introduces himself as '''Aracuda Shovi''', it's clear he is far from home but our friends don't have any work for him. Dauphine asks him if he has ever heard of a Stone Dragon cave; he tells her it rings a vague bell, he will find her if he remembers more.

'''The piece of cloth that Darius dabbed in the dark orange substance''' has grown over time and the next morning he wakes to find it has wound tight around his torso and learns it's '''now an armor of sorts: [[Vessel Wraps]]'''. The quarter-scythe that he ordered has been completed and he pays with it by trading in his old armor. Oscar has seen Dauphine's shortbow and wants to try one as well so they buy one for him.

The next day a message from Jerry, their agent, arrives. He has '''a job for a druid to sub for one who got sick, the druid is to wild shape into two different animals for a play being staged at the Catifras theater in Oakhurst'''. He also included three free tickets for the play that night. Dauphine and Quinton decide that he should be the one to take the job and he goes to the theater that afternoon. The marquee reads: “'''Hanno Salt stars as Jack Hoida in Jack Hoida and the Forgotten Temple'''”.

He is met by the '''Long-Suffering Assistant Director''' who explains they need a panther in the first act and a giant snake in the third. He is then introduced to the Water Wrangler, the Pyronicist, the Sound Effecter, and the stage hands. He briefly meets Hanno Salt, a dark haired, square jawed man in dark pants, a white jacket with dangling fasteners, and black gloves, who sucks on a licorice stick and soon leaves with a giggling blonde. Quinton learns the play is about intrepid explorer cutting a swathe through vines and canoeing down white-frothing rivers in a territory composed almost entirely of jungle and implausible traps. He gets to practice his part with the Nervous Stand-in.

In the evening our friends take their places in the audience and Quinton is in the wings. The play starts with a bard singing an opening song as the backgrounds change and stagehands walk out with placards showing who plays who. At the end of the play another song is sung. Some quotes:<blockquote>"...and of course, Queen Tamarka was my lover, but now she wants my head on a stick. All because I gave away the secret of her immortality..."

"...and that's when I married the love of my life and retired. Only for her to be murdered six months later, dragging me back into my old life..."

"...after that I spent a year undercover as a pirate under Captain Rosaline, the River Rose. Also my lover, by the way. And come to think of it, she also wants my head on a stick..."</blockquote>Quinton does an ok job performing his animal forms on stage and is in the changing rooms afterwards when Hanno Salt steps in. “The production went as smooth as can be, you all deserve a drink. I love it when a play comes together,” he tells them before he leaves with a giggling blonde, not the same as the one in the afternoon. Quinton goes of with the cast and crew for a drink and the rest of the party also goes to a nearby tavern for a libation or two.

==== Night at the Museum ====
Not much later '''another job''' offer comes through; our friends are to '''act as guards for some animals on display at the [[Avale#State Museum|State Museum]] during a fundraiser'''. They are told to look the part more than anything; wear all the armor they have and bring their biggest weapons. At the location they are met by the '''Harried PA''' who explains she had to make a deal with the museum guards; the party has to stick to their location with the animals and are to leave everything else to the museum guards.

The event takes place in two large, connected rooms and in one corner there is a display; "'''Animals from [[Neniros]]'''". There's a large cage containing an orangutan, a large box with glass front and top in which a huge anaconda lies. Two smaller boxes with glass tops and fronts hold Neniros toads and blue poison dart frogs. A small cage hanging from a pole contains a single orange and black bird; a cock-of-the-rock.

The caterers are busy setting up tables full of food and drink and at some point someone calls out; “'''Hey, Naffles''', where in the Nine Hells are you?” Darius calls out that he's here but another voice also pipes up. This turns out to be '''the gnome's second cousin, Dersigos''', who works catering this evening. Then the first guests start to arrive.

Once everyone is present a short man with a large mustache steps up on a small podium. Quinton saw this man on his first day in the city, near the Pursue Hickory bank. They learn that he is '''Joseph Lacombe, the Grand Master and Boss of the Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes'''. He holds a short speech:<blockquote>“Friends, welcome, it is good to see so many familiar money pouches, I mean faces. We are so fortunate to be able to congregate here this evening and enjoy all the world has to offer, great food and drink a plenty. But we should spare a thought for those less fortunate, those that live in squalor, who don’t have a job, whose children are sick and going hungry. We should not allow our society to let this go on and thus I have started the Solutions for the Infirm charity and call on you for support. Please enjoy your evening in this wonderful ambiance but make sure to donate generously as I know you can.”</blockquote>He then steps from the podium and approaches one of the guests. “If it isn’t '''Fitzwallace-Keely''', my favorite guild boss, Jeffery, we need to talk about you opening your coffers,” he says, grabs a drink from a tray and then moves away with the ruddy haired man wearing an expensive suit with embroidered green scales.
[[File:Constrictor Snake.png|right|300x300px]]
The '''place is filled with the great and the good''' of Avale but unfortunately our friends don't know any of them and no one points them out to them. They do recognize the holy symbols of [[Osprem]] and [[Lirr]], so there are at least two, likely high-ranking, priests present. There is also a tiefling woman, she must be from the [[Kasarian Embassy]]. There are definitely a lot of guild members as many people wear guild insignia. Darius recognizes three socialite ladies when they oh and ah over the blue frogs; he saw them exiting Smells by Design when he first came to Avale.

Some time later there’s a flash coming from the other room and then lots of smoke, coughing people stumble into the adjoining room where our friends are. The party holds position near the animals, Dersigos and another waitress, this one more nattily dressed make their way over, still hacking and trying to catch their breath.

Eventually the museum guards go in and it becomes clear '''the Flame of Dolac, a transparent fiery orange Jacinth carved into the shape of a flame, is missing'''. '''The Humtache is called in''', lead by the '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat. Dauphine actually saw him from her room at the top floor of the inn catching a pick-pocketing girl.

After a little while he comes over to our friends and asks if they have been in the other room at all. Seeing as they haven't, he asks them to help interview some of the witnesses; he's pressed for time as all the powerful people in the room are bristling at being held here. He takes them over to talk to four men. The first introduces himself as '''Roger Newsome''', of the Mimico Newsomes, he adds when all he gets are blank faces. He's wearing a bracelet with a huge piece of jade and a ring set with a fire opal. He explains that he and his three friends Arthur Elliot, Theodore Grady, and Horace Sims, are gem aficionados, they call themselves the Stoned Boys. Unfortunately none of them have anything useful to report.

Our friends report this and then return to the animal corner. There they start discussing what the thief might have done; there were museum guards at all the exits and no one left the building so it should still be here. They then realize that putting it in one of the animal cages/boxes would be a great way to have it smuggled out and be relatively easy to retrieve.

With two druids present it's not too hard to talk to the animals and '''the anaconda complains about a sharp stone''' that was dropped into its box. '''Our friends let the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector know''' this and he agrees that just keeping an eye on the animals when they get transported out of the museum tonight should be a good way to catch the thief red-handed.

But then the party start to plot further and now think it might be safer to remove the gem from the snake box and put it with the blue poison dart frogs. They do so and then five people arrive to take the animals away. Darius and Quinton feel one of the five is ‘off’, the way she behaves is just different from the others and she doesn't do much.

Darius tries to cause a distraction but things go quite wrong and the animal people are quite unhappy and sort of send the party away. Near the exit the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector is waiting for them. He tells them that he put one of his detectives with the animal people but the party doesn't tell him that they moved the gem, thinking that he could actually be in on the theft.

Once outside our friends are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter''' from the [[Avale#Vulpine Count|'''Vulpine Count''']]. He was at the fundraiser and has lots of questions but the party dismisses him and go off to find the animal people. They follow their wagon to a warehouse of sorts and see them all go inside. Some time later four people leave the warehouse; the Humtache detective is still in there.

Loads of shenanigans ensue and at the end of it all '''Dauphine has apprehended''' the '''Natty Napster''' a block away from the warehouse. '''She doesn't have the Flame of Dolac''' on her and when the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector and his people '''rush back to the warehouse they can't find it there either'''. It's not with the frogs and not with the anaconda either.

Our friends leave the Humtache to their troubles and go get some sleep. In the days after, they learn '''the gem has still not been found''' and the Natty Napster can't be charged with any crime. There is also some general news; clouds have been seen in the shape of dragons; is it a sign?

==== Wayward Son ====
Some days later '''a distraught mother''' comes to the inn; she heard about the party finding the girl from the Messenger Coalition and '''her Wayward Son is missing''' and she has no one to turn to. Our friends promise to help and learn that she lives in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Woodfall|Woodfall]] neighborhood, working two jobs. Her son often goes to the [[Avale#White Bridge|White Bridge]] and to Promise Fields.

Quinton spots the little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in her old coat and he pays her to organize urchins to go look for the half-orc boy. Our friends then go out to look themselves and eventually find the boy's best friend who tells them that the Wayward Son made a bet he could find an oyster and left town to find one in the river.

Fortunately the party are quite skilled at tracking and they are pretty sure they are on the right trail. It takes a number of days and along the way they meet [[Ranna Amethystall|'''Ranna Amethystall''']] before eventually '''finding the boy''' near some cliffs at the riverside. A fight with some nasty creatures is unavoidable but our friends are victorious and save the Wayward Son while '''Oscar's blanket protects him and reveals to be called [[Thola's Blanket]]'''. Among the loot is a [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser]] cypher.

The party returns to Avale and return the boy to a relieved mother. And learn of some news; the Black Hare tavern is going out of business. Quinton is approached by the urchin girl and she wants quite a few silver pieces from him as she had loads of urchins looking for the Wayward Son for a full week. Not much later our friends run into an '''old acquaintance of the druid from back in [[Loveria]]; Brad Beck'''.

“Yo, bro, I haven’t seen you in what, two years? Still burning all that sandalwood? This dude, the stories I could tell you. I’ve got a great line on copper ore, want me to hook you up, bro?” He takes the party out to dinner and regales them with (embarrassing) stories about Quinton. He also asks them to help him smuggle saffron into the city but they politely decline.

==== Jilted Jinnie ====
Then an '''urgent messages from Alun Djames''' arrives; the Stevedores master wants them to get to the docks as soon as possible. Once there, he explains that he needs their '''help smuggling the guild's top boss and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]], Jinnie Affo, out of the city'''. Not only are the Humtache looking for her, but so are numerous guilds. He promises to “square it with Adventurers Association later”, and gives each of them a gem worth 25 gp.

He further explains she can't leave by boat as all will be searched. He has a wagon waiting for her at [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Parade Fields|Parade Fields]], they need to get her there unseen. But before that '''she needs to go to the Stevedores HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] to liberate some documents from her office and she wants to say goodbye to her family who are waiting for her in her brother-in-law’s house in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]]'''. He also makes it clear that if she were to die for any reason, '''her body can never be found'''.

The party sets off with her and decide to go see the family first as it'll be later in the evening when they visit the HQ and fewer people will be there. They manage to avoid several Humtache patrols and searching guild members before they are get accosted by six robbers in a dark alley. Their spells are enough to make the criminals flee but this has drawn the attention of a search party from the Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers. It takes a lot of bluffing but they manage to talk their way through without having to reveal who is wearing the big, dark, hooded cloak.

Our friends run into some familiar faces and with the use of a super urchin have a smooth five minute family goodbye before moving back north to the Stevedores HQ. Jinnie gives the party a clear description of where to find the documents in her office and the two druids make their way inside, find them, set fire to some other documents and then leave via the window as giant spiders.

Now our friends have to go all the way through the city to Parade Fields, sticking to alleys except for Dauphine and Quinton; one of them wild shaped into a horse and the other is leading them, walking a parallel route to scout for the others. In [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]], as they are looking to cross the street both Darius and Jinnie '''notice a girl being dragged into the next alley over'''. Darius looks at the guild boss and she grimaces; "we move on". As they cross the street and enter the next alley they hear sounds they would really rather not have heard, and so does Oscar.

Without further problems they all make it to Parade Fields. Just beyond some construction work for gakker grounds with stands and a concessions building they see a covered wagon waiting, just as Alun told them there would be. Two horses are standing in front of it and a driver sits on the box. Our friends sneak through the construction to get a closer look and notice the driver hasn't moved a muscle.

Quinton goes to investigate and sees that the man sitting there is very lifeless and rather blue. He moves to the back of the wagon and finds it filled with a random assortment of stuff that would work to conceal someone behind. He goes back to the others and they decide that Dauphine, who has some skill with wagons, is going to pretend to be Jinnie and drive the wagon to Kenohob to possibly draw out whoever killed the driver. The others will then hopefully take care of them and go meet the druid in Kenohob, where Jinnie can then take the wagon or find new transport.

Dauphine drives away without anything happening and after a bit of a wait the others set out on foot towards Kenohob as well. When they are about three hundred feet from the construction site '''Jinnie stumbles and an arrow protrudes from her back'''. She is turning blue and none of our friends is able to save her, she '''soon lays dead on the ground'''. Expecting more arrows to follow, the party quickly grabs the body and moves to the nearest cover.

When no other attacks follow they discuss what to do next, remembering Alun Djames' words that Jinnie's body can't be found. They decide to go in the direction of Kenohob and when they get near a forest they find an empty spot inside it and burn the Stevedores Guild Boss' body there as they take a long rest.

The next morning Darius seems very unhappy indeed and they bury part of Jinnie there and take the rest to disperse over their journey to meet up with Dauphine in Kenohob. Once there, they return to [[Avale]], seeing the old woman in her dirty, green coat collecting pebbles near their inn, where a message from Alun is waiting, saying to come see him as soon as possible.

Alun Djames speaks with them briefly at his place, learning of what happened. He's rather sad that Jinnie didn't make it but relieved her body won't be found. Quinton wonders if he had anything to do with her death but the man's feelings seem sincere. Her disappearance is dominating the news in town, lots of rumors are going around about her being corrupt and defrauding the government for sums of money up to one million gold pieces in some tellings of the story. Other news says the Black Hare tavern has been bought and renamed to The Thirsty Recruit.

==== Up the Alley ====
The next day Darius returns to the home of Jinnie's brother-in-law and leaves 65 gp for her grieving family. He then continues '''on to the alley where he saw the girl being dragged into''' and after a very thorough search '''finds a small silver earring'''. He tells Dauphine what happened that night and she gets quite distant after hearing the tale. Then the gnome shows the piece of jewelry to Quinton who appraises it as of not much value.

Darius has a very close look at the ring and spots two tiny letters: RT. Our friends decide to go to a jeweler in the hope to get more information. The nearest is Rock Bottom Prices but there they get nearly no help, being told to try someone where upscale. At Family Jules in Kesslia the party gets a lot more help. The middle-aged gnome woman behind the counter brings out her grandfather, an ancient gnome with huge, bushy eyebrows.

The old one takes out a loupe and finds the jeweler’s mark. “Such sloppy repair work, bah, does no one have pride in their craft anymore?” When prompted he tells them the letters in the earring mean it was made by Rings and Things in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. When Darius takes the earring from the jeweler's hand, the ancient gnome grabs his wrist, quick as water. "What is wrong with you, boy?" he asks, "you are full of emptiness." He tells Darius to stay away from his granddaughter as the party leaves the premises.

At Rings and Things they don’t keep a list of sales but due to the repair work the woman there recognize it as one sold to '''Joser Jalbuck''' for his daughter. When asked she tells them he lives at Bell Way. Once there they learn he works at Wesson's Smithy and won't be home till the evening. Eventually they talk to him in his home and explain they found an earring that must belong to his daughter. He takes it and thanks them, saying he will give it to her when she gets home. Our friends ask some questions about her and her state of mind, which makes the halfling rather suspicious, but they do learn she works at a mansion as a domestic servant.

They wait for her to return home and intercept her, resulting in a very awkward conversation. They learn she works for the '''Verdin family''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] and, yes, when walking home about a week ago, she was dragged into an alley and assaulted. Oscar puts her a little at ease by using the Heart Sight ability from [[Thola's Blanket]]. She doesn't want to talk about it but tells them that the assailant smelled heavily of Hatchet, a popular perfume. And after more pressing, she tells them that the son of the Verdin family, Gabriel, wears the perfume, but so do his friends.

Darius tells her they will try to get justice for her and won't contact her again so she won't have to relive it again. On their way back to the inn they discuss what they can do to bring the culprit to justice and Dauphine tells Darius: “you could have stopped him earlier, now it’s much more difficult”. The next morning the party goes to Gill Gardens where they do some very thorough gathering of information before trailing the son to a tavern where he meets up with friends and they observe the group but no one sticks out as particularly suspicious.
[[File:Kerstkaart 2025.jpg|right|410x410px]]
Then when they walk home, red skies are gleaming, sea-gulls are flying over, swans are floating by, they are approached by a rather thin, tall man who asks them for help finding part of his conveyance that he lost while driving home. Quite a few things happen, including a visit to the This Is The Yeast We Can Do Brewery, before they recover the bauble, get a sweet reward and a thousand memories.

The next morning a letter is waiting for them at the inn, it's from '''Brook Jalbuck''', she has remembered that the assailant smelled so heavily of the perfume that it seemed he was drenched in it and '''she doesn't think it was Gabriel Verdin'''. Our friends decide to investigate the perfume angle and Quinton takes the lead, visiting the nearest perfumer; Eau My Gods. There they learn that Hatchet, known as Bobcat in certain other countries, is very popular indeed, so much so a bootleg version of it is made. The girl at the shop mentions that only a week or so ago there was actually a burglary at Heaven Scent in Kesslia.

Their new destination clear our friends visit and learn that one or two people broke in and made a mess of things, breaking a lot of the supplies. One person has actually been arrested by the Humtache, he left a rather easy to follow trail. The alley where Brook was assaulted is just one street over, giving our friends little doubt as to what happened, though they wonder why someone would be so dumb.

The Humtache HQ is in nearby [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] and our friends happen to know a certain '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', so that's who they go and see. When he brings them to his office he starts by '''interrogating Darius, telling him that when they looked back at the events at the warehouse it became clear the gnome was there alone with the Flame of Dolac''' for at least a minute. Did he take it? Why was he there? The priest doesn't have any really good answers to these questions and things get hot under his collar. But without any direct evidence the Inspector eventually drops it and asks for the reason of their visit.

They tell him what they know of what happened in the alley and of the burglary at the perfume store. It's not his case and the Inspector won't let them talk to the suspect but he'll have a talk with the officer in charge. Walking home Dauphine asks Darius outright if he stole the Flame of Dolac and the gnome denies doing so. “Don’t ever tell me you stole it,” the druidess tells him.

Returning next day they learn that the '''suspect, Douglas, fits the height and build of the assailant''', which also matches Gabriel's. He hasn't given up his accomplice and hasn't admitted to being in the alley either. '''The officer is pretty sure he did it''' though, but without a confession they can't make it stick. He will be going to jail for a year for the break in though. '''Darius then writes a letter to Brook''', telling her the man won't be going to jail for doing what he did to her but will be in jail for something else.

== Sarodin Sea ==

==== Chirurgeon Browns ====
The party receives a message from Jerry, their agent, and it tells them to '''go to a house on Lookout Road in the New Dunum neighborhood, and to bring [[Otteun#Food|bay ribs]]'''. They buy half a dozen at a street vendor and go to the address. The door is opened by a blond man with very square jaws and a pointed chin. He wears leather pants, as many people do here, and a plaid shirt. He asks if they are the adventurers he hired and then invites them inside.

He introduces himself as '''Hirsute Looking Glass''' and is rather surprised at the lack of reaction to his name, mumbling how normally people all get up in his business over it. He takes the box of bay ribs, immediately sucks the meat of off it and throws the bone over his shoulder. His place is quite a mess; there's an old couch he indicates for them to sit on, an old wooden trestle table that has seen better times and all kinds of alchemical equipment is covering any flat surface.

He tells the party he needs them to '''go to Hogan Island and bring back a log of tomko tree''', at least a few meters long. Why go all the way there? It's the nearest place that he learned the trees can be found. He has '''hired a ship, the Wetterlund''', that will bring them there. And why does he need adventurers? Apparently the island is uninhabited but full of dangerous forest creatures; baboons, owlbears, regular bears, giant varieties of toads, wasps, spiders, etc. In short; no lumberjacks were willing to take his contract, such nonsense!

Having eaten all of the six bay ribs by now and told them all they need to know, the man now herds them from his place and tells them to bring him back his tree as soon as possible. Oscar has been reacting strangely to this man and the feeling seems to be mutual so it doesn't take long before the party is back out on the street. Fortunately Dauphine remembers reading about tomko trees; they are quite tall with a dusky bark and dark leaves with tiny holes in them. They always grow in a ring of twelve for some reason.

Our friends go do some shopping; cutting down a tree that size won't be easy. [[Quinton Gemweaver|Quinton]] happens to walk by the vintage shop Second Hand News in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Little Perches|Little Perches]] where he sees a rather interesting robe hanging behind the counter. After some tough negotiating and borrowing some money, he pays 84 gold pieces and his pearl trinket to become the new owner of the [[Robe of Advantages]].

'''The Wetterlund is a large ship'''; pretty close to the Crowned Griffon that the party sailed on before. '''Captain Reynolds''' is a brusque halfling with red hair in a ponytail and a limp. She invites them for dinner in the captain's quarters and they enjoy a really tasty meal. Our friends learn about the captain's former career; cheese rolling. She broke her leg in multiple places but is still very enthusiastic, describing how she barreled downhill, chasing [[Cheeses of the world#Glevum|Twin Glevum]] cheese. Over dinner it also becomes clear to the very observant that '''Darius doesn't eat anything of his meal'''.

In the morning they sail past [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] and after a good number of days they arrive at their destination; '''Hogan Island''', it's bigger than they expected. As it's an hour before dusk they decide to wait till the next day. At dawn they all get into a launch and are rowed over to a small beach. It's quite misty in the morning and the mist is so firm that you need to push through it, one could even sculpt it.

The flora here is rather strange, some is much larger than elsewhere, other much smaller; there are tiny apple trees with apples the size of cherries, and huge oak trees with very large acorns. Massive mushrooms grow here as well, including [[Sprite member|sprite members]] that are almost two meters tall. Dauphine notices that the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]] feels more moist here on the island.
Our friends come across '''a piece of green and blue fruit, the colors swirling slowly around its skin'''. Dauphine's studies indicate it will grant some kind of boon when eaten but she doesn't know what kind of benefit it will be. However, Darius tells them he wants it as it can be used to improve his armor. Eventually it is decided he can use it and his [[Vessel Wraps]] gains the Store property.[[File:Needle Lord.jpg|right|300x300px]]After about a day and half, helped by a Locate Animals or Plants spell from Dauphine they find the tomko trees they are looking for; a circle of twelve. Very sharp vines grow between a number of them and Darius uses his scythe to remove them. As he does so, they are attacked by creatures made of just twigs full of needles. They launch these in great numbers and when most are taken out, a much larger specimen arrives. It's a bloody fight but our friends persevere.

Afterwards Darius cuts open the big creature hoping to find something to take back to Herb's Store but there's not much. Meanwhile Oscar discovers that [[Thola's Blanket]] has gained the Pins and Needles property. Our friends came prepared and brought the right tools to cut down one of the trees and then cut off a three meter piece.

It takes a good while but they bring it back to the ship and load it on board. The journey back gets eventful when a pirate ship approaches but '''Captain Hornigold''' doesn't stay around for long, just collecting some hats.

== Dolac ==
Soon our friends find themselves back in [[Avale]] and deliver the log to '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', putting it in his backyard that is full of esoteric things; other logs of wood, strange stones, a cauldron that could fit Quinton, and more.

They return to the Grey Minstrel Inn and learn the latest news; the '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in Downpark burned down when they were away. Dauphine quips that at least none of them were responsible for this, for a change. In the evening they have a drink at their favorite tavern; the Grape Escape. Instead of the nice, relaxing evening they hoped to have, instead they get an encounter with the fabled '''yortho''' and might just have saved the entire city.

==== The Great and the Good ====
'''Jerry''' invites our friends over to his office at Venture Hall and informs them that the Solutions for the Infirm has hired them to run security for less than a day and are paying extremely well, once again. He also has a present for them, tickets to a new play, Turnabout, at the People’s Playhouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]] as a thank you for a fruitful relationship with the '''Adventurers Association'''.

It turns out that the play is not what they expected and while Darius and Oscar have a whale of a time, the other two leave early. Two days later they report to a square in town where Solutions for the Infirm has set up a large tent and roped off the area. The party is met once again by the '''Harried PA''' who explains that they are giving new clothes to the indigents and our friends are to make sure everything runs smoothly.

There are crates with clothes stacked outside the tent, all made by '''Eldritch Honor of [[Thimonnier]]''', in the sizes small, medium, and large. At the exit side of the tent a large trestle table holds baked goods for those that have gotten their new clothes. And there lies the current problem; urchins have been darting in and grabbing food of the table that technically isn't meant for them.

'''Joseph Lacombe''', the founder of the charity and top boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes|Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes]], is there himself and comes over to the party and thanks them personally for their work at the State Museum during the fundraiser, he heard about all their good work. He doesn't stay long; after the first few indigents have received their new clothes he gets into his carriage and leaves.

Quinton rather escalates things with the urchins and they retreat but from what they are yelling, they will be back soon enough. The druid goes into the tent to ask what to do but only finds a man and a woman dressed in white, measuring an indigent's head and noting things on a clipboard before giving them a set of clothes.

He is directed to the small tent and finds the Harried PA there, who has finally found a moment to relax and is rather sad to be disturbed once again. She tells Quinton to do whatever is necessary and will see if she can get more food delivered. The urchins soon return with reinforcements and things turn into something of a battlefield with two fog clouds covering one flank. Eventually hostilities are ceased and at the end of the day there is food left for the urchins to take as the tent is broken down and the square restored to it's regular form.

A number of days later another job lands; our friends are to provide security for someone in the employ of '''Jeffery Fitzwallace-Keely''', boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Mercantile Guild|Mercantile Guild]]. The instructions are to meet them early in the morning at the Coop in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. There they meet the '''Glib Adviser''' who brought two empty backpacks and hands one over. They go across the market and a number of merchants hand over small, heavy pouches, likely filled with coins and or gems that are put into the backpack.

From there they travel up town, going through a number of neighborhoods and stopping at different places, including the Tabernacle of Industry, temple to [[Ulaa]] and the [[Kasarian Embassy]] where some of them see their first ever tiefling, every time a new pouch fills one backpack and then the other. At some point they notice some shady types are following them but the Glib Adviser walks them to a nearby Humtache station and he goes inside for a good while, making the pursuers give up their quarry.

Eventually the city tour ends at a small warehouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]], where a group of four adventurers or mercenaries are just leaving. The Glib Adviser thanks them for their services as he takes the backpacks. Since things ran so smoothly and they spotted the possible waylayers he tips each of them a gold piece. Dauphine wants to go back to the Tabernacle of Industry and talks there with the priest who handed the Glib Adviser a pouch. She asks what this transaction was for but is told that's above her pay-grade.

=== The Stoned Dragon ===
Some days later '''Aracuda Shovi''' appears as our friends exit the inn. He tells Dauphine he '''remembered some more about the Stoned Dragon Caves'''; it's near some place called New Monkhome, you get there via the cellars. The elf tries to confirm that it's an actual name and not a nickname, the dwarf thinks so.

She then asks Alun Djames if she can use the library at the Stevedores HQ, and he's fine with that. There she learns '''New Monkhome is the ancestral home of the Count of Ranhem, found near Ranhem, capital of Guel province'''. It's not exactly around the corner and she asks the other party member if they will come with her to try and find the cave and recharge the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]].

They accept and soon they are taking a barge up the river to [[Thimonnier]]. From there they travel by road, fortunately the journey goes without any problems, unless one would count their spending of 150 gp at {{TextAnimations|Text=Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}} where Darius even tries to pick pocket Quinton.

When our friends '''arrive at New Monkhome''' they find it's not a castle, there's no signs of a moat or curtain wall. But '''the building is very, very old''', even the one wing that was a later addition is still many centuries old, it could have been a proper castle long ago. It’s busy, there a number of carriages parked out front, a wagon is being unloaded off to the side by what looks to be the staff entrance. A banner says: “'''Welcome to the Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild National Congress'''”.

They are met by '''Lady Ranhem''', dressed impeccably but anyone with a good eye can tell the clothes have been repaired more than once. “Welcome to New Monkhome, are you the people Torchbearer Albert Charles is expecting?” she asks. Before anyone can answer, she says “excuse me one second.” She walks over to a girl of about 15 and a boy of about 12 and speaks to them. Quinton's sharp ears pick up the conversation: “'''Ermengard''', '''Goswin''', you know these are busy days and they are important, not just for your father and I, but for you as well, you want to live here, don’t you? Then please, help out, there is so much to do, go inside and ask Jervis what you can do, please be a dear for me.” Neither looks very enthusiastic but they go inside and Lady Ranhem returns.

Our friends get into some real negotiations; they ask for a tour and to spend the night but she explains that with the current guests everyone is too busy and there are no rooms left. But they offer one of the [[Cheeses of the world#Ciwiruil Adv’Tmyywy|Kasarian Cheese Horns]] that Quinton found in one of his crates and she offers them a place to sleep in some of the empty staff rooms.

With a deal struck they go to said rooms and after a quick talk with a local rat they learn about the entrance to the cellars; it's almost right next to their rooms. It's still early in the afternoon and they quickly go have a look. The cellars are full of broken furniture, rolled up carpets, old painter’s supplies, empty frames and racks that might have held bottles, weapons, armor, who knows, there’s a stuffed bear that has seen better days, and a tree root comes through the ceiling, causing part of the cellars to have some standing water.

They spot a secret door that hasn’t fully closed, beyond it a narrow passage leads to 10-foot wide and high ancient stone tunnels that are likely of dwarven make, all spotlessly clean, lit by continual flames. Looking for any signs of what direction to go, our friends find raspberry jam prints on the wall. They pick a random direction and start walking.

They find empty rooms behind the doors in the corridors; it looks like whoever left and took everything that wasn't bolted down. Right around a corner at an intersection standing aimlessly are a corpse riddled with shards of glass and a skeleton still wearing scraps of armor and holding a shield and a longsword. Their eyes light up red as they turn to the party. Battle is swift and the party wins. A few corners later a skeleton stands in the corridor carrying what looks like its own skin. Then it suddenly throws the skin at our friends and the skin animates, trying to wrap itself around whoever it hits. This fight is not as easy but our friends still come out on top. '''Darius checks every undead carefully''' for any tell tale signs of a necromancer, '''he wants all of them destroyed'''.
[[File:Gelatinous Cube.jpg|right|375x375px]]
They continue on and come to an intersection where to one side they see what looks like the '''entrance of crypt''', they can see sarcophagi. But standing in front of the entrance is a flaming skeleton and it hurls bolts of flame at anyone it sees. As they start shooting back Oscar moves into the opposite corridor and steps right into a gelatinous cube. Things get really hairy as the cube moves up and engulfs Dauphine, others manage to jump out of the way.

The druid almost succumbs but a Healing Word spell from Darius brings her back and she then manages to escape from the ooze. It's quite hardy but eventually they bring it down and then immediately go back to fighting the flaming skeleton. It's flaming bolts hit hard and it manages to bring down Darius who is then brought back by Quinton. Lots of spells and arrows later the skeleton crumbles to the floor.

Now our friends see a new figure standing just inside the crypt; it's '''Goswin''', the-12 year old son of the count and countess. In his hands he holds '''a large disc of infernal iron inscribed with Infernal writing, with a hole in the middle'''. Darius and Quinton both read Infernal and see that it's something called the '''Seal of Souls''', it could be the instrument that created the undead creatures.

When Quinton runs up to the boy and tells him to lay down the artifact, Darius and Oscar follow, but the boy shouts "no, it's mine!" and '''Necrotic energy flies out in a cone, bringing our three friends down''', only Dauphine, who didn't rush, is outside of the effect.

[[Robe of Advantages|Quinton's robe]] stabilizes him as Goswin takes some steps back, the expression on his face showing he did not expect what happened. Dauphine uses goodberries to bring the others back and then a rather tense discussion develops with the 12-year old, who still clutches the Seal of Souls, but promises not to use it.

He confirms that '''he created the undead''' but according to him they are harmless, he just played with them and had no idea the party fought their way through them to get where they are now. He also did not know about the gelatinous cube. They are standing inside the crypt now; there is quite some dust here and many sarcophagi, deeper inside there seems to be an ossuary. There is also a large plinth with relief art depicting a man being crowned and an empty recess which looks to be the home of the Seal of Souls.

Running footsteps can be heard and three people arrive; '''lord and lady Ranhem and their daughter'''. The man sends his wife and children back upstairs, telling them how important it is to make sure the event at the mansion goes without a hitch and promising the party he will explain to them what is going on.

In short; '''the artifact was created for the family shortly after the [[Collapse]] by a Duke of Hell and it is how they attained their position as Count of Ranhem'''. However, the item came with certain requirements. At age 16 every heir must pledge themselves to the Seal, if that should ever not happen, all ancestors, dating back to the one who made this deal will rise as undead with the sole intent to do as much damage as possible.

The count had no idea that his son had found the crypt and the artifact, he is horrified the boy used it to create undead, he tells our friends that the family decided over six centuries ago to never use it again and so far they had kept to this. He promises that he will take extra precautions, lock the item away, to make sure something like this can never happen again and he begs them not to talk about this to anyone.

The man also explains that it's been quite difficult these days to make enough money to be able to afford the upkeep of the place but moving is not great, considering where the family crypt is and what their options would be. Our friends appreciate his position; they would like to destroy the item but lord Ranhem says that according to what he was told by his father and those before him that that will also make all his ancestors rise as undead.

As our friends discuss all this Dauphine wants to know what the language on the seal is and then asks Quinton why he knows Infernal and if he has a pact himself, he answers he does not. They can't think of a real solution for the Seal of Souls and decide that it's probably safe in the current Count's hands but they do fear that any future generation might get other ideas which could lead to real troubles. They decide that for now they will not do anything but should the learn anything during their adventuring careers or gain certain powers they might come back here.

They also discussed the [[Cave of the Stone Dragon|Stone Dragon Cave]] with the count who lets them know in no uncertain terms that there is no such thing here; what there is, is a coal fire, which people seem to repeatedly interpret as a dragon snoring underground. He tells them they are free to explore the rest of the place, telling them he knows there are natural caverns deeper down. He doesn't know what the complex was used for in the past, only that is was likely of dwarven make and existed before New Monkhome was built, the crypt was added then as well.

He goes back upstairs to help out with the event and our friends explore further, eventually finding what seems to be a dwarven kiva with a large ramp running down along the wall of the hundreds of feet deep chamber. As they make their way down they trigger a trap that shoves everyone but Darius, who was taking up the rear, down into the chamber.

Fortunately all of them still had their Feather Fall boon and thus make it down safely, including Darius who jumped over the trigger for the trap only to land on a trigger for a second, similar trap. At the bottom they '''find the skeleton of what looks to be a dwarf'''. His clothes and leather armor are mostly gone and laying around him are the remains of an axe and a hammer with a spike. A crossbow exploded into many pieces, its marvelous silver inlay now all twisted up but a similar inlay can be seen on the obsidian amulet around the skeleton’s neck.

Laying further away are a number of hizagkuur springs and folded umber hulk chitin plates, all twisted or outright destroyed. A backpack on the skeleton’s back has been mostly eaten away, the same goes for much of its contents. What’s left is some torches, a mess kit, a holy symbol of [[Ulaa]], a sergeant’s insignia, and a dried mindflayer tentacle.

Dauphine takes a look at the amulet and finds out it is '''a sentient magic item called the [[Temple Ton]]'''. The sentience is happy for the druid to take it and wear it, looking forward to new adventures.

Further exploration leads to a cavern where the only other exit has collapsed and where one of the walls is much too hot to touch; the coal fire. The party returns to the mansion and stay to help out in the kitchen, making sure the event goes smoothly for the family. Afterwards they even help count Ranhem to create a small vault to keep the artifact in so no one can just take it. Before they leave, Dauphine gives Goswin the book How to Become a Bard, that she got from one of the clearance crates.

==== Getting a Head ====
On their way back our friends stay the night in the '''town of Balmer'''. They have a drink at the Lumber Hulk tavern where they spot '''a rather strange looking woman'''. Some people at another table keep looking over at her, but then, most people are. But those four rush over to start a brawl with her, hoping to garner glory by bringing her down.

Our friends jump in the fray and help the woman, not that she really needs it; four drunk villagers are no match for her. Afterwards she buys them a drink and they learn that she is '''[[Chrysanthemum]], a bounty hunter'''. They enjoy some time together, trading stories, before she calls it a night. Quinton is approached by a young couple to join them for a night of fun but the druid declines.
[[File:Lelio bust.jpg|right|375x375px]]
The next morning our friends are approached by a '''bald halfling woman with a missing left hand'''. She says she saw them at the tavern last night and wants to hire them. “'''Bring me the head of Lelio Euphorbia''',” she tells them, to then explain that it's a bust that was kept in the lobby of the Critical Hit Theater. She is the current owner and Lelio was the founder. She suspects that it was stolen by someone from the new theater that opened across town recently; the Natural One Lounge.

The party walks over to the theater with her and looks for clues but doesn't find much. However, the woman's niece was present when the bust was stolen and saw the thief. She'll be at the Critical Hit after lunch and our friends decide to go check out the Natural One Lounge. It looks to be empty and Quinton uses a Misty Step spell to get inside at the backdoor, opening it for the others.

Darius shows Oscar how to use [[Phlegethos’ Pick]]; the halfling seems to have a talent for it, he opens the door to the office in no time. There's no evidence of the bust or any clues to its whereabouts. Oscar also opens the safe and helps himself to the bag of money inside it. When he later has time to count, he finds out there's 43 gp worth of mostly silver pieces in there. He gives the cleric a handful but the gnome can't condone this behavior and puts 30 gp of his own money back into the safe before closing it.

By this point the sound of conversation about the backdoor being unlocked had alerted the party that people had arrived. Quinton grabbed a janitor's coat and mop and pretended to be the janitor, only for a man to call out, asking what he was doing with ''his'' coat! The druid starts talking in Ancient and acting erratically. The man and woman who arrived think he's addled-brained and the woman goes off to get the Humtache, the man follows her, not wanting to be alone with Quinton.

Eventually the other three manage to leave the theater without being seen and they meet up back at their inn and have a nice lunch. Then they return to the Critical Hit Theater and get from niece Hilna the robber's description. She also says she found a little piece of fabric trapped in the doorway, likely coming from the man's jacket.

This is great news for the druids as they can wild shape into a dog and hopefully follow the spoor. Dauphine does so and manages to lead the party to a workshop where the windows are mostly covered up. She tries to follow the scent further as the likely robber has traveled further these last 48 hours, regrettably she loses the trail a few streets later.

Back at the workshop Oscar unlock the door and Dauphine slips inside, still in dog form. She manages to not step on a tripwire attached to a bunch of cans that would have made a lot of noise. Oscar goes in second and not only avoids the trap but even disables it in one smooth motion. The suspect seems to be in the back part of the workshop and they plan their approach. Dauphine goes inside and pretends to be a dog with the zoomies.

As she does so, both the front and back door to the place are busted open and a number of Humtache guards rush inside, arresting the person at the workbench, one Ollie Stein. Our friends are held and questioned on the spot, one of the guards is then sent to the theater to confirm their story of recovering a bust for them. Meanwhile Ollie has been taken to the HQ and the remaining guards are searching and cataloguing the place.

Once released, the party goes back to the inn and decide to wait till evening to search the workshop and attempt to talk with the robber. They don't find anything useful there and then go to the Humtache HQ. On the way they discuss many ways to get inside and how to make Ollie tell them about the bust. Using the [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser cypher]] Quinton makes himself look like the arresting sergeant and pretends to have a sore throat.

He and Darius enter and they successfully bluff their way into the cells where the cleric pretends to be there to measure Ollie up for a coffin and give him his last rites. They tell the robber that the owner had a heart attack due to the theft of the bust and both he and another prisoner call bullshit, he can't be held responsible for that. But they have managed to rattle the boy and when the 'sergeant' tells him that he also thinks it's going to far he says that he's willing to make the bust disappear so he can't be held responsible for the crime. Ollie tells him that he stole the bust for an old gnome who's name he doesn't know. But he can give a pretty accurate description and tells them they met at the Noble Nap inn.

Our friends leave and the next morning they go to this inn and find a gnome fitting the description having a late breakfast. Quinton sits down at the man's table and tries to engage him in conversation but the man is utterly deaf and not interested in a talk. But they do manage to learn that he has a room here. The party also gets a room on the same floor and break into his room when the gnome goes out for lunch. They don't find the bust or anything incriminating, nor any weapons or magical paraphernalia. But he sure has a lot of keepsakes and other sentimental nick-knacks. Most importantly; his name is on his steamer trunk; '''Archibald Euphorbia'''.

The follow him to lunch and then decide to talk to the owner of the theater about this new discovery. She tells Darius and Quinton that Archibald is Lelio's son and that years ago he made an offer for the bust but it was very low and she considers it part of the theater which Lelio wanted to remain in its original state. Our friends make some suggestions about him maybe buying the bust but then leaving it at the theater, or maybe even convince him to exhibit more at the theater.

Back they go to the Noble Nap and then things go sideways when a guest sees Oscar listening at the door to room 101. Quinton pratfalls to distract people but soon enough the concierge shows up and tells them to leave. Dauphine runs after him and it takes everything she has to persuade him to let them stay.

They now decide to lay everything out to Archibald by writing a letter with their proposal. Some time later he shows up at their door and accepts the suggestion of a small exhibition of his father's things in the theater lobby. As they walk over to the Critical Hit he starts to get really enamored with what he now starts to think of as his plan. '''A deal is soon struck''', the bust will be returned, and he is even going to pay for extending the size of the lobby.

The party gets paid and they then return to their own inn where a certain Humtache sergeant is waiting for them. He wants to talk with Darius who tries to bluff that he accompanied him into the station last night. They are all taken to the station and none of them manage to convince their interrogators of their innocence. But since no real harm was done and the investigator hates the paperwork, '''he just bans them from his town''', he wants them to leave next morning.

Back at the inn there's another surprise; a package had been delivered for Oscar two days ago but they only hand it to him now. It's a present from '''[[Chrysanthemum]]'''; a small stuffed toy of a furry marsupial with big ears and a big mouth, which turns out to be a [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager Cypher]]. There's also a note that the halfling can't read, saying how the bounty hunter thought this might be helpful in his travels.

On the way back to Avale a flooded road means a detour via to village of Dunwoody, known for its natural springs. And it seems they arrive just in time for [[Ehlonna#Holy days and observances|Ehlonna’s Turning Ceremony]]. The villagers speak of divine providence that just now a priest of the Goddess of the Woodlands turns up, and an elf as well! They tell Darius that their local priestess died recently and ask his help with the ceremony. He will do so and the party is given a free stay at the local inn and a sumptuous meal is cooked for them. In the evening, he and Dauphine shadow a girl called Kendra and then a banquet is enjoyed.

==== Training Montage ====
Our friends arrive back in [[Avale]] and learn of some recent news: there was an explosion at a tannery in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kipfield|Kipfield]], the Three Tanners, one of the owners lost his life. Back at the Grey Minstrel Inn they see the old woman in green coat looking through trash, and the brown mackerel tabby jumping from one balcony to another as they walk in and get their old rooms once again.

[[Bruneor Argent]] who resides in Dauphine's [[Temple Ton]] amulet is happy with her carrying him but he thinks that she should toughen up, and he is also of the opinion that Darius could be a much better healer. So he takes them to the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#None Turned Away Clinic|None Turned Away Clinic]]''' in the Lost Bay neighborhood. '''Durit''', the old dwarven woman who keeps the place running takes B.A. now being inside an amulet in stride, and they are sent in to meet all the medics.

Bruneor has them working 14 hour shifts for five days where they get to deal with an average week of issues at the clinic. Highlights include cauterizing a bleeder that almost reaches the ceiling, dealing with a cow's breech birth, amputating a leg, two rival gangs arriving and threatening each other whilst demanding help for their many wounded, an outbreak of cackle fever, and on their last day, the nearby Lacombe Asylum collapses, leading to a 20 hour shift where they try their very best to save who they can.

In this same week Quinton comes across a poster: “Confidently Communicating Commitment; Lessons in Leadership”. Five evening seminars at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Scarlet Bonnet|Scarlet Bonnet]] for 25 gp that will improve leadership skills. Since he has been looking to improve himself in that regard, he signs up and that evening finds himself in a room with almost exclusively guild middle managers.

On the stage appears a very slick woman who introduces herself as '''Zeran Merados'''. She explains that every of the seminars will be dedicated to a different c-word: credibility, communication, commitment, confidence and creativity. She is full of energy and pumps the room up as she starts into her first talk.

Afterwards some of the audience go for a drink at the tavern and invite Quinton along. Here he meets a young gnome; '''Emser Quinson'''. He's quite the character with his bright orange shoes and tattoos of bells on his hands. They get to talking and when he learns of the seminar asks what the druid thinks leadership really is.

The next evening they meet again and the evening after that again. During this third seminar Quinton managed to look past all the buzzwords and realized that none of it has anything to do with real leadership. He invites Emser to come to the next evening's seminar as he thinks they could convince the others to their point of view.

And the gnome is waiting at the hall before the seminar begins and the druid takes him inside. As Zeran comes up on the stage Quinton rushes up and starts talking, managing to take the wind out of the woman's sails long enough to invite his new friend up on the stage. He gives Emser the word and the gnome starts telling the audience that they don't have to be sheep and listen to nonsense for five long evenings; revolution!

The crowd responds enthusiastically and that's the end of the seminars. Lots of people swarm Zeran and she promises to repay them all. However, the next day she isn't there as promised and is not to be found again. Quinton has a drink with some of the middle managers and convinces one to give up his job; "woodworking has always been my passion, I'm resigning first thing tomorrow!" the woman says.

Everyone but Oscar can do with a break after all that's happened and they learn that the Adjective Noun tavern has something rather special; the '''Wheel of Death'''. This is a wheel with no less than a thousand numbers and lots of prizes to be won. It's installed there to promote the soon to come opening of a new casino, the He Bluffs Me Not in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee neighborhood]].

Oscar has a go and manages to spin the wheel to 000; Death! In actuality Death is just the patrons having a good laugh as you get completely covered in tar and are then locked up in a cage in the middle of the establishment. But to show they are not all bad you get one chance to avoid your fate; simply throw a bullseye on a dartboard from the other side of the room.

The halfling takes his position and throws. He hits the board but the dart bounces off and lands on someone’s plate on a nearby table. Meanwhile the board falls down, rolls slowly to the right over the tail of sleeping cat in the corner and then falls flat. The cat jumps up with a screech and launches itself into a passing barmaid. She cries out and stumbles back in a pirouette, her tray hitting a bottle on the bar. The neatly lined up bottles slowly, and then faster, fall over, neatly in a row.

The last bottle hits the counter and the cork shoots from it and bounces against the walls a few times before hitting a Sandy Table player in the back of the head just as he was about to take his shot. He launches his disk wildly, it hits the side and flips into a parabolic trajectory landing on the head of a Kasarian tiefling, rolling between his horns and traveling onwards, flying through the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, catching on fire before landing right into a very alcoholic drink which immediately vaporizes with a whoosh.

The goblet teeters one way and then the other before finally falling right next to the plate, hitting the handle of the spoon which has the dart laying on it. The dart gets launched towards the corner of the room and once it has lost all energy it flips and streaks downwards, landing right in the bullseye of the dartboard laying on the floor. The tavern erupts when this happens and many people come over to give Oscar a pat on the back.

It's been quite the week but at the end of it Dauphine is a lot more Tough, Darius can consider himself a Field Medic, Quinton became an Inspiring Leader, and Oscar has Bountiful Luck.

==== XWING ====
Our friends are asked to help crew a Stevedore boat at the '''eXtremely Wild International Naval Games''' and manage to even win.

=== Super Tuesday ===
A few days later '''Jerry''' invites the party over to the '''Adventurers Association'''. After a customary coffee where he regales them of his latest money making scheme; lending money at Under-Barrow Savings to buy up turnip futures, he tells them that '''Super Tuesday will be in two days time'''. Since they are new to the city he wanted to make sure they understand that '''it will be more than pandemonium, the guild bylaws are insane and it's always the craziest day of the year'''.

It's the day of all the guild elections and that means loads of people on the streets all day, many wearing guild colors and some getting rather boisterous and unruly. Urchins and other pranksters might try and waylay ballot chests that have to arrive at the counting station on time or they won’t be validated. Sometimes it’s not pranks though but quite serious.

Our friends have been '''hired by the Guild of Stevedores''' and will be the ones to '''escort one of the ballot boxes'''. Every guild does things differently so all Jerry can tell them is that they will be escorting two guild members both chained to a ballot box. They will go to a voting station and then after voting closes they need to escort them to the counting station.

Jerry hasn't been told where either of these places are, he suggests talking with the guild and also advises them to make sure to be at the guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] at the break of dawn, or even earlier, maybe spend the night in a nearby inn. After impressing upon them enough to take this job seriously he let's them go and wishes them well.

Our friends go talk with '''Alun Djames''' who gives them more details on the job; where they will need to go, the exact rules, they are not allowed to interfere with the process and there are time limits. They also learn there's also a by-election for a new top boss due to '''Jinnie Affo''' going missing; there are two frontrunners; '''Vola Zorgar''', a half-orc, and '''Garth Auric'''. Alun lets slip that as far as he is concerned it wouldn't be a disaster should the votes be invalid.

Then preparations; shopping, walking the likely route, etc. In the evening they take rooms at the Pair O' Dice Inn, near the Stevedores HQ. Darius checks with the others about how they look at the job; will they do everything by the book, cut corners, interfere? The consensus is to just do it as it was given.

The next morning Avale is alive even as the sun comes up, it looks like half the city is out on the streets; many people dressed in their guild’s colors, Humtache patrols, food sellers hoping to make a small fortune, and urchins hoping for lots of food. Getting to the Stevedore’s HQ takes quite a bit longer than it would have on a normal day.

At the HQ they are introduced to the two 'volunteers'; '''Vakna Throndor''', a young, slight dwarven woman, and '''Randall Gilliam''', a young, strapping human man. They are manacled to the chest that is the ballot box and then our friends leave on their journey to [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. Along the way they first meet '''Herleva Boden''' and her growing puppy, Snuffles Two. They see '''Roger Newsome''' exit the State Museum.

There's an encounter with a marching band and urchins but eventually they make it to their destination on time; The Reverend’s Rest Inn, across from the Tabernacle of Industry, the temple of [[Ulaa]]. Twelve hours of voting later they've managed to make things go pretty smoothly and are ready to now go to the Scarlet Bonnet in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Proviso Place|Proviso Place]] where the votes will be counted.

Immediately on leaving they are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter'''. “Hey, you are the people from when the Flame of Dolac was stolen; strange how that was never found, must have been an inside job, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” he says. Quinton: “That will be only known by us.” “Anyway, what is your comment on the story that '''Vola Zorgar''' is on [[Otteun]]’s payroll and responsible for the disappearance of '''Jinnie Affo''' and the false evidence against her?” Quinton: “We heard this kind of rumor but have no opinion on it.”

Somewhat later it’s pandemonium as a bunch of creatures that look like a hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat spill out of a driveway and straight into the people on the street, picking at them, wings flapping as they try and make their way through the panicking crowd. These creatures turn out to be cockatrices and it's only due to the party's quick response that no one on the street turns to stone.

The party continues on and at the main branch of the High Shore Bonding Company they see from a distance how four robbers descend from the building as an alarm bell sounds. They decide it's not their problem and leave it to the Humtache who show up soon after.

Our friends make it to the Scarlet Bonnet on time. There are lots of people standing outside the building and inside it doesn’t get any less busy. They deliver the ballot box on time and their job is done. They see the now familiar Bite Me Catering people and have something to eat and drink, spotting '''Dersigos Naffles''' carrying a tray of drinks.

==== A Marquis Job ====
The party gets an invite from Jerry and at the meeting are told that they are in luck; since no one else is available they are getting a job from Markiz (Marquis) '''Borislav Kucan Skok-Ratenicz''', who pays very well. And their job is just bringing a package from the port to his mansion in [[Duneford]]. 25 gold pieces for a few hours of work; nice if you can get it!

The next day they wait for the ship to arrive and are handed the package which Oscar carries in a backpack. The captain also gives them a large lump of silver and asks them to tithe it for his ship, crew, and himself at the [[Osprem|Osprem's]] '''Temple of Tidal Tranquility''' which is right next to Duneford. The party agrees and sets off on their journey.

Before reaching their destination they are attacked and unfortunately the package gets destroyed, the assailants get away as well. Our friends continue on, determined to bring what remains to their employer. In Duneford they run into '''Roger Newsome''' and his sister, '''Ruth''', the man telling them he donated some new gems to the City Museum.

Then they are accosted by two dwarves, one male, one female, and one human woman, they all have short hair, wear leather armor, and have a short sword or hand axe on their belt. They show the party a sketch of a man with a large mustache and a distinctive birthmark and ask if they have seen this individual. They haven't and reply thusly.

The party continues on and reached '''Shadow Pond''', the mansion. There are guards on the door and the butler brings them through the house, down a corridor full of paintings all of similar men with dark hair in a widow's peak and a rather intense look. On a huge balcony with view of the sea two men are having tea and coffee. The Marquis is tall, very thin, pale, has silver-grey hair and wide ears, he wears an expensive grey business suit. The other is a halfling with a large nose, curly hair, dressed business casual.

Borislav speaks slowly with sing-song voice and comments to the halfling that it seems they need to take more measures when the party tell him about the attack and hand over what remains of the package. After they have given all the details the Marquis dismisses them and he thanks them for their work, even if it wasn't a success.

Back in Duneford proper they have some lunch and then go to Osprem's temple to deliver the tithe. There they are approached by the man from the sketch earlier. He explains that he used to be a major in the [[Otteun#The Ott|Ott]] and he is now on the run after destroying a dangerous project. This '''Ranald Kassimir''' pleads for them to help him get to the Avale port as he knows the people after him have likely already identified the temple as the most likely place he is hiding.

Our friends come up with all kinds of interesting plans to do so and eventually decide on one. It seems to work as they make it back to Avale unharmed and the man thanks them profusely as he runs off to the port and hopefully a new life far away from here.

=== The Ballad ===
The next week or so there's no work but there is news in town; a huge, albino crocodile has eaten three people in the last week, a bounty has been placed on its head. Then our friends receive an official government missive announcing a meeting in a private room at their inn in the morning, two days hence. The visitor turns out to be no one less than Torchbearer Council Standing Secretary '''Saer Barclay Pergay'''. He tells them that unofficially they have been awarded the Star of Dolac, a very prestigious medal. And also unofficially this might be because of a certain yortho incident.

Some days later '''Jerry Tidwell''' invites the party to dinner at a nice restaurant; This Scampi Happening. Over dessert he confesses to a motive; he owes a friend of his, impresario and nightclub owner '''Anthony Prince''' a favor and the man need some people for a job that needs plausible deniability. If our friends go to his club Knight Moves then Tony will explain. They can use the phrase "Ken sent me" to skip the line.

The party has some reservations about this kind of work but decide to hear the man out. At the club they first talk with a man looking for a prince's bride and then get to see Antony Prince. Who then explains that he promised '''Yurdan Amaerth''', a real estate developer, to get some things done that have turned out more difficult than expected.

First is the lot containing the burned down '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]]. Yurdan wants to buy it and build an apartment building on it. But to be allowed to do so, the zoning law needs to be changed. The city planner, a Docami by the name of '''Nola Brogunn''', has the authority to do so. He tells the party that she can't be bribed so our friends will need to find a different avenue to get her to play ball. Once that is done, they can quickly buy the lot.

After asking a number of questions our friends go to their inn for a long planning session. The next morning the party is outside [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Halls|Halls]] and see Nola approach. Oscar trips her and then manages to steal her day planner from her bag as he helps her up and says sorry. Our friends then go check out the burned down church and check the crypt, finding it in an ok condition.

The day planner shows that on average four times a week the phrase "Wine Me Up" appears with a time next to it, anywhere from 20:00 to 22:30. But tonight's mention, with a time of 21:00, has been crossed out aggressively, as have all other future dates with that phrase. It turns out that Wine Me Up is a nightclub/tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], not all too far from Nola's home address which is also in the day planner.
[[File:Wine Me Up.png|right|450x450px]]
The party goes to have a look after lunch and learn that Nola performed here as a singer, but has recently been banned for saying some really nasty things, though the owner doesn't specify exactly what. Our friends then go to Tony to see if he can help them find out more about this ban, he being in the same kind of business. They find him at Bears, in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]].

As they arrive they find him cradling an effeminate looking young man who has been beaten up. Tony tells them this happened not thirty minutes ago and he tells them to find the three boys responsible for it and "put the fear of Tony into them. Tell them that if they ever do something like this again in this town they will disappear without a trace." The boys are easily found and swiftly dealt with.

Tony has reached out and learned that apparently Nola said nasty things about the owner of Wine Me Up. Our friends go back there at the time Nola should have been performing and listen to her replacement sing. Afterwards Darius approaches this '''Marion Guff''' and in the short talk they have his insight tells him that she is very happy Nola is gone, and might likely be the cause of the ban.

He goes to confirm this with the owner and manages to convince her that Nola was an innocent victim and gets her ban undone. He even manages to get a slot for her to sing tonight. He and Dauphine rush over to her home and explain all that has happened and make their case for changing the zoning law on the way back to Wine Me Up. She sings her heart out that night and the next morning she signs the paperwork, changing the zoning for the lot.

Our friends report back to Tony and he is happy to receive some good news, lately there has been little of it. He tells them to go to the Pholtans and buy the lot directly for '''Yurdan Amaerth''', acting as his agent. He doesn't know who is in charge of this, but it's going to be someone at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Pholtus|Basilica of the Blinding Light]]. He impresses upon them to not let anyone know the zoning law has changed and offer a 'reasonable' amount so as not to draw suspicion.

The party goes to the temple in Uppark and find out that the Master of Properties is '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', someone from [[Darius Naffles#Childhood|Darius’ past]]. This leads to a rather awkward meeting but also rather easy negotiation; the priest accepts the first bid of fifty gold pieces. As Gormain leaves the room Darius puts his head in his hands. When the man returns they tell him that they'll pay 100 gp instead.

With their business concluded Darius and Gormain remain in the office to have a private conversation. Darius asks if they ever found who was behind the undead from their first meeting. He tells him that he has remained in contact with Lambert and knows that they went back to the scene but apparently there was nothing to report. Gormain changed a lot since Darius last saw him and they part ways, saying they'll keep in touch.

With that dealt with, our friends return once more to Tony and learn that the second thing that the impresario promised Yurdan was a wand called Lizard's Lament. He did some research before hiring the party and learned that [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abjura Dolana|Abjura Dolana]] was somehow involved with the sale of one. This leads our friends to speculate why someone would want the ruins and a magical wand, is this related somehow?

==== A History Lesson ====
Eventually they decide to do some research at Abjura Dolana's library before asking about it directly. As they are waiting in the lobby an old gnome mage with a mouse perched on her shoulder walks by and she sees the [[Past Primal]] around Oscar's neck. She asks the halfling how he came by it but Oscar doesn't say much. Fortunately Dauphine is there to help though she is weary to say anything. But when it turns out the grey-haired mage is a Sentinel, '''Phiceli Zercoderes''', and willing to help the party, things get easier.

She takes them up to her rather large study and serves them drinks. The place is filled with all kind of magical and mundane knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. She then explains that the Past Primal is a very old item from the [[Eras|Era of Strife]], she's something of an expert on it and it caught her eye immediately. When she learns the party is here for information on the Lizard's Lament, she remarks it's another Era of Strife item and she knows Abjura Dolana brokered a deal for one recently when she was out of town, and asks her secretary to find out more.

Dauphine and the others are now ready to tell Phiceli where they found the Past Primal. The Sentinel listens with mounting astonishment and when our friends describe the [[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events#Midnight Altar|altar room]] she then surprises the party by being able to describe things before they get the chance. Phiceli decides to tell them what they likely found but makes sure to impress upon them not to share this information with anyone.

She starts with a short overview of the Era of Strife and explains how '''four bulwarks were built to stop what is now the [[Sarodin Sea]] from growing larger'''. Four people gave up their nature and through a long process created the altars that power these bulwarks. '''When the [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now#The Primordials|Primordials]] escaped after the [[Collapse]], those who defeated them reached back to this same magic to recreate the prisons for these beings.'''

Which means that '''the party stumbled upon a Primordial prison''', the Sentinel laments being unable to tell which one. The prisons definitely involve the use of extra-planar magic but each has a control room in the physical world, such as the one they found. As far as Phiceli knows none have ever been found, and with the party triggering the fail-safe that made it sink, and probably activated more defenses, finding this one will be very difficult, which is for the best.

While this is going on, Oscar has been hearing a high, girlish voice whispering in his ears in words that he understands perfectly. No one else seems to be hearing it and he slips out of the room to follow the sound. It leads him down one floor to a room with a large metal door, covered with mystic sigils, that stands ajar.
[[File:Aridni.png|right|300x300px]]
Sneaking inside '''he finds a small moth-winged creature in a summoning circle''', though he doesn't know that's what it is. "There you are, please come closer, help me escape from here," she says and Oscar again understands her words perfectly. He's wary though and doesn't come close yet, first scanning the rest of the room. It's filled with cabinets, bookcases, and the like. On a table rests a small quiver with very nice arrows inside it. "Throw it to me," the creature tells him.

As they talk Oscar learns that either she is an Aridni and/or her name is Aridni, she's being rather vague on this topic. But she is rather clear on the fact that she is being trapped here and wants to escape. Oscar comes up with a good plan, he wants to use the Heart Sight property from [[Thola's Blanket]] to see if she is being truthful.

He needs to touch her to do so and unbeknownst to him, he brakes the circle's containment purely by stepping inside of it as he carefully avoids stepping on any markings. And when he gets close to her, she kisses him on the mouth, tells him: "thanks, brother!" then rushes over to the quiver, grabs it and then disappears in a puff of dark silver smoke in a sort of star pattern.

The halfling then quickly goes back to Phiceli's office where Dauphine asks if the mage wants to have a look at her [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]], which she is happy to do, it's something she's never encountered before. And Phiceli has a small gift for the druid; a teacup made from a varnished mushroom cap that magically keeps its liquid contents lukewarm. She also mentions off hand to Quinton that the Lizard's Lament could improve his [[Robe of Advantages]], "I haven't seen a robe like that in a long while."

Oscar sort of understands what's going on and offers his blanket, he's still shook by what just occurred. The mage casts one spell and sort of shrinks back a little and returns the blanket to the ranger, telling him it's going to be ok. Oscar then uses his Heart Sight with Darius who can tell something has happened to the halfling.

Outside there are now sounds of some urgency and the secretary arrives and gives Phiceli a note; he found out who the buyer was. When asked, the mage assures our friends that this particular wand isn't all that dangerous, it can't be used for any really dangerous purposes, as far as she can tell. She's happy to share with them that the buyer was one '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', a name quite familiar to them. With that her time is up and she brings them back to the lobby as they thank her for all her help.

==== Chirurgeon's Balls ====
It's lunch time and our friends have a lot to discuss so they find the nearest tavern; The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden. Oscar tries to explain what he did when he left Phiceli's office but it's hard, his page of icons is quite limiting here. They also discuss the things they didn't tell the mage, like Darius' [[Vessel Wraps]] being created from something that was coming through what must have been the prison door. They all agree it was a good choice not to mention the '''Count of Ranhem''' and his family problem. Darius also tells the others about what happened on his first meeting with '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', which explains why their meeting today was the way it was.

They also decided to see if they can get any information on Hirsute Looking Glass before talking to him about the Lizard's Lament. Once in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#New Dunum|New Dunum]] they look for the tavern nearest his house and find Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse. They ask the patrons if he ever drinks there and learn that he doesn't but they do know of him. He's a weird one alright, they don't know if he has a job or anything but he gets food delivered all the time and he's always tinkering with stuff in his yard.

They then buy some bay ribs before going to his house, remembering last time. He opens the door, wearing an apron covered in a red substance/liquid and happily accepts the ribs, telling them to wait as he closes the door. A minute or two later he opens it again and invites our friends inside, except for Oscar, "he's not potty trained!" The halfling decides to stay outside, thinking it might be the perfect moment to have a look at the yard.

Inside the party spots part of a sheep sticking out of a bin and make a first offer for the Lizard's Lament. Hirsute laughs in their face at the amount but eventually they negotiate a deal where they pay 2,000 gp, which was as high as Tony was willing to go, and they will do a task for Hirsute. He takes Quinton aside for a moment: “we humans, why do we have to deal with all these weird races and their crazy customs, it must be so tough to have to be around them all day.”He then brings them to his backyard where Oscar is waiting.

There's quite a lot of weird things here and a few new things stand out. '''A huge spool holds a rope with tomko tree wooden balls, each with a small rod of unfamiliar metal in it, at every twenty meters.''' Two large buoys, each weighed down with rather random things; a marble statue of a woman, missing an arm, a plate armor that is riddled with holes an inch across, a professional iron stove that has ruptured, a cauldron with some kind of dark substance caked inches thick to inner surface.

Hirsute explains that they need to get those items onto a ship and then '''go to [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] where to the west of it they are to drop the first buoy, connect the rope from the spool to it and then go in a west-north-westerly direction running out the rope''' till it's all used up and then connect it to the second buoy which is to be dropped then.

Our friends go to Tony and tell him about the deal; he is willing to pay for the rent of a boat and the transport of the items to the boat. They find a working boat that is willing to take it on; the Barley a Wake. The next morning they leave port and start their journey. All goes well though they do have an encounter with a rather strange animal and they find a message in a bottle from a certain '''Bevis Cartal'''.

Back in Avale they visit Tony to get cold, hard cash and then '''return to Hirsute and finally buy the [[Lizard's Lament]]''' from him. He seems sad to let it go, patting the wand before he hands it over to Dauphine. From there they directly go to '''Yurdan Amaerth's''' mansion in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]] as directed by Tony. On the way there Darius explains that his [[Vessel Wraps]] has asked for the wand and since Quinton can use it as well, it then mentions they could split it, though this would destroy the wand. A number of plans to take possession of the wand after handing it over are discussed.

The mansion turns out to be a quite gaudy building with lots of marble. Whilst waiting outside his home office for the secretary they hear certain sounds coming from behind the door. Oscar opens it and sees a prematurely balding dwarf with a very short beard, wearing a suede suit, a gold chain and ditto bracelet. However he's not quite fully dressed; the dwarf quickly moves behind his chair but not before the young halfling noticed '''Yurdan''', for that's who it is, is in his underpants.

The dwarf quickly dresses while at the same time Dauphine, who tried to stop Oscar from opening the door barge right into the ranger and both spill to the floor. This is also when the secretary returns and after some apologies they are invited into the office. "'''Drusilia''', I'll see you soon," the dwarf says to a so far unseen gorgeous elven woman with long, slender legs and long raven hair who sits on a couch of to the side. She then leaves, giving every party member a smile.

The office is just as gaudy as the rest of the place, there's a niche which hold a [[Beljovac#Roncee & Roncee|Roncee & Roncee]] hand crossbow made almost entirely of gold. One table holds a model of [[Avale]] with a number of colored flags placed around the city. Quinton spots a flag on where the church burned down and memorizes one of the other locations. Another table holds a model of a yacht, almost two meters long.

They hand Yurdan the Lizard's Lament and he comments: "hmm, that's it? Not what I expected," before throwing it on the couch. He tells them Tony informed him of their success and he wants to hire them for a job; he'll pay 50 gp each if they get the job done, he doesn't care how. The job: he has problems with [[Avale - Guilds#Stonemasons Guild|Stonemasons Guild]] on his latest project, an office block called ‘The Amaerth Executive Suites’ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], and wants party to ‘convince’ the Grand Master in charge of construction, '''Borylla Tusarlig''', to finish it at the original price, contract be damned.

When asked he says that a ship sinking and other issues have increased the price. Meanwhile Oscar has been all over the office, touching the hand crossbow so Yurdan moves him away. Quinton calls his yacht gaudy in an effort to distract him and sits down on the couch, on the Lizard's Lament but the dwarf sees this and puts the wand on his desk. Oscar then breaks the main mast of the yacht and tries to put it back, failing, over and over and over.

Our friends accept the job though stress they won't do anything illegal which Yurdan infers as being said with a wink. The party then goes to the Stonemasons Guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fractures|Fractures]]. Some handy work by Quinton with the receptionist means they eventually get a meeting with Borylla the next morning and the rest of the party investigates the sunken ship. They learn it was a freak storm that sunk the Big Deck Energy as it returned from the [[Sarodin Sea#Salt Lions|Salt Lions]] and nothing nefarious.

At the meeting with '''Borylla Tusarlig''', a dwarven woman with a sensible haircut and practical clothing our friends learn that all of the extra cost incurred are specified in the contract and typical construction issues, something Yurdan, a real estate developer, definitely knows about. She tells them she intends to keep the dwarf to his contract and they have come in vain.

But then the party mentions how they are good at getting deals arranged and things done. That makes her pause and she comes with an offer; '''she will personally eat half the extra cost if the party will do something for her''', Yurdan will have the pay the other half, however. She explains the wives of some [[Avale - Guilds#Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild|Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild]] masters are organizing a social get-together and she wants an invite to it. As they leave, Oscar gives her a hand, copying what Quinton did at the start of the meeting.

Our friends then manage to convince Yurdan to take the deal, they notice the mast of the model yacht has been repaired, there's no evidence it was ever broken. Borylla told them the event is being held at The Evergreen Anteroom, an inn in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]] in a few days' time. Our friends go there and find out that the three organizers are currently there, inspecting the garden where they want to host the event.

The party quickly orders a fancy tea as Dauphine goes to invite them to join so they can ask for a favor. The three socialite ladies, all looking to be in their thirties, introduce themselves, '''Lilia Calidus''', a petite blonde, '''Jennifer Cole''', a slender brunette, and '''Alice Lemuel''', a green eyed redhead with an aquiline nose and perfect teeth. Darius actually came across them the day he arrived in Avale, though neither party remembers.

Jennifer dismisses our friends' request out of hand; “Why would we want to invite such a boring nobody?” Lilia interjects: “No need to be so hasty, my dear compeer,” she tilts her head and looks at Alice, “why don’t we order some sandwiches and have chat.” Jennifer: “I just love sandwiches, don’t you?” As they wait, Lilia asks Dauphine what it's like to spend her days with the other party members.

During the conversation Oscar plays with his [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager]] cypher and eventually the ladies say '''they will extend an invitation if the party does some ‘trivial tasks’''' for the ‘little fête’ they are organizing. Our friends have had their fill of doing favors but they have little choice but to accept. The first task is to collect some rare fruits from Princes Island in the Tal estuary. As they leave everyone but Darius notices Jennifer putting silver teaspoons in her purse.

The next morning they deliver the fruit to Jennifer Cole's house as that is where all three ladies are. Their next task is to invite an exotic guest; the three tried to invite a minotaur that arrived in town recently but he snubbed them, they want the party to change his mind. Lilia comments: “He’d be the horniest guest we’ve ever had.” The minotaur can be found at The Usual Place, a tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]].

When they arrive there it turns out that Dauphine knows this particular minotaur; [[Evgenis Voúkeros|'''Evgenis Voúkeros''']], a friend from earlier in her life. When he sees the druid he invited her to join him at his table; “have some coffee.” He is talking about caravan routes with a man who introduces himself as [[Cassian Vellor|'''Cassian Vellor''']]. They soon manage to convince him to attend the fête though he's still disappointed he is not allowed to perform. More interestingly it is clear for all the party that '''Dauphine has quite the crush on him'''.

The third task is quite simple; bring a tiny tree to the singer that has been contracted for the event.Jennifer: “It’s earthly and divine, I’m sure it’ll enchant her.” Lilia adds: “If two lovers, of nature, were to present this then I’m sure they right sentiment will be firmly planted.” She is staying in the penthouse of The Five Georges in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] under the name Frazierdaughter.

The party goes there and learns the singer is '''Cobblar Languid''', a very popular artist. She too has a favor to ask... “Would you know anywhere in town where they sell a potion of golden throat? It’s made with harpy vocal cords.” Our friends definitely know as they sold some to Herb's Store in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]]. They go there and get the requested item, Dauphine also buys a [https://5e.tools/items.html#skull%20of%20revelation_hhhvi Skull of Revelation]. Oscar shows Herb the vials he got from Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates and is told they are illegal but quite nice.

The final task is to bring the pièce de résistance to the inn’s garden. They hired the sculptor '''Parn Gemgiel''' to craft an immense, five by five by five meter, ice sculpture of a woman alchemist. At the man's studio in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] they learn that a brown mold has been placed in a wooden box painted eggshell white and cerulean blue at the bottom of the sculpture to keep it cold.

Fortunately our friends are smart enough to look for some professionals and manage to deliver the sculpture at the inn. They overhear a conversation between three men in evening dress: “I hate wearing these monkey suits.” “And having to suck up to the boss even outside of working hours.” “That’s nothing, have you seen the bill for this? They are spending *our* money like water. I’m gonna have a chat with Lilia when this is all over.” Laughter from the other two, “yeah, sure you will.”

The ladies have already sent the invite to '''Borylla Tusarlig''' and that means they have completed their job. The next morning they '''get paid''' by '''Yurdan Amaerth''' and in the afternoon they visit the socialite ladies one more time as they promised a bespoke reward for all four of them. It's individualized perfumes, some are more of a hit than others. And with that the chain of jobs that started with Gay Tony come to an end.

==== It's a Blast! ====
The next day Darius is teaching Common to Oscar in the common room and when things go slow, in frustration, he accidentally casts the Tongues spell on the halfling. They continue lessons but Oscar doesn’t really talk though he now understands all the conversations around him perfectly. The ranger then uses the Heart Sight property on Darius; his state is disappointed and overwhelmed vs frustration and and a willingness to help from the gnome. Oscar rushes off to a nearby park and listens to some conversations around. Then the spell runs out and Oscar returns to the inn, determined to learn the word they were practicing; saying ‘arrow’ perfectly.

Some days later '''a blast of visible greenish energy shoots through the city and beyond''', doing quite a number on anyone caught in it. Our friends trace it back to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abjura Dolana|Abjura Dolana lodge]]. Quite a few people have gathered outside but the mages, most bleeding from their nose or ear, have no real idea what happened and are telling people the lodge is closed for now.

The next day Dauphine gets an invite from '''Phiceli Zercoderes''', the entire party tags along and the old gnome mage looks quite the worst for wear. She explains she was experimenting with the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]] and when she cast a spell on it, it released the energy wave they all got caught up in yesterday. Though it seems unlikely, her best guess is that the shard is a piece of the fabled Netlaniloyan.

The Era of Strife artifact was supposedly used in one or more volcanoes and it was powered by everything available at the time; ritual offerings, willing sacrifices, blood magic, dragon magic, even arcane magic. Stories claim that when it was completed the Netlaniloyan contained one million souls. Nothing of this is certain but considering the power unleashed it does stand to reason it was part of something incredibly potent.

The shard is now quite inert and perfectly safe, however, returning its original function seems quite difficult, they'd need Era of Strife magic, a spell or item, something related to water magic, which was not very common at the time. Phiceli doesn’t have anything that could do the trick but she’ll reach out to some people to see if anyone has something helpful.

A few days after this our friends run into Crazy Clyde and they get invited to {{TextAnimations|Text=Celebrate Characters – Clyde’s Comedy Cavalcade|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}}. It's being held at The Chortle Chamber, a warehouse in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fabrics|Fabrics]] neighborhood that has been converted to a temporary theater. An improvised time is had by all. The next day [[Evgenis Voúkeros|'''Evgenis Voúkeros''']] takes a room at the party's inn.

== Sarodin Sea ==

=== Would You Kindly? ===
Our friends are invited over by Jerry who has a new job for them. This one comes with some strings attached though; '''their employer is the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kasarian Embassy|Kasarian Embassy]] and they want absolutely secrecy'''. Not only that, but their agent tells them that '''another group of adventurers got the same job and haven't been in contact for some time'''. He knows the Kasarians only care about the job but he asks our friends to see if any of the other group are still alive and, if so, rescue them.

At the embassy they are briefed by '''Oramyr Noxor''' who tells them they will all '''have to accept a Geas spell''' before she tells them anything else. When they agree she explains she is '''sending them to a [[Baltur#Exploration|Balturan Gardyl]] to recover an item'''. Unfortunately she doesn't know exactly what the item looks like; it's either whole made of some kind of blue gem or part of it is. Either way, it is not Balturan so it should stand out enough for them to recognize it. When asked she tells them that the first party sent consisted of '''Dhold Gruzuik''' a dwarven mage, '''Tagga Lammar,''' a half-orc fighting type, '''Shalanna Stillwater''', a human 'skilled adventurer', and '''Kaj Kulenov''', a human, but she's not quite sure of his role.

She has a ship, the Upward Bound, waiting for them in the harbor to bring them to the location and she will be in contact with one of them, Darius, daily via a Sending spell, the gnome has access to that spell as well. Dauphine asks for something that can cast Sending, should the gnome not be able to. She tells them to make sure to bring plenty of food or magic that makes food, and answers any other questions the party has, telling them they lost contact about three days ago and then our friends do some quick shopping.

Just as they are leaving for the port they see the old woman in her dirty, green coat laying in the alley opposite the inn. They cast some healing spells which helps a little and Dauphine pays the innkeeper to get her further help. At the port our friends are directed to the Utility Basin and when they see their ship the first thing they notice is what looks to be a huge church bell on the deck.

They are met by the operations officer, '''Ovina Gallor''', a young-looking dwarf with orange hair; she explains that they carry a diving bell. She shows them around the ship and the interior oft the bell which is just about large enough for four human adults. The first day of their journey the party is not allowed above deck or have any sight of the sea so as to keep their destination hidden.

They arrive somewhere in the middle of the Sarodin Sea in the afternoon and the crew immediately gets ready preparing the bell. Our friends have been instructed on its use and the use of the message bell rope. Ovina explains that once the bell gets to fifty meters it should be near some kind of blue force field which they can go through and they should then have breathable air. She's not been down there herself so that's all she knows.

After a harrowing descent that takes six hours the party see a blue-ish light that slowly materializes into a domed force field that sits at the top of a large structure carved out of the seabed. A Water Breathing spell courtesy of Dauphine makes the fifteen meter swim from the bell to the force field quite easy. Going through the force field dries them completely and '''they end up in what looks to be a huge ballroom''' though just about everything in there seems to have been destroyed.

All the walls and floor are perfectly smooth, Balturan engineering at its finest. Marble-like veins that glow a dim, dark blue are present in all of the rock surfaces. The metal light fixtures on the walls are all twisted though most still produce light. What looks to be a large pearl in a brass-like enclosure in the middle of the ceiling looks to have fared better.

They are still getting their bearings when '''suddenly a voice comes from the ceiling''', it sounds somewhat female though also quite low. “Thank the gods you have arrived, please help me, '''I am stuck and ran out of food days ago''', my water is almost gone. '''I am Tagga Lammar, I’m the only one left and I am locked into Central Control''', please come find me. I can’t hear you but go to the door to the left and down to the lower level, find a door marked '''Maintenance 2''', in Dwarvish, and go through. You can '''use the stuff there to call the thing to bring you further down'''.” Unfortunately they can't hear anything the party says. Darius is the only one of the four who doesn't quite trust the voice.

They go down the stairs to find the same smooth rock floors with dark blue veins. This must have been an amazing concourse at some time but now it’s totally destroyed. Right where the stairs brought them down, a large arcane circle is inscribed on the floor but most of the material used is gone. Above it on the ceiling is another one of those large pearls in an enclosure. “Go right and you should see the doorway to your right after a short walk,” the voice tells you, “oh, and '''be careful, magic works weird further down, except for the stuff from here'''”.

Our friends decide to not follow directions and go left to do an almost full circuit of the concourse and get a better look at the place. They go into three of the many, many shops and restaurants but don't find anything still intact or of value. They do come across more of the circles and pearls where the voice pleads with them to go to Maintenance 2.

They come to a doorway with Maintenance 1 above it first and find a heavy pressure door with a tiny porthole and a non-functioning machine made out of metal. Looking through the porthole they see mostly darkness but there seems to be water as well. They speculate that they might be looking into the meters-wide metal tubes they saw running down the structure when they arrived. A metal cabinet that holds twenty vials, each with a hypodermic needle at the end of it, filled with a blue substance. On the label it says in Dwarvish: '''Electro Bolt dimsalp'''. They take all of them with them and continue on.

After having seen four of the arcane circles and more exhortations from Tagga Lammar they end up at a doorway that says Maintenance 2. The room is an exact copy of the other maintenance area except that eight of the vials are missing from the cabinet. They try the levers on the machine but nothing happens, they also press down on the red and green gems on it, without success. Dauphine then returns to the nearest circle and indicates that they don't know what to do and Tagga explains to use the dimsalp.

Darius decides that with his medical knowledge he should try the potion first and when he injects it into himself he finds that a cantrip has been added to his list of cantrips. With it he can shoot a small bolt of lightning at a creature but he can also shoot it at a machine which then has power for 18 seconds. He does so at the contraption in the room and after some experimentation they manage to make something move up the large tube outside the door.

Eventually a conveyance arrives, the pressure doors lock and they can open the outer one and then the inner one to take place in a pill shaped boat. It has six portholes that all show quite dark water. There's another machine in here and after closing the doors they engage the mechanism and then slowly descend along the structure while the air gets more and more stale, eventually '''arriving at the center section'''.

They arrive in a larger Maintenance facility. Not much more than a little debris remains except for the now familiar cabinet on the wall. They look out at '''a very large, multi-level structure''' with few stairs or ramps, more common are vertical metal rings a meter in diameter that form columns next to different levels of floor. A floor which is again made of the same stone with dark blue, dimly glowing veins.

The Maintenance depot is hidden away a little but as they exit the nook our friends see how large the place really is, '''[[Avale|Avale's]] Parade Fields would fit easily inside here'''. Where there are no building the outside wall is dotted with force fields that show the sea beyond, a sea turtle swims past the nearest. They now also see that a little distance away a flickering, colorful image hovers in the air, it’s hard to be sure at this distance but it might be a map.
[[File:Erutpar Map.png|right|518x518px]]
As the party gets near they see another large circle inscribed on the floor and one of those big pearls hanging from a wall nearby, under it there’s a panel made of the same brass-like metal. “There you are, finally!” the voice cries out before launching into a hacking cough, “'''you need to go to the middle of this plaza, at a lower level is another Maintenance facility where you can use a tube to get to the lower levels''', please hurry!” The floating image does indeed turn out to be a map and it labels many parts of the structure, next to, helpfully, pointing out where you are.

Suddenly there is a clomping noise and '''two, what look to be small statues of dwarves, maybe a meter high approach, shouting “intruders” in Dwarvish'''. They immediately start to fire off spells at our friends and combat is on. The statues are two levels higher than the party but the druids easily wild shape into spider form to climb up the wall, where Darius and Oscar try the circle thing which, as they deduced let's them move up and down between floors though it doesn't work flawlessly.

Neither does their magic, they soon find out. '''Any time they cast a spell, strange things happen''', like half of Quinton's body becoming transparent; the line down the middle looks like a detailed corpse dissection, which distracts Darius quite a bit. The statues prove very tough, being able to absorb a lot of damage and when Darius uses Necrotic damage it even seems to heal them.

Our friend eventually bring down their opponents but at that point Quinton has turned into an indigo Faerie Dragon, Oscar used the last charge of his [[Past Primal]] which left him turned into a panther. Darius somehow managed to summon a skeleton and a zombie, the former died immediately to an attack but the other is still around, whilst the priest himself lies unconscious on the floor.
[[Category:Events]]

File:Erutpar Map.png

2026-08-17T11:06:59Z

DB:

Rules Reminders

2026-08-10T11:49:04Z

DB: Added Dash and Cover & Flanking image

A quick page to look up how certain things work in 5E, these are all official rules with links or page numbers.

=== General Rules ===

==== Ability Check, Attack Roll, and the Saving Throw ====

* They share the same procedure for determining success or failure. Despite this, '''the three rolls are separate from each other'''. If something in the game, like the ''Guidance'' spell, affects one of them, the other two aren’t affected unless the rules specifically say so.

==== Cover when using miniatures ([https://5e.tools/book.html#dmg,8,cover,0 DMG 251]) ====

* Choose a corner of the square the attacker occupies or the point of origin of an area of effect. Then trace imaginary lines from that corner to every corner of any one square the target occupies. If one or two of those lines are blocked by an obstacle (including another creature), the target has half cover (+2 AC and Dex saves). If three or four of those lines are blocked but the attack can still physically reach the target (such as when the target is behind an arrow slit), the target has three-quarters cover (+5 AC and Dex saves).
[[File:Flanking and Cover Squares.jpg|948x948px]]

==== Damage ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,9,damage%20and%20healing,0 PHB 197-198]) ====

* '''Officially you track your current hit points and not damage taken'''; this matters when your max hit points changes!
* Damage taken goes through the following game elements in order: (1) any relevant damage immunity, (2) any relevant damage resistance, (3) any temporary hit points, and (4) real hit points.
* Multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that affect the same damage type count as only one instance.

==== Dash ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,9,actions%20in%20combat,0 PHB 192]) ====

* If you can take the Dash action as a Bonus Action, nothing in the rules prevents you from taking the Dash action with your regular Action too. The same principle holds when you use a feature like Action Surge; you could use both of your actions to take the Dash action. ([https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sac/sage-advice-compendium#SA120 Sage Advice])

==== Delay / Ready ([https://5e.tools/actions.html#ready_phb PHB 193]) ====
'''Delay doesn't exist in 5E and a Ready action doesn't change someone's Initiative.'''

* First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your speed in response to it. Examples include "If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I'll pull the lever that opens it," and "If the goblin steps next to me, I move away."
* When the trigger occurs, '''you can either take your Reaction right after the trigger finishes''' or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one Reaction per round.
* The Ready action lets you ready any Action you can take, including Attack, but Extra Attack is on your turn ([https://x.com/JeremyECrawford/status/604497597844221952 Source]), [but I'll ignore].
* '''When you Ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy''', which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs. To be readied, a spell must have a casting time of 1 action, and '''holding onto the spell's magic requires Concentration'''. If your Concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect. For example, if you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends, and if you take damage before you release magic missile with your Reaction, your Concentration might be broken.
* You have until the start of your next turn to use a readied action.
* If you have an Action readied, you '''can make an opportunity attack, which causes you to stop readying'''. ([https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/sac/sage-advice-compendium#SA115 Sage Advice])

==== Free Actions ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,9,other%20activity%20on%20your%20turn,0 PHB 190]) ====
Much freer compared to other editions. When '''not needing special care''' it includes:

* draw or sheathe a sword
* open or close a door
* '''withdraw a potion from your backpack''' [incredibly generous]
* pick up a dropped axe
* hand an item to another character
However, you '''can only do one of these things''', if you want to interact with a second object, you need to use your action.

And note: '''drinking a potion or administering a potion to another character requires an Action.''' Applying an oil might take longer, as specified in its description. Once used, a potion takes effect immediately, and it is used up. ([https://5e.tools/book.html#dmg,7,potions,0 DMG 139])

==== Flanking ([https://5e.tools/book.html#dmg,8,optional%20rule%3a%20flanking,0 DMG 251]) ====

* A creature can't flank an enemy that it can't see. A creature also can't flank while it is incapacitated. A Large or larger creature is flanking as long as at least one square or hex of its space qualifies for flanking.
* '''Flanking on Squares'''. When a creature and at least one of its allies are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy's space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has advantage on melee attack rolls against that enemy.
* When in doubt about whether two creatures flank an enemy on a grid, trace an imaginary line between the centers of the creatures' spaces. If the line passes through opposite sides or corners of the enemy's space, the enemy is flanked.

==== Improvised Weapons ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,5,improvised%20weapons,0 PHB 147]) ====

* You '''don't add your proficiency bonus''' unless the item resembles a weapon you are proficient with.
* An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the DM assigns a damage type appropriate to the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.

==== Innate spellcasting ([https://5e.tools/book.html#mm,0,innate%20spellcasting,0 MM 10]) ====

* If a spellcasting monster needs material components to cast its spells, assume that it has the material components it needs to cast the spells in its stat block. Casting a spell requires all its components unless a trait or feature says otherwise. [So '''V,S,M where applicable'''.]

==== Moving around Other Creatures ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,9,moving%20around%20other%20creatures,0 PHB 191]) ====

* You can move through a '''nonhostile''' creature's space. In contrast, you can '''move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller''' than you. '''Another creature's space [friend or foe] is difficult terrain''' [doubles movement] for you.
* Whether a creature is a friend or an enemy, you can't willingly end your move in its space.
* If you '''leave a hostile creature's reach''' during your move, you provoke an Opportunity Attack.

==== Ranged (Spell) Attacks in Close Combat ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,9,ranged%20attacks%20in%20close%20combat,0 PHB 195]) ====

* When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have Disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature [it doesn't mention anything about the creature needing to be armed] who can see you and who isn't incapacitated. '''This includes spells that use Ranged Spell Attack''' (but not those few that use Melee Spell Attack).

==== Ranged Attacks and People in the Way ([https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/sac/sage-advice-compendium#SA140 Sage Advice]) ====

* Target has half cover [+2 AC] if another creature is between you and the target. [Unlike previous editions it doesn't matter where the creature is.]

==== Sneak Attack ([https://5e.tools/classes.html#rogue_phb,state:feature=s0-1 PHB 94]) ====

* The attack must use a '''finesse or a ranged weapon'''.
* Needs '''Advantage on the attack roll''', '''or''', if '''another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it''' [flanking is not needed!], that enemy isn't Incapacitated, and you don't have Disadvantage on the attack roll.

==== Vision and Light ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,8,vision%20and%20light,0 PHB 183]) ====

* In '''lightly obscured''' area, such as dim light, patchy fog, moderate foliage, '''disadvantage on Perception checks''' that rely on sight.
* '''Heavily obscured''' area—darkness, opaque fog, dense foliage—blocks vision entirely. A creature effectively suffers from the '''[https://5e.tools/conditionsdiseases.html#blinded_xphb Blinded] condition'''.
* '''Dim light''', also called shadows, usually a boundary between a source of light, such as a torch, and darkness.
* Creature with '''Darkvision''' can see in dim light as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light, so areas of darkness are only lightly obscured ('''see first bullet!''') as far as that creature is concerned. However, the creature can't discern color in that darkness, only shades of gray.
* [https://5e.tools/book.html#dmg,8,visibility%20outdoors,0 '''Visibility Outdoors''']; two miles on a clear day.

=== Spellcasting ===
Important general rule: '''spells do (only) what they say they do'''.

Also see: '''[[House Rules - Spellcasting]]'''.

==== Rituals ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,10,rituals,0 PHB 201]) ====

* Caster '''must also have the spell prepared''' or on list of spells known, unless the Ritual feature specifies otherwise, as the Wizard's does.

==== Bonus Action ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,10,bonus%20action,0 PHB 202]) ====

*If you '''cast a spell with a Bonus Action''', you '''can cast another spell with your Action''', but that '''other spell must be a Cantrip'''.

==== Components ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,10,components,0 PHB 203]) ====

* Verbal (V) - Jeremy Crawford: a verbal component must be audible to work. How loud is audible? Up to the DM. [This DM: '''stated in a clear voice'''.]
* Somatic (S) - If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have '''free use of at least one hand''' to perform these gestures.
* Material (M) - A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus ['''nah on the focus thing, divine casters need components'''] in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell. If '''a spell states that a material component is consumed''' by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must '''have a hand free to access a spell's material components''' but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components. [[https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sac/sage-advice-compendium#SA165 Sage Advice]]

==== Range ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,10,range,0 PHB 202]) ====

* Once a spell is cast, its '''effects aren't limited by its range, unless the spell's description says otherwise'''.

==== Targets ([https://5e.tools/book.html#phb,10,targets,0 PHB 204]) ====

* All spells require an unobstructed path from caster to target [but also note that, for instance, [https://5e.tools/spells.html#misty%20step_phb Misty Step] doesn't have a target but a range of 'Self'].

* If the spell does not say "that you can see" then there is no requirement for the caster to see the target. They still need the unobstructed path.

* In [https://media.wizards.com/2017/podcasts/dnd/DnDPodcast_01_19_2017.mp3 this episode of the Official D&D Podcast], Jeremy Crawford specifically calls out a closed window (at about 34 mins) - and says it blocks casting.

==== Spell Scrolls ([https://5e.tools/book.html#dmg,7,scrolls,0 DMG 139]) ====

* If the spell is '''on your class's spell list''' you can use an Action to read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible.
* If the spell is on your class's spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect. ['''[https://5e.tools/variantrules.html#scroll%20mishaps_dmg Scroll Mishap] or [https://5e.tools/tables.html#wild%20magic%20surge_phb Wild Surge] on a fail is certainly an option'''!]
* Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and the scroll itself crumbles to dust. The level of the spell on the scroll determines the spell's saving throw DC and attack bonus, as well as the scroll's rarity, as shown in the Spell Scroll table (see link in header).

=== Classes ===

==== Warlock Awakened Mind (PHB 109) ====

* You sound like yourself when speaking via telepathy, although as DM, I allow attempts at telepathic deception. ([https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/711981264740331521 Source])
[[Category:Rules]]

File:Flanking and Cover Squares.jpg

2026-08-10T11:41:38Z

DB:

Godfall

2026-08-08T18:45:14Z

DB: Changed Dugûl Felak's name to correct Dugûl Zablul

{{CountryBox
|Government=Democracy
|Major Worship=[[Beory]], [[Heironeous]], [[Pholtus]], [[Ulaa]]
|Capital=[[Zâram-Tûm]]
|Cities=[[Banak]], [[Hizag]], [[Wûra-Mor]]
|Climate=Windy, cold to moderate
|Exports=Alchemical ingredients, gems, herbs, salt, wool
|Imports=Building materials, cloth, spices, vegetables, woodcraft
|image=Godfall.png}}

The country is bordered by [[Otteun]] to the northwest, and [[Fir Lanear]] to the north. While not a direct neighbor, [[Kasar]] is not too far to the west.

'''The former dwarven realm of [[Baltur]] is now known as 'The Godfall'. During the [[Collapse]] the sky fell onto the land and created a depression thousands of miles across with the [[Haklur Desert]] at its center.'''

Ever since, the remaining dwarves have tried to reclaim their former glory. '''The change in climate has made life harsh, but these days dwarven cities are a marvel to behold once again.'''

== Government ==
The nation is '''unique for the fact that every citizen over the age of sixteen has a vote''' in affairs on both a local and national level. It's not all that straightforward though; '''the large cities are quite independent and usually each large city is in charge of a province''' with the smaller cities having a prescribed area they are responsible for.

'''National politics are very limited'''; there isn't all that much foreign policy, mostly it's working out conflicts between provinces. '''Provincial politicians generally assemble only once a year for a national meeting''', with '''mandates given to them through local referendums''', if there is a need for them. Of late, there have been complaints that certain interests are indirectly buying votes.

The country '''doesn't have a standing army''' as such but every city and town has a '''Citizens Brigade that is like a town guard''' in other countries. Add to that the presence of [[Bruised But Not Broken]] and a populace with an above average skill at combat and magic; '''the country can call up quite some forces''' should the need ever arise.

'''Crime is low''' compared to most countries, probably a combination of pride and a willingness to help others. '''Taxes are on the low end''' with the large cities taxing quite a bit more than small communities.

=== Magic ===
The Godfall has a complicated relation ship with [[Abjura Dolana]]. While no one in the realm wants another Collapse, or so one would hope, '''not everyone is sure the abjurers should be the ones to police everyone else'''. Add to that '''a still present national pride in Balturian magic''' and '''a higher than average number of arcane spellcasters''' within the citizenry, and it becomes clear why a license is not needed in the country.

That said, what way any particular city leans is very much dependent on the current leader and the feeling of the populace. In some towns Abjura Dolana is seen as a necessary pressure valve, in others they are hardly tolerated.

To add to all this is the fact that '''[[Tipatshimun]]''', the cult that wants the power of the gods, like the Magus of old, '''are, if not completely accepted, at least tolerated''' in most cities in the country. This makes for a difficult balancing act on how magic is perceived and every city has their own ideas.

=== Religion ===
'''The most popular deity in the country is Ulaa''', the people here being industrious by necessity. '''Beory is gaining in popularity''' as agriculture is growing.

'''Both Heironeous and Pholtus have large followings'''; in some cities it's only one or the other but usually both are worshiped in the larger cities. '''Priests of these gods often serve as magistrates though any accused has the right to request a secular judge.'''

It may be surprising that in a country with so many spellcasters, '''Boccob is not worshipped much''' but this is because '''as the new god of magic after the Collapse, he took a very firm stand against anyone responsible for that disaster and anyone supporting their cause'''.

== Geography ==
The '''Silvalhuese River''' is now considered the '''eastern border''' of the nation. It has created '''a strip of arable land around it that is the only source of staple crops for the Godfall'''. The Nâla river to the south unfortunately goes through a canyon for most of its course and hasn't created a floodplain.

The lands to the '''north of the [[Haklur Desert]] are mostly plains''' but not much lives there until you get to the border with Fir Lanear.

The '''rest of the country is mostly shrubland; heaths and moors'''. People have been able to grow only a few things out here. Be careful of any '''standing water, much of it is contaminated''' with all kinds of things, sometimes clearly indicated by the color of the water; bright yellow, pale blue, etc. Some of the local wildlife has adapted to be able to drink this.

'''One of the great dangers out in the Godfall is the ever present dust storms, called Felak.''' These '''can appear out of nothing''', with a few minutes' warning at best. What makes them so dangerous is that '''ever so often ancient magics are stirred up''' and dust particles get loaded with eldritch energy.
[[File:Dugûl Felak.png|left|141x141px]]

==== Dugûl Zablul ====
Discovered soon after the Collapse, this '''massive sinkhole''' far from civilization has become a destination for fortune hunters convinced something of great value can be found here. What it definitely has is great natural beauty. It is '''about 75 meters in diameter and the water surface is nearly 30 meters below ground level''' with the walls covered in different mosses and lichens. The slightly purplish '''water is quite deep, likely around 50 meters''', no branching caverns have been found. Red catfish are abundant, they are apparently not very tasty and the water is hardly potable.
[[File:Ganad-Zudyl Mines.png|right|122x122px]]

==== Ganad-Zudyl Mines ====
'''Old texts from the early days of Baltur speak of these mines as an endless source of precious metals and gems''' without ever revealing a location. For these, and other reasons, '''most sages consider the mines to be non-existent''' and just a literary conceit to describe the almost endless resources available to the then rulers. This has not stopped people from searching for the unimaginable wealth that must still be in the ground if the stories are true.

== Ecology ==
Ever since the Collapse many creatures of old have not been able to survive here but new species were fast to claim their niche.

The most famous of the Godfall animals is the '''Imbar, the two-headed goat'''; said to have come from the pits of hell due to its piercing bleat. These dauntless creatures can be quite dangerous when provoked. They unfortunately don't get along well with sheep, which are the main source of meat for the country, not to mention the wool, which is a major export.

The only large animal that is seen in any number is the '''moor elk''', which the Godfallers have tried to domesticate to middling success. Stoats and weasels are abundant and can be a pest when they infiltrate cities. Rabbits, hares, and grouse are also quite common though they are the favorite prey of coyotes, foxes, owls, and the larger snakes. There are quite a few reptiles, including some venomous lizards. In spring and summer large numbers of '''blue butterflies''' can been seen descending upon the gorse. Nightjars, whinchats, twites, and skylarks are the most common bird species seen around.

=== Monsters ===
'''Lizardfolk''' tribes were some of the first to arrive after the Collapse and have never left. They mostly keep to themselves though they have been known to raid some caravans, or at least been accused of doing such. '''Kobolds''' might be the most populous but they try and stay hidden, you could walk right by one of their camps and never realize it.

'''Stirges''' are ever present, '''Will-o'-Wisps''' are quite common and dangerous to the unwary, certain other fey creatures seem to be prevalent as well. '''Death Dog''' packs are fortunately not encountered often, in large numbers they can overwhelm anyone. There are many stories about a huge, dark dog called the '''Ci Annwn''', whose outline can be seen standing on a hillock late at night. It is said its presence is an announcement of impending death. There are quite a number of Restless (undead) ever since the Collapse. Not just the common skeletons and zombies, but also wights, and much worse.

Really dangerous creatures like '''basilisks''' and '''trolls''' thrive as well, the pockets of civilization are further apart here than in most countries so they have large habitats. '''Hag covens''' are also thought to be quite common though this is hard to prove.

= History =
'''Much of the early history can be found in the articles on [[Baltur]] and the [[Collapse]].'''

'''Shortly after the Collapse''' both the far eastern and far western turgs (provinces) claimed independence and mostly failed. Many of the '''smaller interior towns''' in the rest of the country '''were abandoned''' so the survivors could '''focus on rebuilding the larger cities.''' Unfortunately these were built with magic and materials that now no longer were available. At first they were nothing but shelter for a people living a hard scrabble existence.

In the decades after the Collapse the world was in flux and while quite '''a large group of the original dwarven populace fled''', not much later, '''new groups started to come into the country'''. '''Upheaval in the nations that were in the process of becoming Otteun''' caused a large number of people to '''move away from where they felt oppressed, to start a new life in the Godfall'''. Another large contingent of the people that came, and eventually stayed, were the treasure seekers, hoping to find relics of Baltur and strike it rich.

Over the centuries '''the people now known as the Godfallers (never call them Godfallen!) managed to build up a proud civilization''' in a harsh world. Nowadays smaller cities have been built or rebuilt and some very large farms can be found along the trade ways.

= Culture =
While the '''majority of the population is dwarven, humans make up a large minority, with half-orcs, halflings, and gnomes all being a small minority of about the same size'''. This is reflected in the culture which is a mix of old Balturan traditions and newer customs.

Most '''buildings in the country are made of quite thick, stone walls''', often reclaimed from the Balturan cities of old. This might have been out of fear for another cataclysmic event at first but it proved to be '''quite useful with the low temperatures and more and more frequent dust storms'''. These days, '''almost all Godfall cities of any size have a very high town wall''' for just this reason.

'''Games of all types are quite popular''', the long winters mean that people are stuck indoors for long stretches at a time. Card games are ubiquitous, though care should be taken, the '''rules can vary from town to town'''. '''Turgok is a very popular board game''' where four players (it can also be played with two) try to conquer territory till only one is left. '''[[Ishmêk]] is a spectacular, and sometimes bloody, arena game''' played with two teams.

Foreign influence also brought an '''appreciation for theater'''. '''In ancient Baltur, literature and sculpting were the arts most appreciated''' but these days '''all towns have their own theater''' which is used by both professional and amateur alike.

=== Food ===
Apart from the eastern part of the country, '''not many crops can be grown''' in the Godfall. The most '''common staple is the kolth, a small potato'''. These can be grown in the arid earth that has been reclaimed from the heath but are quite labor intensive. Local chefs are able to do quite a bit with it though; they work well parboiled and then grilled, jacket fried, or mashed (often with Imbar cheese). '''Artichokes, rhubarb, and turnips''' are the other locally grown vegetables but are usually more of a side dish. With salt being easily available, '''fermented and pickled food are common''' though the choice of produce is slim; '''radish, rhubarb, squash, and turnips''' are most prevalent.

The '''vast majority of the meat dishes favor sheep, Imbar is only popular in a few cities''', usually slow cooked for at least a day. '''Insects are rife''' in the Godfall and some popular snacks are '''deep fried gabil dragonfly on a stick''', '''ogre beetle balls''' (''not'' the testicles of said beetle, rather a ball made of their meat and then grilled), and '''maggot moss stew''' (flavored with either Imbar cheese, mushrooms, or berries).

'''Beer and wine''' were very popular in ancient Baltur but nowadays they '''need to be imported and are too expensive''' for the majority of the populace. '''Most alcohol is now distilled''', either from the kolth or from juniper berries, and often flavored with cranberries or cloudberries. '''The common drink is khel, a light liquor made of kolth and flavored with salt.'''

[[Category:Locations]]

Cyphers & Potions

2026-08-08T12:04:30Z

DB: Removed source of cyphers, most were to previous campaigns anyway

This page holds all cyphers and custom potions found.

== Cyphers ==
'''Cyphers are useful magical items that work only once''', they dissolve into nothingness after use. Most resemble miniature mundane items a few centimeters across. They require a creature to form a bond with them before their property can be used. This bond is called harmonization. '''Harmonizing to a cypher requires a creature to spend 5 minutes''' focused on only that cypher while being in physical contact with it.

A cypher can be harmonized to only one creature at a time, and a creature can be '''harmonized to no more than two cyphers''' at a time. Any attempt to harmonize to a third cypher fails; the creature must end its harmonization to a cypher first. Additionally, a creature can't harmonize to more than one copy of the same cypher.

A creature's harmonization to a cypher ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for harmonization, if the cypher has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if the creature dies, or if another creature harmonizes to the cypher. A creature can also voluntarily end harmonization by spending another 5 minutes focused on the cypher.

Most cyphers require just a mental command to activate that is usually a Bonus Action or Reaction. If more is needed for activation it will be included in the description.

=== List of Cyphers ===

==== Averager ====
''An ivory die showing 4 on all of its six faces.''

After rolling a die you can use your Reaction and take the average result for the die, rounded up, instead of the result showing. If you roll multiple dice, you can only affect one die using this item.

==== Betterer ====
''Half of a stone die.''

After rolling a d20 you can use your Reaction and roll a 1d3, adding the result to the d20 result.

==== Cacher ====
''A miniature backpack.''

You use your Action to focus your mind on a single mundane object with a value of up to 50 gp and a weight of up to 25 lb. The object then appears in your hands or on the ground in front of you.

==== Controller ====
''A tiny rectangular box with a red button and a metal rod sticking out one end. A second, similar box without a button.''

After harmonizing with the buttoned box you can at any time use an Action to attach the other box to a non-intelligent mechanical device the size of a house or smaller. For the next 1d6 minutes, but you don’t know the result of the die roll, if you are within 300 feet of the device, you can use a Bonus Action to press the button on the box to make the device do something it was intended for; a door or lock could open or close, a crossbow could shoot a loaded bolt, etc.

==== Damager ====
''A small stuffed toy of a furry marsupial with big ears and a big mouth.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower your attacks; each does 1d4 extra damage till start of your next round.
==== Disguiser ====
''A small wooden carving of comedy and tragedy masks painted gold.''

As an Action you can cast the Disguise Self spell on yourself. The spell’s duration is 6d10 minutes but you don’t know the result of the die roll.

==== Eldritcher ====
''A tiny, intricately crafted cage made of a dark, unknown metal.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower yourself, when using the Eldritch Blast cantrip before the end of your turn it will allow you to fire one more beam than normal and have Advantage on the last attack.

==== Eye-er ====
''An owl’s eye set in gelatin.''

When harmonized with this cypher you cannot be surprised. The first time it prevents you from being surprised where you otherwise would have been, it dissolves.

==== Inspirationer ====
''A tiny tapering wand made of some unknown material, topped by a ball made of tiny metal mesh.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower yourself, for the next minute when someone uses your Bardic Inspiration die, they may roll two dice and use either result.

==== Keeper ====
''Two tiny padded leather gloves.''

As an Action you can touch this cypher to an unsecured object. That object cannot be moved in any way until the end of your next turn.

==== Levitater ====
''A miniature leather boot with straps.''

As an Action you can cast the Levitate spell on yourself. The spell’s duration is 2d4 minutes but you don’t know the result of the die roll.

==== Passer ====
''A miniature bronze compass.''

This cypher comes as a pair. When they are held together and harmonized by two different people, the two cyphers become linked. The owner of a Passer can then use a Bonus Action to pass a touched item of size medium or smaller to the hands of a creature who is harmonized with the other linked Passer and within 60 feet. That creature can then use their Reaction to receive the item in either hand. Should they not have a Reaction left or if both their hands are full and they don’t wish to drop what they are holding, the item drops down in front of them.

==== Puller ====
''A miniature hand, made from leather, with its fingers outstretched.''

Using a Bonus Action you can pull an unsecured object within 30', weighing 2d4 lb. or less, towards your hand. If you have a free hand you can take the object in hand. If not, it falls to the ground in front of you.

==== Rager ====
''A miniature ceramic cup containing a beanbag made to look like a bull’s head.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower yourself, until the end of your turn you do double the normal amount of Rage damage.

==== Ribbiter ====
''A frog made of green, folded paper.''

Using a Bonus Action you cast a Polymorph spell onto yourself which changes you into frog until the end of your next round.

==== Skiller ====
''Half of a wooden die.''

After rolling a d20 to use a skill you can use your Reaction and roll a 1d3, adding the result to the d20 result.

==== Stoner ====
''A large, brown pit of an exotic fruit.''

You can use an action to grant yourself a +2 to your armor class, however, healing magic used on you heals only half the normal amount of hit points. Both effects lasts 24 hours.

==== Swapper ====
''A small, elliptical disc of unknown metal, blue on one side and orange on the other.''

This cypher comes as a pair. When they are held together and harmonized by two different people, the two cyphers become linked. The owner of a Swapper can then use a Bonus Action to switch location with a creature who is harmonized to the other linked Swapper and within 60 feet. This effect is not blocked by walls of any kind except those made of force. If one of the two linked cyphers travels to a different plane of existence they lose their link.

==== Swimmer ====
''A small fish tail made from wool dyed blue.''

Using a Bonus Action you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed. This lasts for a duration of 1d3 minutes but you don’t know the result of the die roll.

==== Temper ====
''A small ox head made of felt.''

You can use your Reaction to gain 1d8 temporary hit points. These last until the end of your next round.

==== Whacker ====
''A miniature wooden, tapered club.''

After taking hit point damage you can use your Reaction to teleport in a random direction on the horizontal plane (using a 1d8 to determine which line of squares to follow) a distance of 2d4 squares (10-40 feet). If you occupy the same spot as a solid object or creature when this happens, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that you can occupy and take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you are moved from the occupied spot.

==== Zagger ====
''A small reverse letter Z made from elm wood.''

When you need to make a saving throw against the ability this cypher was made for, you can use your Reaction to gain advantage on the die roll.

== Potions ==
Also see [[House Rules#Potions|House Rules]] for some (healing) potion rules.

==== Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion ====
The penultimate stage of the Arakaen parasite suspended in a potion. A day after drinking the potion you permanently gain the following.

Immediately after hitting a target with a weapon you can take a Bonus Action and spend any spell slot you have to have the target take an extra 1d8 Necrotic damage. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.

Any time you roll for damage when casting a spell, the damage is reduced by the number of dice rolled; so if you roll 3d6 then you subtract 3 from the damage total.

Requires Attunement by a spellcaster.

==== Endurance Potion ====
When you drink this potion, any time you receive damage you take 2 points less for 1 minute.

==== Luck Potion ====
When you drink this potion, for the next minute you can use your Reaction to gain Advantage on one die roll. You can do so a maximum of three times.

==== Magic Power Potion ====
When you drink this potion, you add one extra die, of the same type, to any spell that does direct damage to one or more creatures, for 1 minute.

==== Neakara Mana Parasite Potion ====
The penultimate stage of the Neakara parasite suspended in a potion. A day after drinking the potion you gain permanent disadvantage on spell attack rolls and one extra level 1 spell slot.

Requires Attunement by a spellcaster.

==== Rage Potion ====
When you drink this potion, the critical range of any weapon you use for melee attacks is set to 19-20 for 1 minute.

==== Recall Potion ====
When you drink this potion, you, and up to four people touching you, will be teleported to the location where you had your last long rest. The potion fails to work if that location was on a different plane.

==== Shine Potion ====
When you drink this potion, your entire body emits light as bright as a hooded lantern (bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet) for 8 hours. You can dismiss this effect as an action.

==== Wrath Potion ====
When you drink this potion, you add +2 to the damage you do with any weapon attacks for 1 minute.

== Potion Prices (in larger cities) ==
* Potion of Healing (1d10+level) - 50 gp
* Potion of Greater Healing (2d10+level) - 150 gp
* Potion of Superior Healing (3d10+level) - Not for sale.
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#elixir%20of%20health_dmg Elixir of Health] - 120 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#oil%20of%20slipperiness_dmg Oil of Slipperiness] - Not for sale.
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#oil%20of%20sharpness_dmg Oil of Sharpness] - Not for sale.
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20growth_dmg Potion of Growth] - Not for sale.
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20heroism_dmg Potion of Heroism] - 180 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20rage_hhhvi Potion of Rage] - 100 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20speed_dmg Potion of Speed] - Not for sale.
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20the%20duergar_hhhviii Potion of the Duergar] - 70 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#salamander%20fire_hhhvi Salamander Fire] - 150 gp

[[Category:Items]]

Tipatshimun

2026-08-08T09:08:57Z

DB: Added Zâram-Tûm

[[File:Tipatshimun.png|thumb]]
'''Even after the [[Collapse]] there are still dwarves who think the Magus were onto something. A number of them have banded together in their quest for the power of the gods.'''

'''They will pay very well for (information on) [[Baltur|Balturian]] relics and [[Baltur#Exploration|Gardyl]] locations.'''

== Cells ==

=== [[Banak]] ===
'''Many members are faculty and students at Dubanôn''', the magic college, this '''includes the rector, Granus Felâg''' (male dwarf). Another '''prominent member is the self-styled 'archmage' Cyrag Zirak''' (male dwarf) who had his own tower built in town and guest lectures at the college from time to time.

=== [[Midtal]] ===
Outside of the [[Godfall]], '''members don't advertise their allegiance''' as Tipatshimun are anything but well liked. '''[[Abjura Dolana]] in particular will root out any cells''' if they can and find reasons to have the members exiled. Someone called '''Wilmar Fexemzerum (see [[Odrik Hilderfinn‎‎]]'s journal) might be a member but this could well be a false name'''.

=== [[Zâram-Tûm]] ===
The '''number of members is higher here than in any other city''', so much so that active opposition has mostly vanished, leaving detractors to hope the organization is merely chasing the impossible. A few stalwart critics still publicly decry their goals, but '''pressure from powerful members leads to swift social ostracization'''. Notable members include '''Sirke Gastraes''' (female dwarf), the city's '''burgomeister'''; '''Asrynda Lostrac''' (female dwarf), its '''most celebrated playwright'''; and '''Taldor Malvo'''n (male dwarf), a '''mage and adventurer''' who holds the record for the most forays into the [[Haklur Desert]].
[[Category:Organisations]]

The Wreck - Chronological order of Events

2026-07-29T18:10:47Z

DB:

Mist Shard (Hírëmir)

2026-07-28T00:13:14Z

DB: Typos

The Mist Shard is a shard of a blue gemstone that used to control the climate in some of the [[Rennet]] Cheese Caves.

=== Appearance ===
The cool blue shard is approximately 8 cm long. It used to be a moist shard and emanate a gentle mist. Now it just feels cool. It sat in a skin thin marble bowl on top of a small altar in the back of the Tyurahto Cheese Caves. Held up with a thin golden wire frame it filled the bowl with mist, but it affected the climate in the entire cave. This climate proved to be ideal for the Tyurahto Cave Cheeses and elevated their quality to legendary status.

=== Origin ===
The Mist Shard was discovered at home, when a round stone rolled from the mantelpiece and fell to bits. Inside was the blue shard. Dauphine's Great Grandfather, [[Nochume Tyurahto]], brought the stone home after an adventure.<br><br>One of his fellow adventurers, [[Mathrari Mahamgimi]], bought a map from a con-artist which lead the party to '[[Cave of the Stone Dragon|the Mound of the Stone Dragon]]'. It sounded too good to be true, and it was. The cave lead to a chamber, deep below the surface, which held a giant stone statue of a dragon. And the mound, it's implied hoard, was just a mound of rocks. Fist sizes, round rocks. Each of the adventurers took home one rock as a reminder not to let Mathrari buy any more maps when drunk.<br><br>The exact whereabouts of the map are unknown, the history of the Stone Dragon has gone lost a long time ago. Her Great Grandfather still loves to tell stories about this adventure, each time they are a little it different and more fantastical than the previous. His wife, was also on the adventuring party, she thinks the cave has probably been a temple at some point. The round rocks being offers to the dragon.
[[Category:Items]]

The Wager - Chronological order of Events

2026-07-27T13:11:05Z

DB:

The Wreck - Chronological order of Events

2026-07-27T13:10:51Z

DB:

[[File:The Wreck.png|right|450x450px]]
Four very different people survive a shipwreck and end up on a tiny island. {{TextAnimations|Text=These are|Color=MediumBlue|Glow=1|Bold=1}} {{TextAnimations|Text=their stories.|Color=Red|Glow=1|Bold=1}}

== The protagonists ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|[[Darius Naffles]]
|-
|[[Dauphine Tirfelya]]
|-
|[[Oscar]]
|-
|[[Quinton Gemweaver]]
|}

== Dolac ==

=== Four journeys ===
This is how our four friends ended up in the capital of [[Dolac]]; [[Avale]].

==== Quinton Gemweaver ====
Quinton starts his journey to Avale following the Fiumare river. On the way he ran into a band of [[Nikanish]] who were trying to protect a tribe of bullywugs and the druid was asked if he wanted to help and he does. Later his camp was overrun by zombies but he managed to get away with all of his belongings.

Then a town happened to be visited by a bunch [[Kashtin]] revelers when Quinton arrived and this lead to some very hedonistic days. Journeying on alone was quite the contrast but the beautiful landscapes made up for it especially the [[Dolac#Sevso Sound|Sevso Sound]]. From there it took a number of bridges to the islands in the Tal delta and a ferry to get across and make it to Avale where he finds an '''inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]] neighborhood'''.

The city is huge and there is much to see. Quinton starts by getting a shave at Hair Me Out. Next he buys a mince mop from a street vendor. While walking and eating he nearly collides with a square-jawed, blond-haired man that steps out of an outhouse, dusting down his clothes, mumbling to himself.

A few days later in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] he passes by the Pursue Hickory bank and comes to a square where an expensively dressed gentleman is tending to a vagrant, pouring a potion down his throat which seems to make him feel a lot better.

During another exploration of the city, this time in the North of Grove Way neighborhood, also known as [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]], Quinton is lured into alley, where he is surrounded by four assailants. Things look bleak, this is an unwinnable fight and flight will also be difficult. But then an unassuming woman, short, with a cleft chin, and her dark hair in a knot, appears, and the four robbers run, saving him from an ignoble fate. The woman gives him a smile and leaves. There is no sign of her when the druid makes it back out on to the street.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Quinton to sign up.

==== Dauphine Tirfelya ====
On her donkey she makes it to the border with [[Otteun]], it’s been an interesting journey already, seeing the mammoths roam. Then Dauphine continues on to [[Midtal]], she’s never seen a big city and this is her chance. From the first inn in Otteun she finds out that elves are seen as rather exotic, people gaze at her, some small children even pull her hair.

The caravan she was traveling with, promptly got attacked on only the second day but fortunately they managed to fight off the robbers, Dauphine having to use her shortsword in anger for the first time. Midtal was an interesting experience, still getting lots of looks on account of being an elf but getting bothered a bit less. Surprisingly she made a little money when someone offered to pay her to paint a portrait of her.

Avale seemed the best possible next destination and the druid took passage on a river barge. The slow journey down the river gave plenty of time to focus on certain things she had been ignoring and to get to know her fellow travelers. At one village stop, Dauphine helped out one of her new friends when he was cheated on in a game of Three-Dragon Ante, managing to recover all the money.

The barge arrived at Avale disembarking everyone in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. Two of her fellow passengers knew of a '''good inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]] neighborhood''', called the Other Inn, and so she joined them and walked there, taking a room on the third floor. It cost a little extra but the view of the Tal estuary is worth it. The first thing she sees is a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat catch a girl who picked a dwarf’s pocket. He hands the money over to the victim and then takes a piece of pastry from his pocket and gives it to the child before letting her go.

Here, too, people still find elves quite the attraction, she finds. The nearby fish shop, For Cod’s Sake, introduced her to all kinds of new food and then she was told about another place that she just had to go visit. Following directions she went to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] neighborhood, where on Falanae Avenue she passed by Elassidil Villa, headquarters of [[Thal Lithel]]. At the intersection with Korb Street, a boy on crutches was brusquely told by a man in a carriage to get his ass in there. And then when the conveyance drove away she saw it; the Feywild Shroomhouse.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Dauphine to sign up.

==== Darius Naffles ====
After finishing his priestly training Darius was told to find his way in the world. Any direction was as good as the other but his father had told him that some far-flung family of his lived in Avale, so why not go there first?

On his way through [[Mifora]] his skills were called upon numerous times. Usually to give his blessing or heal the wounded. But one time he arrived at a village where a recently deceased had risen. Using his god given powers he quickly destroyed it, maybe a little more thoroughly than the grieving family had hoped for.

Then in another town, when money was low, Darius joined a group of adventurers who promised riches. The Toast of Tetia proved to be better at boasting than questing. It was only due to Darius that no one died and the riches turned out to be a single gem, that, split five ways, did not amount to all that much.

A less than stellar encounter with a wild boar made Darius happy to finally arrive in Avale. He’s told of a small shrine to [[Ehlonna]] in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]] neighborhood and the gnome finds an inn nearby; the Steaming Pot'''.

Walking through the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]] neighborhood, Darius sees three attractive, mid-thirties women coming out of Smells by Design, a perfume shop. As he passes by, he overhears part of their conversation: “Did you hear, Meghan Wellington is back in town, but the state of her...” says the brunette. “I heard she was married off to some [[Godfall]] dwarf who kept her in his cellar,” adds the blonde. “Who cares, Lilia, we have things to do down the road,” counters the redhead. “Alice, always chasing the sublime,” comments the dark-haired one.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Darius to sign up.

==== Oscar ====
The halfling wakes up with a headache in a small, stone room on a cot, a tiny window high on the wall provides some light. A pitcher of water stands on a table. In one corner there is a small hole in the floor that smells of excrement. A single door, locked or barred, blocks his way. Once a day the door is opened just wide enough to slide a bowl of gruel and a spoon inside. He can’t see much more than a hallway and a soldier, there is no sign, or smell, of the old man.

After the second night he wakes in a new environment, feeling weak and listless, like that one time he ate those red mushrooms. He finds himself in a large, wooden room that lists from side to side. Around his leg is a manacle that is clamped around a stout wooden beam. A scarred man wearing a red cloth hat comes to him twice a day, bringing food that is incredibly hard, he needs the also provided drink, grog, to make it chewable.

Additionally the sailor makes sure to check his manacle and the beam every time. He can move along the beam, about a meter or two, just enough to reach the small barrel smelling of excrement. There are many crates and barrels but all are out of reach. At least there are the rats who visit him at all hours. He supplements his diet this way.

After a long journey the ship reaches port, all the smells tell Oscar they are next to land and he makes sure he’s prepared. When the sailor removes the manacle the halfling pushes the man’s head into the wall, as hard as he can. Then he is up the ladder and soon on deck of the ship. The sight of a huge city in front of him is frightening but he sees the wooden pier and jumps onto it, running away from the ship and towards the city, pushing people away when he can’t avoid them, one, carrying a large crate, falls into the water.

Weak with hunger he makes his way into the city, there are so many people! He stumbles about, going wherever seems most quiet. He comes to a small park but is immediately chased by men wearing blue tabards. He keeps moving, coming to a road in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] where he startles a man and a woman in an intimate embrace. She hides her head behind the man as Oscar runs off and minute later he almost gets trampled by a horde of girls all yelling and chasing after a man with salt and pepper hair.

When it gets later in the evening there’s fewer people around but then the smell of food hits his nose and his stomach rumbles loudly. He follows the scent and finds a place where people sit outside and others come from inside a building, bringing food and putting it on the tables. He times his approach well and manages to snag an entire tray of food, running off, spilling some but losing any pursuit, hiding in a garden as he gobbles down the meal.

He sleeps there, hiding himself in the bushes till he is woken in the morning by all kinds of unfamiliar sounds and smells. A woman comes into the garden and Oscar bolts, leaving her confused shouts in his dust. Eventually he ends up at the south end of the city, in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]]'''.

Things are rather grimy here, but then he finds a market, so many stalls with food and other things. People seem to pay him less mind than in other parts of the city, everyone just trying to live their lives. He sees people handing over small discs of metal as they point at food and are then handed what they desire. He doesn’t have any of those but since grabbing and running worked last night, he tries again, grabbing a dead chicken and running off. These market people don’t like this at all and he is chased by multiple vendors and stock boys. But one greengrocer seems to see the lighter side of things and throws Oscar an apple from his stall which the halfling catches expertly before slipping under a stall and down an alley, eventually losing his pursuers.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; unfortunately Oscar can't read any of this. And he, sadly, doesn't spot the men who come when he's sleeping and knock him out, shanghaiing him.

== Sarodin Sea ==
Those signing up weren't told much and that's because it turns out to be a '''pirate hunting mission'''. A flotilla lead by the Whiskered Admiral is going to search for a small pirate fleet that was spotted not too far away. The navy is sending four ships; the Prince Willim, a 1st charter ship, two 2nd charter ships, the Ranhem and the Crowned Griffon, and a 3rd charter ship, the Arms of Dolac.

It's early in the morning and those shanghaied wake up feeling the worse for wear, it smells of sweat and sick, there are many conversations around. Some rays of sunshine penetrate the murk, the floor beneath them is moving in all directions. People are getting up from the floor and soon a hatch opens, the sunlight suddenly very bright, and some people come down a ladder.

Standing next to the ladder are a balding halfling, he looks to be in charge, a dwarf with a short beard, a half-elf, she has a rather big nose and her hair is dyed black, quite badly. Further there’s a gnome, her face looks to be sliding down her skull, and a large half-orc, with blonde dyed hair.

The halfling speaks: “I am Bosun Miller and you are on board the majestic Crowned Griffon, the best ship in the entire navy, run expertly by Captain Drumpf and Quartermaster Onel.” At the mention of the last name some people involuntarily scrunch their noses, he apparently has quite the musk. Miller continues: “We are on a mission to take out a pirate fleet and make sure these murderers, rapists, and drug dealers will never make it to our homeland.”

“Now, most of you might not be here voluntarily but you are finally going to do something worthwhile with your lives and get paid really well for it,” he tells the crowd. “Until we get anywhere near the pirates you will be assisting with the running of the ship, Chief Mate Luktnicks here will further explain.”

The dwarf looks around, “you will be doing grunt work even a wet goblin can do, complain or shirk and you will be going overboard, try your luck with the sharks. You might have noticed your weapons and armor are missing. We don’t want any accidental stabbings or other fights, get in one and you’ll get intimately familiar with the cat o' nine tails as wielded by Karoline here,” he motions towards the half-orc. She scowls as she looks around and rumbles “leave it”.

“You’ll get your weaponry back when we near the pirates, you can even put on your armor then, if you are fool enough to want to drown with it. Until then you report to the second mate, Juliana,” he points at the half-elf, “or the third mate, Kristi,” he motions towards the gnome.

Our four friends are selected by third mate Kristi to help with pulling the sails when there is need to, she puts a sailor in charge of them. The four introduce themselves to each other but soon find that the halfling doesn't speak. Quinton gives some grapes to the halfling, who we will refer to as Oscar, for the sake of convenience. Darius asks: “isn’t this the demon child?” The others shrug their shoulders. Then he speaks in Infernal: “do you understand?” Oscar doesn't, but Quinton does!

The gnome's question stems from the fact that during their weeks in town '''they heard lots of stories''' any time they were in a tavern, or really anywhere a lot of people gather and gossip. It's definitely possible they heard stories about other people with the same name or looks, but '''this is what they all think they heard about their new friends'''. It might all be just poppycock of course!

Quinton learned the following: people have said Oscar was being raised by an elf. Darius does not actually know where his mother is buried. He looked for the grave but never found it. Maybe for the best, because he would like to dig her up to find out how and why she died. Dauphine has a strange fascination for dead things. It's said she sometimes talks to dead animals.

Dauphine heard these stories: Rumor has it that during his training Darius wounded and even killed small animals to learn and practice his new spells. Most of them failed, which resulted in unneeded suffering. Quinton used to dress in women's clothes. Oscar is a wild child who will eat anything he comes across; plant, animal, human?

Darius heard the following rumors: Dauphine keeps dead animals rotting in her backpack. It's best not to follow her too closely when traveling because the dead smell coming from her backpack can only mean she's keeping dead birds... or something. Quinton became the owner of the family business at the tender age of 17. And... Oscar is a demon child.

Oscar doesn't understand Common but he was lurking and heard people say the following, even if he had no idea what they were saying: Darius buried his own father. He even fixed and prepared the body so that it could be presented in a coffin. Which was one hell of a job since his father died in a fireball. Darius invited all the locals to the funeral, but nobody came. Dauphine has found her armor in a second-hand shop. Quinton is said to have a scar from a date gone wrong on an undisclosed body part.
The four get to know each other a little better that first day and are put to work when needed. At this point it becomes clear to Third Mate Kristi that Oscar doesn't speak Common or even understands it. She complains to another crew-mate about the shanghai-ers, how they are bringing in totally useless people, which is overheard by our friends.[[File:Bound shark.png|right|300x300px]]
At some point Darius looks over the railing and sees a shark swimming just under the surface. But this is very strange, it looks like there is a sort of metal cage around its head. He calls over Kristi but it's gone when she arrives and she waves away his story, blaming it on his sea sickness.

Quinton tries to write something on the mast but is immediately scolded by a sailor who are a superstitious bunch and this spells bad luck.

The next morning our friends wake, and while they might still feel sea sick, their recent experiences have unlocked new abilities inside themselves. [They reached second level.]

During the next days they all get to know each other even more and experiment a little with their new found abilities. Quinton uses his Message cantrip to send a message to Darius, which freaks him out at first. Oscar hunts down a rat and eats it. Darius immediately calls Third Mate Kristi over and shows her that the halfling is not useless at all; he's a great ratter!

Then, during the night, '''a massive storm hits''' the flotilla. Our friends are asleep in the hold when they get tossed all over as the waves pummel the ship. A huge hole in the hull makes the ship list to the side. In nautical circles this is what is known as a ‘bad sign’. Before the party even knows it, for that is what they are now, they '''find themselves in the water'''. Huge waves spell their doom but fortunately '''half of a loading trapdoor floats nearby and they manage to cling on to it'''. Twice someone loses their hold due to the storm but twice they are rescued by the others.

=== Tiny Island ===
After floating on a calmer sea for many hours they eventually '''wash ashore on a tiny island''', about an hour before dusk. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and maybe one trinket or other item they kept close. The island is not a bounty one; one rock spur sticks about eight meters up in the air, the beach is more pebble than sand. There’s one small tree, not doing too well, other than that just some shrub bushes that don’t grow much in the way of food. One can walk a full circle around the island in about ten minutes.

There are some things that washed up on the shore with them. A large, iron anchor twisted into a spiral, they have no idea how it got there, it would definitely sink and not float. Oscar finds a cloak clasp shaped like a kraken, he has no idea what a kraken is but it looks nice so he keeps it. A barrel of mead is a nice find and they all immediately quench their thirst. Quentin finds a banged up scroll case that contains a scroll of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#enhance%20ability_phb Enhance Ability].

Oscar searches the island for food and other useful things, finding just a few berries and mushrooms but near the shore he finds [https://5e.tools/items.html#jellyfish%20vine_hhbh Jellyfish Vine], which are not dissimilar to a plant he knows; he'll be able to fashion this into something that will improve a weapon for a short time. Meanwhile Quinton has gone up to the one tree and found a branch that could serve as a weapon. He tries to make it into a quarterstaff but it becomes no more than a club.

Our friends discuss what to do next and Dauphine suggest climbing the rock spur to see if anything can be seen there, Darius and Quinton decide to go with. Oscar, who hasn't understood a word of the discussion follows a short distance behind. And he gets a great view of the three ahead '''falling through a thin sheet of rock into a shaft below''', debris flying everywhere.

The halfling gets there in time to see there is a force field at the bottom of a 30' shaft that has slowed down everyone's fall and they end up on the floor with little to no damage. Oscar then uses the handholds that have been carved into the rock to climb down to the others.

The bedrock has been carved out to create a room, the ceiling is about 15’ high, the shaft in the middle of it. It is pretty barren, on a stone shelf lies a book that has been totally overgrown with mold. A corridor leads away, there is a tiny bit of light coming from around corner. Only two of our friends have darkvision, Quinton can see almost nothing, the force field provides a little light.

A magic mouth on the wall starts speaking in an unknown language to most but Quinton knows Ancient, though he has never heard it spoken before; '''“This is containment area Manahuia. You do not have the proper authorization to be here. Leave now and do not return lest you’ll be destroyed.”''' Oscar has made it down by now and Dauphine tries to see if she can rescue a page from the middle of the book but fails utterly.

A minute later the magic mouth repeats its message and then '''incorporeal snakes come through the walls and start to attack'''. They are hard to hit and there are many, so the party flees down the one corridor. Here they find a natural cave that has been carved in places to heighten the ceiling to about 8’. There are signs of combat, scorch marks on the walls, a broken arrow lies just inside the corridor.

To the back of the cave is '''a dark opening, about three meters in diameter, maybe it’s their imagination but the inside of it seemed to move a bit, throb'''? It is almost entirely blocked by a stone wall that is crumbling, the druids are versed in Arcana and recognize it as one made by the Wall of Stone spell. Almost a foot of water has seeped into the cave and in the murky water they can just about make out four small mounds of stuff. In the left back corner of the room lies a ball of something rubber-like wrapped around itself.

The snakes haven't followed, yet, so they have time to explore. Three of the four mounds contain a dead body, very well preserved, and also a number of items. Going through all the items takes time but will likely lead to some good finds so most of our friends go through it carefully, whereas Oscar grabs something at random. The odds are 2.78% but he manages to grab a necklace of teeth, not unlike one he was wearing and lost in the storm!

Darius has gone to the rubbery thing and it slowly starts moving a little, waking up? It takes a while but it slowly unwraps its appendages and turns out to be some kind of golem-like entity? The party has been collecting items for a while and now the first incorporeal snake has found its way to them. The rubbery thing attacks with just a single appendage at first and hits hard; doing not just hit point damage but also giving Exhaustion to those hit.

Every round the golem attacks with one more appendage and escape becomes a necessity. Dauphine uses two Thunderwave spells to destabilize the wall and then Oscar manages to place the butt of the spear that Quinton found and gave him, in exactly the right place and he levers up and a huge chunk of wall comes down, enough for them to enter the strange tunnel that looks a lot like the inside of an esophagus, [[wikipedia:Peristalsis|peristaltic contractions]] and all.

Dauphine really wants more of the items but is hit again by the rubbery being and when the incorporeal then critically hits her, she's brought down! It's not easy but the others manage to get her out; Darius using a Cure Wounds spell and Quinton helping by providing another target for their foes. Everyone ends up inside the tunnel and the creatures don't seem to want to enter it.

As they walk down the sloped tunnel they heal themselves as best they can. The tunnel is long and continues downward, only after a long walk they arrive in another cave, slick with water. The tunnel looks about the same at this end as the other, very strange. Things look to be safe so our friends decide to have a long rest and '''look at all the items they managed to grab'''.

Dauphine found a potion of Stupendous Healing (3d10+level) and she knows these are very rare and not for sale, it might be worth a nice amount. She also found a bracelet made of gold, set with turquoise stones. Quinton found one exactly the same, each bracelet should be worth about a hundred gold pieces. Other items she managed to recover are a [[Demon Dash|'''Demon Dash''']], which she gives to Darius, and a water-proof scroll case containing a number of gems (200 gp worth) and spell scrolls of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#false%20life_phb False Life] and [https://5e.tools/spells.html#skywrite_xge Skywrite].

Darius found the rather strange [[Cyphers & Potions#Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion|'''Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion''']] and Stridden Boots that can give the wearer explosive speed as billowing flames blast from their feet and set anyone they get near to on fire. He also found a really strange tiny, red stinger; '''[[Phlegethos’ Pick]]'''. Quinton found the '''[[Spent Spear]]''' which he gave to Oscar and the halfling managed to grab the necklace with teeth; '''[[Past Primal]]'''.

[Room with the mounds of stuff and some of the items there with thanks to Dale Friezen.]

'''Darius rips a pant-leg from his trousers and turns it into an improvised mask''' which he puts around his face, only '''his eyes are still visible and they are purple''', instead of the blue they were earlier.
[[File:Steam Mephit.png|right|349x349px]]
After some good sleep they set off down the slick rock corridor, going ever further down, the temperature drops even more and everyone gets a headache. Eventually they come to a fissure, vapor rising from it, about ten foot across.

Right after Dauphine jumps over it, small, winged humanoid creatures with pale skin and wisps of vapor rising from their nose, mouth, and ears rise from it. They shed drops of steaming water when they move.

The creatures attack with their steam breath, hurting our friends quite a bit but they have quite some capabilities of their own and Oscar manages to use his Past Primal to critically hit one of them, killing it instantly.

The path continues on until they reach what must be a really big, stone door. A large stone frame runs up, across, and down a single slab of stone. There is no handle or lock visible but on either side there is a hole in the stone, just a bit bigger than a finger. After some discussion Darius and Dauphine '''each put a finger into one of the holes and the door slides open diagonally'''.

==== Midnight Altar ====
Beyond the doorway is a square room about 50’ on each side carved out of some kind of blue stone. A midnight altar, wrought from some superterrestrial metal, stands at its center. Faint lines of golden energy radiate from the altar along the floor to a large door. Above the altar float a number of symbols, most are white, two are purple. In the middle of the two side walls sit levers, both pointing up.

At the far end of the room is a large door, made of a dark wood and covered in many sigils that all radiate with magical power. Around the door and on the floor emblems have been carved, the same set repeats; a skull, a cloud, a triangle pointing downwards, something that might be an explosion, a scorpion. The door doesn’t seem to have hinges, a lock, or a handle. A tiny crack has formed at the bottom left of the door and a dark orange substance has seeped out, it looks like a small drop of syrup or honey.

Our friends investigate the room but can't make heads nor tails from the symbols above the altar. The door seems to be warded to keep something in, this might be some strange mystical prison? '''Darius rips off another part of his trousers and uses it to dab at the small drop of strange substance at the foot of the door, it absorbs into the cloth.'''

A Detect Magic spell shows that the two levers probably aren't connected to the warded door and since there is nowhere else for the party to go they decide to pull on them simultaneously. When they do, two things happen immediately. '''There is a sinking feeling as their room starts to float down''', and six parts of the wall are blown away and beyond them are niches in a strange shell like shape. Each contains a bench that is angled ninety degrees, a receptacle holding a potion vial, and a lever.

Everyone feels the pressure increasing in their heads and it stands to reason it will only get worse. Darius darts into one of the niches and pulls the lever. When he does so, a force field covers the open side of the niche as it is pushed away from the wall and starts to float to the surface. The gnome drinks the potion, figuring it might be needed at this point, it turns out to be a healing potion. When the escape pod pops out of the water it lands horizontally on the waves and the force field disappears, the bench is now in the right position to sit on.

Having seen the result of Darius' action, Oscar is next to scramble inside a niche and pull the lever. Dauphine and Quinton stay a bit longer, wondering if there's something else they can do here but with the pressure mounting, they too make their escape. Once on the surface, all of the pods find a way to each other and cluster together.

As they float there our friends talk about their experiences as Darius tries to explain to Oscar that the potion is a healing potion. The party discusses the '''strange black and white vision that talked to them as they entered the room'''. No one saw it in the room but somehow each saw a black and white apparition talking to them, it looked like a rather enigmatic version of their race. And it promised lots of power if they would help 'it', and clearly whatever the entity was, it was quite powerful. But '''they all declined its offer'''.

After floating in the middle of nowhere, the island is not in sight, for most of the day, they get very lucky and spot a ship. It's '''a fishing ship, the Twilight Wanderer, from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]]''' and our friends are taken on board. As he does so, Quinton notices from the corner of his eyes what looks to be '''a huge head sticking out of the water''', from about halfway up the nose. It's right at the horizon and must be enormous but it moves away before anyone else can spot it.

The crew consists of four people, all quite sunburned; Captain Raisa, tall, skinny, and quite sociable, Zaria, she has a broken nose, muscled arms, and is quite chatty, Blazh, he wears an earring with lapis lazuli, is missing a finger, and carries a hooked knife, he's quite jovial, and Kyrilu, a rather hirsute individual who squints a lot and is a bit grumpy.

The ship is cramped with eight of them on it but they make it work as they set sail home to Abrinol, the neighborhood in Avale is named for it. During the journey our friends get to know the crew a little better and learn of the fascinating culture of the Hundred Mile Islands, though Quinton isn't charmed by it and conspicuously moves away when these things are discussed. That first night everyone on the boat sees '''a falling star, blue streaked, and very low on the horizon, crossing the sky'''.

After a, blessedly uneventful, journey of a few days '''our friends arrive on Abrinol'''. It's quite the sight; the buildings on the island are all made of wood and painted red, though a Dolac would say their quality was less than they were used to. Off to one side of the town there are a few houses that are clearly built in older Dolac style, including one tavern, the Maiden and Flagon.

A few warehouses in Dolac style are situated to the left of the harbor, that’s also where two large piers can be found, each has a ship anchored there. The Prince Willim is one of those, it looks to have taken quite some damage from the storm. The other ship is a large merchant vessel named the [[Hythe Maritime Services|HMS]] Floris.

Captain Raisa invites the party over to dinner at her house and even offers to let them stay the night. First our friends go do a little shopping, selling the gold bracelets they found to get some new clothes and supplies. A few merchants sell flotsam and jetsam; they recovered a number of items from the flotilla, including Dauphine's [[Coloured lenses of Scotopia (Tanaquilya Lomë)|colored lenses of Scotopia]] and her [[Nochtoina]]. She buys both and also a part of the Crowned Griffon's name plate, it reads "owned". Oscar waits until the merchant is distracted and steals a gold tooth.

Our friends first go to the Prince Willim to see about passage, though none of them are much enamored with the navy at this point. They are offered passage, however they try the HMS Floris as well. The sailor at the gangplank has good news and bad news; the ship is sailing for Avale tomorrow, but all passenger berths are filled. When our friends ask if there's really nothing to be done, relaying how they were shipwrecked, a voice speaks from the railing and invites them up.

A blonde man, tall and wide shouldered, the type you would cast in your play to be the paladin or king, welcomes them onboard and '''introduces himself as Gerrut Hythe but tells them to call him Keeper'''. Apparently their story had an effect and he offers them passage and would like to discuss their experiences with the Admiralty.

The next morning, after a lovely dinner and a fun time in a tavern, they board the HMS Floris and find out that Keeper has vacated his personal cabin for them, he'll use a hammock on deck. They discuss bound sharks; he's seen a few over the years, but the giant head is totally new to him, and he has no experience with tiny islands and strange, sinking rooms.

== Dolac ==
Our friends make it safely '''back to [[Avale]]''' where the first order of business is to find an inn, as they decide to stick together; they learned that to get any adventuring work you need to be signed up as a group. They are told the Grey Minstrel Inn is a good place for what they are willing to spend so that's where they go.

As they approach the place in the Bow Valley neighborhood they see an old woman in dirty coat sitting on an upturned bucket at the entrance to an alley. A brown mackerel tabby with gray field lays on a window sill and gets up stretching its back. A little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in an old coat dances to music only she can hear. Inside the inn a lute missing its strings and a broken horn hang on the wall, a statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black stands in an alcove.

Next on the list is more shopping; our friends sell a number of the items they found and use the proceeds to buy weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. Dauphine has a shield made from the Crowned Griffon name board. Quinton looks into getting pan-flute lessons and ordering business cards.

Then '''a visit to the Adventurers Association''' in Kesslia. They have to fill out a form, asking where their strengths lie and '''give a party name, for some reason they decide on "The Daltons"'''. After a a short while they are lead to the offices of Jerry Tidwell, who will be their agent from now on. He's a tall halfling with dark hair and a big nose, and very outgoing, energetic. He offers them coffee that he has specially imported from [[Haza]].

They discuss what he can do for them as he plays around with a silvered horseshoe in his hands, in some places the original iron clearly visible. Jerry tells them they are in luck; Grand Master and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]] Geppert Cross, of the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors has died recently and there are '''jobs available as honor guard'''. It only pays 2 gp but he explains that it's important to get a relationship started with any guild, they are much more likely to hire people they have worked with in the past, and usually don't look closely at what the work was.

He also advises them to get a ‘money person’, it's such a waste to keep your money in a pouch or under your bed. The money person knows the best banks to put them in or other investment opportunities. “Me and some friends bought the rights to the Dolac blue conifer; whenever a single one of them is sold we get part of that,” he explains quite animatedly. He suggests a bookkeeper; Carla Tebaldo, she's a gnome and does most of his investments.

=== First Jobs ===
Our friends are told to go to Save Nine in the Fabrics neighborhood to pick up ceremonial staves and robes with the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors clue compass rose attached to them. Next they report to the Domicile of Diligence in Uppark. The procession will go to the Mother Mensual cemetery in the Dawnbloom Heights neighborhood and every hundred feet two people peel off to stand to the left and right of the street.

On their way they hear people in the crowd along the street talking. A halfling wearing a poncho with multicolored, diagonal lines comments: “you know what a dead Torchbearer is? A good start! I say burn them all, what have they ever done for us?” A woman in a hat with a blue compass rose emblem tells her companion: “I heard that thing that fell from the sky destroyed the entire city of [[Kostul]]!” A gorgeous half-elf in a blue dress says to her friend, who is equally stunning: “I used to have so much fun with Old Geppy, he was the loveliest little lapdog”.

When our friends get near Carriage Court it is their turn to take up positions. A dwarf with a beard woven into an intricate pattern asks: “Did they appoint anyone in place of the dead guy yet?” A man eating the last bit of his deep-fried giant answers: “No, this bunch are traditionalists and wait till the body is in the ground.” To which the dwarf replies: “Well, I hope that whoever gets in will be in favor of lowering taxes on labor, it’s got so bad I can hardly compete with foreign crap coming in.” Says the man: “This guild? Don’t hold your breath.”

As the funeral procession comes closer a man steps into the street, right between where our friends are standing. He throws a bottle of oil to the cobbles and pours another all over himself. He cries: “They ruined me! Those gods-damned guilds and their rules, destroying the common man and do they care? Do they fuck all!” as he takes out a tinderbox. People scramble backwards.

Our friends immediately respond and an Entangle spell plus a Command spell by Darius prevent the man from lighting himself on fire. Then Dauphine knocks him to the ground and the four of them work him to the side of the road before any of the dignitaries get there. When they do, one of them comes over to the party, a man with a heavy set build and hangdog facial features, who introduces himself as '''Alun Djames, a Master of the Stevedores Guild'''.

He's impressed with what they did and invites them over to his home for dinner the next day. Our friends arrive at his home on Sevso Island, located right at the river with a view of the rest of the city, and get introduced to his wife and three children. Dinner is great and Alun promises that he'll rustle up some work for them when he can.

The very next day Jerry sends a messenger; he has '''work for the party'''. "It's a twofer!" he exclaims enthusiastically when they enter his office. He has received requests from the '''Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild and the Messengers Coalition'''. Both seem to him a good match for our friends and he hands them the parchments; '''[[AAG - Request 1|Request for Ingredients]] & [[MC - Request 1|Missing Messenger]]'''.

==== Kenohob ====
Our friends make it to Kenohob without any trouble, all the while having kept an eye out for Herleva. Once there they find outshe picked up her package and left, right on schedule. They also learn that wild animals have been coming into the village causing havoc, this is not normal behavior, usually they know the risks and avoid the hamlet. Only last night the Furious Farmer lost a number of cows due to a wolf attack.

Our friends go visit her and the halfling tells them, pointing at the forest with her scythe, that the wolf went back into the nearby forest. Darius asks to buy an old scythe and our friends then track the wolf, they are quite skilled at this and easily follow its tracks between the trees. They lead to the dead body of the wolf, with an zombie boar standing over it. Battle is short and swift with the boar snuffing it in the end; Oscar critically hitting once more.

There's only an hour or so of daylight left but again our friends prove very proficient at tracking, following back the path the boar took. They arrive at an '''ancient barrow mound, deeper in the forest'''. Sitting on top of it is a '''redheaded girl and her dog, which looks quite undead''', but not in a way that Darius, or the others, have seen before.

The party talks with the girl as the carefully close and spread out a little. She '''confirms that she is Herleva''' and tells them that on her way back to Avale, her dog Snuffles dashed into the forest and she followed him. It lead to the barrow mound, one side had collapsed a bit and left a hole big enough for the dog to go through. '''When Snuffles came back out it was very much changed and now, anytime it came near a creature it turned it into a zombie.'''

The girl herself is fine, definitely not undead, though she is clearly malnourished. There is some speculation among the party about why she is not a zombie, maybe only beasts are affected? They throw her a goodberry and she eats it, feeling a bit better. But it's clear to her the party doesn't want things to stand as they are. She pleads with them to leave her and Snuffles alone, telling them she'll try and make sure it won't infect any other creature, she'll give them all her meager belongings but please, don't harm her only friend in the whole world.

The party has other ideas though, Darius definitely wants to end the undead dog's existence and the others agree that that's the best course of action. Quinton starts by casting a Sleep spell on the poor Herleva so she doesn't have to witness what is about to happen. Zombie forest creatures have by now made their way around the barrow mound and a battle ensues.

Darius uses his Turn Undead ability and a zombie wolf runs away. But the other opponents are tough and some of our friends are brought low, fortunately between the four of them they possess quite some healing magic. Darius activates his Stridden Boots and uses them to great effect, burning four enemies before the boots burn up completely and hurt him. Combat is over soon after with the party victorious.

The gnome uses his undertaker tools on Snuffles fails to learn anything useful. Our friends '''burn all the undead''' and they then very carefully investigate the hole in the barrow mound, using a large stick and a rope to pull a bone dagger and a wooden box from the interior. The engraved box contains twenty-six teeth, each engraved with the mirror image of all letters of the alphabet; when pressed into something soft they leave an imprint.

Our friends put anything that will burn into the interior of the mound and then light it, hoping that whatever turned Snuffles into what it became can be destroyed this way, or at least stop it from happening to anyone else. They then carry Herleva away and wake her up. She is incredibly distressed when told that Snuffles is no more and Quinton uses a Charm Person spell to blunt the edge.

Back in Kenohob they take a room at the Whispy Vapor Inn for all five of them, Herleva is still very sad about the events and Quinton goes into the village and finds someone with shepherd puppies and he brings two back for the girl. That definitely brings a smile to her face but it's a good, persuasive talk they have with her that eventually convinces her not to sneak out of the room at night to go back to the barrow mound.

The party all agree it's not a good idea to have Herleva go back to Avale by herself and figuring there is no rush for the other job '''they return to the capital with her and deliver her to the Messengers Coalition HQ'''. They then do some shopping and start the return journey to Kenohob the next day. From there they go south as indicated by the request and eventually come across an ogre.
[[File:Ogre Howdah.png|right|355x355px]]
But that's not all there is to it; someone built a palisaded wooden fort on its back! And in there are two goblins, one speaks up as the party approaches. “Ah, perfidious questers! Surrender your treasures and artifacts and your existences will be spared!” Our friends do not feel inclined to take this deal and move closer and the goblin speaks again: “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Flak Ogre!”

Battle is on and the two goblins are very adapt at sniping at the party with spell and bow before hiding behind the wooden cover again. Unfortunately for them they miss as often as they hit. The ogre hits more often and harder but it turns out that two druids with two Wild Shapes each have a nice buffer of hit points to make it through a fight.

'''Eventually the ogre topples''' and both goblins roll away, the spell caster of the two manages to escape, hurling insults as she disappears. The other the party manages to kill, unfortunately it doesn't have loot worth anything.

The next day our friends split in two groups and '''manage to find all the ingredients''' requested by Herb’s Store. They set up camp near a marsh and then proceed to '''have a very strange dream''' featuring a blue and green painted carriage and a mansion with a butler and long corridors full of doors.

=== Avale ===
Our friends deliver the ingredients and ogre parts and Herb, the proprietor, shows them a number of interesting items he is willing to sell them for their services, he tells them to check back often as his stock changes frequently. When they return to the Grey Minstrel Inn they are accosted by '''a dwarf with a rather tangled and unkempt beard'''. He is looking for a job and introduces himself as '''Aracuda Shovi''', it's clear he is far from home but our friends don't have any work for him. Dauphine asks him if he has ever heard of a Stone Dragon cave; he tells her it rings a vague bell, he will find her if he remembers more.

'''The piece of cloth that Darius dabbed in the dark orange substance''' has grown over time and the next morning he wakes to find it has wound tight around his torso and learns it's '''now an armor of sorts: [[Vessel Wraps]]'''. The quarter-scythe that he ordered has been completed and he pays with it by trading in his old armor. Oscar has seen Dauphine's shortbow and wants to try one as well so they buy one for him.

The next day a message from Jerry, their agent, arrives. He has '''a job for a druid to sub for one who got sick, the druid is to wild shape into two different animals for a play being staged at the Catifras theater in Oakhurst'''. He also included three free tickets for the play that night. Dauphine and Quinton decide that he should be the one to take the job and he goes to the theater that afternoon. The marquee reads: “'''Hanno Salt stars as Jack Hoida in Jack Hoida and the Forgotten Temple'''”.

He is met by the '''Long-Suffering Assistant Director''' who explains they need a panther in the first act and a giant snake in the third. He is then introduced to the Water Wrangler, the Pyronicist, the Sound Effecter, and the stage hands. He briefly meets Hanno Salt, a dark haired, square jawed man in dark pants, a white jacket with dangling fasteners, and black gloves, who sucks on a licorice stick and soon leaves with a giggling blonde. Quinton learns the play is about intrepid explorer cutting a swathe through vines and canoeing down white-frothing rivers in a territory composed almost entirely of jungle and implausible traps. He gets to practice his part with the Nervous Stand-in.

In the evening our friends take their places in the audience and Quinton is in the wings. The play starts with a bard singing an opening song as the backgrounds change and stagehands walk out with placards showing who plays who. At the end of the play another song is sung. Some quotes:<blockquote>"...and of course, Queen Tamarka was my lover, but now she wants my head on a stick. All because I gave away the secret of her immortality..."

"...and that's when I married the love of my life and retired. Only for her to be murdered six months later, dragging me back into my old life..."

"...after that I spent a year undercover as a pirate under Captain Rosaline, the River Rose. Also my lover, by the way. And come to think of it, she also wants my head on a stick..."</blockquote>Quinton does an ok job performing his animal forms on stage and is in the changing rooms afterwards when Hanno Salt steps in. “The production went as smooth as can be, you all deserve a drink. I love it when a play comes together,” he tells them before he leaves with a giggling blonde, not the same as the one in the afternoon. Quinton goes of with the cast and crew for a drink and the rest of the party also goes to a nearby tavern for a libation or two.

==== Night at the Museum ====
Not much later '''another job''' offer comes through; our friends are to '''act as guards for some animals on display at the [[Avale#State Museum|State Museum]] during a fundraiser'''. They are told to look the part more than anything; wear all the armor they have and bring their biggest weapons. At the location they are met by the '''Harried PA''' who explains she had to make a deal with the museum guards; the party has to stick to their location with the animals and are to leave everything else to the museum guards.

The event takes place in two large, connected rooms and in one corner there is a display; "'''Animals from [[Neniros]]'''". There's a large cage containing an orangutan, a large box with glass front and top in which a huge anaconda lies. Two smaller boxes with glass tops and fronts hold Neniros toads and blue poison dart frogs. A small cage hanging from a pole contains a single orange and black bird; a cock-of-the-rock.

The caterers are busy setting up tables full of food and drink and at some point someone calls out; “'''Hey, Naffles''', where in the Nine Hells are you?” Darius calls out that he's here but another voice also pipes up. This turns out to be '''the gnome's second cousin, Dersigos''', who works catering this evening. Then the first guests start to arrive.

Once everyone is present a short man with a large mustache steps up on a small podium. Quinton saw this man on his first day in the city, near the Pursue Hickory bank. They learn that he is '''Joseph Lacombe, the Grand Master and Boss of the Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes'''. He holds a short speech:<blockquote>“Friends, welcome, it is good to see so many familiar money pouches, I mean faces. We are so fortunate to be able to congregate here this evening and enjoy all the world has to offer, great food and drink a plenty. But we should spare a thought for those less fortunate, those that live in squalor, who don’t have a job, whose children are sick and going hungry. We should not allow our society to let this go on and thus I have started the Solutions for the Infirm charity and call on you for support. Please enjoy your evening in this wonderful ambiance but make sure to donate generously as I know you can.”</blockquote>He then steps from the podium and approaches one of the guests. “If it isn’t '''Fitzwallace-Keely''', my favorite guild boss, Jeffery, we need to talk about you opening your coffers,” he says, grabs a drink from a tray and then moves away with the ruddy haired man wearing an expensive suit with embroidered green scales.
[[File:Constrictor Snake.png|right|300x300px]]
The '''place is filled with the great and the good''' of Avale but unfortunately our friends don't know any of them and no one points them out to them. They do recognize the holy symbols of [[Osprem]] and [[Lirr]], so there are at least two, likely high-ranking, priests present. There is also a tiefling woman, she must be from the [[Kasarian Embassy]]. There are definitely a lot of guild members as many people wear guild insignia. Darius recognizes three socialite ladies when they oh and ah over the blue frogs; he saw them exiting Smells by Design when he first came to Avale.

Some time later there’s a flash coming from the other room and then lots of smoke, coughing people stumble into the adjoining room where our friends are. The party holds position near the animals, Dersigos and another waitress, this one more nattily dressed make their way over, still hacking and trying to catch their breath.

Eventually the museum guards go in and it becomes clear '''the Flame of Dolac, a transparent fiery orange Jacinth carved into the shape of a flame, is missing'''. '''The Humtache is called in''', lead by the '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat. Dauphine actually saw him from her room at the top floor of the inn catching a pick-pocketing girl.

After a little while he comes over to our friends and asks if they have been in the other room at all. Seeing as they haven't, he asks them to help interview some of the witnesses; he's pressed for time as all the powerful people in the room are bristling at being held here. He takes them over to talk to four men. The first introduces himself as '''Roger Newsome''', of the Mimico Newsomes, he adds when all he gets are blank faces. He's wearing a bracelet with a huge piece of jade and a ring set with a fire opal. He explains that he and his three friends Arthur Elliot, Theodore Grady, and Horace Sims, are gem aficionados, they call themselves the Stoned Boys. Unfortunately none of them have anything useful to report.

Our friends report this and then return to the animal corner. There they start discussing what the thief might have done; there were museum guards at all the exits and no one left the building so it should still be here. They then realize that putting it in one of the animal cages/boxes would be a great way to have it smuggled out and be relatively easy to retrieve.

With two druids present it's not too hard to talk to the animals and '''the anaconda complains about a sharp stone''' that was dropped into its box. '''Our friends let the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector know''' this and he agrees that just keeping an eye on the animals when they get transported out of the museum tonight should be a good way to catch the thief red-handed.

But then the party start to plot further and now think it might be safer to remove the gem from the snake box and put it with the blue poison dart frogs. They do so and then five people arrive to take the animals away. Darius and Quinton feel one of the five is ‘off’, the way she behaves is just different from the others and she doesn't do much.

Darius tries to cause a distraction but things go quite wrong and the animal people are quite unhappy and sort of send the party away. Near the exit the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector is waiting for them. He tells them that he put one of his detectives with the animal people but the party doesn't tell him that they moved the gem, thinking that he could actually be in on the theft.

Once outside our friends are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter''' from the [[Avale#Vulpine Count|'''Vulpine Count''']]. He was at the fundraiser and has lots of questions but the party dismisses him and go off to find the animal people. They follow their wagon to a warehouse of sorts and see them all go inside. Some time later four people leave the warehouse; the Humtache detective is still in there.

Loads of shenanigans ensue and at the end of it all '''Dauphine has apprehended''' the '''Natty Napster''' a block away from the warehouse. '''She doesn't have the Flame of Dolac''' on her and when the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector and his people '''rush back to the warehouse they can't find it there either'''. It's not with the frogs and not with the anaconda either.

Our friends leave the Humtache to their troubles and go get some sleep. In the days after, they learn '''the gem has still not been found''' and the Natty Napster can't be charged with any crime. There is also some general news; clouds have been seen in the shape of dragons; is it a sign?

==== Wayward Son ====
Some days later '''a distraught mother''' comes to the inn; she heard about the party finding the girl from the Messenger Coalition and '''her Wayward Son is missing''' and she has no one to turn to. Our friends promise to help and learn that she lives in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Woodfall|Woodfall]] neighborhood, working two jobs. Her son often goes to the [[Avale#White Bridge|White Bridge]] and to Promise Fields.

Quinton spots the little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in her old coat and he pays her to organize urchins to go look for the half-orc boy. Our friends then go out to look themselves and eventually find the boy's best friend who tells them that the Wayward Son made a bet he could find an oyster and left town to find one in the river.

Fortunately the party are quite skilled at tracking and they are pretty sure they are on the right trail. It takes a number of days and along the way they meet [[Ranna Amethystall|'''Ranna Amethystall''']] before eventually '''finding the boy''' near some cliffs at the riverside. A fight with some nasty creatures is unavoidable but our friends are victorious and save the Wayward Son while '''Oscar's blanket protects him and reveals to be called [[Thola's Blanket]]'''. Among the loot is a [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser]] cypher.

The party returns to Avale and return the boy to a relieved mother. And learn of some news; the Black Hare tavern is going out of business. Quinton is approached by the urchin girl and she wants quite a few silver pieces from him as she had loads of urchins looking for the Wayward Son for a full week. Not much later our friends run into an '''old acquaintance of the druid from back in [[Loveria]]; Brad Beck'''.

“Yo, bro, I haven’t seen you in what, two years? Still burning all that sandalwood? This dude, the stories I could tell you. I’ve got a great line on copper ore, want me to hook you up, bro?” He takes the party out to dinner and regales them with (embarrassing) stories about Quinton. He also asks them to help him smuggle saffron into the city but they politely decline.

==== Jilted Jinnie ====
Then an '''urgent messages from Alun Djames''' arrives; the Stevedores master wants them to get to the docks as soon as possible. Once there, he explains that he needs their '''help smuggling the guild's top boss and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]], Jinnie Affo, out of the city'''. Not only are the Humtache looking for her, but so are numerous guilds. He promises to “square it with Adventurers Association later”, and gives each of them a gem worth 25 gp.

He further explains she can't leave by boat as all will be searched. He has a wagon waiting for her at [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Parade Fields|Parade Fields]], they need to get her there unseen. But before that '''she needs to go to the Stevedores HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] to liberate some documents from her office and she wants to say goodbye to her family who are waiting for her in her brother-in-law’s house in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]]'''. He also makes it clear that if she were to die for any reason, '''her body can never be found'''.

The party sets off with her and decide to go see the family first as it'll be later in the evening when they visit the HQ and fewer people will be there. They manage to avoid several Humtache patrols and searching guild members before they are get accosted by six robbers in a dark alley. Their spells are enough to make the criminals flee but this has drawn the attention of a search party from the Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers. It takes a lot of bluffing but they manage to talk their way through without having to reveal who is wearing the big, dark, hooded cloak.

Our friends run into some familiar faces and with the use of a super urchin have a smooth five minute family goodbye before moving back north to the Stevedores HQ. Jinnie gives the party a clear description of where to find the documents in her office and the two druids make their way inside, find them, set fire to some other documents and then leave via the window as giant spiders.

Now our friends have to go all the way through the city to Parade Fields, sticking to alleys except for Dauphine and Quinton; one of them wild shaped into a horse and the other is leading them, walking a parallel route to scout for the others. In [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]], as they are looking to cross the street both Darius and Jinnie '''notice a girl being dragged into the next alley over'''. Darius looks at the guild boss and she grimaces; "we move on". As they cross the street and enter the next alley they hear sounds they would really rather not have heard, and so does Oscar.

Without further problems they all make it to Parade Fields. Just beyond some construction work for gakker grounds with stands and a concessions building they see a covered wagon waiting, just as Alun told them there would be. Two horses are standing in front of it and a driver sits on the box. Our friends sneak through the construction to get a closer look and notice the driver hasn't moved a muscle.

Quinton goes to investigate and sees that the man sitting there is very lifeless and rather blue. He moves to the back of the wagon and finds it filled with a random assortment of stuff that would work to conceal someone behind. He goes back to the others and they decide that Dauphine, who has some skill with wagons, is going to pretend to be Jinnie and drive the wagon to Kenohob to possibly draw out whoever killed the driver. The others will then hopefully take care of them and go meet the druid in Kenohob, where Jinnie can then take the wagon or find new transport.

Dauphine drives away without anything happening and after a bit of a wait the others set out on foot towards Kenohob as well. When they are about three hundred feet from the construction site '''Jinnie stumbles and an arrow protrudes from her back'''. She is turning blue and none of our friends is able to save her, she '''soon lays dead on the ground'''. Expecting more arrows to follow, the party quickly grabs the body and moves to the nearest cover.

When no other attacks follow they discuss what to do next, remembering Alun Djames' words that Jinnie's body can't be found. They decide to go in the direction of Kenohob and when they get near a forest they find an empty spot inside it and burn the Stevedores Guild Boss' body there as they take a long rest.

The next morning Darius seems very unhappy indeed and they bury part of Jinnie there and take the rest to disperse over their journey to meet up with Dauphine in Kenohob. Once there, they return to [[Avale]], seeing the old woman in her dirty, green coat collecting pebbles near their inn, where a message from Alun is waiting, saying to come see him as soon as possible.

Alun Djames speaks with them briefly at his place, learning of what happened. He's rather sad that Jinnie didn't make it but relieved her body won't be found. Quinton wonders if he had anything to do with her death but the man's feelings seem sincere. Her disappearance is dominating the news in town, lots of rumors are going around about her being corrupt and defrauding the government for sums of money up to one million gold pieces in some tellings of the story. Other news says the Black Hare tavern has been bought and renamed to The Thirsty Recruit.

==== Up the Alley ====
The next day Darius returns to the home of Jinnie's brother-in-law and leaves 65 gp for her grieving family. He then continues '''on to the alley where he saw the girl being dragged into''' and after a very thorough search '''finds a small silver earring'''. He tells Dauphine what happened that night and she gets quite distant after hearing the tale. Then the gnome shows the piece of jewelry to Quinton who appraises it as of not much value.

Darius has a very close look at the ring and spots two tiny letters: RT. Our friends decide to go to a jeweler in the hope to get more information. The nearest is Rock Bottom Prices but there they get nearly no help, being told to try someone where upscale. At Family Jules in Kesslia the party gets a lot more help. The middle-aged gnome woman behind the counter brings out her grandfather, an ancient gnome with huge, bushy eyebrows.

The old one takes out a loupe and finds the jeweler’s mark. “Such sloppy repair work, bah, does no one have pride in their craft anymore?” When prompted he tells them the letters in the earring mean it was made by Rings and Things in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. When Darius takes the earring from the jeweler's hand, the ancient gnome grabs his wrist, quick as water. "What is wrong with you, boy?" he asks, "you are full of emptiness." He tells Darius to stay away from his granddaughter as the party leaves the premises.

At Rings and Things they don’t keep a list of sales but due to the repair work the woman there recognize it as one sold to '''Joser Jalbuck''' for his daughter. When asked she tells them he lives at Bell Way. Once there they learn he works at Wesson's Smithy and won't be home till the evening. Eventually they talk to him in his home and explain they found an earring that must belong to his daughter. He takes it and thanks them, saying he will give it to her when she gets home. Our friends ask some questions about her and her state of mind, which makes the halfling rather suspicious, but they do learn she works at a mansion as a domestic servant.

They wait for her to return home and intercept her, resulting in a very awkward conversation. They learn she works for the '''Verdin family''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] and, yes, when walking home about a week ago, she was dragged into an alley and assaulted. Oscar puts her a little at ease by using the Heart Sight ability from [[Thola's Blanket]]. She doesn't want to talk about it but tells them that the assailant smelled heavily of Hatchet, a popular perfume. And after more pressing, she tells them that the son of the Verdin family, Gabriel, wears the perfume, but so do his friends.

Darius tells her they will try to get justice for her and won't contact her again so she won't have to relive it again. On their way back to the inn they discuss what they can do to bring the culprit to justice and Dauphine tells Darius: “you could have stopped him earlier, now it’s much more difficult”. The next morning the party goes to Gill Gardens where they do some very thorough gathering of information before trailing the son to a tavern where he meets up with friends and they observe the group but no one sticks out as particularly suspicious.
[[File:Kerstkaart 2025.jpg|right|410x410px]]
Then when they walk home, red skies are gleaming, sea-gulls are flying over, swans are floating by, they are approached by a rather thin, tall man who asks them for help finding part of his conveyance that he lost while driving home. Quite a few things happen, including a visit to the This Is The Yeast We Can Do Brewery, before they recover the bauble, get a sweet reward and a thousand memories.

The next morning a letter is waiting for them at the inn, it's from '''Brook Jalbuck''', she has remembered that the assailant smelled so heavily of the perfume that it seemed he was drenched in it and '''she doesn't think it was Gabriel Verdin'''. Our friends decide to investigate the perfume angle and Quinton takes the lead, visiting the nearest perfumer; Eau My Gods. There they learn that Hatchet, known as Bobcat in certain other countries, is very popular indeed, so much so a bootleg version of it is made. The girl at the shop mentions that only a week or so ago there was actually a burglary at Heaven Scent in Kesslia.

Their new destination clear our friends visit and learn that one or two people broke in and made a mess of things, breaking a lot of the supplies. One person has actually been arrested by the Humtache, he left a rather easy to follow trail. The alley where Brook was assaulted is just one street over, giving our friends little doubt as to what happened, though they wonder why someone would be so dumb.

The Humtache HQ is in nearby [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] and our friends happen to know a certain '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', so that's who they go and see. When he brings them to his office he starts by '''interrogating Darius, telling him that when they looked back at the events at the warehouse it became clear the gnome was there alone with the Flame of Dolac''' for at least a minute. Did he take it? Why was he there? The priest doesn't have any really good answers to these questions and things get hot under his collar. But without any direct evidence the Inspector eventually drops it and asks for the reason of their visit.

They tell him what they know of what happened in the alley and of the burglary at the perfume store. It's not his case and the Inspector won't let them talk to the suspect but he'll have a talk with the officer in charge. Walking home Dauphine asks Darius outright if he stole the Flame of Dolac and the gnome denies doing so. “Don’t ever tell me you stole it,” the druidess tells him.

Returning next day they learn that the '''suspect, Douglas, fits the height and build of the assailant''', which also matches Gabriel's. He hasn't given up his accomplice and hasn't admitted to being in the alley either. '''The officer is pretty sure he did it''' though, but without a confession they can't make it stick. He will be going to jail for a year for the break in though. '''Darius then writes a letter to Brook''', telling her the man won't be going to jail for doing what he did to her but will be in jail for something else.

== Sarodin Sea ==

==== Chirurgeon Browns ====
The party receives a message from Jerry, their agent, and it tells them to '''go to a house on Lookout Road in the New Dunum neighborhood, and to bring [[Otteun#Food|bay ribs]]'''. They buy half a dozen at a street vendor and go to the address. The door is opened by a blond man with very square jaws and a pointed chin. He wears leather pants, as many people do here, and a plaid shirt. He asks if they are the adventurers he hired and then invites them inside.

He introduces himself as '''Hirsute Looking Glass''' and is rather surprised at the lack of reaction to his name, mumbling how normally people all get up in his business over it. He takes the box of bay ribs, immediately sucks the meat of off it and throws the bone over his shoulder. His place is quite a mess; there's an old couch he indicates for them to sit on, an old wooden trestle table that has seen better times and all kinds of alchemical equipment is covering any flat surface.

He tells the party he needs them to '''go to Hogan Island and bring back a log of tomko tree''', at least a few meters long. Why go all the way there? It's the nearest place that he learned the trees can be found. He has '''hired a ship, the Wetterlund''', that will bring them there. And why does he need adventurers? Apparently the island is uninhabited but full of dangerous forest creatures; baboons, owlbears, regular bears, giant varieties of toads, wasps, spiders, etc. In short; no lumberjacks were willing to take his contract, such nonsense!

Having eaten all of the six bay ribs by now and told them all they need to know, the man now herds them from his place and tells them to bring him back his tree as soon as possible. Oscar has been reacting strangely to this man and the feeling seems to be mutual so it doesn't take long before the party is back out on the street. Fortunately Dauphine remembers reading about tomko trees; they are quite tall with a dusky bark and dark leaves with tiny holes in them. They always grow in a ring of twelve for some reason.

Our friends go do some shopping; cutting down a tree that size won't be easy. [[Quinton Gemweaver|Quinton]] happens to walk by the vintage shop Second Hand News in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Little Perches|Little Perches]] where he sees a rather interesting robe hanging behind the counter. After some tough negotiating and borrowing some money, he pays 84 gold pieces and his pearl trinket to become the new owner of the [[Robe of Advantages]].

'''The Wetterlund is a large ship'''; pretty close to the Crowned Griffon that the party sailed on before. '''Captain Reynolds''' is a brusque halfling with red hair in a ponytail and a limp. She invites them for dinner in the captain's quarters and they enjoy a really tasty meal. Our friends learn about the captain's former career; cheese rolling. She broke her leg in multiple places but is still very enthusiastic, describing how she barreled downhill, chasing [[Cheeses of the world#Glevum|Twin Glevum]] cheese. Over dinner it also becomes clear to the very observant that '''Darius doesn't eat anything of his meal'''.

In the morning they sail past [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] and after a good number of days they arrive at their destination; '''Hogan Island''', it's bigger than they expected. As it's an hour before dusk they decide to wait till the next day. At dawn they all get into a launch and are rowed over to a small beach. It's quite misty in the morning and the mist is so firm that you need to push through it, one could even sculpt it.

The flora here is rather strange, some is much larger than elsewhere, other much smaller; there are tiny apple trees with apples the size of cherries, and huge oak trees with very large acorns. Massive mushrooms grow here as well, including [[Sprite member|sprite members]] that are almost two meters tall. Dauphine notices that the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]] feels more moist here on the island.
Our friends come across '''a piece of green and blue fruit, the colors swirling slowly around its skin'''. Dauphine's studies indicate it will grant some kind of boon when eaten but she doesn't know what kind of benefit it will be. However, Darius tells them he wants it as it can be used to improve his armor. Eventually it is decided he can use it and his [[Vessel Wraps]] gains the Store property.[[File:Needle Lord.jpg|right|300x300px]]After about a day and half, helped by a Locate Animals or Plants spell from Dauphine they find the tomko trees they are looking for; a circle of twelve. Very sharp vines grow between a number of them and Darius uses his scythe to remove them. As he does so, they are attacked by creatures made of just twigs full of needles. They launch these in great numbers and when most are taken out, a much larger specimen arrives. It's a bloody fight but our friends persevere.

Afterwards Darius cuts open the big creature hoping to find something to take back to Herb's Store but there's not much. Meanwhile Oscar discovers that [[Thola's Blanket]] has gained the Pins and Needles property. Our friends came prepared and brought the right tools to cut down one of the trees and then cut off a three meter piece.

It takes a good while but they bring it back to the ship and load it on board. The journey back gets eventful when a pirate ship approaches but '''Captain Hornigold''' doesn't stay around for long, just collecting some hats.

== Dolac ==
Soon our friends find themselves back in [[Avale]] and deliver the log to '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', putting it in his backyard that is full of esoteric things; other logs of wood, strange stones, a cauldron that could fit Quinton, and more.

They return to the Grey Minstrel Inn and learn the latest news; the '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in Downpark burned down when they were away. Dauphine quips that at least none of them were responsible for this, for a change. In the evening they have a drink at their favorite tavern; the Grape Escape. Instead of the nice, relaxing evening they hoped to have, instead they get an encounter with the fabled '''yortho''' and might just have saved the entire city.

==== The Great and the Good ====
'''Jerry''' invites our friends over to his office at Venture Hall and informs them that the Solutions for the Infirm has hired them to run security for less than a day and are paying extremely well, once again. He also has a present for them, tickets to a new play, Turnabout, at the People’s Playhouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]] as a thank you for a fruitful relationship with the '''Adventurers Association'''.

It turns out that the play is not what they expected and while Darius and Oscar have a whale of a time, the other two leave early. Two days later they report to a square in town where Solutions for the Infirm has set up a large tent and roped off the area. The party is met once again by the '''Harried PA''' who explains that they are giving new clothes to the indigents and our friends are to make sure everything runs smoothly.

There are crates with clothes stacked outside the tent, all made by '''Eldritch Honor of [[Thimonnier]]''', in the sizes small, medium, and large. At the exit side of the tent a large trestle table holds baked goods for those that have gotten their new clothes. And there lies the current problem; urchins have been darting in and grabbing food of the table that technically isn't meant for them.

'''Joseph Lacombe''', the founder of the charity and top boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes|Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes]], is there himself and comes over to the party and thanks them personally for their work at the State Museum during the fundraiser, he heard about all their good work. He doesn't stay long; after the first few indigents have received their new clothes he gets into his carriage and leaves.

Quinton rather escalates things with the urchins and they retreat but from what they are yelling, they will be back soon enough. The druid goes into the tent to ask what to do but only finds a man and a woman dressed in white, measuring an indigent's head and noting things on a clipboard before giving them a set of clothes.

He is directed to the small tent and finds the Harried PA there, who has finally found a moment to relax and is rather sad to be disturbed once again. She tells Quinton to do whatever is necessary and will see if she can get more food delivered. The urchins soon return with reinforcements and things turn into something of a battlefield with two fog clouds covering one flank. Eventually hostilities are ceased and at the end of the day there is food left for the urchins to take as the tent is broken down and the square restored to it's regular form.

A number of days later another job lands; our friends are to provide security for someone in the employ of '''Jeffery Fitzwallace-Keely''', boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Mercantile Guild|Mercantile Guild]]. The instructions are to meet them early in the morning at the Coop in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. There they meet the '''Glib Adviser''' who brought two empty backpacks and hands one over. They go across the market and a number of merchants hand over small, heavy pouches, likely filled with coins and or gems that are put into the backpack.

From there they travel up town, going through a number of neighborhoods and stopping at different places, including the Tabernacle of Industry, temple to [[Ulaa]] and the [[Kasarian Embassy]] where some of them see their first ever tiefling, every time a new pouch fills one backpack and then the other. At some point they notice some shady types are following them but the Glib Adviser walks them to a nearby Humtache station and he goes inside for a good while, making the pursuers give up their quarry.

Eventually the city tour ends at a small warehouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]], where a group of four adventurers or mercenaries are just leaving. The Glib Adviser thanks them for their services as he takes the backpacks. Since things ran so smoothly and they spotted the possible waylayers he tips each of them a gold piece. Dauphine wants to go back to the Tabernacle of Industry and talks there with the priest who handed the Glib Adviser a pouch. She asks what this transaction was for but is told that's above her pay-grade.

=== The Stoned Dragon ===
Some days later '''Aracuda Shovi''' appears as our friends exit the inn. He tells Dauphine he '''remembered some more about the Stoned Dragon Caves'''; it's near some place called New Monkhome, you get there via the cellars. The elf tries to confirm that it's an actual name and not a nickname, the dwarf thinks so.

She then asks Alun Djames if she can use the library at the Stevedores HQ, and he's fine with that. There she learns '''New Monkhome is the ancestral home of the Count of Ranhem, found near Ranhem, capital of Guel province'''. It's not exactly around the corner and she asks the other party member if they will come with her to try and find the cave and recharge the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]].

They accept and soon they are taking a barge up the river to [[Thimonnier]]. From there they travel by road, fortunately the journey goes without any problems, unless one would count their spending of 150 gp at {{TextAnimations|Text=Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}} where Darius even tries to pick pocket Quinton.

When our friends '''arrive at New Monkhome''' they find it's not a castle, there's no signs of a moat or curtain wall. But '''the building is very, very old''', even the one wing that was a later addition is still many centuries old, it could have been a proper castle long ago. It’s busy, there a number of carriages parked out front, a wagon is being unloaded off to the side by what looks to be the staff entrance. A banner says: “'''Welcome to the Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild National Congress'''”.

They are met by '''Lady Ranhem''', dressed impeccably but anyone with a good eye can tell the clothes have been repaired more than once. “Welcome to New Monkhome, are you the people Torchbearer Albert Charles is expecting?” she asks. Before anyone can answer, she says “excuse me one second.” She walks over to a girl of about 15 and a boy of about 12 and speaks to them. Quinton's sharp ears pick up the conversation: “'''Ermengard''', '''Goswin''', you know these are busy days and they are important, not just for your father and I, but for you as well, you want to live here, don’t you? Then please, help out, there is so much to do, go inside and ask Jervis what you can do, please be a dear for me.” Neither looks very enthusiastic but they go inside and Lady Ranhem returns.

Our friends get into some real negotiations; they ask for a tour and to spend the night but she explains that with the current guests everyone is too busy and there are no rooms left. But they offer one of the [[Cheeses of the world#Ciwiruil Adv’Tmyywy|Kasarian Cheese Horns]] that Quinton found in one of his crates and she offers them a place to sleep in some of the empty staff rooms.

With a deal struck they go to said rooms and after a quick talk with a local rat they learn about the entrance to the cellars; it's almost right next to their rooms. It's still early in the afternoon and they quickly go have a look. The cellars are full of broken furniture, rolled up carpets, old painter’s supplies, empty frames and racks that might have held bottles, weapons, armor, who knows, there’s a stuffed bear that has seen better days, and a tree root comes through the ceiling, causing part of the cellars to have some standing water.

They spot a secret door that hasn’t fully closed, beyond it a narrow passage leads to 10-foot wide and high ancient stone tunnels that are likely of dwarven make, all spotlessly clean, lit by continual flames. Looking for any signs of what direction to go, our friends find raspberry jam prints on the wall. They pick a random direction and start walking.

They find empty rooms behind the doors in the corridors; it looks like whoever left and took everything that wasn't bolted down. Right around a corner at an intersection standing aimlessly are a corpse riddled with shards of glass and a skeleton still wearing scraps of armor and holding a shield and a longsword. Their eyes light up red as they turn to the party. Battle is swift and the party wins. A few corners later a skeleton stands in the corridor carrying what looks like its own skin. Then it suddenly throws the skin at our friends and the skin animates, trying to wrap itself around whoever it hits. This fight is not as easy but our friends still come out on top. '''Darius checks every undead carefully''' for any tell tale signs of a necromancer, '''he wants all of them destroyed'''.
[[File:Gelatinous Cube.jpg|right|375x375px]]
They continue on and come to an intersection where to one side they see what looks like the '''entrance of crypt''', they can see sarcophagi. But standing in front of the entrance is a flaming skeleton and it hurls bolts of flame at anyone it sees. As they start shooting back Oscar moves into the opposite corridor and steps right into a gelatinous cube. Things get really hairy as the cube moves up and engulfs Dauphine, others manage to jump out of the way.

The druid almost succumbs but a Healing Word spell from Darius brings her back and she then manages to escape from the ooze. It's quite hardy but eventually they bring it down and then immediately go back to fighting the flaming skeleton. It's flaming bolts hit hard and it manages to bring down Darius who is then brought back by Quinton. Lots of spells and arrows later the skeleton crumbles to the floor.

Now our friends see a new figure standing just inside the crypt; it's '''Goswin''', the-12 year old son of the count and countess. In his hands he holds '''a large disc of infernal iron inscribed with Infernal writing, with a hole in the middle'''. Darius and Quinton both read Infernal and see that it's something called the '''Seal of Souls''', it could be the instrument that created the undead creatures.

When Quinton runs up to the boy and tells him to lay down the artifact, Darius and Oscar follow, but the boy shouts "no, it's mine!" and '''Necrotic energy flies out in a cone, bringing our three friends down''', only Dauphine, who didn't rush, is outside of the effect.

[[Robe of Advantages|Quinton's robe]] stabilizes him as Goswin takes some steps back, the expression on his face showing he did not expect what happened. Dauphine uses goodberries to bring the others back and then a rather tense discussion develops with the 12-year old, who still clutches the Seal of Souls, but promises not to use it.

He confirms that '''he created the undead''' but according to him they are harmless, he just played with them and had no idea the party fought their way through them to get where they are now. He also did not know about the gelatinous cube. They are standing inside the crypt now; there is quite some dust here and many sarcophagi, deeper inside there seems to be an ossuary. There is also a large plinth with relief art depicting a man being crowned and an empty recess which looks to be the home of the Seal of Souls.

Running footsteps can be heard and three people arrive; '''lord and lady Ranhem and their daughter'''. The man sends his wife and children back upstairs, telling them how important it is to make sure the event at the mansion goes without a hitch and promising the party he will explain to them what is going on.

In short; '''the artifact was created for the family shortly after the [[Collapse]] by a Duke of Hell and it is how they attained their position as Count of Ranhem'''. However, the item came with certain requirements. At age 16 every heir must pledge themselves to the Seal, if that should ever not happen, all ancestors, dating back to the one who made this deal will rise as undead with the sole intent to do as much damage as possible.

The count had no idea that his son had found the crypt and the artifact, he is horrified the boy used it to create undead, he tells our friends that the family decided over six centuries ago to never use it again and so far they had kept to this. He promises that he will take extra precautions, lock the item away, to make sure something like this can never happen again and he begs them not to talk about this to anyone.

The man also explains that it's been quite difficult these days to make enough money to be able to afford the upkeep of the place but moving is not great, considering where the family crypt is and what their options would be. Our friends appreciate his position; they would like to destroy the item but lord Ranhem says that according to what he was told by his father and those before him that that will also make all his ancestors rise as undead.

As our friends discuss all this Dauphine wants to know what the language on the seal is and then asks Quinton why he knows Infernal and if he has a pact himself, he answers he does not. They can't think of a real solution for the Seal of Souls and decide that it's probably safe in the current Count's hands but they do fear that any future generation might get other ideas which could lead to real troubles. They decide that for now they will not do anything but should the learn anything during their adventuring careers or gain certain powers they might come back here.

They also discussed the [[Cave of the Stone Dragon|Stone Dragon Cave]] with the count who lets them know in no uncertain terms that there is no such thing here; what there is, is a coal fire, which people seem to repeatedly interpret as a dragon snoring underground. He tells them they are free to explore the rest of the place, telling them he knows there are natural caverns deeper down. He doesn't know what the complex was used for in the past, only that is was likely of dwarven make and existed before New Monkhome was built, the crypt was added then as well.

He goes back upstairs to help out with the event and our friends explore further, eventually finding what seems to be a dwarven kiva with a large ramp running down along the wall of the hundreds of feet deep chamber. As they make their way down they trigger a trap that shoves everyone but Darius, who was taking up the rear, down into the chamber.

Fortunately all of them still had their Feather Fall boon and thus make it down safely, including Darius who jumped over the trigger for the trap only to land on a trigger for a second, similar trap. At the bottom they '''find the skeleton of what looks to be a dwarf'''. His clothes and leather armor are mostly gone and laying around him are the remains of an axe and a hammer with a spike. A crossbow exploded into many pieces, its marvelous silver inlay now all twisted up but a similar inlay can be seen on the obsidian amulet around the skeleton’s neck.

Laying further away are a number of hizagkuur springs and folded umber hulk chitin plates, all twisted or outright destroyed. A backpack on the skeleton’s back has been mostly eaten away, the same goes for much of its contents. What’s left is some torches, a mess kit, a holy symbol of [[Ulaa]], a sergeant’s insignia, and a dried mindflayer tentacle.

Dauphine takes a look at the amulet and finds out it is '''a sentient magic item called the [[Temple Ton]]'''. The sentience is happy for the druid to take it and wear it, looking forward to new adventures.

Further exploration leads to a cavern where the only other exit has collapsed and where one of the walls is much too hot to touch; the coal fire. The party returns to the mansion and stay to help out in the kitchen, making sure the event goes smoothly for the family. Afterwards they even help count Ranhem to create a small vault to keep the artifact in so no one can just take it. Before they leave, Dauphine gives Goswin the book How to Become a Bard, that she got from one of the clearance crates.

==== Getting a head ====
On their way back our friends stay the night in the '''town of Balmer'''. They have a drink at the Lumber Hulk tavern where they spot '''a rather strange looking woman'''. Some people at another table keep looking over at her, but then, most people are. But those four rush over to start a brawl with her, hoping to garner glory by bringing her down.

Our friends jump in the fray and help the woman, not that she really needs it; four drunk villagers are no match for her. Afterwards she buys them a drink and they learn that she is '''[[Chrysanthemum]], a bounty hunter'''. They enjoy some time together, trading stories, before she calls it a night. Quinton is approached by a young couple to join them for a night of fun but the druid declines.
[[File:Lelio bust.jpg|right|375x375px]]
The next morning our friends are approached by a '''bald halfling woman with a missing left hand'''. She says she saw them at the tavern last night and wants to hire them. “'''Bring me the head of Lelio Euphorbia''',” she tells them, to then explain that it's a bust that was kept in the lobby of the Critical Hit Theater. She is the current owner and Lelio was the founder. She suspects that it was stolen by someone from the new theater that opened across town recently; the Natural One Lounge.

The party walks over to the theater with her and looks for clues but doesn't find much. However, the woman's niece was present when the bust was stolen and saw the thief. She'll be at the Critical Hit after lunch and our friends decide to go check out the Natural One Lounge. It looks to be empty and Quinton uses a Misty Step spell to get inside at the backdoor, opening it for the others.

Darius shows Oscar how to use [[Phlegethos’ Pick]]; the halfling seems to have a talent for it, he opens the door to the office in no time. There's no evidence of the bust or any clues to its whereabouts. Oscar also opens the safe and helps himself to the bag of money inside it. When he later has time to count, he finds out there's 43 gp worth of mostly silver pieces in there. He gives the cleric a handful but the gnome can't condone this behavior and puts 30 gp of his own money back into the safe before closing it.

By this point the sound of conversation about the backdoor being unlocked had alerted the party that people had arrived. Quinton grabbed a janitor's coat and mop and pretended to be the janitor, only for a man to call out, asking what he was doing with ''his'' coat! The druid starts talking in Ancient and acting erratically. The man and woman who arrived think he's addled-brained and the woman goes off to get the Humtache, the man follows her, not wanting to be alone with Quinton.

Eventually the other three manage to leave the theater without being seen and they meet up back at their inn and have a nice lunch. Then they return to the Critical Hit Theater and get from niece Hilna the robber's description. She also says she found a little piece of fabric trapped in the doorway, likely coming from the man's jacket.

This is great news for the druids as they can wild shape into a dog and hopefully follow the spoor. Dauphine does so and manages to lead the party to a workshop where the windows are mostly covered up. She tries to follow the scent further as the likely robber has traveled further these last 48 hours, regrettably she loses the trail a few streets later.

Back at the workshop Oscar unlock the door and Dauphine slips inside, still in dog form. She manages to not step on a tripwire attached to a bunch of cans that would have made a lot of noise. Oscar goes in second and not only avoids the trap but even disables it in one smooth motion. The suspect seems to be in the back part of the workshop and they plan their approach. Dauphine goes inside and pretends to be a dog with the zoomies.

As she does so, both the front and back door to the place are busted open and a number of Humtache guards rush inside, arresting the person at the workbench, one Ollie Stein. Our friends are held and questioned on the spot, one of the guards is then sent to the theater to confirm their story of recovering a bust for them. Meanwhile Ollie has been taken to the HQ and the remaining guards are searching and cataloguing the place.

Once released, the party goes back to the inn and decide to wait till evening to search the workshop and attempt to talk with the robber. They don't find anything useful there and then go to the Humtache HQ. On the way they discuss many ways to get inside and how to make Ollie tell them about the bust. Using the [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser cypher]] Quinton makes himself look like the arresting sergeant and pretends to have a sore throat.

He and Darius enter and they successfully bluff their way into the cells where the cleric pretends to be there to measure Ollie up for a coffin and give him his last rites. They tell the robber that the owner had a heart attack due to the theft of the bust and both he and another prisoner call bullshit, he can't be held responsible for that. But they have managed to rattle the boy and when the 'sergeant' tells him that he also thinks it's going to far he says that he's willing to make the bust disappear so he can't be held responsible for the crime. Ollie tells him that he stole the bust for an old gnome who's name he doesn't know. But he can give a pretty accurate description and tells them they met at the Noble Nap inn.

Our friends leave and the next morning they go to this inn and find a gnome fitting the description having a late breakfast. Quinton sits down at the man's table and tries to engage him in conversation but the man is utterly deaf and not interested in a talk. But they do manage to learn that he has a room here. The party also gets a room on the same floor and break into his room when the gnome goes out for lunch. They don't find the bust or anything incriminating, nor any weapons or magical paraphernalia. But he sure has a lot of keepsakes and other sentimental nick-knacks. Most importantly; his name is on his steamer trunk; '''Archibald Euphorbia'''.

The follow him to lunch and then decide to talk to the owner of the theater about this new discovery. She tells Darius and Quinton that Archibald is Lelio's son and that years ago he made an offer for the bust but it was very low and she considers it part of the theater which Lelio wanted to remain in its original state. Our friends make some suggestions about him maybe buying the bust but then leaving it at the theater, or maybe even convince him to exhibit more at the theater.

Back they go to the Noble Nap and then things go sideways when a guest sees Oscar listening at the door to room 101. Quinton pratfalls to distract people but soon enough the concierge shows up and tells them to leave. Dauphine runs after him and it takes everything she has to persuade him to let them stay.

They now decide to lay everything out to Archibald by writing a letter with their proposal. Some time later he shows up at their door and accepts the suggestion of a small exhibition of his father's things in the theater lobby. As they walk over to the Critical Hit he starts to get really enamored with what he now starts to think of as his plan. '''A deal is soon struck''', the bust will be returned, and he is even going to pay for extending the size of the lobby.

The party gets paid and they then return to their own inn where a certain Humtache sergeant is waiting for them. He wants to talk with Darius who tries to bluff that he accompanied him into the station last night. They are all taken to the station and none of them manage to convince their interrogators of their innocence. But since no real harm was done and the investigator hates the paperwork, '''he just bans them from his town''', he wants them to leave next morning.

Back at the inn there's another surprise; a package had been delivered for Oscar two days ago but they only hand it to him now. It's a present from '''[[Chrysanthemum]]'''; a small stuffed toy of a furry marsupial with big ears and a big mouth, which turns out to be a [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager Cypher]]. There's also a note that the halfling can't read, saying how the bounty hunter thought this might be helpful in his travels.

On the way back to Avale a flooded road means a detour via to village of Dunwoody, known for its natural springs. And it seems they arrive just in time for [[Ehlonna#Holy days and observances|Ehlonna’s Turning Ceremony]]. The villagers speak of divine providence that just now a priest of the Goddess of the Woodlands turns up, and an elf as well! They tell Darius that their local priestess died recently and ask his help with the ceremony. He will do so and the party is given a free stay at the local inn and a sumptuous meal is cooked for them. In the evening, he and Dauphine shadow a girl called Kendra and then a banquet is enjoyed.

==== Training Montage ====
Our friends arrive back in [[Avale]] and learn of some recent news: there was an explosion at a tannery in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kipfield|Kipfield]], the Three Tanners, one of the owners lost his life. Back at the Grey Minstrel Inn they see the old woman in green coat looking through trash, and the brown mackerel tabby jumping from one balcony to another as they walk in and get their old rooms once again.

[[Bruneor Argent]] who resides in Dauphine's [[Temple Ton]] amulet is happy with her carrying him but he thinks that she should toughen up, and he is also of the opinion that Darius could be a much better healer. So he takes them to the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#None Turned Away Clinic|None Turned Away Clinic]]''' in the Lost Bay neighborhood. '''Durit''', the old dwarven woman who keeps the place running takes B.A. now being inside an amulet in stride, and they are sent in to meet all the medics.

Bruneor has them working 14 hour shifts for five days where they get to deal with an average week of issues at the clinic. Highlights include cauterizing a bleeder that almost reaches the ceiling, dealing with a cow's breech birth, amputating a leg, two rival gangs arriving and threatening each other whilst demanding help for their many wounded, an outbreak of cackle fever, and on their last day, the nearby Lacombe Asylum collapses, leading to a 20 hour shift where they try their very best to save who they can.

In this same week Quinton comes across a poster: “Confidently Communicating Commitment; Lessons in Leadership”. Five evening seminars at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Scarlet Bonnet|Scarlet Bonnet]] for 25 gp that will improve leadership skills. Since he has been looking to improve himself in that regard, he signs up and that evening finds himself in a room with almost exclusively guild middle managers.

On the stage appears a very slick woman who introduces herself as '''Zeran Merados'''. She explains that every of the seminars will be dedicated to a different c-word: credibility, communication, commitment, confidence and creativity. She is full of energy and pumps the room up as she starts into her first talk.

Afterwards some of the audience go for a drink at the tavern and invite Quinton along. Here he meets a young gnome; '''Emser Quinson'''. He's quite the character with his bright orange shoes and tattoos of bells on his hands. They get to talking and when he learns of the seminar asks what the druid thinks leadership really is.

The next evening they meet again and the evening after that again. During this third seminar Quinton managed to look past all the buzzwords and realized that none of it has anything to do with real leadership. He invites Emser to come to the next evening's seminar as he thinks they could convince the others to their point of view.

And the gnome is waiting at the hall before the seminar begins and the druid takes him inside. As Zeran comes up on the stage Quinton rushes up and starts talking, managing to take the wind out of the woman's sails long enough to invite his new friend up on the stage. He gives Emser the word and the gnome starts telling the audience that they don't have to be sheep and listen to nonsense for five long evenings; revolution!

The crowd responds enthusiastically and that's the end of the seminars. Lots of people swarm Zeran and she promises to repay them all. However, the next day she isn't there as promised and is not to be found again. Quinton has a drink with some of the middle managers and convinces one to give up his job; "woodworking has always been my passion, I'm resigning first thing tomorrow!" the woman says.

Everyone but Oscar can do with a break after all that's happened and they learn that the Adjective Noun tavern has something rather special; the '''Wheel of Death'''. This is a wheel with no less than a thousand numbers and lots of prizes to be won. It's installed there to promote the soon to come opening of a new casino, the He Bluffs Me Not in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee neighborhood]].

Oscar has a go and manages to spin the wheel to 000; Death! In actuality Death is just the patrons having a good laugh as you get completely covered in tar and are then locked up in a cage in the middle of the establishment. But to show they are not all bad you get one chance to avoid your fate; simply throw a bullseye on a dartboard from the other side of the room.

The halfling takes his position and throws. He hits the board but the dart bounces off and lands on someone’s plate on a nearby table. Meanwhile the board falls down, rolls slowly to the right over the tail of sleeping cat in the corner and then falls flat. The cat jumps up with a screech and launches itself into a passing barmaid. She cries out and stumbles back in a pirouette, her tray hitting a bottle on the bar. The neatly lined up bottles slowly, and then faster, fall over, neatly in a row.

The last bottle hits the counter and the cork shoots from it and bounces against the walls a few times before hitting a Sandy Table player in the back of the head just as he was about to take his shot. He launches his disk wildly, it hits the side and flips into a parabolic trajectory landing on the head of a Kasarian tiefling, rolling between his horns and traveling onwards, flying through the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, catching on fire before landing right into a very alcoholic drink which immediately vaporizes with a whoosh.

The goblet teeters one way and then the other before finally falling right next to the plate, hitting the handle of the spoon which has the dart laying on it. The dart gets launched towards the corner of the room and once it has lost all energy it flips and streaks downwards, landing right in the bullseye of the dartboard laying on the floor. The tavern erupts when this happens and many people come over to give Oscar a pat on the back.

It's been quite the week but at the end of it Dauphine is a lot more Tough, Darius can consider himself a Field Medic, Quinton became an Inspiring Leader, and Oscar has Bountiful Luck.

==== XWING ====
Our friends are asked to help crew a Stevedore boat at the '''eXtremely Wild International Naval Games''' and manage to even win.

=== Super Tuesday ===
A few days later '''Jerry''' invites the party over to the '''Adventurers Association'''. After a customary coffee where he regales them of his latest money making scheme; lending money at Under-Barrow Savings to buy up turnip futures, he tells them that '''Super Tuesday will be in two days time'''. Since they are new to the city he wanted to make sure they understand that '''it will be more than pandemonium, the guild bylaws are insane and it's always the craziest day of the year'''.

It's the day of all the guild elections and that means loads of people on the streets all day, many wearing guild colors and some getting rather boisterous and unruly. Urchins and other pranksters might try and waylay ballot chests that have to arrive at the counting station on time or they won’t be validated. Sometimes it’s not pranks though but quite serious.

Our friends have been '''hired by the Guild of Stevedores''' and will be the ones to '''escort one of the ballot boxes'''. Every guild does things differently so all Jerry can tell them is that they will be escorting two guild members both chained to a ballot box. They will go to a voting station and then after voting closes they need to escort them to the counting station.

Jerry hasn't been told where either of these places are, he suggests talking with the guild and also advises them to make sure to be at the guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] at the break of dawn, or even earlier, maybe spend the night in a nearby inn. After impressing upon them enough to take this job seriously he let's them go and wishes them well.

Our friends go talk with '''Alun Djames''' who gives them more details on the job; where they will need to go, the exact rules, they are not allowed to interfere with the process and there are time limits. They also learn there's also a by-election for a new top boss due to '''Jinnie Affo''' going missing; there are two frontrunners; '''Vola Zorgar''', a half-orc, and '''Garth Auric'''. Alun lets slip that as far as he is concerned it wouldn't be a disaster should the votes be invalid.

Then preparations; shopping, walking the likely route, etc. In the evening they take rooms at the Pair O' Dice Inn, near the Stevedores HQ. Darius checks with the others about how they look at the job; will they do everything by the book, cut corners, interfere? The consensus is to just do it as it was given.

The next morning Avale is alive even as the sun comes up, it looks like half the city is out on the streets; many people dressed in their guild’s colors, Humtache patrols, food sellers hoping to make a small fortune, and urchins hoping for lots of food. Getting to the Stevedore’s HQ takes quite a bit longer than it would have on a normal day.

At the HQ they are introduced to the two 'volunteers'; '''Vakna Throndor''', a young, slight dwarven woman, and '''Randall Gilliam''', a young, strapping human man. They are manacled to the chest that is the ballot box and then our friends leave on their journey to [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. Along the way they first meet '''Herleva Boden''' and her growing puppy, Snuffles Two. They see '''Roger Newsome''' exit the State Museum.

There's an encounter with a marching band and urchins but eventually they make it to their destination on time; The Reverend’s Rest Inn, across from the Tabernacle of Industry, the temple of [[Ulaa]]. Twelve hours of voting later they've managed to make things go pretty smoothly and are ready to now go to the Scarlet Bonnet in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Proviso Place|Proviso Place]] where the votes will be counted.

Immediately on leaving they are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter'''. “Hey, you are the people from when the Flame of Dolac was stolen; strange how that was never found, must have been an inside job, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” he says. Quinton: “That will be only known by us.” “Anyway, what is your comment on the story that '''Vola Zorgar''' is on [[Otteun]]’s payroll and responsible for the disappearance of '''Jinnie Affo''' and the false evidence against her?” Quinton: “We heard this kind of rumor but have no opinion on it.”

Somewhat later it’s pandemonium as a bunch of creatures that look like a hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat spill out of a driveway and straight into the people on the street, picking at them, wings flapping as they try and make their way through the panicking crowd. These creatures turn out to be cockatrices and it's only due to the party's quick response that no one on the street turns to stone.

The party continues on and at the main branch of the High Shore Bonding Company they see from a distance how four robbers descend from the building as an alarm bell sounds. They decide it's not their problem and leave it to the Humtache who show up soon after.

Our friends make it to the Scarlet Bonnet on time. There are lots of people standing outside the building and inside it doesn’t get any less busy. They deliver the ballot box on time and their job is done. They see the now familiar Bite Me Catering people and have something to eat and drink, spotting '''Dersigos Naffles''' carrying a tray of drinks.

==== A Marquis Job ====
The party gets an invite from Jerry and at the meeting are told that they are in luck; since no one else is available they are getting a job from Markiz (Marquis) '''Borislav Kucan Skok-Ratenicz''', who pays very well. And their job is just bringing a package from the port to his mansion in [[Duneford]]. 25 gold pieces for a few hours of work; nice if you can get it!

The next day they wait for the ship to arrive and are handed the package which Oscar carries in a backpack. The captain also gives them a large lump of silver and asks them to tithe it for his ship, crew, and himself at the [[Osprem|Osprem's]] '''Temple of Tidal Tranquility''' which is right next to Duneford. The party agrees and sets off on their journey.

Before reaching their destination they are attacked and unfortunately the package gets destroyed, the assailants get away as well. Our friends continue on, determined to bring what remains to their employer. In Duneford they run into '''Roger Newsome''' and his sister, '''Ruth''', the man telling them he donated some new gems to the City Museum.

Then they are accosted by two dwarves, one male, one female, and one human woman, they all have short hair, wear leather armor, and have a short sword or hand axe on their belt. They show the party a sketch of a man with a large mustache and a distinctive birthmark and ask if they have seen this individual. They haven't and reply thusly.

The party continues on and reached '''Shadow Pond''', the mansion. There are guards on the door and the butler brings them through the house, down a corridor full of paintings all of similar men with dark hair in a widow's peak and a rather intense look. On a huge balcony with view of the sea two men are having tea and coffee. The Marquis is tall, very thin, pale, has silver-grey hair and wide ears, he wears an expensive grey business suit. The other is a halfling with a large nose, curly hair, dressed business casual.

Borislav speaks slowly with sing-song voice and comments to the halfling that it seems they need to take more measures when the party tell him about the attack and hand over what remains of the package. After they have given all the details the Marquis dismisses them and he thanks them for their work, even if it wasn't a success.

Back in Duneford proper they have some lunch and then go to Osprem's temple to deliver the tithe. There they are approached by the man from the sketch earlier. He explains that he used to be a major in the [[Otteun#The Ott|Ott]] and he is now on the run after destroying a dangerous project. This '''Ranald Kassimir''' pleads for them to help him get to the Avale port as he knows the people after him have likely already identified the temple as the most likely place he is hiding.

Our friends come up with all kinds of interesting plans to do so and eventually decide on one. It seems to work as they make it back to Avale unharmed and the man thanks them profusely as he runs off to the port and hopefully a new life far away from here.

=== The Ballad ===
The next week or so there's no work but there is news in town; a huge, albino crocodile has eaten three people in the last week, a bounty has been placed on its head. Then our friends receive an official government missive announcing a meeting in a private room at their inn in the morning, two days hence. The visitor turns out to be no one less than Torchbearer Council Standing Secretary '''Saer Barclay Pergay'''. He tells them that unofficially they have been awarded the Star of Dolac, a very prestigious medal. And also unofficially this might be because of a certain yortho incident.

Some days later '''Jerry Tidwell''' invites the party to dinner at a nice restaurant; This Scampi Happening. Over dessert he confesses to a motive; he owes a friend of his, impresario and nightclub owner '''Anthony Prince''' a favor and the man need some people for a job that needs plausible deniability. If our friends go to his club Knight Moves then Tony will explain. They can use the phrase "Ken sent me" to skip the line.

The party has some reservations about this kind of work but decide to hear the man out. At the club they first talk with a man looking for a prince's bride and then get to see Antony Prince. Who then explains that he promised '''Yurdan Amaerth''', a real estate developer, to get some things done that have turned out more difficult than expected.

First is the lot containing the burned down '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]]. Yurdan wants to buy it and build an apartment building on it. But to be allowed to do so, the zoning law needs to be changed. The city planner, a Docami by the name of '''Nola Brogunn''', has the authority to do so. He tells the party that she can't be bribed so our friends will need to find a different avenue to get her to play ball. Once that is done, they can quickly buy the lot.

After asking a number of questions our friends go to their inn for a long planning session. The next morning the party is outside [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Halls|Halls]] and see Nola approach. Oscar trips her and then manages to steal her day planner from her bag as he helps her up and says sorry. Our friends then go check out the burned down church and check the crypt, finding it in an ok condition.

The day planner shows that on average four times a week the phrase "Wine Me Up" appears with a time next to it, anywhere from 20:00 to 22:30. But tonight's mention, with a time of 21:00, has been crossed out aggressively, as have all other future dates with that phrase. It turns out that Wine Me Up is a nightclub/tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], not all too far from Nola's home address which is also in the day planner.
[[File:Wine Me Up.png|right|450x450px]]
The party goes to have a look after lunch and learn that Nola performed here as a singer, but has recently been banned for saying some really nasty things, though the owner doesn't specify exactly what. Our friends then go to Tony to see if he can help them find out more about this ban, he being in the same kind of business. They find him at Bears, in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]].

As they arrive they find him cradling an effeminate looking young man who has been beaten up. Tony tells them this happened not thirty minutes ago and he tells them to find the three boys responsible for it and "put the fear of Tony into them. Tell them that if they ever do something like this again in this town they will disappear without a trace." The boys are easily found and swiftly dealt with.

Tony has reached out and learned that apparently Nola said nasty things about the owner of Wine Me Up. Our friends go back there at the time Nola should have been performing and listen to her replacement sing. Afterwards Darius approaches this '''Marion Guff''' and in the short talk they have his insight tells him that she is very happy Nola is gone, and might likely be the cause of the ban.

He goes to confirm this with the owner and manages to convince her that Nola was an innocent victim and gets her ban undone. He even manages to get a slot for her to sing tonight. He and Dauphine rush over to her home and explain all that has happened and make their case for changing the zoning law on the way back to Wine Me Up. She sings her heart out that night and the next morning she signs the paperwork, changing the zoning for the lot.

Our friends report back to Tony and he is happy to receive some good news, lately there has been little of it. He tells them to go to the Pholtans and buy the lot directly for '''Yurdan Amaerth''', acting as his agent. He doesn't know who is in charge of this, but it's going to be someone at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Pholtus|Basilica of the Blinding Light]]. He impresses upon them to not let anyone know the zoning law has changed and offer a 'reasonable' amount so as not to draw suspicion.

The party goes to the temple in Uppark and find out that the Master of Properties is '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', someone from [[Darius Naffles#Childhood|Darius’ past]]. This leads to a rather awkward meeting but also rather easy negotiation; the priest accepts the first bid of fifty gold pieces. As Gormain leaves the room Darius puts his head in his hands. When the man returns they tell him that they'll pay 100 gp instead.

With their business concluded Darius and Gormain remain in the office to have a private conversation. Darius asks if they ever found who was behind the undead from their first meeting. He tells him that he has remained in contact with Lambert and knows that they went back to the scene but apparently there was nothing to report. Gormain changed a lot since Darius last saw him and they part ways, saying they'll keep in touch.

With that dealt with, our friends return once more to Tony and learn that the second thing that the impresario promised Yurdan was a wand called Lizard's Lament. He did some research before hiring the party and learned that [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abjura Dolana|Abjura Dolana]] was somehow involved with the sale of one. This leads our friends to speculate why someone would want the ruins and a magical wand, is this related somehow?

==== A History Lesson ====
Eventually they decide to do some research at Abjura Dolana's library before asking about it directly. As they are waiting in the lobby an old gnome mage with a mouse perched on her shoulder walks by and she sees the [[Past Primal]] around Oscar's neck. She asks the halfling how he came by it but Oscar doesn't say much. Fortunately Dauphine is there to help though she is weary to say anything. But when it turns out the grey-haired mage is a Sentinel, '''Phiceli Zercoderes''', and willing to help the party, things get easier.

She takes them up to her rather large study and serves them drinks. The place is filled with all kind of magical and mundane knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. She then explains that the Past Primal is a very old item from the [[Eras|Era of Strife]], she's something of an expert on it and it caught her eye immediately. When she learns the party is here for information on the Lizard's Lament, she remarks it's another Era of Strife item and she knows Abjura Dolana brokered a deal for one recently when she was out of town, and asks her secretary to find out more.

Dauphine and the others are now ready to tell Phiceli where they found the Past Primal. The Sentinel listens with mounting astonishment and when our friends describe the [[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events#Midnight Altar|altar room]] she then surprises the party by being able to describe things before they get the chance. Phiceli decides to tell them what they likely found but makes sure to impress upon them not to share this information with anyone.

She starts with a short overview of the Era of Strife and explains how '''four bulwarks were built to stop what is now the [[Sarodin Sea]] from growing larger'''. Four people gave up their nature and through a long process created the altars that power these bulwarks. '''When the [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now#The Primordials|Primordials]] escaped after the [[Collapse]], those who defeated them reached back to this same magic to recreate the prisons for these beings.'''

Which means that '''the party stumbled upon a Primordial prison''', the Sentinel laments being unable to tell which one. The prisons definitely involve the use of extra-planar magic but each has a control room in the physical world, such as the one they found. As far as Phiceli knows none have ever been found, and with the party triggering the fail-safe that made it sink, and probably activated more defenses, finding this one will be very difficult, which is for the best.

While this is going on, Oscar has been hearing a high, girlish voice whispering in his ears in words that he understands perfectly. No one else seems to be hearing it and he slips out of the room to follow the sound. It leads him down one floor to a room with a large metal door, covered with mystic sigils, that stands ajar.
[[File:Aridni.png|right|300x300px]]
Sneaking inside '''he finds a small moth-winged creature in a summoning circle''', though he doesn't know that's what it is. "There you are, please come closer, help me escape from here," she says and Oscar again understands her words perfectly. He's wary though and doesn't come close yet, first scanning the rest of the room. It's filled with cabinets, bookcases, and the like. On a table rests a small quiver with very nice arrows inside it. "Throw it to me," the creature tells him.

As they talk Oscar learns that either she is an Aridni and/or her name is Aridni, she's being rather vague on this topic. But she is rather clear on the fact that she is being trapped here and wants to escape. Oscar comes up with a good plan, he wants to use the Heart Sight property from [[Thola's Blanket]] to see if she is being truthful.

He needs to touch her to do so and unbeknownst to him, he brakes the circle's containment purely by stepping inside of it as he carefully avoids stepping on any markings. And when he gets close to her, she kisses him on the mouth, tells him: "thanks, brother!" then rushes over to the quiver, grabs it and then disappears in a puff of dark silver smoke in a sort of star pattern.

The halfling then quickly goes back to Phiceli's office where Dauphine asks if the mage wants to have a look at her [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]], which she is happy to do, it's something she's never encountered before. And Phiceli has a small gift for the druid; a teacup made from a varnished mushroom cap that magically keeps its liquid contents lukewarm. She also mentions off hand to Quinton that the Lizard's Lament could improve his [[Robe of Advantages]], "I haven't seen a robe like that in a long while."

Oscar sort of understands what's going on and offers his blanket, he's still shook by what just occurred. The mage casts one spell and sort of shrinks back a little and returns the blanket to the ranger, telling him it's going to be ok. Oscar then uses his Heart Sight with Darius who can tell something has happened to the halfling.

Outside there are now sounds of some urgency and the secretary arrives and gives Phiceli a note; he found out who the buyer was. When asked, the mage assures our friends that this particular wand isn't all that dangerous, it can't be used for any really dangerous purposes, as far as she can tell. She's happy to share with them that the buyer was one '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', a name quite familiar to them. With that her time is up and she brings them back to the lobby as they thank her for all her help.

==== Chirurgeon's Balls ====
It's lunch time and our friends have a lot to discuss so they find the nearest tavern; The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden. Oscar tries to explain what he did when he left Phiceli's office but it's hard, his page of icons is quite limiting here. They also discuss the things they didn't tell the mage, like Darius' [[Vessel Wraps]] being created from something that was coming through what must have been the prison door. They all agree it was a good choice not to mention the '''Count of Ranhem''' and his family problem. Darius also tells the others about what happened on his first meeting with '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', which explains why their meeting today was the way it was.

They also decided to see if they can get any information on Hirsute Looking Glass before talking to him about the Lizard's Lament. Once in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#New Dunum|New Dunum]] they look for the tavern nearest his house and find Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse. They ask the patrons if he ever drinks there and learn that he doesn't but they do know of him. He's a weird one alright, they don't know if he has a job or anything but he gets food delivered all the time and he's always tinkering with stuff in his yard.

They then buy some bay ribs before going to his house, remembering last time. He opens the door, wearing an apron covered in a red substance/liquid and happily accepts the ribs, telling them to wait as he closes the door. A minute or two later he opens it again and invites our friends inside, except for Oscar, "he's not potty trained!" The halfling decides to stay outside, thinking it might be the perfect moment to have a look at the yard.

Inside the party spots part of a sheep sticking out of a bin and make a first offer for the Lizard's Lament. Hirsute laughs in their face at the amount but eventually they negotiate a deal where they pay 2,000 gp, which was as high as Tony was willing to go, and they will do a task for Hirsute. He takes Quinton aside for a moment: “we humans, why do we have to deal with all these weird races and their crazy customs, it must be so tough to have to be around them all day.”He then brings them to his backyard where Oscar is waiting.

There's quite a lot of weird things here and a few new things stand out. '''A huge spool holds a rope with tomko tree wooden balls, each with a small rod of unfamiliar metal in it, at every twenty meters.''' Two large buoys, each weighed down with rather random things; a marble statue of a woman, missing an arm, a plate armor that is riddled with holes an inch across, a professional iron stove that has ruptured, a cauldron with some kind of dark substance caked inches thick to inner surface.

Hirsute explains that they need to get those items onto a ship and then '''go to [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] where to the west of it they are to drop the first buoy, connect the rope from the spool to it and then go in a west-north-westerly direction running out the rope''' till it's all used up and then connect it to the second buoy which is to be dropped then.

Our friends go to Tony and tell him about the deal; he is willing to pay for the rent of a boat and the transport of the items to the boat. They find a working boat that is willing to take it on; the Barley a Wake. The next morning they leave port and start their journey. All goes well though they do have an encounter with a rather strange animal and they find a message in a bottle from a certain '''Bevis Cartal'''.

Back in Avale they visit Tony to get cold, hard cash and then '''return to Hirsute and finally buy the [[Lizard's Lament]]''' from him. He seems sad to let it go, patting the wand before he hands it over to Dauphine. From there they directly go to '''Yurdan Amaerth's''' mansion in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]] as directed by Tony. On the way there Darius explains that his [[Vessel Wraps]] has asked for the wand and since Quinton can use it as well, it then mentions they could split it, though this would destroy the wand. A number of plans to take possession of the wand after handing it over are discussed.

The mansion turns out to be a quite gaudy building with lots of marble. Whilst waiting outside his home office for the secretary they hear certain sounds coming from behind the door. Oscar opens it and sees a prematurely balding dwarf with a very short beard, wearing a suede suit, a gold chain and ditto bracelet. However he's not quite fully dressed; the dwarf quickly moves behind his chair but not before the young halfling noticed '''Yurdan''', for that's who it is, is in his underpants.

The dwarf quickly dresses while at the same time Dauphine, who tried to stop Oscar from opening the door barge right into the ranger and both spill to the floor. This is also when the secretary returns and after some apologies they are invited into the office. "'''Drusilia''', I'll see you soon," the dwarf says to a so far unseen gorgeous elven woman with long, slender legs and long raven hair who sits on a couch of to the side. She then leaves, giving every party member a smile.

The office is just as gaudy as the rest of the place, there's a niche which hold a [[Beljovac#Roncee & Roncee|Roncee & Roncee]] hand crossbow made almost entirely of gold. One table holds a model of [[Avale]] with a number of colored flags placed around the city. Quinton spots a flag on where the church burned down and memorizes one of the other locations. Another table holds a model of a yacht, almost two meters long.

They hand Yurdan the Lizard's Lament and he comments: "hmm, that's it? Not what I expected," before throwing it on the couch. He tells them Tony informed him of their success and he wants to hire them for a job; he'll pay 50 gp each if they get the job done, he doesn't care how. The job: he has problems with [[Avale - Guilds#Stonemasons Guild|Stonemasons Guild]] on his latest project, an office block called ‘The Amaerth Executive Suites’ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], and wants party to ‘convince’ the Grand Master in charge of construction, '''Borylla Tusarlig''', to finish it at the original price, contract be damned.

When asked he says that a ship sinking and other issues have increased the price. Meanwhile Oscar has been all over the office, touching the hand crossbow so Yurdan moves him away. Quinton calls his yacht gaudy in an effort to distract him and sits down on the couch, on the Lizard's Lament but the dwarf sees this and puts the wand on his desk. Oscar then breaks the main mast of the yacht and tries to put it back, failing, over and over and over.

Our friends accept the job though stress they won't do anything illegal which Yurdan infers as being said with a wink. The party then goes to the Stonemasons Guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fractures|Fractures]]. Some handy work by Quinton with the receptionist means they eventually get a meeting with Borylla the next morning and the rest of the party investigates the sunken ship. They learn it was a freak storm that sunk the Big Deck Energy as it returned from the [[Sarodin Sea#Salt Lions|Salt Lions]] and nothing nefarious.

At the meeting with '''Borylla Tusarlig''', a dwarven woman with a sensible haircut and practical clothing our friends learn that all of the extra cost incurred are specified in the contract and typical construction issues, something Yurdan, a real estate developer, definitely knows about. She tells them she intends to keep the dwarf to his contract and they have come in vain.

But then the party mentions how they are good at getting deals arranged and things done. That makes her pause and she comes with an offer; '''she will personally eat half the extra cost if the party will do something for her''', Yurdan will have the pay the other half, however. She explains the wives of some [[Avale - Guilds#Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild|Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild]] masters are organizing a social get-together and she wants an invite to it. As they leave, Oscar gives her a hand, copying what Quinton did at the start of the meeting.

Our friends then manage to convince Yurdan to take the deal, they notice the mast of the model yacht has been repaired, there's no evidence it was ever broken. Borylla told them the event is being held at The Evergreen Anteroom, an inn in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]] in a few days' time. Our friends go there and find out that the three organizers are currently there, inspecting the garden where they want to host the event.

The party quickly orders a fancy tea as Dauphine goes to invite them to join so they can ask for a favor. The three socialite ladies, all looking to be in their thirties, introduce themselves, '''Lilia Calidus''', a petite blonde, '''Jennifer Cole''', a slender brunette, and '''Alice Lemuel''', a green eyed redhead with an aquiline nose and perfect teeth. Darius actually came across them the day he arrived in Avale, though neither party remembers.

Jennifer dismisses our friends' request out of hand; “Why would we want to invite such a boring nobody?” Lilia interjects: “No need to be so hasty, my dear compeer,” she tilts her head and looks at Alice, “why don’t we order some sandwiches and have chat.” Jennifer: “I just love sandwiches, don’t you?” As they wait, Lilia asks Dauphine what it's like to spend her days with the other party members.

During the conversation Oscar plays with his [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager]] cypher and eventually the ladies say '''they will extend an invitation if the party does some ‘trivial tasks’''' for the ‘little fête’ they are organizing. Our friends have had their fill of doing favors but they have little choice but to accept. The first task is to collect some rare fruits from Princes Island in the Tal estuary. As they leave everyone but Darius notices Jennifer putting silver teaspoons in her purse.

The next morning they deliver the fruit to Jennifer Cole's house as that is where all three ladies are. Their next task is to invite an exotic guest; the three tried to invite a minotaur that arrived in town recently but he snubbed them, they want the party to change his mind. Lilia comments: “He’d be the horniest guest we’ve ever had.” The minotaur can be found at The Usual Place, a tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]].

When they arrive there it turns out that Dauphine knows this particular minotaur; [[Evgenis Voúkeros|'''Evgenis Voúkeros''']], a friend from earlier in her life. When he sees the druid he invited her to join him at his table; “have some coffee.” He is talking about caravan routes with a man who introduces himself as [[Cassian Vellor|'''Cassian Vellor''']]. They soon manage to convince him to attend the fête though he's still disappointed he is not allowed to perform. More interestingly it is clear for all the party that '''Dauphine has quite the crush on him'''.

The third task is quite simple; bring a tiny tree to the singer that has been contracted for the event.Jennifer: “It’s earthly and divine, I’m sure it’ll enchant her.” Lilia adds: “If two lovers, of nature, were to present this then I’m sure they right sentiment will be firmly planted.” She is staying in the penthouse of The Five Georges in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] under the name Frazierdaughter.

The party goes there and learns the singer is '''Cobblar Languid''', a very popular artist. She too has a favor to ask... “Would you know anywhere in town where they sell a potion of golden throat? It’s made with harpy vocal cords.” Our friends definitely know as they sold some to Herb's Store in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]]. They go there and get the requested item, Dauphine also buys a [https://5e.tools/items.html#skull%20of%20revelation_hhhvi Skull of Revelation]. Oscar shows Herb the vials he got from Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates and is told they are illegal but quite nice.

The final task is to bring the pièce de résistance to the inn’s garden. They hired the sculptor '''Parn Gemgiel''' to craft an immense, five by five by five meter, ice sculpture of a woman alchemist. At the man's studio in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] they learn that a brown mold has been placed in a wooden box painted eggshell white and cerulean blue at the bottom of the sculpture to keep it cold.
[[Category:Events]]

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Main Page

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'''Hail and well met!'''

See [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now|'''A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now''']] to learn more about the world. See [[House Rules|'''House Rules''']] and '''[[Rules Reminders]]'''.

'''[[The Wager - Chronological order of Events|The Wager]]''', '''[[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events|The Wreck]]''', '''[[The Dig - Chronological order of Events|The Dig]]''', '''[[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events|The Caravan]],''' and '''[[The Spirit of Spring - Chronological order of Events|The Spirit of Spring]]''' shows what the parties have done so far.

Categories: [[:Category:Adventure sites|'''Adventure sites''']], [[:Category:Deities|'''Deities''']], [[:Category:Events|'''Events''']], [[:Category:Items|'''Items''']], [[:Category:Locations|'''Locations''']], [[:Category:NPC's|'''NPC's''']], [[:Category:Organisations|'''Organisations''']], '''[[:Category:Rules|Rules]]'''.

[[File:Worldmap 2026-07-23.jpg|frameless|1115x1115px]]

== Current Clack ==
{{Special:RecentChanges/10}}

Korint

2026-07-24T12:32:30Z

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{{CityBox
|image=Korint.png
|Government=Plutocracy
|Temples=[[Beory]], [[Istus]], [[Lirr]], [[Olidammara]], [[Pholtus]]
|Merchant Houses=[[Abraxis Combine]], [[House Ditta]], [[House Revol]], [[Thal Lithel]], [[Thal Sivale]]
|Other Organisations=[[Bruised But Not Broken]], [[Companions of Elric]], [[Kasarian Embassy]], [[Abjura Dolana]], [[House of Confluence]], [[Resa's Rest]], [[Whitemantles]]
}}

The capital of [[Loveria]] is home to about 50,000 souls. '''Officially it is run by a council of 'law keepers' but they are completely in the pocket of the merchant houses.''' The city is '''known for its many artists, bon vivants, and junkies''', due to the permissive nature of the country.

Korint is '''famed for its yellow arches''' that can be found all over the city. These beautifully carved wooden arches are placed in the middle of many streets for purely decorative purposes. Once a year during a special festival all inhabitants paint the arch on their street and then have a feast in the shadow of it.

== Locations ==

==== Acronon ====
Home to a large cadre of civil servants who do their utmost to keep the country running. It is said of this old, imposing building that there is not one right angle to be found in it. Though officially (the representatives of) the merchants and remaining nobles are to assemble here regularly to govern the country, in reality, they hardly ever show up for these meetings. '''Most policy, if one can call it that, is set at lavish dinner parties.'''

==== Artists Alley ====
Don't let the name fool you; this warren of streets and alleyways in the old city is quite sizable and home to all kinds of old masters and hopeful apprentices. The painterly arts are the most favored here but other kinds of art can be found as well.

==== Myrodia Perfumes ====
Though the well-to-do in the big cities might not recognize the name, the reality is that if it's an exclusive and expensive perfume, chances are very, very high it comes from here. This bespoke perfumer has been on top of its game for centuries.

==== Plateia Square ====
At the center of the old city you'll find a large, '''daily market''' bordered by all kinds of eateries and permanent shops selling anything from spices to bric-a-brac. In the middle of the square stands the '''statue of King Brosef''', usually covered in all kinds of unidentifiable substances.

==== Poledouris Avenue ====
The main thoroughfare of the city, any business that considers itself of any worth has their shop or offices along this road. It is named for a bard from before '''the [[Collapse]]''', '''Vasilikos Poledouris''', who reportedly slew the '''godling Thcer''' somewhere around these parts, in a fight that lasted days.

==== Sly Fox Odds and Ends ====
Buys and sells anything they can make money on.

[[File:Korint Map 2026-07-16.jpg|944x944px]]

==Organizations==
====[[Bruised But Not Broken]]====
{{#lsth:Bruised But Not Broken|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Companions of Elric]]====
{{#lsth: Companions of Elric|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Kasarian Embassy]]====
{{#lsth: Kasarian Embassy|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Abjura Dolana]]====
{{#lsth: Abjura Dolana|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Whitemantles]]====
{{#lsth: Whitemantles|[[Korint]]}}

==== [[House of Confluence]] ====
The '''House of Confluence''' is a small independent house of magical learning located in Korint.Though modest in size and little known outside the country, it has earned a reputation for producing unusually versatile scholars and mages. Rather than specializing in a single school of magic, the House emphasizes broad education and the exchange of ideas between seemingly unrelated disciplines.
==Temples==
====[[Istus]]====
{{#lsth:Istus|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Lirr]]====
{{#lsth: Lirr|[[Korint]]}}
==Merchant Houses==
====[[Abraxis Combine]]====
{{#lsth:Abraxis Combine|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ House Ditta]]====
{{#lsth: House Ditta|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ House Revol]]====
{{#lsth: House Revol|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Thal Lithel]]====
{{#lsth: Thal Lithel|[[Korint]]}}
====[[ Thal Sivale]]====
{{#lsth: Thal Sivale|[[Korint]]}}
== Notable People ==
* Lassie Golight (female human, mayor)
* Dood Kryp (male human, captain of the town guard)
* Kylia Khobbar (gnome sage, regional history)
* Pellar Tagon (sage, monsters)
* Lady Tadien Thessaly (female human, landed noble)
* Lord Tirom Duthan (male human, landed noble)
* [[Essa Maylin]] (female human, wizard, leader of the <bdi>[[House of Confluence]]</bdi>)
* [[Garrick Thorne]] (male human, master of fencing)
* [[Cassian Vellor]] (male human, merchant, patron of [[House of Confluence|House of Confluence)]]

== Nearby ==

==== [[Drendeven village]] ====
Population: ~900. Known for its Robin clock-tower.

==== Pefki village ====
Population: ~600. Birthplace of the famous Ilikan dish; a skewer with mutton, onions, green peppers, served with rice and an aubergine and goat cheese spread.

==== Vessa village ====
Population: ~700. Large sugar cane fields.

==== Nitiki Woods ====
An ancient forest. Though monsters are hardly ever seen there, it is considered haunted by many. [[Sprite member|Sprite members]] can be found here.

==== Limnas River ====
A blackwater branch of the Copis River that links all major cities in Loveria and empties into the Eastern Ocean.

==== Parga Ruins ====
The former capital, razed to the ground centuries ago.
[[Category:Locations]]

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Avale

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{{CityBox
|image=Avale.png
|Government= Plutocracy
|Temples= [[Istus]], [[Lirr]], [[Osprem]], [[Pholtus]], [[Ulaa]]
|Merchant Houses=[[Abraxis Combine]], [[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]], [[House Ditta]], [[Hythe Maritime Services]], [[Thal Lithel]], [[Thal Sivale]]
|Other Organisations=[[Bruised But Not Broken]], [[Sulla Arena]], [[Rhes Haghed]], [[Companions of Elric]], [[Kasarian Embassy]], [[Abjura Dolana]], [[Buel Vitta Society]], [[Resa's Rest]]
}}

'''[[Miforan Empire#Empire|Formerly known as Hegio]], the capital of [[Dolac]]''' lays at the estuary of the Tal river, where it empties into the [[Sarodin Sea]]. '''See <bdi>[[Avale - Guilds]]</bdi> for detailed notes on the guilds''' in the city.

The '''shipyards that Dolac is known for, are almost all to be found down the Tal river''', one or more days south from the city. The '''popular beach town [[Duneford]]''' can be found to the east.

== Locations ==
The city has changed much over time and now consists of '''many quite [[Avale - Neighborhoods|distinct neighborhoods]] built on low hills, the valleys in between and on land reclaimed from the river''', many old warehouses have been converted to living spaces as the city grew.

A '''new port, the largest in the world''', was constructed less than a century ago '''north of the city'''. '''Center of town''' and the '''seat of power''' are the '''Uppark''' and '''Downpark''' neighborhoods, named for the fact they are on either side of '''Narrow Park''', a small enclave of green in an otherwise built-up area.

==== Admiralty House ====
This imposing building on '''Anchor Avenue''' in the '''Prester neighborhood''' couldn't be more mid-Miforan architecture. As the name would suggest, it houses the Admiralty, who have been fighting for relevancy more and more over the years. Budget cuts have meant they haven't just lost ships but even had to cede a wing of the building to the Docami Budget Office. The navy are frantically looking for threats, real or imagined, to prove their worth in a time of peace.
==== Avale School of Business (ASB) ====
While many of the larger guilds prefer to train their people in-house and keep their trade secrets to themselves, '''business in all its forms is the lifeblood of the country'''. It should come as no surprise that this university was founded here and '''attracts the best teachers and eager students'''. It is located on '''Nusreds Way''' in the '''Fractures neighborhood'''.[[File:Avale Map 2025-12-14.jpg|right|599x599px]]
==== Bajakian Ferry ====
This ferry is powered by horses who run in a treadmill on the ship which powers two paddle wheels, one at each side. The ferry departs from the '''Pell Point neighborhood''', travels to '''Sevso Island''', from there to '''Klara Island''', then doing the same trip in reverse.
==== Beehold Palace ====
A '''small castle''' that used to be outside the city and was used mainly for hunting. With the city at its current size it is now considered to be '''on the outskirts of town'''. It is the '''royal residence''' ever since Sevso Palace was destroyed in a short uprising during the split of the [[Miforan Empire]].

==== Domicile of Diligence ====
Found on '''Torch Way''' in the '''Uppark neighborhood''', this '''colossal building of stone and glass''' is a new addition to the city and is the '''seat of the national government'''. The '''Council of Torchbearers meets here weekly''' and most of the building is '''home to the hard-working civil servants, the Docami''', who are tasked with executing the wishes of the council.

==== Ducts ====
The city has been raised numerous times and this has left enough room for '''canals under the city'''. There are three in total, each in the shape of a semicircle, entering and exiting the city, referred to as the outer, middle, and inner ducts. '''Flat-bottomed boats are used to supply warehouses and business''' deeper into the city. The canals '''don't surface anywhere inside the city'''; buildings situated above them have trapdoors that open on to them and any goods are then hoisted up or down. In rare cases of a spring tide the water will rise to the very top of these ducts.

==== Halls ====
'''Pronounced 'Hawls'''', this is the center of '''city government'''. Found on '''the Skirtin''' in the '''Downpark neighborhood''', this '''former marketplace is now a warren of buildings''' where the city Elders and a corps of civil servants run the city. There are '''nine Elders who are elected every four years by all official guild-members''' in the city from a list put forward by the guilds.

==== Happy Soles ====
'''Dolac is well-known for its shoemakers''' and this is the '''most popular shoe shop in the city'''. They promise to provide you with better footwear than you have ever worn, and they usually deliver. It can be found in the '''Abrinol neighborhood''' on '''Provender Way'''.
==== Inner Court Arcade ====
[[File:Inner Court Arcade.png|145x145px|right]]Found in the '''Uppark neighborhood''' on '''Lock Street''', this is one of the most '''exclusive malls''' in the entire country. Built in the days of Empire, the marbled floors reflect the glass ceiling in this two-story shopping paradise. Marble statuary flank the '''expensive stores''' that can be found here.

==== None Turned Away Clinic ====
Found on '''Foggy Close''' in the '''Lost Bay''' '''neighborhood''', this infirmary is run by the '''Boundless Healers''' who are allied with the [[Companions of Elric|'''Companions of Elric''']]. Here medics of many stripes care for those who have nowhere else to turn. They are led by '''Harol Delmer''', a halfling paladin of [[Lirr]].

==== Pheld Ceramics ====
Started by the Pheld family many centuries ago, these artisans are still '''at the top of their field'''. Quality comes first in every aspect and the prices reflect this. Still, demand for [[Emperor Caeus Teapot|original Pheld]] far outstrips production. They are based in the '''Longsee neighborhood''', next to '''Prosper Park'''.

==== Scarlet Bonnet ====
This former set of warehouses on '''Culvert Street''' in the '''Proviso Place neighborhood''' has been '''converted into many halls and rooms that are rented out''' and are in great demand for guild meetings and other commercial endeavors. It also contains a '''tavern''', A Friend in Mead, and a '''restaurant''', Try a Little Tenderloin.

==== State Museum ====
Even though the name suggests otherwise this museum is '''almost completely funded by the guilds'''. Entry is free and there are many different exhibits ranging from art to science. There are also impressive botanical gardens. Find this expansive building in the '''Center City neighborhood'''.
==== Venture Hall ====
[[File:Venture Hall 2.png|right|144x144px]]These somewhat ramshackle premises on '''Freddis Avenue''' in the '''Kesslia neighborhood''' is where the '''Adventurers Association''' is run from. The association managed to create a near total monopoly on adventuring contracts in the capital but in doing so have created a fair playing field for both clients and contractors.

==== Vulpine Count ====
[[File:Vulpine Count.png|left|115x115px]]
Even though this '''newspaper''' proudly proclaims in its masthead to be many centuries old, in reality it was '''resurrected''' from centuries of inactivity only '''twelve years ago'''. The rights to it were bought by '''businessman Bert Ursa''' whose parents immigrated here from [[Haza]]. The paper focuses mostly on national news and is '''well known for its shouty headlines and cheap price'''. The latter is due to the fact that '''the Guilds sponsor it to make sure it publishes only the news they want to see'''. The offices are found above their printing presses on '''New Rampart Street''' in the '''Bow Valley neighborhood'''.
==== White Bridge ====
[[File:White Bridge.png|right|218x218px]]This large, grey stone bridge in the southern '''Kalehaven neighborhood connects the rest of the city with Sevso Island'''. The large span is full of shops and eateries built on either side of the roadway. The middle of the bridge has '''a semi-permanent wooden covering that can be removed when a sea-going ship needs to pass'''.

==Organizations==
====[[Bruised But Not Broken]]====
{{#lsth:Bruised But Not Broken|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Sulla Arena]]====
{{#lsth:Sulla Arena|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Rhes Haghed]]====
{{#lsth:Rhes Haghed|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Companions of Elric]]====
{{#lsth:Companions of Elric|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Kasarian Embassy]]====
{{#lsth:Kasarian Embassy|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Abjura Dolana]]====
{{#lsth:Abjura Dolana|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Buel Vitta Society]]====
{{#lsth:Buel Vitta Society|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Resa's Rest]]====
{{#lsth:Resa's Rest|[[Avale]]}}
==Temples==
====[[Istus]]====
{{#lsth:Istus|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Lirr]]====
{{#lsth:Lirr|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Osprem]]====
{{#lsth:Osprem|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Pholtus]]====
{{#lsth:Pholtus|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Ulaa]]====
{{#lsth:Ulaa|[[Avale]]}}
==Merchant Houses==
====[[Abraxis Combine]]====
{{#lsth:Abraxis Combine|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]]====
{{#lsth:Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities|[[Avale]]}}
====[[House Ditta]]====
{{#lsth:House Ditta|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Hythe Maritime Services]]====
{{#lsth:Hythe Maritime Services|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Thal Lithel]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Lithel|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Thal Sivale]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Sivale|[[Avale]]}}

== Notable People ==
* Edward Mint (provost [mayor])
* Jan Fluaris (human female, chief commissioner of the Humtache)
* Xalryn Heliot (male gnome, wizard)
* Alexander Joan (sage, [[Miforan Empire]])
* Bert Ursa (businessman, publisher)
* Sani Kasgret (dwarven female, renowned ship captain)
* Antus Sharrer (half-elf, 'nightlife connoisseur')

[[Category:Locations]]

Evgenis Voúkeros

2026-07-24T12:24:58Z

DB:

[[File:Evgenisvoukerosprofile.jpg|right|635x635px]]
This huge Minotaur is a charismatic caravan helper. He’s handsome, tall and rolling with muscle. His powerful physique can be imposing, but he’s not all muscle. It’s a kind man who fought his way through many hardship. He’s always ready to help someone in need and will go through all layers of Hell and back for his friends.

His tales and jokes always entertained [[Dauphine Tirfelya|Dauphine]] and she made sure to be around the central square when the caravan arrived to see if he was there. Caravans usually stayed one or two days and she’d join the caravan people in the tavern at night to listen to their stories and in particular get fooled by the Minotaurs party tricks. On occasion he’d join her on a mushroom hunt, and watch her cook up a feast of foraged mushrooms and plants which they’d eat by the fire.

Lately he carried a gemshorn he was learning to play. The other caravan members weren’t that charmed of his loud instrument and his lack of skill meant the caravan was being accompanied by unhinged sounds. As it happens, the caravan has been less approached by shady characters. But the crew would rather fight of some bandits than travel with a constant sense of panic. Dauphine would entertain his efforts however, helping him with a silver flute she would borrow from her mother.

Dauphine has taught him to make acorn ‘coffee’. Which, if you know coffee does not resemble coffee. But Dauphine doesn’t know better so she calls it coffee due to the resemblance in color and texture.

Eventually Evgenis stopped traveling with the caravan. But his story didn’t end there. He managed to learn to play the gemshorn and decided to quit the caravan and follow his hear as entertainer and musician. He wanted to try his luck in [[Stjordvik]]. Going from tavern to tavern he has moderate success. He plays his gemshorn at a moderate level to give the taverns visitors the ability to talk. But as a result they are often captivated in silence.

The coin he made was never more than to keep afloat, but at least he did something he loved. In the past he would be hired for his muscle, his towering physique and wide chest imposes friend and foe. No sane burglar would want to be on the receiving end of those horns. Now, those horns are adorned with colorful knitted or crocheted socks and pompoms made by fans that used his wide chest as a pillow.

His whereabouts are here or there. While his passion is his horn, whispers say he’s taken the odd muscle job on the side.<br>
[[Category:NPC's]]

Category:Locations

2026-07-24T12:22:47Z

DB:

A listing of countries, confederacies, fiefdoms, cities, etc.

Below the regular map is a very schematic map of the world with links to the different countries. The previous map is [[:File:World Map 2025-08-28.png|here]].[[File:Worldmap 2026-07-23.jpg|frameless|1154x1154px]]

== Schematic Map ==
{| class="wikitable"
| rowspan="3" |[[Jucatta]]
|
|
| rowspan="2" |[[Haza]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Vilda]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Reuel Woods]]
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|[[Neniros]]
| colspan="3" rowspan="2" |[[Sarodin Sea]]
|
|-
|
|
| rowspan="2" |[[Sormark]]
| rowspan="3" |[[Loveria]]
|-
|
|[[Ogren]]
|
| rowspan="2" |[[Dolac]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Mifora]]
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Da'Hashim]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Otteun]]
| colspan="2" rowspan="4" |[[Otteun]]
|[[Naguk]]
|[[Vergu]]
|
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Fir Lanear]] (Elf lands)
| rowspan="2" |[[Taru Lake]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Kasar]]
|-
|
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Godfall|The Godfall]]
(formerly [[Baltur]])
|[[Urzog]]
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Jotunheim]]
|
|
|
|}

Main Page

2026-07-24T12:20:21Z

DB:

'''Hail and well met!'''

See [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now|'''A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now''']] to learn more about the world. See [[House Rules|'''House Rules''']] and '''[[Rules Reminders]]'''.

'''[[The Wager - Chronological order of Events|The Wager]]''', '''[[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events|The Wreck]]''', '''[[The Dig - Chronological order of Events|The Dig]]''', '''[[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events|The Caravan]],''' and '''[[The Spirit of Spring - Chronological order of Events|The Spirit of Spring]]''' shows what the parties have done so far.

Categories: [[:Category:Adventure sites|'''Adventure sites''']], [[:Category:Deities|'''Deities''']], [[:Category:Events|'''Events''']], [[:Category:Items|'''Items''']], [[:Category:Locations|'''Locations''']], [[:Category:NPC's|'''NPC's''']], [[:Category:Organisations|'''Organisations''']], '''[[:Category:Rules|Rules]]'''.

[[File:Worldmap 2026-07-23.jpg|frameless|944x944px]]

== Current Clack ==
{{Special:RecentChanges/10}}

File:Worldmap 2026-07-23.jpg

2026-07-24T12:18:38Z

DB:

Skull of Revelation

2026-07-23T21:29:14Z

DB: Created page with "This skull has a small black candle embedded in its crown. While this candle is lit, the skull activates and sheds a bright light in a 15-foot radius, and dim light for an additional 15 feet. If you make an Intelligence based (skill) check to evaluate anything contained within the bright light, you make that check with Advantage. The candle has a duration of 1 hour. Once this duration has expired, the candle must be replaced with another candle that costs 50 gp. Categ..."

This skull has a small black candle embedded in its crown. While this candle is lit, the skull activates and sheds a bright light in a 15-foot radius, and dim light for an additional 15 feet. If you make an Intelligence based (skill) check to evaluate anything contained within the bright light, you make that check with Advantage.

The candle has a duration of 1 hour. Once this duration has expired, the candle must be replaced with another candle that costs 50 gp.
[[Category:Items]]

The Traveler

2026-07-22T14:13:23Z

DB:

A middle-aged dwarf and his elderly mule can often be found traveling the roads of [[Dolac]].

Many people have met him. Some have shared a meal beside his fire, while others simply remember passing him along the road with Bramble walking patiently at his side. Though he is recognized throughout the country, no one seems to know where he came from, where he is going, or why he has spent so much of his life traveling.

He owns remarkably little. A weathered canvas tent, a carefully maintained cookpot, a handful of wooden bowls, blankets, tools for simple repairs, and enough spices to surprise anyone expecting the meals of a traveler. Everything he carries is clean, neatly packed and meticulously maintained. Though none of it is expensive, every item bears the signs of years of careful use.

His only constant companion is an elderly female mule named '''Bramble'''.

She walks beside him more often than she carries him, and he treats her with a tenderness usually reserved for lifelong friends. Whenever the road is quiet, he speaks to her as though continuing an endless conversation. He tells her about the people they have met, the stories they have heard, and the places they have passed through. He laughs at amusing moments, grows quiet when recalling sorrow, voices concern for people he has left behind, and occasionally disagrees with decisions made in the stories he has heard. Bramble never answers beyond the occasional flick of an ear or gentle snort, yet he often smiles or nods as though she has offered a perfectly reasonable opinion.

He travels only a few miles each day. Long before sunset he chooses a place to make camp, rarely hidden from the road. His tent is almost always pitched where passing travelers are likely to notice the faint column of smoke rising from his fire. The campsite is always orderly. Firewood is stacked neatly, cooking utensils are cleaned before nightfall, and Bramble is fed and brushed before he tends to himself.

He sleeps. A lot.

During the day he may stop beneath a tree for an hour simply because the weather is pleasant. After a meal he often stretches out beside the fire for another nap. Travelers who wake him are usually met with a slow blink, a yawn and a warm smile, followed by a quiet apology for having kept them waiting. To Alrik, sleeping seems less like a necessity and more like a comfortable way to pass the time between meeting people.

Anyone approaching his camp is greeted with genuine hospitality. Before asking a single question, he insists that his guests sit down and share a meal. His cooking is unexpectedly excellent. Wild herbs, mushrooms, roots, dried meat and whatever the day has provided somehow become warm, comforting dishes. He carries an impressive collection of spices, carefully stored in small wooden containers, and seems capable of making almost anything taste better than expected.

Nothing is ever wasted.

Vegetable scraps are fed to Bramble, bones become broth, leftover bread is toasted the following morning, and even the ashes of his fire are scattered where they may nourish the soil. His belongings are repaired long before they fail, and clothing is patched so neatly that the repairs themselves become part of the garment.

Only once everyone has eaten does the conversation truly begin.

Alrik rarely asks about battles, politics or wealth. Instead, he asks about people.

Who first taught you your trade?

What place do you miss the most?

What is your earliest memory?

Who are you hoping to see again?

What has made you happiest?

He listens with complete attention. He never interrupts, rarely offers advice, and never attempts to make another person’s story about himself. While listening, his hands remain busy—stirring the pot, slicing bread, cleaning a bowl or adding another piece of wood to the fire.

When someone finishes speaking, he usually remains silent for a few moments before simply saying,

''“Thank you for sharing that.”''

Questions about himself are answered politely but briefly.

If asked where he is from, he might reply,

''“Somewhere east.”''

If asked where he is going,

''“Further along the road.”''

Should the questions continue, he naturally steers the conversation back toward the other person, often without them realizing they have once again become the one telling the story.

Despite speaking little of himself, he possesses an extraordinary memory for people. He remembers names, conversations and seemingly insignificant details even after many years have passed.

A chance meeting years later might begin with,

''“Did your daughter ever decide to become a cooper?”''

or

''“I hope your mother’s leg healed well after the winter.”''

He remembers the stories people tell him with remarkable clarity, though no one has ever seen him write any of them down.

Children seem especially comfortable around him. Unlike many adults, he listens to them with the same patience and attention he gives everyone else. Whether a child proudly describes a frog they caught or a knight recounts the siege of a fortress, he listens with equal sincerity.

Throughout Dolac there are countless people who remember him.

Some remember the stew he prepared during a harsh winter.

Many remember sharing an evening around his fire.

Almost none remember learning anything about him.

Each evening, after the dishes have been cleaned, the fire reduced to glowing embers and Bramble comfortably settled for the night, Alrik gently strokes her neck before climbing into his tent.

Looking toward tomorrow's road, he quietly asks,

''“Well… who do you think we’ll meet tomorrow?”''
[[Category:NPC's]]

Cyphers & Potions

2026-07-21T19:12:27Z

DB: Added three potions and links to potions

This page holds all cyphers and custom potions found.

== Cyphers ==
'''Cyphers are useful magical items that work only once''', they dissolve into nothingness after use. Most resemble miniature mundane items a few centimeters across. They require a creature to form a bond with them before their property can be used. This bond is called harmonization. '''Harmonizing to a cypher requires a creature to spend 5 minutes''' focused on only that cypher while being in physical contact with it.

A cypher can be harmonized to only one creature at a time, and a creature can be '''harmonized to no more than two cyphers''' at a time. Any attempt to harmonize to a third cypher fails; the creature must end its harmonization to a cypher first. Additionally, a creature can't harmonize to more than one copy of the same cypher.

A creature's harmonization to a cypher ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for harmonization, if the cypher has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if the creature dies, or if another creature harmonizes to the cypher. A creature can also voluntarily end harmonization by spending another 5 minutes focused on the cypher.

Most cyphers require just a mental command to activate that is usually a Bonus Action or Reaction. If more is needed for activation it will be included in the description.

=== List of Cyphers ===

==== Averager ====
A reward from [[The Dig - Chronological order of Events#EVERYTHING IS FINE|Lars Gerhardt]].

''An ivory die showing 4 on all of its six faces.''

After rolling a die you can use your Reaction and take the average result for the die, rounded up, instead of the result showing. If you roll multiple dice, you can only affect one die using this item.

==== Betterer ====
Found in a crate.

''Half of a stone die.''

After rolling a d20 you can use your Reaction and roll a 1d3, adding the result to the d20 result.

==== Cacher ====
A thank you from [[Tymos Moltar]].

''A miniature backpack.''

You use your Action to focus your mind on a single mundane object with a value of up to 50 gp and a weight of up to 25 lb. The object then appears in your hands or on the ground in front of you.

==== Controller ====
A present from [[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events#In a Stitch|Hank of Yarn]].

''A tiny rectangular box with a red button and a metal rod sticking out one end. A second, similar box without a button.''

After harmonizing with the buttoned box you can at any time use an Action to attach the other box to a non-intelligent mechanical device the size of a house or smaller. For the next 1d6 minutes, but you don’t know the result of the die roll, if you are within 300 feet of the device, you can use a Bonus Action to press the button on the box to make the device do something it was intended for; a door or lock could open or close, a crossbow could shoot a loaded bolt, etc.

==== Damager ====
A gift from [[Chrysanthemum]].

''A small stuffed toy of a furry marsupial with big ears and a big mouth.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower your attacks; each does 1d4 extra damage till start of your next round.
==== Disguiser ====
''A small wooden carving of comedy and tragedy masks painted gold.''

As an Action you can cast the Disguise Self spell on yourself. The spell’s duration is 6d10 minutes but you don’t know the result of the die roll.

==== Eldritcher ====
A gift from [[Connorsville Swine Festival|Simar d'Lorah]].

''A tiny, intricately crafted cage made of a dark, unknown metal.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower yourself, when using the Eldritch Blast cantrip before the end of your turn it will allow you to fire one more beam than normal and have Advantage on the last attack.

==== Eye-er ====
A thank you from [[Tymos Moltar]].

''An owl’s eye set in gelatin.''

When harmonized with this cypher you cannot be surprised. The first time it prevents you from being surprised where you otherwise would have been, it dissolves.

==== Inspirationer ====
A gift from [[Connorsville Swine Festival|Simar d'Lorah]].

''A tiny tapering wand made of some unknown material, topped by a ball made of tiny metal mesh.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower yourself, for the next minute when someone uses your Bardic Inspiration die, they may roll two dice and use either result.

==== Keeper ====
A present from [[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events#In a Stitch|Hank of Yarn]].

''Two tiny padded leather gloves.''

As an Action you can touch this cypher to an unsecured object. That object cannot be moved in any way until the end of your next turn.

==== Levitater ====
Taken from [[Imperial Wayhouse#Beam Camp|Yakkar, the goblin witch doctor]].

''A miniature leather boot with straps.''

As an Action you can cast the Levitate spell on yourself. The spell’s duration is 2d4 minutes but you don’t know the result of the die roll.

==== Passer ====
Taken from [[Imperial Wayhouse#Beam Camp|Yakkar, the goblin witch doctor's hut]].

''A miniature bronze compass.''

This cypher comes as a pair. When they are held together and harmonized by two different people, the two cyphers become linked. The owner of a Passer can then use a Bonus Action to pass a touched item of size medium or smaller to the hands of a creature who is harmonized with the other linked Passer and within 60 feet. That creature can then use their Reaction to receive the item in either hand. Should they not have a Reaction left or if both their hands are full and they don’t wish to drop what they are holding, the item drops down in front of them.

==== Puller ====
A thank you from [[Tymos Moltar]].

''A miniature hand, made from leather, with its fingers outstretched.''

Using a Bonus Action you can pull an unsecured object within 30', weighing 2d4 lb. or less, towards your hand. If you have a free hand you can take the object in hand. If not, it falls to the ground in front of you.

==== Rager ====
A gift from [[Connorsville Swine Festival|Simar d'Lorah]].

''A miniature ceramic cup containing a beanbag made to look like a bull’s head.''

Using a Bonus Action you empower yourself, until the end of your turn you do double the normal amount of Rage damage.

==== Ribbiter ====
A reward from [[The Dig - Chronological order of Events#EVERYTHING IS FINE|Lars Gerhardt]].

''A frog made of green, folded paper.''

Using a Bonus Action you cast a Polymorph spell onto yourself which changes you into frog until the end of your next round.

==== Skiller ====
A reward from [[The Dig - Chronological order of Events#EVERYTHING IS FINE|Lars Gerhardt]].

''Half of a wooden die.''

After rolling a d20 to use a skill you can use your Reaction and roll a 1d3, adding the result to the d20 result.

==== Stoner ====
Found in a [[The Caravan - Chronological order of Events#Desert|desert]].

''A large, brown pit of an exotic fruit.''

You can use an action to grant yourself a +2 to your armor class, however, healing magic used on you heals only half the normal amount of hit points. Both effects lasts 24 hours.

==== Swapper ====
Found in the [[Pyramid]].

''A small, elliptical disc of unknown metal, blue on one side and orange on the other.''

This cypher comes as a pair. When they are held together and harmonized by two different people, the two cyphers become linked. The owner of a Swapper can then use a Bonus Action to switch location with a creature who is harmonized to the other linked Swapper and within 60 feet. This effect is not blocked by walls of any kind except those made of force. If one of the two linked cyphers travels to a different plane of existence they lose their link.

==== Swimmer ====
A thank you from Herr Galaktik for winning the [[15th Annual Stjordvik Regatta]]'''.'''

''A small fish tail made from blue wool.''

Using a Bonus Action you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed. This lasts for a duration of 1d3 minutes but you don’t know the result of the die roll.

==== Temper ====
A reward from [[The Dig - Chronological order of Events#EVERYTHING IS FINE|Lars Gerhardt]].

''A small ox head made of felt.''

You can use your Reaction to gain 1d8 temporary hit points. These last until the end of your next round.

==== Whacker ====
A thank you from [[Tymos Moltar]].

''A miniature wooden, tapered club.''

After taking hit point damage you can use your Reaction to teleport in a random direction on a horizontal plane (using a 1d8 to determine which line of squares to follow) a distance of 2d4 squares (10-40 feet). If you occupy the same spot as a solid object or creature when this happens, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that you can occupy and take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you are moved.

==== Zagger ====
''A small reverse letter Z made from elm wood.''

When you need to make a saving throw against the ability this cypher was made for, you can use your Reaction to gain advantage on the die roll.

== Potions ==
Also see [[House Rules#Potions|House Rules]] for some (healing) potion rules.

==== Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion ====
Found by [[Darius Naffles|Darius]] in the cave under the [[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events#Tiny Island|Tiny Island]].

The penultimate stage of the Arakaen parasite suspended in a potion. A day after drinking the potion you permanently gain the following.

Immediately after hitting a target with a weapon you can take a Bonus Action and spend any spell slot you have to have the target take an extra 1d8 Necrotic damage. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.

Any time you roll for damage when casting a spell, the damage is reduced by the number of dice rolled; so if you roll 3d6 then you subtract 3 from the damage total.

Requires Attunement by a spellcaster.

==== Endurance Potion ====
When you drink this potion, any time you receive damage you take 2 points less for 1 minute.

==== Luck Potion ====
When you drink this potion, for the next minute you can use your Reaction to gain advantage on one die roll. You can do so a maximum of three times.

==== Magic Power Potion ====
When you drink this potion, you add one extra die, of the same type, to any spell that does direct damage to one or more creatures, for 1 minute.

==== Neakara Mana Parasite Potion ====
Found under [[Vresto Mansion]].

The penultimate stage of the Neakara parasite suspended in a potion. A day after drinking the potion you gain permanent disadvantage on spell attack rolls and one extra level 1 spell slot.

Requires Attunement by a spellcaster.

==== Rage Potion ====
When you drink this potion, the critical range of any weapon you use for melee attacks is set to 19 for 1 minute.

==== Recall Potion ====
When you drink this potion, you, and up to four people touching you, will be teleported to the location where you had your last long rest. The potion fails to work if that location was on a different plane.

==== Shine Potion ====
When you drink this potion, your entire body emits light as bright as a hooded lantern (bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet) for 8 hours. You can dismiss this effect as an action.

==== Wrath Potion ====
When you drink this potion, you add +2 to the damage you do with any weapon attacks for 1 minute.

== Potion Prices (in larger cities) ==
* Potion of Healing (1d10+level) - 50 gp
* Potion of Greater Healing (2d10+level) - 150 gp
* Potion of Superior Healing (3d10+level) - Not for sale.
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#elixir%20of%20health_dmg Elixir of Health] - 120 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20heroism_dmg Potion of Heroism] - 180 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20rage_hhhvi Potion of Rage] - 100 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#potion%20of%20the%20duergar_hhhviii Potion of the Duergar] - 70 gp
* [https://5e.tools/items.html#salamander%20fire_hhhvi Salamander Fire] - 150 gp
* Oil of Slipperiness - Not for sale.
* Oil of Sharpness - Not for sale.
* Potion of Growth - Not for sale.
* Potion of Speed - Not for sale.

[[Category:Items]]

The Wreck - Chronological order of Events

2026-07-21T16:15:30Z

DB:

[[File:The Wreck.png|right|450x450px]]
Four very different people survive a shipwreck and end up on a tiny island. {{TextAnimations|Text=These are|Color=MediumBlue|Glow=1|Bold=1}} {{TextAnimations|Text=their stories.|Color=Red|Glow=1|Bold=1}}

== The protagonists ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|[[Darius Naffles]]
|-
|[[Dauphine Tirfelya]]
|-
|[[Oscar]]
|-
|[[Quinton Gemweaver]]
|}

== Dolac ==

=== Four journeys ===
This is how our four friends ended up in the capital of [[Dolac]]; [[Avale]].

==== Quinton Gemweaver ====
Quinton starts his journey to Avale following the Fiumare river. On the way he ran into a band of [[Nikanish]] who were trying to protect a tribe of bullywugs and the druid was asked if he wanted to help and he does. Later his camp was overrun by zombies but he managed to get away with all of his belongings.

Then a town happened to be visited by a bunch [[Kashtin]] revelers when Quinton arrived and this lead to some very hedonistic days. Journeying on alone was quite the contrast but the beautiful landscapes made up for it especially the [[Dolac#Sevso Sound|Sevso Sound]]. From there it took a number of bridges to the islands in the Tal delta and a ferry to get across and make it to Avale where he finds an '''inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]] neighborhood'''.

The city is huge and there is much to see. Quinton starts by getting a shave at Hair Me Out. Next he buys a mince mop from a street vendor. While walking and eating he nearly collides with a square-jawed, blond-haired man that steps out of an outhouse, dusting down his clothes, mumbling to himself.

A few days later in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] he passes by the Pursue Hickory bank and comes to a square where an expensively dressed gentleman is tending to a vagrant, pouring a potion down his throat which seems to make him feel a lot better.

During another exploration of the city, this time in the North of Grove Way neighborhood, also known as [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]], Quinton is lured into alley, where he is surrounded by four assailants. Things look bleak, this is an unwinnable fight and flight will also be difficult. But then an unassuming woman, short, with a cleft chin, and her dark hair in a knot, appears, and the four robbers run, saving him from an ignoble fate. The woman gives him a smile and leaves. There is no sign of her when the druid makes it back out on to the street.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Quinton to sign up.

==== Dauphine Tirfelya ====
On her donkey she makes it to the border with [[Otteun]], it’s been an interesting journey already, seeing the mammoths roam. Then Dauphine continues on to [[Midtal]], she’s never seen a big city and this is her chance. From the first inn in Otteun she finds out that elves are seen as rather exotic, people gaze at her, some small children even pull her hair.

The caravan she was traveling with, promptly got attacked on only the second day but fortunately they managed to fight off the robbers, Dauphine having to use her shortsword in anger for the first time. Midtal was an interesting experience, still getting lots of looks on account of being an elf but getting bothered a bit less. Surprisingly she made a little money when someone offered to pay her to paint a portrait of her.

Avale seemed the best possible next destination and the druid took passage on a river barge. The slow journey down the river gave plenty of time to focus on certain things she had been ignoring and to get to know her fellow travelers. At one village stop, Dauphine helped out one of her new friends when he was cheated on in a game of Three-Dragon Ante, managing to recover all the money.

The barge arrived at Avale disembarking everyone in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. Two of her fellow passengers knew of a '''good inn in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]] neighborhood''', called the Other Inn, and so she joined them and walked there, taking a room on the third floor. It cost a little extra but the view of the Tal estuary is worth it. The first thing she sees is a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat catch a girl who picked a dwarf’s pocket. He hands the money over to the victim and then takes a piece of pastry from his pocket and gives it to the child before letting her go.

Here, too, people still find elves quite the attraction, she finds. The nearby fish shop, For Cod’s Sake, introduced her to all kinds of new food and then she was told about another place that she just had to go visit. Following directions she went to the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] neighborhood, where on Falanae Avenue she passed by Elassidil Villa, headquarters of [[Thal Lithel]]. At the intersection with Korb Street, a boy on crutches was brusquely told by a man in a carriage to get his ass in there. And then when the conveyance drove away she saw it; the Feywild Shroomhouse.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Dauphine to sign up.

==== Darius Naffles ====
After finishing his priestly training Darius was told to find his way in the world. Any direction was as good as the other but his father had told him that some far-flung family of his lived in Avale, so why not go there first?

On his way through [[Mifora]] his skills were called upon numerous times. Usually to give his blessing or heal the wounded. But one time he arrived at a village where a recently deceased had risen. Using his god given powers he quickly destroyed it, maybe a little more thoroughly than the grieving family had hoped for.

Then in another town, when money was low, Darius joined a group of adventurers who promised riches. The Toast of Tetia proved to be better at boasting than questing. It was only due to Darius that no one died and the riches turned out to be a single gem, that, split five ways, did not amount to all that much.

A less than stellar encounter with a wild boar made Darius happy to finally arrive in Avale. He’s told of a small shrine to [[Ehlonna]] in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]] neighborhood and the gnome finds an inn nearby; the Steaming Pot'''.

Walking through the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]] neighborhood, Darius sees three attractive, mid-thirties women coming out of Smells by Design, a perfume shop. As he passes by, he overhears part of their conversation: “Did you hear, Meghan Wellington is back in town, but the state of her...” says the brunette. “I heard she was married off to some [[Godfall]] dwarf who kept her in his cellar,” adds the blonde. “Who cares, Lilia, we have things to do down the road,” counters the redhead. “Alice, always chasing the sublime,” comments the dark-haired one.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; more than enough to get Darius to sign up.

==== Oscar ====
The halfling wakes up with a headache in a small, stone room on a cot, a tiny window high on the wall provides some light. A pitcher of water stands on a table. In one corner there is a small hole in the floor that smells of excrement. A single door, locked or barred, blocks his way. Once a day the door is opened just wide enough to slide a bowl of gruel and a spoon inside. He can’t see much more than a hallway and a soldier, there is no sign, or smell, of the old man.

After the second night he wakes in a new environment, feeling weak and listless, like that one time he ate those red mushrooms. He finds himself in a large, wooden room that lists from side to side. Around his leg is a manacle that is clamped around a stout wooden beam. A scarred man wearing a red cloth hat comes to him twice a day, bringing food that is incredibly hard, he needs the also provided drink, grog, to make it chewable.

Additionally the sailor makes sure to check his manacle and the beam every time. He can move along the beam, about a meter or two, just enough to reach the small barrel smelling of excrement. There are many crates and barrels but all are out of reach. At least there are the rats who visit him at all hours. He supplements his diet this way.

After a long journey the ship reaches port, all the smells tell Oscar they are next to land and he makes sure he’s prepared. When the sailor removes the manacle the halfling pushes the man’s head into the wall, as hard as he can. Then he is up the ladder and soon on deck of the ship. The sight of a huge city in front of him is frightening but he sees the wooden pier and jumps onto it, running away from the ship and towards the city, pushing people away when he can’t avoid them, one, carrying a large crate, falls into the water.

Weak with hunger he makes his way into the city, there are so many people! He stumbles about, going wherever seems most quiet. He comes to a small park but is immediately chased by men wearing blue tabards. He keeps moving, coming to a road in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] where he startles a man and a woman in an intimate embrace. She hides her head behind the man as Oscar runs off and minute later he almost gets trampled by a horde of girls all yelling and chasing after a man with salt and pepper hair.

When it gets later in the evening there’s fewer people around but then the smell of food hits his nose and his stomach rumbles loudly. He follows the scent and finds a place where people sit outside and others come from inside a building, bringing food and putting it on the tables. He times his approach well and manages to snag an entire tray of food, running off, spilling some but losing any pursuit, hiding in a garden as he gobbles down the meal.

He sleeps there, hiding himself in the bushes till he is woken in the morning by all kinds of unfamiliar sounds and smells. A woman comes into the garden and Oscar bolts, leaving her confused shouts in his dust. Eventually he ends up at the south end of the city, in the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]]'''.

Things are rather grimy here, but then he finds a market, so many stalls with food and other things. People seem to pay him less mind than in other parts of the city, everyone just trying to live their lives. He sees people handing over small discs of metal as they point at food and are then handed what they desire. He doesn’t have any of those but since grabbing and running worked last night, he tries again, grabbing a dead chicken and running off. These market people don’t like this at all and he is chased by multiple vendors and stock boys. But one greengrocer seems to see the lighter side of things and throws Oscar an apple from his stall which the halfling catches expertly before slipping under a stall and down an alley, eventually losing his pursuers.

The next day posters are being put up all over town saying the Admiralty is looking for able bodied men and women for an expedition of a few weeks. The pay is no less than 4 gp per day; unfortunately Oscar can't read any of this. And he, sadly, doesn't spot the men who come when he's sleeping and knock him out, shanghaiing him.

== Sarodin Sea ==
Those signing up weren't told much and that's because it turns out to be a '''pirate hunting mission'''. A flotilla lead by the Whiskered Admiral is going to search for a small pirate fleet that was spotted not too far away. The navy is sending four ships; the Prince Willim, a 1st charter ship, two 2nd charter ships, the Ranhem and the Crowned Griffon, and a 3rd charter ship, the Arms of Dolac.

It's early in the morning and those shanghaied wake up feeling the worse for wear, it smells of sweat and sick, there are many conversations around. Some rays of sunshine penetrate the murk, the floor beneath them is moving in all directions. People are getting up from the floor and soon a hatch opens, the sunlight suddenly very bright, and some people come down a ladder.

Standing next to the ladder are a balding halfling, he looks to be in charge, a dwarf with a short beard, a half-elf, she has a rather big nose and her hair is dyed black, quite badly. Further there’s a gnome, her face looks to be sliding down her skull, and a large half-orc, with blonde dyed hair.

The halfling speaks: “I am Bosun Miller and you are on board the majestic Crowned Griffon, the best ship in the entire navy, run expertly by Captain Drumpf and Quartermaster Onel.” At the mention of the last name some people involuntarily scrunch their noses, he apparently has quite the musk. Miller continues: “We are on a mission to take out a pirate fleet and make sure these murderers, rapists, and drug dealers will never make it to our homeland.”

“Now, most of you might not be here voluntarily but you are finally going to do something worthwhile with your lives and get paid really well for it,” he tells the crowd. “Until we get anywhere near the pirates you will be assisting with the running of the ship, Chief Mate Luktnicks here will further explain.”

The dwarf looks around, “you will be doing grunt work even a wet goblin can do, complain or shirk and you will be going overboard, try your luck with the sharks. You might have noticed your weapons and armor are missing. We don’t want any accidental stabbings or other fights, get in one and you’ll get intimately familiar with the cat o' nine tails as wielded by Karoline here,” he motions towards the half-orc. She scowls as she looks around and rumbles “leave it”.

“You’ll get your weaponry back when we near the pirates, you can even put on your armor then, if you are fool enough to want to drown with it. Until then you report to the second mate, Juliana,” he points at the half-elf, “or the third mate, Kristi,” he motions towards the gnome.

Our four friends are selected by third mate Kristi to help with pulling the sails when there is need to, she puts a sailor in charge of them. The four introduce themselves to each other but soon find that the halfling doesn't speak. Quinton gives some grapes to the halfling, who we will refer to as Oscar, for the sake of convenience. Darius asks: “isn’t this the demon child?” The others shrug their shoulders. Then he speaks in Infernal: “do you understand?” Oscar doesn't, but Quinton does!

The gnome's question stems from the fact that during their weeks in town '''they heard lots of stories''' any time they were in a tavern, or really anywhere a lot of people gather and gossip. It's definitely possible they heard stories about other people with the same name or looks, but '''this is what they all think they heard about their new friends'''. It might all be just poppycock of course!

Quinton learned the following: people have said Oscar was being raised by an elf. Darius does not actually know where his mother is buried. He looked for the grave but never found it. Maybe for the best, because he would like to dig her up to find out how and why she died. Dauphine has a strange fascination for dead things. It's said she sometimes talks to dead animals.

Dauphine heard these stories: Rumor has it that during his training Darius wounded and even killed small animals to learn and practice his new spells. Most of them failed, which resulted in unneeded suffering. Quinton used to dress in women's clothes. Oscar is a wild child who will eat anything he comes across; plant, animal, human?

Darius heard the following rumors: Dauphine keeps dead animals rotting in her backpack. It's best not to follow her too closely when traveling because the dead smell coming from her backpack can only mean she's keeping dead birds... or something. Quinton became the owner of the family business at the tender age of 17. And... Oscar is a demon child.

Oscar doesn't understand Common but he was lurking and heard people say the following, even if he had no idea what they were saying: Darius buried his own father. He even fixed and prepared the body so that it could be presented in a coffin. Which was one hell of a job since his father died in a fireball. Darius invited all the locals to the funeral, but nobody came. Dauphine has found her armor in a second-hand shop. Quinton is said to have a scar from a date gone wrong on an undisclosed body part.
The four get to know each other a little better that first day and are put to work when needed. At this point it becomes clear to Third Mate Kristi that Oscar doesn't speak Common or even understands it. She complains to another crew-mate about the shanghai-ers, how they are bringing in totally useless people, which is overheard by our friends.[[File:Bound shark.png|right|300x300px]]
At some point Darius looks over the railing and sees a shark swimming just under the surface. But this is very strange, it looks like there is a sort of metal cage around its head. He calls over Kristi but it's gone when she arrives and she waves away his story, blaming it on his sea sickness.

Quinton tries to write something on the mast but is immediately scolded by a sailor who are a superstitious bunch and this spells bad luck.

The next morning our friends wake, and while they might still feel sea sick, their recent experiences have unlocked new abilities inside themselves. [They reached second level.]

During the next days they all get to know each other even more and experiment a little with their new found abilities. Quinton uses his Message cantrip to send a message to Darius, which freaks him out at first. Oscar hunts down a rat and eats it. Darius immediately calls Third Mate Kristi over and shows her that the halfling is not useless at all; he's a great ratter!

Then, during the night, '''a massive storm hits''' the flotilla. Our friends are asleep in the hold when they get tossed all over as the waves pummel the ship. A huge hole in the hull makes the ship list to the side. In nautical circles this is what is known as a ‘bad sign’. Before the party even knows it, for that is what they are now, they '''find themselves in the water'''. Huge waves spell their doom but fortunately '''half of a loading trapdoor floats nearby and they manage to cling on to it'''. Twice someone loses their hold due to the storm but twice they are rescued by the others.

=== Tiny Island ===
After floating on a calmer sea for many hours they eventually '''wash ashore on a tiny island''', about an hour before dusk. They have nothing but the clothes on their backs and maybe one trinket or other item they kept close. The island is not a bounty one; one rock spur sticks about eight meters up in the air, the beach is more pebble than sand. There’s one small tree, not doing too well, other than that just some shrub bushes that don’t grow much in the way of food. One can walk a full circle around the island in about ten minutes.

There are some things that washed up on the shore with them. A large, iron anchor twisted into a spiral, they have no idea how it got there, it would definitely sink and not float. Oscar finds a cloak clasp shaped like a kraken, he has no idea what a kraken is but it looks nice so he keeps it. A barrel of mead is a nice find and they all immediately quench their thirst. Quentin finds a banged up scroll case that contains a scroll of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#enhance%20ability_phb Enhance Ability].

Oscar searches the island for food and other useful things, finding just a few berries and mushrooms but near the shore he finds [https://5e.tools/items.html#jellyfish%20vine_hhbh Jellyfish Vine], which are not dissimilar to a plant he knows; he'll be able to fashion this into something that will improve a weapon for a short time. Meanwhile Quinton has gone up to the one tree and found a branch that could serve as a weapon. He tries to make it into a quarterstaff but it becomes no more than a club.

Our friends discuss what to do next and Dauphine suggest climbing the rock spur to see if anything can be seen there, Darius and Quinton decide to go with. Oscar, who hasn't understood a word of the discussion follows a short distance behind. And he gets a great view of the three ahead '''falling through a thin sheet of rock into a shaft below''', debris flying everywhere.

The halfling gets there in time to see there is a force field at the bottom of a 30' shaft that has slowed down everyone's fall and they end up on the floor with little to no damage. Oscar then uses the handholds that have been carved into the rock to climb down to the others.

The bedrock has been carved out to create a room, the ceiling is about 15’ high, the shaft in the middle of it. It is pretty barren, on a stone shelf lies a book that has been totally overgrown with mold. A corridor leads away, there is a tiny bit of light coming from around corner. Only two of our friends have darkvision, Quinton can see almost nothing, the force field provides a little light.

A magic mouth on the wall starts speaking in an unknown language to most but Quinton knows Ancient, though he has never heard it spoken before; '''“This is containment area Manahuia. You do not have the proper authorization to be here. Leave now and do not return lest you’ll be destroyed.”''' Oscar has made it down by now and Dauphine tries to see if she can rescue a page from the middle of the book but fails utterly.

A minute later the magic mouth repeats its message and then '''incorporeal snakes come through the walls and start to attack'''. They are hard to hit and there are many, so the party flees down the one corridor. Here they find a natural cave that has been carved in places to heighten the ceiling to about 8’. There are signs of combat, scorch marks on the walls, a broken arrow lies just inside the corridor.

To the back of the cave is '''a dark opening, about three meters in diameter, maybe it’s their imagination but the inside of it seemed to move a bit, throb'''? It is almost entirely blocked by a stone wall that is crumbling, the druids are versed in Arcana and recognize it as one made by the Wall of Stone spell. Almost a foot of water has seeped into the cave and in the murky water they can just about make out four small mounds of stuff. In the left back corner of the room lies a ball of something rubber-like wrapped around itself.

The snakes haven't followed, yet, so they have time to explore. Three of the four mounds contain a dead body, very well preserved, and also a number of items. Going through all the items takes time but will likely lead to some good finds so most of our friends go through it carefully, whereas Oscar grabs something at random. The odds are 2.78% but he manages to grab a necklace of teeth, not unlike one he was wearing and lost in the storm!

Darius has gone to the rubbery thing and it slowly starts moving a little, waking up? It takes a while but it slowly unwraps its appendages and turns out to be some kind of golem-like entity? The party has been collecting items for a while and now the first incorporeal snake has found its way to them. The rubbery thing attacks with just a single appendage at first and hits hard; doing not just hit point damage but also giving Exhaustion to those hit.

Every round the golem attacks with one more appendage and escape becomes a necessity. Dauphine uses two Thunderwave spells to destabilize the wall and then Oscar manages to place the butt of the spear that Quinton found and gave him, in exactly the right place and he levers up and a huge chunk of wall comes down, enough for them to enter the strange tunnel that looks a lot like the inside of an esophagus, [[wikipedia:Peristalsis|peristaltic contractions]] and all.

Dauphine really wants more of the items but is hit again by the rubbery being and when the incorporeal then critically hits her, she's brought down! It's not easy but the others manage to get her out; Darius using a Cure Wounds spell and Quinton helping by providing another target for their foes. Everyone ends up inside the tunnel and the creatures don't seem to want to enter it.

As they walk down the sloped tunnel they heal themselves as best they can. The tunnel is long and continues downward, only after a long walk they arrive in another cave, slick with water. The tunnel looks about the same at this end as the other, very strange. Things look to be safe so our friends decide to have a long rest and '''look at all the items they managed to grab'''.

Dauphine found a potion of Stupendous Healing (3d10+level) and she knows these are very rare and not for sale, it might be worth a nice amount. She also found a bracelet made of gold, set with turquoise stones. Quinton found one exactly the same, each bracelet should be worth about a hundred gold pieces. Other items she managed to recover are a [[Demon Dash|'''Demon Dash''']], which she gives to Darius, and a water-proof scroll case containing a number of gems (200 gp worth) and spell scrolls of [https://5e.tools/spells.html#false%20life_phb False Life] and [https://5e.tools/spells.html#skywrite_xge Skywrite].

Darius found the rather strange [[Cyphers & Potions#Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion|'''Arakaen Mana Parasite Potion''']] and Stridden Boots that can give the wearer explosive speed as billowing flames blast from their feet and set anyone they get near to on fire. He also found a really strange tiny, red stinger; '''[[Phlegethos’ Pick]]'''. Quinton found the '''[[Spent Spear]]''' which he gave to Oscar and the halfling managed to grab the necklace with teeth; '''[[Past Primal]]'''.

[Room with the mounds of stuff and some of the items there with thanks to Dale Friezen.]

'''Darius rips a pant-leg from his trousers and turns it into an improvised mask''' which he puts around his face, only '''his eyes are still visible and they are purple''', instead of the blue they were earlier.
[[File:Steam Mephit.png|right|349x349px]]
After some good sleep they set off down the slick rock corridor, going ever further down, the temperature drops even more and everyone gets a headache. Eventually they come to a fissure, vapor rising from it, about ten foot across.

Right after Dauphine jumps over it, small, winged humanoid creatures with pale skin and wisps of vapor rising from their nose, mouth, and ears rise from it. They shed drops of steaming water when they move.

The creatures attack with their steam breath, hurting our friends quite a bit but they have quite some capabilities of their own and Oscar manages to use his Past Primal to critically hit one of them, killing it instantly.

The path continues on until they reach what must be a really big, stone door. A large stone frame runs up, across, and down a single slab of stone. There is no handle or lock visible but on either side there is a hole in the stone, just a bit bigger than a finger. After some discussion Darius and Dauphine '''each put a finger into one of the holes and the door slides open diagonally'''.

==== Midnight Altar ====
Beyond the doorway is a square room about 50’ on each side carved out of some kind of blue stone. A midnight altar, wrought from some superterrestrial metal, stands at its center. Faint lines of golden energy radiate from the altar along the floor to a large door. Above the altar float a number of symbols, most are white, two are purple. In the middle of the two side walls sit levers, both pointing up.

At the far end of the room is a large door, made of a dark wood and covered in many sigils that all radiate with magical power. Around the door and on the floor emblems have been carved, the same set repeats; a skull, a cloud, a triangle pointing downwards, something that might be an explosion, a scorpion. The door doesn’t seem to have hinges, a lock, or a handle. A tiny crack has formed at the bottom left of the door and a dark orange substance has seeped out, it looks like a small drop of syrup or honey.

Our friends investigate the room but can't make heads nor tails from the symbols above the altar. The door seems to be warded to keep something in, this might be some strange mystical prison? '''Darius rips off another part of his trousers and uses it to dab at the small drop of strange substance at the foot of the door, it absorbs into the cloth.'''

A Detect Magic spell shows that the two levers probably aren't connected to the warded door and since there is nowhere else for the party to go they decide to pull on them simultaneously. When they do, two things happen immediately. '''There is a sinking feeling as their room starts to float down''', and six parts of the wall are blown away and beyond them are niches in a strange shell like shape. Each contains a bench that is angled ninety degrees, a receptacle holding a potion vial, and a lever.

Everyone feels the pressure increasing in their heads and it stands to reason it will only get worse. Darius darts into one of the niches and pulls the lever. When he does so, a force field covers the open side of the niche as it is pushed away from the wall and starts to float to the surface. The gnome drinks the potion, figuring it might be needed at this point, it turns out to be a healing potion. When the escape pod pops out of the water it lands horizontally on the waves and the force field disappears, the bench is now in the right position to sit on.

Having seen the result of Darius' action, Oscar is next to scramble inside a niche and pull the lever. Dauphine and Quinton stay a bit longer, wondering if there's something else they can do here but with the pressure mounting, they too make their escape. Once on the surface, all of the pods find a way to each other and cluster together.

As they float there our friends talk about their experiences as Darius tries to explain to Oscar that the potion is a healing potion. The party discusses the '''strange black and white vision that talked to them as they entered the room'''. No one saw it in the room but somehow each saw a black and white apparition talking to them, it looked like a rather enigmatic version of their race. And it promised lots of power if they would help 'it', and clearly whatever the entity was, it was quite powerful. But '''they all declined its offer'''.

After floating in the middle of nowhere, the island is not in sight, for most of the day, they get very lucky and spot a ship. It's '''a fishing ship, the Twilight Wanderer, from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]]''' and our friends are taken on board. As he does so, Quinton notices from the corner of his eyes what looks to be '''a huge head sticking out of the water''', from about halfway up the nose. It's right at the horizon and must be enormous but it moves away before anyone else can spot it.

The crew consists of four people, all quite sunburned; Captain Raisa, tall, skinny, and quite sociable, Zaria, she has a broken nose, muscled arms, and is quite chatty, Blazh, he wears an earring with lapis lazuli, is missing a finger, and carries a hooked knife, he's quite jovial, and Kyrilu, a rather hirsute individual who squints a lot and is a bit grumpy.

The ship is cramped with eight of them on it but they make it work as they set sail home to Abrinol, the neighborhood in Avale is named for it. During the journey our friends get to know the crew a little better and learn of the fascinating culture of the Hundred Mile Islands, though Quinton isn't charmed by it and conspicuously moves away when these things are discussed. That first night everyone on the boat sees '''a falling star, blue streaked, and very low on the horizon, crossing the sky'''.

After a, blessedly uneventful, journey of a few days '''our friends arrive on Abrinol'''. It's quite the sight; the buildings on the island are all made of wood and painted red, though a Dolac would say their quality was less than they were used to. Off to one side of the town there are a few houses that are clearly built in older Dolac style, including one tavern, the Maiden and Flagon.

A few warehouses in Dolac style are situated to the left of the harbor, that’s also where two large piers can be found, each has a ship anchored there. The Prince Willim is one of those, it looks to have taken quite some damage from the storm. The other ship is a large merchant vessel named the [[Hythe Maritime Services|HMS]] Floris.

Captain Raisa invites the party over to dinner at her house and even offers to let them stay the night. First our friends go do a little shopping, selling the gold bracelets they found to get some new clothes and supplies. A few merchants sell flotsam and jetsam; they recovered a number of items from the flotilla, including Dauphine's [[Coloured lenses of Scotopia (Tanaquilya Lomë)|colored lenses of Scotopia]] and her [[Nochtoina]]. She buys both and also a part of the Crowned Griffon's name plate, it reads "owned". Oscar waits until the merchant is distracted and steals a gold tooth.

Our friends first go to the Prince Willim to see about passage, though none of them are much enamored with the navy at this point. They are offered passage, however they try the HMS Floris as well. The sailor at the gangplank has good news and bad news; the ship is sailing for Avale tomorrow, but all passenger berths are filled. When our friends ask if there's really nothing to be done, relaying how they were shipwrecked, a voice speaks from the railing and invites them up.

A blonde man, tall and wide shouldered, the type you would cast in your play to be the paladin or king, welcomes them onboard and '''introduces himself as Gerrut Hythe but tells them to call him Keeper'''. Apparently their story had an effect and he offers them passage and would like to discuss their experiences with the Admiralty.

The next morning, after a lovely dinner and a fun time in a tavern, they board the HMS Floris and find out that Keeper has vacated his personal cabin for them, he'll use a hammock on deck. They discuss bound sharks; he's seen a few over the years, but the giant head is totally new to him, and he has no experience with tiny islands and strange, sinking rooms.

== Dolac ==
Our friends make it safely '''back to [[Avale]]''' where the first order of business is to find an inn, as they decide to stick together; they learned that to get any adventuring work you need to be signed up as a group. They are told the Grey Minstrel Inn is a good place for what they are willing to spend so that's where they go.

As they approach the place in the Bow Valley neighborhood they see an old woman in dirty coat sitting on an upturned bucket at the entrance to an alley. A brown mackerel tabby with gray field lays on a window sill and gets up stretching its back. A little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in an old coat dances to music only she can hear. Inside the inn a lute missing its strings and a broken horn hang on the wall, a statuette of a panther, wooden and painted black stands in an alcove.

Next on the list is more shopping; our friends sell a number of the items they found and use the proceeds to buy weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. Dauphine has a shield made from the Crowned Griffon name board. Quinton looks into getting pan-flute lessons and ordering business cards.

Then '''a visit to the Adventurers Association''' in Kesslia. They have to fill out a form, asking where their strengths lie and '''give a party name, for some reason they decide on "The Daltons"'''. After a a short while they are lead to the offices of Jerry Tidwell, who will be their agent from now on. He's a tall halfling with dark hair and a big nose, and very outgoing, energetic. He offers them coffee that he has specially imported from [[Haza]].

They discuss what he can do for them as he plays around with a silvered horseshoe in his hands, in some places the original iron clearly visible. Jerry tells them they are in luck; Grand Master and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]] Geppert Cross, of the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors has died recently and there are '''jobs available as honor guard'''. It only pays 2 gp but he explains that it's important to get a relationship started with any guild, they are much more likely to hire people they have worked with in the past, and usually don't look closely at what the work was.

He also advises them to get a ‘money person’, it's such a waste to keep your money in a pouch or under your bed. The money person knows the best banks to put them in or other investment opportunities. “Me and some friends bought the rights to the Dolac blue conifer; whenever a single one of them is sold we get part of that,” he explains quite animatedly. He suggests a bookkeeper; Carla Tebaldo, she's a gnome and does most of his investments.

=== First Jobs ===
Our friends are told to go to Save Nine in the Fabrics neighborhood to pick up ceremonial staves and robes with the Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors clue compass rose attached to them. Next they report to the Domicile of Diligence in Uppark. The procession will go to the Mother Mensual cemetery in the Dawnbloom Heights neighborhood and every hundred feet two people peel off to stand to the left and right of the street.

On their way they hear people in the crowd along the street talking. A halfling wearing a poncho with multicolored, diagonal lines comments: “you know what a dead Torchbearer is? A good start! I say burn them all, what have they ever done for us?” A woman in a hat with a blue compass rose emblem tells her companion: “I heard that thing that fell from the sky destroyed the entire city of [[Kostul]]!” A gorgeous half-elf in a blue dress says to her friend, who is equally stunning: “I used to have so much fun with Old Geppy, he was the loveliest little lapdog”.

When our friends get near Carriage Court it is their turn to take up positions. A dwarf with a beard woven into an intricate pattern asks: “Did they appoint anyone in place of the dead guy yet?” A man eating the last bit of his deep-fried giant answers: “No, this bunch are traditionalists and wait till the body is in the ground.” To which the dwarf replies: “Well, I hope that whoever gets in will be in favor of lowering taxes on labor, it’s got so bad I can hardly compete with foreign crap coming in.” Says the man: “This guild? Don’t hold your breath.”

As the funeral procession comes closer a man steps into the street, right between where our friends are standing. He throws a bottle of oil to the cobbles and pours another all over himself. He cries: “They ruined me! Those gods-damned guilds and their rules, destroying the common man and do they care? Do they fuck all!” as he takes out a tinderbox. People scramble backwards.

Our friends immediately respond and an Entangle spell plus a Command spell by Darius prevent the man from lighting himself on fire. Then Dauphine knocks him to the ground and the four of them work him to the side of the road before any of the dignitaries get there. When they do, one of them comes over to the party, a man with a heavy set build and hangdog facial features, who introduces himself as '''Alun Djames, a Master of the Stevedores Guild'''.

He's impressed with what they did and invites them over to his home for dinner the next day. Our friends arrive at his home on Sevso Island, located right at the river with a view of the rest of the city, and get introduced to his wife and three children. Dinner is great and Alun promises that he'll rustle up some work for them when he can.

The very next day Jerry sends a messenger; he has '''work for the party'''. "It's a twofer!" he exclaims enthusiastically when they enter his office. He has received requests from the '''Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild and the Messengers Coalition'''. Both seem to him a good match for our friends and he hands them the parchments; '''[[AAG - Request 1|Request for Ingredients]] & [[MC - Request 1|Missing Messenger]]'''.

==== Kenohob ====
Our friends make it to Kenohob without any trouble, all the while having kept an eye out for Herleva. Once there they find outshe picked up her package and left, right on schedule. They also learn that wild animals have been coming into the village causing havoc, this is not normal behavior, usually they know the risks and avoid the hamlet. Only last night the Furious Farmer lost a number of cows due to a wolf attack.

Our friends go visit her and the halfling tells them, pointing at the forest with her scythe, that the wolf went back into the nearby forest. Darius asks to buy an old scythe and our friends then track the wolf, they are quite skilled at this and easily follow its tracks between the trees. They lead to the dead body of the wolf, with an zombie boar standing over it. Battle is short and swift with the boar snuffing it in the end; Oscar critically hitting once more.

There's only an hour or so of daylight left but again our friends prove very proficient at tracking, following back the path the boar took. They arrive at an '''ancient barrow mound, deeper in the forest'''. Sitting on top of it is a '''redheaded girl and her dog, which looks quite undead''', but not in a way that Darius, or the others, have seen before.

The party talks with the girl as the carefully close and spread out a little. She '''confirms that she is Herleva''' and tells them that on her way back to Avale, her dog Snuffles dashed into the forest and she followed him. It lead to the barrow mound, one side had collapsed a bit and left a hole big enough for the dog to go through. '''When Snuffles came back out it was very much changed and now, anytime it came near a creature it turned it into a zombie.'''

The girl herself is fine, definitely not undead, though she is clearly malnourished. There is some speculation among the party about why she is not a zombie, maybe only beasts are affected? They throw her a goodberry and she eats it, feeling a bit better. But it's clear to her the party doesn't want things to stand as they are. She pleads with them to leave her and Snuffles alone, telling them she'll try and make sure it won't infect any other creature, she'll give them all her meager belongings but please, don't harm her only friend in the whole world.

The party has other ideas though, Darius definitely wants to end the undead dog's existence and the others agree that that's the best course of action. Quinton starts by casting a Sleep spell on the poor Herleva so she doesn't have to witness what is about to happen. Zombie forest creatures have by now made their way around the barrow mound and a battle ensues.

Darius uses his Turn Undead ability and a zombie wolf runs away. But the other opponents are tough and some of our friends are brought low, fortunately between the four of them they possess quite some healing magic. Darius activates his Stridden Boots and uses them to great effect, burning four enemies before the boots burn up completely and hurt him. Combat is over soon after with the party victorious.

The gnome uses his undertaker tools on Snuffles fails to learn anything useful. Our friends '''burn all the undead''' and they then very carefully investigate the hole in the barrow mound, using a large stick and a rope to pull a bone dagger and a wooden box from the interior. The engraved box contains twenty-six teeth, each engraved with the mirror image of all letters of the alphabet; when pressed into something soft they leave an imprint.

Our friends put anything that will burn into the interior of the mound and then light it, hoping that whatever turned Snuffles into what it became can be destroyed this way, or at least stop it from happening to anyone else. They then carry Herleva away and wake her up. She is incredibly distressed when told that Snuffles is no more and Quinton uses a Charm Person spell to blunt the edge.

Back in Kenohob they take a room at the Whispy Vapor Inn for all five of them, Herleva is still very sad about the events and Quinton goes into the village and finds someone with shepherd puppies and he brings two back for the girl. That definitely brings a smile to her face but it's a good, persuasive talk they have with her that eventually convinces her not to sneak out of the room at night to go back to the barrow mound.

The party all agree it's not a good idea to have Herleva go back to Avale by herself and figuring there is no rush for the other job '''they return to the capital with her and deliver her to the Messengers Coalition HQ'''. They then do some shopping and start the return journey to Kenohob the next day. From there they go south as indicated by the request and eventually come across an ogre.
[[File:Ogre Howdah.png|right|355x355px]]
But that's not all there is to it; someone built a palisaded wooden fort on its back! And in there are two goblins, one speaks up as the party approaches. “Ah, perfidious questers! Surrender your treasures and artifacts and your existences will be spared!” Our friends do not feel inclined to take this deal and move closer and the goblin speaks again: “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational Flak Ogre!”

Battle is on and the two goblins are very adapt at sniping at the party with spell and bow before hiding behind the wooden cover again. Unfortunately for them they miss as often as they hit. The ogre hits more often and harder but it turns out that two druids with two Wild Shapes each have a nice buffer of hit points to make it through a fight.

'''Eventually the ogre topples''' and both goblins roll away, the spell caster of the two manages to escape, hurling insults as she disappears. The other the party manages to kill, unfortunately it doesn't have loot worth anything.

The next day our friends split in two groups and '''manage to find all the ingredients''' requested by Herb’s Store. They set up camp near a marsh and then proceed to '''have a very strange dream''' featuring a blue and green painted carriage and a mansion with a butler and long corridors full of doors.

=== Avale ===
Our friends deliver the ingredients and ogre parts and Herb, the proprietor, shows them a number of interesting items he is willing to sell them for their services, he tells them to check back often as his stock changes frequently. When they return to the Grey Minstrel Inn they are accosted by '''a dwarf with a rather tangled and unkempt beard'''. He is looking for a job and introduces himself as '''Aracuda Shovi''', it's clear he is far from home but our friends don't have any work for him. Dauphine asks him if he has ever heard of a Stone Dragon cave; he tells her it rings a vague bell, he will find her if he remembers more.

'''The piece of cloth that Darius dabbed in the dark orange substance''' has grown over time and the next morning he wakes to find it has wound tight around his torso and learns it's '''now an armor of sorts: [[Vessel Wraps]]'''. The quarter-scythe that he ordered has been completed and he pays with it by trading in his old armor. Oscar has seen Dauphine's shortbow and wants to try one as well so they buy one for him.

The next day a message from Jerry, their agent, arrives. He has '''a job for a druid to sub for one who got sick, the druid is to wild shape into two different animals for a play being staged at the Catifras theater in Oakhurst'''. He also included three free tickets for the play that night. Dauphine and Quinton decide that he should be the one to take the job and he goes to the theater that afternoon. The marquee reads: “'''Hanno Salt stars as Jack Hoida in Jack Hoida and the Forgotten Temple'''”.

He is met by the '''Long-Suffering Assistant Director''' who explains they need a panther in the first act and a giant snake in the third. He is then introduced to the Water Wrangler, the Pyronicist, the Sound Effecter, and the stage hands. He briefly meets Hanno Salt, a dark haired, square jawed man in dark pants, a white jacket with dangling fasteners, and black gloves, who sucks on a licorice stick and soon leaves with a giggling blonde. Quinton learns the play is about intrepid explorer cutting a swathe through vines and canoeing down white-frothing rivers in a territory composed almost entirely of jungle and implausible traps. He gets to practice his part with the Nervous Stand-in.

In the evening our friends take their places in the audience and Quinton is in the wings. The play starts with a bard singing an opening song as the backgrounds change and stagehands walk out with placards showing who plays who. At the end of the play another song is sung. Some quotes:<blockquote>"...and of course, Queen Tamarka was my lover, but now she wants my head on a stick. All because I gave away the secret of her immortality..."

"...and that's when I married the love of my life and retired. Only for her to be murdered six months later, dragging me back into my old life..."

"...after that I spent a year undercover as a pirate under Captain Rosaline, the River Rose. Also my lover, by the way. And come to think of it, she also wants my head on a stick..."</blockquote>Quinton does an ok job performing his animal forms on stage and is in the changing rooms afterwards when Hanno Salt steps in. “The production went as smooth as can be, you all deserve a drink. I love it when a play comes together,” he tells them before he leaves with a giggling blonde, not the same as the one in the afternoon. Quinton goes of with the cast and crew for a drink and the rest of the party also goes to a nearby tavern for a libation or two.

==== Night at the Museum ====
Not much later '''another job''' offer comes through; our friends are to '''act as guards for some animals on display at the [[Avale#State Museum|State Museum]] during a fundraiser'''. They are told to look the part more than anything; wear all the armor they have and bring their biggest weapons. At the location they are met by the '''Harried PA''' who explains she had to make a deal with the museum guards; the party has to stick to their location with the animals and are to leave everything else to the museum guards.

The event takes place in two large, connected rooms and in one corner there is a display; "'''Animals from [[Neniros]]'''". There's a large cage containing an orangutan, a large box with glass front and top in which a huge anaconda lies. Two smaller boxes with glass tops and fronts hold Neniros toads and blue poison dart frogs. A small cage hanging from a pole contains a single orange and black bird; a cock-of-the-rock.

The caterers are busy setting up tables full of food and drink and at some point someone calls out; “'''Hey, Naffles''', where in the Nine Hells are you?” Darius calls out that he's here but another voice also pipes up. This turns out to be '''the gnome's second cousin, Dersigos''', who works catering this evening. Then the first guests start to arrive.

Once everyone is present a short man with a large mustache steps up on a small podium. Quinton saw this man on his first day in the city, near the Pursue Hickory bank. They learn that he is '''Joseph Lacombe, the Grand Master and Boss of the Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes'''. He holds a short speech:<blockquote>“Friends, welcome, it is good to see so many familiar money pouches, I mean faces. We are so fortunate to be able to congregate here this evening and enjoy all the world has to offer, great food and drink a plenty. But we should spare a thought for those less fortunate, those that live in squalor, who don’t have a job, whose children are sick and going hungry. We should not allow our society to let this go on and thus I have started the Solutions for the Infirm charity and call on you for support. Please enjoy your evening in this wonderful ambiance but make sure to donate generously as I know you can.”</blockquote>He then steps from the podium and approaches one of the guests. “If it isn’t '''Fitzwallace-Keely''', my favorite guild boss, Jeffery, we need to talk about you opening your coffers,” he says, grabs a drink from a tray and then moves away with the ruddy haired man wearing an expensive suit with embroidered green scales.
[[File:Constrictor Snake.png|right|300x300px]]
The '''place is filled with the great and the good''' of Avale but unfortunately our friends don't know any of them and no one points them out to them. They do recognize the holy symbols of [[Osprem]] and [[Lirr]], so there are at least two, likely high-ranking, priests present. There is also a tiefling woman, she must be from the [[Kasarian Embassy]]. There are definitely a lot of guild members as many people wear guild insignia. Darius recognizes three socialite ladies when they oh and ah over the blue frogs; he saw them exiting Smells by Design when he first came to Avale.

Some time later there’s a flash coming from the other room and then lots of smoke, coughing people stumble into the adjoining room where our friends are. The party holds position near the animals, Dersigos and another waitress, this one more nattily dressed make their way over, still hacking and trying to catch their breath.

Eventually the museum guards go in and it becomes clear '''the Flame of Dolac, a transparent fiery orange Jacinth carved into the shape of a flame, is missing'''. '''The Humtache is called in''', lead by the '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', a short man with a white mustache, wearing a small hat. Dauphine actually saw him from her room at the top floor of the inn catching a pick-pocketing girl.

After a little while he comes over to our friends and asks if they have been in the other room at all. Seeing as they haven't, he asks them to help interview some of the witnesses; he's pressed for time as all the powerful people in the room are bristling at being held here. He takes them over to talk to four men. The first introduces himself as '''Roger Newsome''', of the Mimico Newsomes, he adds when all he gets are blank faces. He's wearing a bracelet with a huge piece of jade and a ring set with a fire opal. He explains that he and his three friends Arthur Elliot, Theodore Grady, and Horace Sims, are gem aficionados, they call themselves the Stoned Boys. Unfortunately none of them have anything useful to report.

Our friends report this and then return to the animal corner. There they start discussing what the thief might have done; there were museum guards at all the exits and no one left the building so it should still be here. They then realize that putting it in one of the animal cages/boxes would be a great way to have it smuggled out and be relatively easy to retrieve.

With two druids present it's not too hard to talk to the animals and '''the anaconda complains about a sharp stone''' that was dropped into its box. '''Our friends let the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector know''' this and he agrees that just keeping an eye on the animals when they get transported out of the museum tonight should be a good way to catch the thief red-handed.

But then the party start to plot further and now think it might be safer to remove the gem from the snake box and put it with the blue poison dart frogs. They do so and then five people arrive to take the animals away. Darius and Quinton feel one of the five is ‘off’, the way she behaves is just different from the others and she doesn't do much.

Darius tries to cause a distraction but things go quite wrong and the animal people are quite unhappy and sort of send the party away. Near the exit the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector is waiting for them. He tells them that he put one of his detectives with the animal people but the party doesn't tell him that they moved the gem, thinking that he could actually be in on the theft.

Once outside our friends are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter''' from the [[Avale#Vulpine Count|'''Vulpine Count''']]. He was at the fundraiser and has lots of questions but the party dismisses him and go off to find the animal people. They follow their wagon to a warehouse of sorts and see them all go inside. Some time later four people leave the warehouse; the Humtache detective is still in there.

Loads of shenanigans ensue and at the end of it all '''Dauphine has apprehended''' the '''Natty Napster''' a block away from the warehouse. '''She doesn't have the Flame of Dolac''' on her and when the Well-Meaning Detective Inspector and his people '''rush back to the warehouse they can't find it there either'''. It's not with the frogs and not with the anaconda either.

Our friends leave the Humtache to their troubles and go get some sleep. In the days after, they learn '''the gem has still not been found''' and the Natty Napster can't be charged with any crime. There is also some general news; clouds have been seen in the shape of dragons; is it a sign?

==== Wayward Son ====
Some days later '''a distraught mother''' comes to the inn; she heard about the party finding the girl from the Messenger Coalition and '''her Wayward Son is missing''' and she has no one to turn to. Our friends promise to help and learn that she lives in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Woodfall|Woodfall]] neighborhood, working two jobs. Her son often goes to the [[Avale#White Bridge|White Bridge]] and to Promise Fields.

Quinton spots the little girl with pale skin and big, blue eyes, in her old coat and he pays her to organize urchins to go look for the half-orc boy. Our friends then go out to look themselves and eventually find the boy's best friend who tells them that the Wayward Son made a bet he could find an oyster and left town to find one in the river.

Fortunately the party are quite skilled at tracking and they are pretty sure they are on the right trail. It takes a number of days and along the way they meet [[Ranna Amethystall|'''Ranna Amethystall''']] before eventually '''finding the boy''' near some cliffs at the riverside. A fight with some nasty creatures is unavoidable but our friends are victorious and save the Wayward Son while '''Oscar's blanket protects him and reveals to be called [[Thola's Blanket]]'''. Among the loot is a [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser]] cypher.

The party returns to Avale and return the boy to a relieved mother. And learn of some news; the Black Hare tavern is going out of business. Quinton is approached by the urchin girl and she wants quite a few silver pieces from him as she had loads of urchins looking for the Wayward Son for a full week. Not much later our friends run into an '''old acquaintance of the druid from back in [[Loveria]]; Brad Beck'''.

“Yo, bro, I haven’t seen you in what, two years? Still burning all that sandalwood? This dude, the stories I could tell you. I’ve got a great line on copper ore, want me to hook you up, bro?” He takes the party out to dinner and regales them with (embarrassing) stories about Quinton. He also asks them to help him smuggle saffron into the city but they politely decline.

==== Jilted Jinnie ====
Then an '''urgent messages from Alun Djames''' arrives; the Stevedores master wants them to get to the docks as soon as possible. Once there, he explains that he needs their '''help smuggling the guild's top boss and [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]], Jinnie Affo, out of the city'''. Not only are the Humtache looking for her, but so are numerous guilds. He promises to “square it with Adventurers Association later”, and gives each of them a gem worth 25 gp.

He further explains she can't leave by boat as all will be searched. He has a wagon waiting for her at [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Parade Fields|Parade Fields]], they need to get her there unseen. But before that '''she needs to go to the Stevedores HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] to liberate some documents from her office and she wants to say goodbye to her family who are waiting for her in her brother-in-law’s house in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Cegir Town|Cegir Town]]'''. He also makes it clear that if she were to die for any reason, '''her body can never be found'''.

The party sets off with her and decide to go see the family first as it'll be later in the evening when they visit the HQ and fewer people will be there. They manage to avoid several Humtache patrols and searching guild members before they are get accosted by six robbers in a dark alley. Their spells are enough to make the criminals flee but this has drawn the attention of a search party from the Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers. It takes a lot of bluffing but they manage to talk their way through without having to reveal who is wearing the big, dark, hooded cloak.

Our friends run into some familiar faces and with the use of a super urchin have a smooth five minute family goodbye before moving back north to the Stevedores HQ. Jinnie gives the party a clear description of where to find the documents in her office and the two druids make their way inside, find them, set fire to some other documents and then leave via the window as giant spiders.

Now our friends have to go all the way through the city to Parade Fields, sticking to alleys except for Dauphine and Quinton; one of them wild shaped into a horse and the other is leading them, walking a parallel route to scout for the others. In [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kesslia|Kesslia]], as they are looking to cross the street both Darius and Jinnie '''notice a girl being dragged into the next alley over'''. Darius looks at the guild boss and she grimaces; "we move on". As they cross the street and enter the next alley they hear sounds they would really rather not have heard, and so does Oscar.

Without further problems they all make it to Parade Fields. Just beyond some construction work for gakker grounds with stands and a concessions building they see a covered wagon waiting, just as Alun told them there would be. Two horses are standing in front of it and a driver sits on the box. Our friends sneak through the construction to get a closer look and notice the driver hasn't moved a muscle.

Quinton goes to investigate and sees that the man sitting there is very lifeless and rather blue. He moves to the back of the wagon and finds it filled with a random assortment of stuff that would work to conceal someone behind. He goes back to the others and they decide that Dauphine, who has some skill with wagons, is going to pretend to be Jinnie and drive the wagon to Kenohob to possibly draw out whoever killed the driver. The others will then hopefully take care of them and go meet the druid in Kenohob, where Jinnie can then take the wagon or find new transport.

Dauphine drives away without anything happening and after a bit of a wait the others set out on foot towards Kenohob as well. When they are about three hundred feet from the construction site '''Jinnie stumbles and an arrow protrudes from her back'''. She is turning blue and none of our friends is able to save her, she '''soon lays dead on the ground'''. Expecting more arrows to follow, the party quickly grabs the body and moves to the nearest cover.

When no other attacks follow they discuss what to do next, remembering Alun Djames' words that Jinnie's body can't be found. They decide to go in the direction of Kenohob and when they get near a forest they find an empty spot inside it and burn the Stevedores Guild Boss' body there as they take a long rest.

The next morning Darius seems very unhappy indeed and they bury part of Jinnie there and take the rest to disperse over their journey to meet up with Dauphine in Kenohob. Once there, they return to [[Avale]], seeing the old woman in her dirty, green coat collecting pebbles near their inn, where a message from Alun is waiting, saying to come see him as soon as possible.

Alun Djames speaks with them briefly at his place, learning of what happened. He's rather sad that Jinnie didn't make it but relieved her body won't be found. Quinton wonders if he had anything to do with her death but the man's feelings seem sincere. Her disappearance is dominating the news in town, lots of rumors are going around about her being corrupt and defrauding the government for sums of money up to one million gold pieces in some tellings of the story. Other news says the Black Hare tavern has been bought and renamed to The Thirsty Recruit.

==== Up the Alley ====
The next day Darius returns to the home of Jinnie's brother-in-law and leaves 65 gp for her grieving family. He then continues '''on to the alley where he saw the girl being dragged into''' and after a very thorough search '''finds a small silver earring'''. He tells Dauphine what happened that night and she gets quite distant after hearing the tale. Then the gnome shows the piece of jewelry to Quinton who appraises it as of not much value.

Darius has a very close look at the ring and spots two tiny letters: RT. Our friends decide to go to a jeweler in the hope to get more information. The nearest is Rock Bottom Prices but there they get nearly no help, being told to try someone where upscale. At Family Jules in Kesslia the party gets a lot more help. The middle-aged gnome woman behind the counter brings out her grandfather, an ancient gnome with huge, bushy eyebrows.

The old one takes out a loupe and finds the jeweler’s mark. “Such sloppy repair work, bah, does no one have pride in their craft anymore?” When prompted he tells them the letters in the earring mean it was made by Rings and Things in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. When Darius takes the earring from the jeweler's hand, the ancient gnome grabs his wrist, quick as water. "What is wrong with you, boy?" he asks, "you are full of emptiness." He tells Darius to stay away from his granddaughter as the party leaves the premises.

At Rings and Things they don’t keep a list of sales but due to the repair work the woman there recognize it as one sold to '''Joser Jalbuck''' for his daughter. When asked she tells them he lives at Bell Way. Once there they learn he works at Wesson's Smithy and won't be home till the evening. Eventually they talk to him in his home and explain they found an earring that must belong to his daughter. He takes it and thanks them, saying he will give it to her when she gets home. Our friends ask some questions about her and her state of mind, which makes the halfling rather suspicious, but they do learn she works at a mansion as a domestic servant.

They wait for her to return home and intercept her, resulting in a very awkward conversation. They learn she works for the '''Verdin family''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] and, yes, when walking home about a week ago, she was dragged into an alley and assaulted. Oscar puts her a little at ease by using the Heart Sight ability from [[Thola's Blanket]]. She doesn't want to talk about it but tells them that the assailant smelled heavily of Hatchet, a popular perfume. And after more pressing, she tells them that the son of the Verdin family, Gabriel, wears the perfume, but so do his friends.

Darius tells her they will try to get justice for her and won't contact her again so she won't have to relive it again. On their way back to the inn they discuss what they can do to bring the culprit to justice and Dauphine tells Darius: “you could have stopped him earlier, now it’s much more difficult”. The next morning the party goes to Gill Gardens where they do some very thorough gathering of information before trailing the son to a tavern where he meets up with friends and they observe the group but no one sticks out as particularly suspicious.
[[File:Kerstkaart 2025.jpg|right|410x410px]]
Then when they walk home, red skies are gleaming, sea-gulls are flying over, swans are floating by, they are approached by a rather thin, tall man who asks them for help finding part of his conveyance that he lost while driving home. Quite a few things happen, including a visit to the This Is The Yeast We Can Do Brewery, before they recover the bauble, get a sweet reward and a thousand memories.

The next morning a letter is waiting for them at the inn, it's from '''Brook Jalbuck''', she has remembered that the assailant smelled so heavily of the perfume that it seemed he was drenched in it and '''she doesn't think it was Gabriel Verdin'''. Our friends decide to investigate the perfume angle and Quinton takes the lead, visiting the nearest perfumer; Eau My Gods. There they learn that Hatchet, known as Bobcat in certain other countries, is very popular indeed, so much so a bootleg version of it is made. The girl at the shop mentions that only a week or so ago there was actually a burglary at Heaven Scent in Kesslia.

Their new destination clear our friends visit and learn that one or two people broke in and made a mess of things, breaking a lot of the supplies. One person has actually been arrested by the Humtache, he left a rather easy to follow trail. The alley where Brook was assaulted is just one street over, giving our friends little doubt as to what happened, though they wonder why someone would be so dumb.

The Humtache HQ is in nearby [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]] and our friends happen to know a certain '''Well-Meaning Detective Inspector''', so that's who they go and see. When he brings them to his office he starts by '''interrogating Darius, telling him that when they looked back at the events at the warehouse it became clear the gnome was there alone with the Flame of Dolac''' for at least a minute. Did he take it? Why was he there? The priest doesn't have any really good answers to these questions and things get hot under his collar. But without any direct evidence the Inspector eventually drops it and asks for the reason of their visit.

They tell him what they know of what happened in the alley and of the burglary at the perfume store. It's not his case and the Inspector won't let them talk to the suspect but he'll have a talk with the officer in charge. Walking home Dauphine asks Darius outright if he stole the Flame of Dolac and the gnome denies doing so. “Don’t ever tell me you stole it,” the druidess tells him.

Returning next day they learn that the '''suspect, Douglas, fits the height and build of the assailant''', which also matches Gabriel's. He hasn't given up his accomplice and hasn't admitted to being in the alley either. '''The officer is pretty sure he did it''' though, but without a confession they can't make it stick. He will be going to jail for a year for the break in though. '''Darius then writes a letter to Brook''', telling her the man won't be going to jail for doing what he did to her but will be in jail for something else.

== Sarodin Sea ==

==== Chirurgeon Browns ====
The party receives a message from Jerry, their agent, and it tells them to '''go to a house on Lookout Road in the New Dunum neighborhood, and to bring [[Otteun#Food|bay ribs]]'''. They buy half a dozen at a street vendor and go to the address. The door is opened by a blond man with very square jaws and a pointed chin. He wears leather pants, as many people do here, and a plaid shirt. He asks if they are the adventurers he hired and then invites them inside.

He introduces himself as '''Hirsute Looking Glass''' and is rather surprised at the lack of reaction to his name, mumbling how normally people all get up in his business over it. He takes the box of bay ribs, immediately sucks the meat of off it and throws the bone over his shoulder. His place is quite a mess; there's an old couch he indicates for them to sit on, an old wooden trestle table that has seen better times and all kinds of alchemical equipment is covering any flat surface.

He tells the party he needs them to '''go to Hogan Island and bring back a log of tomko tree''', at least a few meters long. Why go all the way there? It's the nearest place that he learned the trees can be found. He has '''hired a ship, the Wetterlund''', that will bring them there. And why does he need adventurers? Apparently the island is uninhabited but full of dangerous forest creatures; baboons, owlbears, regular bears, giant varieties of toads, wasps, spiders, etc. In short; no lumberjacks were willing to take his contract, such nonsense!

Having eaten all of the six bay ribs by now and told them all they need to know, the man now herds them from his place and tells them to bring him back his tree as soon as possible. Oscar has been reacting strangely to this man and the feeling seems to be mutual so it doesn't take long before the party is back out on the street. Fortunately Dauphine remembers reading about tomko trees; they are quite tall with a dusky bark and dark leaves with tiny holes in them. They always grow in a ring of twelve for some reason.

Our friends go do some shopping; cutting down a tree that size won't be easy. [[Quinton Gemweaver|Quinton]] happens to walk by the vintage shop Second Hand News in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Little Perches|Little Perches]] where he sees a rather interesting robe hanging behind the counter. After some tough negotiating and borrowing some money, he pays 84 gold pieces and his pearl trinket to become the new owner of the [[Robe of Advantages]].

'''The Wetterlund is a large ship'''; pretty close to the Crowned Griffon that the party sailed on before. '''Captain Reynolds''' is a brusque halfling with red hair in a ponytail and a limp. She invites them for dinner in the captain's quarters and they enjoy a really tasty meal. Our friends learn about the captain's former career; cheese rolling. She broke her leg in multiple places but is still very enthusiastic, describing how she barreled downhill, chasing [[Cheeses of the world#Glevum|Twin Glevum]] cheese. Over dinner it also becomes clear to the very observant that '''Darius doesn't eat anything of his meal'''.

In the morning they sail past [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] and after a good number of days they arrive at their destination; '''Hogan Island''', it's bigger than they expected. As it's an hour before dusk they decide to wait till the next day. At dawn they all get into a launch and are rowed over to a small beach. It's quite misty in the morning and the mist is so firm that you need to push through it, one could even sculpt it.

The flora here is rather strange, some is much larger than elsewhere, other much smaller; there are tiny apple trees with apples the size of cherries, and huge oak trees with very large acorns. Massive mushrooms grow here as well, including [[Sprite member|sprite members]] that are almost two meters tall. Dauphine notices that the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]] feels more moist here on the island.
Our friends come across '''a piece of green and blue fruit, the colors swirling slowly around its skin'''. Dauphine's studies indicate it will grant some kind of boon when eaten but she doesn't know what kind of benefit it will be. However, Darius tells them he wants it as it can be used to improve his armor. Eventually it is decided he can use it and his [[Vessel Wraps]] gains the Store property.[[File:Needle Lord.jpg|right|300x300px]]After about a day and half, helped by a Locate Animals or Plants spell from Dauphine they find the tomko trees they are looking for; a circle of twelve. Very sharp vines grow between a number of them and Darius uses his scythe to remove them. As he does so, they are attacked by creatures made of just twigs full of needles. They launch these in great numbers and when most are taken out, a much larger specimen arrives. It's a bloody fight but our friends persevere.

Afterwards Darius cuts open the big creature hoping to find something to take back to Herb's Store but there's not much. Meanwhile Oscar discovers that [[Thola's Blanket]] has gained the Pins and Needles property. Our friends came prepared and brought the right tools to cut down one of the trees and then cut off a three meter piece.

It takes a good while but they bring it back to the ship and load it on board. The journey back gets eventful when a pirate ship approaches but '''Captain Hornigold''' doesn't stay around for long, just collecting some hats.

== Dolac ==
Soon our friends find themselves back in [[Avale]] and deliver the log to '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', putting it in his backyard that is full of esoteric things; other logs of wood, strange stones, a cauldron that could fit Quinton, and more.

They return to the Grey Minstrel Inn and learn the latest news; the '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in Downpark burned down when they were away. Dauphine quips that at least none of them were responsible for this, for a change. In the evening they have a drink at their favorite tavern; the Grape Escape. Instead of the nice, relaxing evening they hoped to have, instead they get an encounter with the fabled '''yortho''' and might just have saved the entire city.

==== The Great and the Good ====
'''Jerry''' invites our friends over to his office at Venture Hall and informs them that the Solutions for the Infirm has hired them to run security for less than a day and are paying extremely well, once again. He also has a present for them, tickets to a new play, Turnabout, at the People’s Playhouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]] as a thank you for a fruitful relationship with the '''Adventurers Association'''.

It turns out that the play is not what they expected and while Darius and Oscar have a whale of a time, the other two leave early. Two days later they report to a square in town where Solutions for the Infirm has set up a large tent and roped off the area. The party is met once again by the '''Harried PA''' who explains that they are giving new clothes to the indigents and our friends are to make sure everything runs smoothly.

There are crates with clothes stacked outside the tent, all made by '''Eldritch Honor of [[Thimonnier]]''', in the sizes small, medium, and large. At the exit side of the tent a large trestle table holds baked goods for those that have gotten their new clothes. And there lies the current problem; urchins have been darting in and grabbing food of the table that technically isn't meant for them.

'''Joseph Lacombe''', the founder of the charity and top boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes|Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes]], is there himself and comes over to the party and thanks them personally for their work at the State Museum during the fundraiser, he heard about all their good work. He doesn't stay long; after the first few indigents have received their new clothes he gets into his carriage and leaves.

Quinton rather escalates things with the urchins and they retreat but from what they are yelling, they will be back soon enough. The druid goes into the tent to ask what to do but only finds a man and a woman dressed in white, measuring an indigent's head and noting things on a clipboard before giving them a set of clothes.

He is directed to the small tent and finds the Harried PA there, who has finally found a moment to relax and is rather sad to be disturbed once again. She tells Quinton to do whatever is necessary and will see if she can get more food delivered. The urchins soon return with reinforcements and things turn into something of a battlefield with two fog clouds covering one flank. Eventually hostilities are ceased and at the end of the day there is food left for the urchins to take as the tent is broken down and the square restored to it's regular form.

A number of days later another job lands; our friends are to provide security for someone in the employ of '''Jeffery Fitzwallace-Keely''', boss of the [[Avale - Guilds#Mercantile Guild|Mercantile Guild]]. The instructions are to meet them early in the morning at the Coop in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]]. There they meet the '''Glib Adviser''' who brought two empty backpacks and hands one over. They go across the market and a number of merchants hand over small, heavy pouches, likely filled with coins and or gems that are put into the backpack.

From there they travel up town, going through a number of neighborhoods and stopping at different places, including the Tabernacle of Industry, temple to [[Ulaa]] and the [[Kasarian Embassy]] where some of them see their first ever tiefling, every time a new pouch fills one backpack and then the other. At some point they notice some shady types are following them but the Glib Adviser walks them to a nearby Humtache station and he goes inside for a good while, making the pursuers give up their quarry.

Eventually the city tour ends at a small warehouse in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abrinol|Abrinol]], where a group of four adventurers or mercenaries are just leaving. The Glib Adviser thanks them for their services as he takes the backpacks. Since things ran so smoothly and they spotted the possible waylayers he tips each of them a gold piece. Dauphine wants to go back to the Tabernacle of Industry and talks there with the priest who handed the Glib Adviser a pouch. She asks what this transaction was for but is told that's above her pay-grade.

=== The Stoned Dragon ===
Some days later '''Aracuda Shovi''' appears as our friends exit the inn. He tells Dauphine he '''remembered some more about the Stoned Dragon Caves'''; it's near some place called New Monkhome, you get there via the cellars. The elf tries to confirm that it's an actual name and not a nickname, the dwarf thinks so.

She then asks Alun Djames if she can use the library at the Stevedores HQ, and he's fine with that. There she learns '''New Monkhome is the ancestral home of the Count of Ranhem, found near Ranhem, capital of Guel province'''. It's not exactly around the corner and she asks the other party member if they will come with her to try and find the cave and recharge the [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]].

They accept and soon they are taking a barge up the river to [[Thimonnier]]. From there they travel by road, fortunately the journey goes without any problems, unless one would count their spending of 150 gp at {{TextAnimations|Text=Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates|Rainbow=1|Bold=1}} where Darius even tries to pick pocket Quinton.

When our friends '''arrive at New Monkhome''' they find it's not a castle, there's no signs of a moat or curtain wall. But '''the building is very, very old''', even the one wing that was a later addition is still many centuries old, it could have been a proper castle long ago. It’s busy, there a number of carriages parked out front, a wagon is being unloaded off to the side by what looks to be the staff entrance. A banner says: “'''Welcome to the Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild National Congress'''”.

They are met by '''Lady Ranhem''', dressed impeccably but anyone with a good eye can tell the clothes have been repaired more than once. “Welcome to New Monkhome, are you the people Torchbearer Albert Charles is expecting?” she asks. Before anyone can answer, she says “excuse me one second.” She walks over to a girl of about 15 and a boy of about 12 and speaks to them. Quinton's sharp ears pick up the conversation: “'''Ermengard''', '''Goswin''', you know these are busy days and they are important, not just for your father and I, but for you as well, you want to live here, don’t you? Then please, help out, there is so much to do, go inside and ask Jervis what you can do, please be a dear for me.” Neither looks very enthusiastic but they go inside and Lady Ranhem returns.

Our friends get into some real negotiations; they ask for a tour and to spend the night but she explains that with the current guests everyone is too busy and there are no rooms left. But they offer one of the [[Cheeses of the world#Ciwiruil Adv’Tmyywy|Kasarian Cheese Horns]] that Quinton found in one of his crates and she offers them a place to sleep in some of the empty staff rooms.

With a deal struck they go to said rooms and after a quick talk with a local rat they learn about the entrance to the cellars; it's almost right next to their rooms. It's still early in the afternoon and they quickly go have a look. The cellars are full of broken furniture, rolled up carpets, old painter’s supplies, empty frames and racks that might have held bottles, weapons, armor, who knows, there’s a stuffed bear that has seen better days, and a tree root comes through the ceiling, causing part of the cellars to have some standing water.

They spot a secret door that hasn’t fully closed, beyond it a narrow passage leads to 10-foot wide and high ancient stone tunnels that are likely of dwarven make, all spotlessly clean, lit by continual flames. Looking for any signs of what direction to go, our friends find raspberry jam prints on the wall. They pick a random direction and start walking.

They find empty rooms behind the doors in the corridors; it looks like whoever left and took everything that wasn't bolted down. Right around a corner at an intersection standing aimlessly are a corpse riddled with shards of glass and a skeleton still wearing scraps of armor and holding a shield and a longsword. Their eyes light up red as they turn to the party. Battle is swift and the party wins. A few corners later a skeleton stands in the corridor carrying what looks like its own skin. Then it suddenly throws the skin at our friends and the skin animates, trying to wrap itself around whoever it hits. This fight is not as easy but our friends still come out on top. '''Darius checks every undead carefully''' for any tell tale signs of a necromancer, '''he wants all of them destroyed'''.
[[File:Gelatinous Cube.jpg|right|375x375px]]
They continue on and come to an intersection where to one side they see what looks like the '''entrance of crypt''', they can see sarcophagi. But standing in front of the entrance is a flaming skeleton and it hurls bolts of flame at anyone it sees. As they start start shooting back Oscar moves into the opposite corridor and steps right into a gelatinous cube. Things get really hairy as the cube moves up and engulfs Dauphine, others manage to jump out of the way.

The druid almost succumbs but a Healing Word spell from Darius brings her back and she then manages to escape from the ooze. It's quite hardy but eventually they bring it down and then immediately go back to fighting the flaming skeleton. It's flaming bolts hit hard and it manages to bring down Darius who is then brought back by Quinton. Lots of spells and arrows later the skeleton crumbles to the floor.

Now our friends see a new figure standing just inside the crypt; it's '''Goswin''', the-12 year old son of the count and countess. In his hands he holds '''a large disc of infernal iron inscribed with Infernal writing, with a hole in the middle'''. Darius and Quinton both read Infernal and see that it's something called the '''Seal of Souls''', it could be the instrument that created the undead creatures.

When Quinton runs up to the boy and tells him to lay down the artifact, Darius and Oscar follow, but the boy shouts "no, it's mine!" and '''Necrotic energy flies out in a cone, bringing our three friends down''', only Dauphine, who didn't rush, is outside of the effect.

[[Robe of Advantages|Quinton's robe]] stabilizes him as Goswin takes some steps back, the expression on his face showing he did not expect what happened. Dauphine uses goodberries to bring the others back and then a rather tense discussion develops with the 12-year old, who still clutches the Seal of Souls, but promises not to use it.

He confirms that he created the undead but according to him they are harmless, he just played with them and had no idea the party fought their way through them to get where they are now. He also did not know about the gelatinous cube. They are standing inside the crypt now; there is quite some dust here and many sarcophagi, deeper inside there seems to be an ossuary. There is also a large plinth with relief art depicting a man being crowned and an empty recess which looks to be the home of the Seal of Souls.

Running footsteps can be heard and three people arrive; '''lord and lady Ranhem and their daughter'''. The man sends his wife and children back upstairs, telling them how important it is to make sure the event at the mansion goes without a hitch and promising the party he will explain to them what is going on.

In short; '''the artifact was created for the family shortly after the [[Collapse]] by a Duke of Hell and it is how they attained their position as Count of Ranhem'''. However, the item came with certain requirements. At age 16 every heir must pledge themselves to the Seal, if that should ever not happen, all ancestors, dating back to the one who made this deal will rise as undead with the sole intent to do as much damage as possible.

The count had no idea that his son had found the crypt and the artifact, he is horrified the boy used it to create undead, he tells our friends that the family decided over six centuries ago to never use it again and so far they had kept to this. He promises that he will take extra precautions, lock the item away, to make sure something like this can never happen again and he begs them not to talk about this to anyone.

The man also explains that it's been quite difficult these days to make enough money to be able to afford the upkeep of the place but moving is not great, considering where the family crypt is and what their options would be. Our friends appreciate his position; they would like to destroy the item but lord Ranhem says that according to what he was told by his father and those before him that that will also make all his ancestors rise as undead.

As our friends discuss all this Dauphine wants to know what the language on the seal is and then asks Quinton why he knows Infernal and if he has a pact himself, he answers he does not. They can't think of a real solution for the Seal of Souls and decide that it's probably safe in the current Count's hands but they do fear that any future generation might get other ideas which could lead to real troubles. They decide that for now they will not do anything but should the learn anything during their adventuring careers or gain certain powers they might come back here.

They also discussed the [[Cave of the Stone Dragon|Stone Dragon Cave]] with the count who lets them know in no uncertain terms that there is no such thing here; what there is, is a coal fire, which people seem to repeatedly interpret as a dragon snoring underground. He tells them they are free to explore the rest of the place, telling them he knows there are natural caverns deeper down. He doesn't know what the complex was used for in the past, only that is was likely of dwarven make and existed before New Monkhome was built, the crypt was added then as well.

He goes back upstairs to help out with the event and our friends explore further, eventually finding what seems to be a dwarven kiva with a large ramp running down along the wall of the hundreds of feet deep chamber. As they make their way down they trigger a trap that shoves everyone but Darius, who was taking up the rear, down into the chamber.

Fortunately all of them still had their Feather Fall boon and thus make it down safely, including Darius who jumped over the trigger for the trap only to land on a trigger for a second, similar trap. At the bottom they '''find the skeleton of what looks to be a dwarf'''. His clothes and leather armor are mostly gone and laying around him are the remains of an axe and a hammer with a spike. A crossbow exploded into many pieces, its marvelous silver inlay now all twisted up but a similar inlay can be seen on the obsidian amulet around the skeleton’s neck.

Laying further away are a number of hizagkuur springs and folded umber hulk chitin plates, all twisted or outright destroyed. A backpack on the skeleton’s back has been mostly eaten away, the same goes for much of its contents. What’s left is some torches, a mess kit, a holy symbol of [[Ulaa]], a sergeant’s insignia, and a dried mindflayer tentacle.

Dauphine takes a look at the amulet and finds out it is '''a sentient magic item called the [[Temple Ton]]'''. The sentience is happy for the druid to take it and wear it, looking forward to new adventures.

Further exploration leads to a cavern where the only other exit has collapsed and where one of the walls is much too hot to touch; the coal fire. The party returns to the mansion and stay to help out in the kitchen, making sure the event goes smoothly for the family. Afterwards they even help count Ranhem to create a small vault to keep the artifact in so no one can just take it. Before they leave, Dauphine gives Goswin the book How to Become a Bard, that she got from one of the clearance crates.

==== Getting a head ====
On their way back our friends stay the night in the '''town of Balmer'''. They have a drink at the Lumber Hulk tavern where they spot '''a rather strange looking woman'''. Some people at another table keep looking over at her, but then, most people are. But those four rush over to start a brawl with her, hoping to garner glory by bringing her down.

Our friends jump in the fray and help the woman, not that she really needs it; four drunk villagers are no match for her. Afterwards she buys them a drink and they learn that she is '''[[Chrysanthemum]], a bounty hunter'''. They enjoy some time together, trading stories, before she calls it a night. Quinton is approached by a young couple to join them for a night of fun but the druid declines.
[[File:Lelio bust.jpg|right|375x375px]]
The next morning our friends are approached by a '''bald halfling woman with a missing left hand'''. She says she saw them at the tavern last night and wants to hire them. “'''Bring me the head of Lelio Euphorbia''',” she tells them, to then explain that it's a bust that was kept in the lobby of the Critical Hit Theater. She is the current owner and Lelio was the founder. She suspects that it was stolen by someone from the new theater that opened across town recently; the Natural One Lounge.

The party walks over to the theater with her and looks for clues but doesn't find much. However, the woman's niece was present when the bust was stolen and saw the thief. She'll be at the Critical Hit after lunch and our friends decide to go check out the Natural One Lounge. It looks to be empty and Quinton uses a Misty Step spell to get inside at the backdoor, opening it for the others.

Darius shows Oscar how to use [[Phlegethos’ Pick]]; the halfling seems to have a talent for it, he opens the door to the office in no time. There's no evidence of the bust or any clues to its whereabouts. Oscar also opens the safe and helps himself to the bag of money inside it. When he later has time to count, he finds out there's 43 gp worth of mostly silver pieces in there. He gives the cleric a handful but the gnome can't condone this behavior and puts 30 gp of his own money back into the safe before closing it.

By this point the sound of conversation about the backdoor being unlocked had alerted the party that people had arrived. Quinton grabbed a janitor's coat and mop and pretended to be the janitor, only for a man to call out, asking what he was doing with ''his'' coat! The druid starts talking in Ancient and acting erratically. The man and woman who arrived think he's addled-brained and the woman goes off to get the Humtache, the man follows her, not wanting to be alone with Quinton.

Eventually the other three manage to leave the theater without being seen and they meet up back at their inn and have a nice lunch. Then they return to the Critical Hit Theater and get from niece Hilna the robber's description. She also says she found a little piece of fabric trapped in the doorway, likely coming from the man's jacket.

This is great news for the druids as they can wild shape into a dog and hopefully follow the spoor. Dauphine does so and manages to lead the party to a workshop where the windows are mostly covered up. She tries to follow the scent further as the likely robber has traveled further these last 48 hours, regrettably she loses the trail a few streets later.

Back at the workshop Oscar unlock the door and Dauphine slips inside, still in dog form. She manages to not step on a tripwire attached to a bunch of cans that would have made a lot of noise. Oscar goes in second and not only avoids the trap but even disables it in one smooth motion. The suspect seems to be in the back part of the workshop and they plan their approach. Dauphine goes inside and pretends to be a dog with the zoomies.

As she does so, both the front and back door to the place are busted open and a number of Humtache guards rush inside, arresting the person at the workbench, one Ollie Stein. Our friends are held and questioned on the spot, one of the guards is then sent to the theater to confirm their story of recovering a bust for them. Meanwhile Ollie has been taken to the HQ and the remaining guards are searching and cataloguing the place.

Once released, the party goes back to the inn and decide to wait till evening to search the workshop and attempt to talk with the robber. They don't find anything useful there and then go to the Humtache HQ. On the way they discuss many ways to get inside and how to make Ollie tell them about the bust. Using the [[Cyphers & Potions#Disguiser|Disguiser cypher]] Quinton makes himself look like the arresting sergeant and pretends to have a sore throat.

He and Darius enter and they successfully bluff their way into the cells where the cleric pretends to be there to measure Ollie up for a coffin and give him his last rites. They tell the robber that the owner had a heart attack due to the theft of the bust and both he and another prisoner call bullshit, he can't be held responsible for that. But they have managed to rattle the boy and when the 'sergeant' tells him that he also thinks it's going to far he says that he's willing to make the bust disappear so he can't be held responsible for the crime. Ollie tells him that he stole the bust for an old gnome who's name he doesn't know. But he can give a pretty accurate description and tells them they met at the Noble Nap inn.

Our friends leave and the next morning they go to this inn and find a gnome fitting the description having a late breakfast. Quinton sits down at the man's table and tries to engage him in conversation but the man is utterly deaf and not interested in a talk. But they do manage to learn that he has a room here. The party also gets a room on the same floor and break into his room when the gnome goes out for lunch. They don't find the bust or anything incriminating, nor any weapons or magical paraphernalia. But he sure has a lot of keepsakes and other sentimental nick-knacks. Most importantly; his name is on his steamer trunk; '''Archibald Euphorbia'''.

The follow him to lunch and then decide to talk to the owner of the theater about this new discovery. She tells Darius and Quinton that Archibald is Lelio's son and that years ago he made an offer for the bust but it was very low and she considers it part of the theater which Lelio wanted to remain in its original state. Our friends make some suggestions about him maybe buying the bust but then leaving it at the theater, or maybe even convince him to exhibit more at the theater.

Back they go to the Noble Nap and then things go sideways when a guest sees Oscar listening at the door to room 101. Quinton pratfalls to distract people but soon enough the concierge shows up and tells them to leave. Dauphine runs after him and it takes everything she has to persuade him to let them stay.

They now decide to lay everything out to Archibald by writing a letter with their proposal. Some time later he shows up at their door and accepts the suggestion of a small exhibition of his father's things in the theater lobby. As they walk over to the Critical Hit he starts to get really enamored with what he now starts to think of as his plan. '''A deal is soon struck''', the bust will be returned, and he is even going to pay for extending the size of the lobby.

The party gets paid and they then return to their own inn where a certain Humtache sergeant is waiting for them. He wants to talk with Darius who tries to bluff that he accompanied him into the station last night. They are all taken to the station and none of them manage to convince their interrogators of their innocence. But since no real harm was done and the investigator hates the paperwork, '''he just bans them from his town''', he wants them to leave next morning.

Back at the inn there's another surprise; a package had been delivered for Oscar two days ago but they only hand it to him now. It's a present from '''[[Chrysanthemum]]'''; a small stuffed toy of a furry marsupial with big ears and a big mouth, which turns out to be a [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager Cypher]]. There's also a note that the halfling can't read, saying how the bounty hunter thought this might be helpful in his travels.

On the way back to Avale a flooded road means a detour via to village of Dunwoody, known for its natural springs. And it seems they arrive just in time for [[Ehlonna#Holy days and observances|Ehlonna’s Turning Ceremony]]. The villagers speak of divine providence that just now a priest of the Goddess of the Woodlands turns up, and an elf as well! They tell Darius that their local priestess died recently and ask his help with the ceremony. He will do so and the party is given a free stay at the local inn and a sumptuous meal is cooked for them. In the evening, he and Dauphine shadow a girl called Kendra and then a banquet is enjoyed.

==== Training Montage ====
Our friends arrive back in [[Avale]] and learn of some recent news: there was an explosion at a tannery in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kipfield|Kipfield]], the Three Tanners, one of the owners lost his life. Back at the Grey Minstrel Inn they see the old woman in green coat looking through trash, and the brown mackerel tabby jumping from one balcony to another as they walk in and get their old rooms once again.

[[Bruneor Argent]] who resides in Dauphine's [[Temple Ton]] amulet is happy with her carrying him but he thinks that she should toughen up, and he is also of the opinion that Darius could be a much better healer. So he takes them to the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#None Turned Away Clinic|None Turned Away Clinic]]''' in the Lost Bay neighborhood. '''Durit''', the old dwarven woman who keeps the place running takes B.A. now being inside an amulet in stride, and they are sent in to meet all the medics.

Bruneor has them working 14 hour shifts for five days where they get to deal with an average week of issues at the clinic. Highlights include cauterizing a bleeder that almost reaches the ceiling, dealing with a cow's breech birth, amputating a leg, two rival gangs arriving and threatening each other whilst demanding help for their many wounded, an outbreak of cackle fever, and on their last day, the nearby Lacombe Asylum collapses, leading to a 20 hour shift where they try their very best to save who they can.

In this same week Quinton comes across a poster: “Confidently Communicating Commitment; Lessons in Leadership”. Five evening seminars at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Scarlet Bonnet|Scarlet Bonnet]] for 25 gp that will improve leadership skills. Since he has been looking to improve himself in that regard, he signs up and that evening finds himself in a room with almost exclusively guild middle managers.

On the stage appears a very slick woman who introduces herself as '''Zeran Merados'''. She explains that every of the seminars will be dedicated to a different c-word: credibility, communication, commitment, confidence and creativity. She is full of energy and pumps the room up as she starts into her first talk.

Afterwards some of the audience go for a drink at the tavern and invite Quinton along. Here he meets a young gnome; '''Emser Quinson'''. He's quite the character with his bright orange shoes and tattoos of bells on his hands. They get to talking and when he learns of the seminar asks what the druid thinks leadership really is.

The next evening they meet again and the evening after that again. During this third seminar Quinton managed to look past all the buzzwords and realized that none of it has anything to do with real leadership. He invites Emser to come to the next evening's seminar as he thinks they could convince the others to their point of view.

And the gnome is waiting at the hall before the seminar begins and the druid takes him inside. As Zeran comes up on the stage Quinton rushes up and starts talking, managing to take the wind out of the woman's sails long enough to invite his new friend up on the stage. He gives Emser the word and the gnome starts telling the audience that they don't have to be sheep and listen to nonsense for five long evenings; revolution!

The crowd responds enthusiastically and that's the end of the seminars. Lots of people swarm Zeran and she promises to repay them all. However, the next day she isn't there as promised and is not to be found again. Quinton has a drink with some of the middle managers and convinces one to give up his job; "woodworking has always been my passion, I'm resigning first thing tomorrow!" the woman says.

Everyone but Oscar can do with a break after all that's happened and they learn that the Adjective Noun tavern has something rather special; the '''Wheel of Death'''. This is a wheel with no less than a thousand numbers and lots of prizes to be won. It's installed there to promote the soon to come opening of a new casino, the He Bluffs Me Not in the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee neighborhood]].

Oscar has a go and manages to spin the wheel to 000; Death! In actuality Death is just the patrons having a good laugh as you get completely covered in tar and are then locked up in a cage in the middle of the establishment. But to show they are not all bad you get one chance to avoid your fate; simply throw a bullseye on a dartboard from the other side of the room.

The halfling takes his position and throws. He hits the board but the dart bounces off and lands on someone’s plate on a nearby table. Meanwhile the board falls down, rolls slowly to the right over the tail of sleeping cat in the corner and then falls flat. The cat jumps up with a screech and launches itself into a passing barmaid. She cries out and stumbles back in a pirouette, her tray hitting a bottle on the bar. The neatly lined up bottles slowly, and then faster, fall over, neatly in a row.

The last bottle hits the counter and the cork shoots from it and bounces against the walls a few times before hitting a Sandy Table player in the back of the head just as he was about to take his shot. He launches his disk wildly, it hits the side and flips into a parabolic trajectory landing on the head of a Kasarian tiefling, rolling between his horns and traveling onwards, flying through the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, catching on fire before landing right into a very alcoholic drink which immediately vaporizes with a whoosh.

The goblet teeters one way and then the other before finally falling right next to the plate, hitting the handle of the spoon which has the dart laying on it. The dart gets launched towards the corner of the room and once it has lost all energy it flips and streaks downwards, landing right in the bullseye of the dartboard laying on the floor. The tavern erupts when this happens and many people come over to give Oscar a pat on the back.

It's been quite the week but at the end of it Dauphine is a lot more Tough, Darius can consider himself a Field Medic, Quinton became an Inspiring Leader, and Oscar has Bountiful Luck.

==== XWING ====
Our friends are asked to help crew a Stevedore boat at the '''eXtremely Wild International Naval Games''' and manage to even win.

=== Super Tuesday ===
A few days later '''Jerry''' invites the party over to the '''Adventurers Association'''. After a customary coffee where he regales them of his latest money making scheme; lending money at Under-Barrow Savings to buy up turnip futures, he tells them that '''Super Tuesday will be in two days time'''. Since they are new to the city he wanted to make sure they understand that '''it will be more than pandemonium, the guild bylaws are insane and it's always the craziest day of the year'''.

It's the day of all the guild elections and that means loads of people on the streets all day, many wearing guild colors and some getting rather boisterous and unruly. Urchins and other pranksters might try and waylay ballot chests that have to arrive at the counting station on time or they won’t be validated. Sometimes it’s not pranks though but quite serious.

Our friends have been '''hired by the Guild of Stevedores''' and will be the ones to '''escort one of the ballot boxes'''. Every guild does things differently so all Jerry can tell them is that they will be escorting two guild members both chained to a ballot box. They will go to a voting station and then after voting closes they need to escort them to the counting station.

Jerry hasn't been told where either of these places are, he suggests talking with the guild and also advises them to make sure to be at the guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]] at the break of dawn, or even earlier, maybe spend the night in a nearby inn. After impressing upon them enough to take this job seriously he let's them go and wishes them well.

Our friends go talk with '''Alun Djames''' who gives them more details on the job; where they will need to go, the exact rules, they are not allowed to interfere with the process and there are time limits. They also learn there's also a by-election for a new top boss due to '''Jinnie Affo''' going missing; there are two frontrunners; '''Vola Zorgar''', a half-orc, and '''Garth Auric'''. Alun lets slip that as far as he is concerned it wouldn't be a disaster should the votes be invalid.

Then preparations; shopping, walking the likely route, etc. In the evening they take rooms at the Pair O' Dice Inn, near the Stevedores HQ. Darius checks with the others about how they look at the job; will they do everything by the book, cut corners, interfere? The consensus is to just do it as it was given.

The next morning Avale is alive even as the sun comes up, it looks like half the city is out on the streets; many people dressed in their guild’s colors, Humtache patrols, food sellers hoping to make a small fortune, and urchins hoping for lots of food. Getting to the Stevedore’s HQ takes quite a bit longer than it would have on a normal day.

At the HQ they are introduced to the two 'volunteers'; '''Vakna Throndor''', a young, slight dwarven woman, and '''Randall Gilliam''', a young, strapping human man. They are manacled to the chest that is the ballot box and then our friends leave on their journey to [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]]. Along the way they first meet '''Herleva Boden''' and her growing puppy, Snuffles Two. They see '''Roger Newsome''' exit the State Museum.

There's an encounter with a marching band and urchins but eventually they make it to their destination on time; The Reverend’s Rest Inn, across from the Tabernacle of Industry, the temple of [[Ulaa]]. Twelve hours of voting later they've managed to make things go pretty smoothly and are ready to now go to the Scarlet Bonnet in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Proviso Place|Proviso Place]] where the votes will be counted.

Immediately on leaving they are accosted by the '''Indignant Reporter'''. “Hey, you are the people from when the Flame of Dolac was stolen; strange how that was never found, must have been an inside job, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” he says. Quinton: “That will be only known by us.” “Anyway, what is your comment on the story that '''Vola Zorgar''' is on [[Otteun]]’s payroll and responsible for the disappearance of '''Jinnie Affo''' and the false evidence against her?” Quinton: “We heard this kind of rumor but have no opinion on it.”

Somewhat later it’s pandemonium as a bunch of creatures that look like a hideous hybrid of lizard, bird, and bat spill out of a driveway and straight into the people on the street, picking at them, wings flapping as they try and make their way through the panicking crowd. These creatures turn out to be cockatrices and it's only due to the party's quick response that no one on the street turns to stone.

The party continues on and at the main branch of the High Shore Bonding Company they see from a distance how four robbers descend from the building as an alarm bell sounds. They decide it's not their problem and leave it to the Humtache who show up soon after.

Our friends make it to the Scarlet Bonnet on time. There are lots of people standing outside the building and inside it doesn’t get any less busy. They deliver the ballot box on time and their job is done. They see the now familiar Bite Me Catering people and have something to eat and drink, spotting '''Dersigos Naffles''' carrying a tray of drinks.

==== A Marquis Job ====
The party gets an invite from Jerry and at the meeting are told that they are in luck; since no one else is available they are getting a job from Markiz (Marquis) '''Borislav Kucan Skok-Ratenicz''', who pays very well. And their job is just bringing a package from the port to his mansion in [[Duneford]]. 25 gold pieces for a few hours of work; nice if you can get it!

The next day they wait for the ship to arrive and are handed the package which Oscar carries in a backpack. The captain also gives them a large lump of silver and asks them to tithe it for his ship, crew, and himself at the [[Osprem|Osprem's]] '''Temple of Tidal Tranquility''' which is right next to Duneford. The party agrees and sets off on their journey.

Before reaching their destination they are attacked and unfortunately the package gets destroyed, the assailants get away as well. Our friends continue on, determined to bring what remains to their employer. In Duneford they run into '''Roger Newsome''' and his sister, '''Ruth''', the man telling them he donated some new gems to the City Museum.

Then they are accosted by two dwarves, one male, one female, and one human woman, they all have short hair, wear leather armor, and have a short sword or hand axe on their belt. They show the party a sketch of a man with a large mustache and a distinctive birthmark and ask if they have seen this individual. They haven't and reply thusly.

The party continues on and reached '''Shadow Pond''', the mansion. There are guards on the door and the butler brings them through the house, down a corridor full of paintings all of similar men with dark hair in a widow's peak and a rather intense look. On a huge balcony with view of the sea two men are having tea and coffee. The Marquis is tall, very thin, pale, has silver-grey hair and wide ears, he wears an expensive grey business suit. The other is a halfling with a large nose, curly hair, dressed business casual.

Borislav speaks slowly with sing-song voice and comments to the halfling that it seems they need to take more measures when the party tell him about the attack and hand over what remains of the package. After they have given all the details the Marquis dismisses them and he thanks them for their work, even if it wasn't a success.

Back in Duneford proper they have some lunch and then go to Osprem's temple to deliver the tithe. There they are approached by the man from the sketch earlier. He explains that he used to be a major in the [[Otteun#The Ott|Ott]] and he is now on the run after destroying a dangerous project. This '''Ranald Kassimir''' pleads for them to help him get to the Avale port as he knows the people after him have likely already identified the temple as the most likely place he is hiding.

Our friends come up with all kinds of interesting plans to do so and eventually decide on one. It seems to work as they make it back to Avale unharmed and the man thanks them profusely as he runs off to the port and hopefully a new life far away from here.

=== The Ballad ===
The next week or so there's no work but there is news in town; a huge, albino crocodile has eaten three people in the last week, a bounty has been placed on its head. Then our friends receive an official government missive announcing a meeting in a private room at their inn in the morning, two days hence. The visitor turns out to be no one less than Torchbearer Council Standing Secretary '''Saer Barclay Pergay'''. He tells them that unofficially they have been awarded the Star of Dolac, a very prestigious medal. And also unofficially this might be because of a certain yortho incident.

Some days later '''Jerry Tidwell''' invites the party to dinner at a nice restaurant; This Scampi Happening. Over dessert he confesses to a motive; he owes a friend of his, impresario and nightclub owner '''Anthony Prince''' a favor and the man need some people for a job that needs plausible deniability. If our friends go to his club Knight Moves then Tony will explain. They can use the phrase "Ken sent me" to skip the line.

The party has some reservations about this kind of work but decide to hear the man out. At the club they first talk with a man looking for a prince's bride and then get to see Antony Prince. Who then explains that he promised '''Yurdan Amaerth''', a real estate developer, to get some things done that have turned out more difficult than expected.

First is the lot containing the burned down '''[[Pholtus|Pholtan]] Church of the Sun''' in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]]. Yurdan wants to buy it and build an apartment building on it. But to be allowed to do so, the zoning law needs to be changed. The city planner, a Docami by the name of '''Nola Brogunn''', has the authority to do so. He tells the party that she can't be bribed so our friends will need to find a different avenue to get her to play ball. Once that is done, they can quickly buy the lot.

After asking a number of questions our friends go to their inn for a long planning session. The next morning the party is outside [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Halls|Halls]] and see Nola approach. Oscar trips her and then manages to steal her day planner from her bag as he helps her up and says sorry. Our friends then go check out the burned down church and check the crypt, finding it in an ok condition.

The day planner shows that on average four times a week the phrase "Wine Me Up" appears with a time next to it, anywhere from 20:00 to 22:30. But tonight's mention, with a time of 21:00, has been crossed out aggressively, as have all other future dates with that phrase. It turns out that Wine Me Up is a nightclub/tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], not all too far from Nola's home address which is also in the day planner.
[[File:Wine Me Up.png|right|450x450px]]
The party goes to have a look after lunch and learn that Nola performed here as a singer, but has recently been banned for saying some really nasty things, though the owner doesn't specify exactly what. Our friends then go to Tony to see if he can help them find out more about this ban, he being in the same kind of business. They find him at Bears, in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Farmhold Hamlet|Farmhold Hamlet]].

As they arrive they find him cradling an effeminate looking young man who has been beaten up. Tony tells them this happened not thirty minutes ago and he tells them to find the three boys responsible for it and "put the fear of Tony into them. Tell them that if they ever do something like this again in this town they will disappear without a trace." The boys are easily found and swiftly dealt with.

Tony has reached out and learned that apparently Nola said nasty things about the owner of Wine Me Up. Our friends go back there at the time Nola should have been performing and listen to her replacement sing. Afterwards Darius approaches this '''Marion Guff''' and in the short talk they have his insight tells him that she is very happy Nola is gone, and might likely be the cause of the ban.

He goes to confirm this with the owner and manages to convince her that Nola was an innocent victim and gets her ban undone. He even manages to get a slot for her to sing tonight. He and Dauphine rush over to her home and explain all that has happened and make their case for changing the zoning law on the way back to Wine Me Up. She sings her heart out that night and the next morning she signs the paperwork, changing the zoning for the lot.

Our friends report back to Tony and he is happy to receive some good news, lately there has been little of it. He tells them to go to the Pholtans and buy the lot directly for '''Yurdan Amaerth''', acting as his agent. He doesn't know who is in charge of this, but it's going to be someone at the [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Pholtus|Basilica of the Blinding Light]]. He impresses upon them to not let anyone know the zoning law has changed and offer a 'reasonable' amount so as not to draw suspicion.

The party goes to the temple in Uppark and find out that the Master of Properties is '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', someone from [[Darius Naffles#Childhood|Darius’ past]]. This leads to a rather awkward meeting but also rather easy negotiation; the priest accepts the first bid of fifty gold pieces. As Gormain leaves the room Darius puts his head in his hands. When the man returns they tell him that they'll pay 100 gp instead.

With their business concluded Darius and Gormain remain in the office to have a private conversation. Darius asks if they ever found who was behind the undead from their first meeting. He tells him that he has remained in contact with Lambert and knows that they went back to the scene but apparently there was nothing to report. Gormain changed a lot since Darius last saw him and they part ways, saying they'll keep in touch.

With that dealt with, our friends return once more to Tony and learn that the second thing that the impresario promised Yurdan was a wand called Lizard's Lament. He did some research before hiring the party and learned that [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Abjura Dolana|Abjura Dolana]] was somehow involved with the sale of one. This leads our friends to speculate why someone would want the ruins and a magical wand, is this related somehow?

==== A History Lesson ====
Eventually they decide to do some research at Abjura Dolana's library before asking about it directly. As they are waiting in the lobby an old gnome mage with a mouse perched on her shoulder walks by and she sees the [[Past Primal]] around Oscar's neck. She asks the halfling how he came by it but Oscar doesn't say much. Fortunately Dauphine is there to help though she is weary to say anything. But when it turns out the grey-haired mage is a Sentinel, '''Phiceli Zercoderes''', and willing to help the party, things get easier.

She takes them up to her rather large study and serves them drinks. The place is filled with all kind of magical and mundane knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. She then explains that the Past Primal is a very old item from the [[Eras|Era of Strife]], she's something of an expert on it and it caught her eye immediately. When she learns the party is here for information on the Lizard's Lament, she remarks it's another Era of Strife item and she knows Abjura Dolana brokered a deal for one recently when she was out of town, and asks her secretary to find out more.

Dauphine and the others are now ready to tell Phiceli where they found the Past Primal. The Sentinel listens with mounting astonishment and when our friends describe the [[The Wreck - Chronological order of Events#Midnight Altar|altar room]] she then surprises the party by being able to describe things before they get the chance. Phiceli decides to tell them what they likely found but makes sure to impress upon them not to share this information with anyone.

She starts with a short overview of the Era of Strife and explains how '''four bulwarks were built to stop what is now the [[Sarodin Sea]] from growing larger'''. Four people gave up their nature and through a long process created the altars that power these bulwarks. '''When the [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now#The Primordials|Primordials]] escaped after the [[Collapse]], those who defeated them reached back to this same magic to recreate the prisons for these beings.'''

Which means that '''the party stumbled upon a Primordial prison''', the Sentinel laments being unable to tell which one. The prisons definitely involve the use of extra-planar magic but each has a control room in the physical world, such as the one they found. As far as Phiceli knows none have ever been found, and with the party triggering the fail-safe that made it sink, and probably activated more defenses, finding this one will be very difficult, which is for the best.

While this is going on, Oscar has been hearing a high, girlish voice whispering in his ears in words that he understands perfectly. No one else seems to be hearing it and he slips out of the room to follow the sound. It leads him down one floor to a room with a large metal door, covered with mystic sigils, that stands ajar.
[[File:Aridni.png|right|300x300px]]
Sneaking inside '''he finds a small moth-winged creature in a summoning circle''', though he doesn't know that's what it is. "There you are, please come closer, help me escape from here," she says and Oscar again understands her words perfectly. He's wary though and doesn't come close yet, first scanning the rest of the room. It's filled with cabinets, bookcases, and the like. On a table rests a small quiver with very nice arrows inside it. "Throw it to me," the creature tells him.

As they talk Oscar learns that either she is an Aridni and/or her name is Aridni, she's being rather vague on this topic. But she is rather clear on the fact that she is being trapped here and wants to escape. Oscar comes up with a good plan, he wants to use the Heart Sight property from [[Thola's Blanket]] to see if she is being truthful.

He needs to touch her to do so and unbeknownst to him, he brakes the circle's containment purely by stepping inside of it as he carefully avoids stepping on any markings. And when he gets close to her, she kisses him on the mouth, tells him: "thanks, brother!" then rushes over to the quiver, grabs it and then disappears in a puff of dark silver smoke in a sort of star pattern.

The halfling then quickly goes back to Phiceli's office where Dauphine asks if the mage wants to have a look at her [[Mist Shard (Hírëmir)|Mist Shard]], which she is happy to do, it's something she's never encountered before. And Phiceli has a small gift for the druid; a teacup made from a varnished mushroom cap that magically keeps its liquid contents lukewarm. She also mentions off hand to Quinton that the Lizard's Lament could improve his [[Robe of Advantages]], "I haven't seen a robe like that in a long while."

Oscar sort of understands what's going on and offers his blanket, he's still shook by what just occurred. The mage casts one spell and sort of shrinks back a little and returns the blanket to the ranger, telling him it's going to be ok. Oscar then uses his Heart Sight with Darius who can tell something has happened to the halfling.

Outside there are now sounds of some urgency and the secretary arrives and gives Phiceli a note; he found out who the buyer was. When asked, the mage assures our friends that this particular wand isn't all that dangerous, it can't be used for any really dangerous purposes, as far as she can tell. She's happy to share with them that the buyer was one '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', a name quite familiar to them. With that her time is up and she brings them back to the lobby as they thank her for all her help.

==== Chirurgeon's Balls ====
It's lunch time and our friends have a lot to discuss so they find the nearest tavern; The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden. Oscar tries to explain what he did when he left Phiceli's office but it's hard, his page of icons is quite limiting here. They also discuss the things they didn't tell the mage, like Darius' [[Vessel Wraps]] being created from something that was coming through what must have been the prison door. They all agree it was a good choice not to mention the '''Count of Ranhem''' and his family problem. Darius also tells the others about what happened on his first meeting with '''Shining Bishop Gormain''', which explains why their meeting today was the way it was.

They also decided to see if they can get any information on Hirsute Looking Glass before talking to him about the Lizard's Lament. Once in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#New Dunum|New Dunum]] they look for the tavern nearest his house and find Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse. They ask the patrons if he ever drinks there and learn that he doesn't but they do know of him. He's a weird one alright, they don't know if he has a job or anything but he gets food delivered all the time and he's always tinkering with stuff in his yard.

They then buy some bay ribs before going to his house, remembering last time. He opens the door, wearing an apron covered in a red substance/liquid and happily accepts the ribs, telling them to wait as he closes the door. A minute or two later he opens it again and invites our friends inside, except for Oscar, "he's not potty trained!" The halfling decides to stay outside, thinking it might be the perfect moment to have a look at the yard.

Inside the party spots part of a sheep sticking out of a bin and make a first offer for the Lizard's Lament. Hirsute laughs in their face at the amount but eventually they negotiate a deal where they pay 2,000 gp, which was as high as Tony was willing to go, and they will do a task for Hirsute. He takes Quinton aside for a moment: “we humans, why do we have to deal with all these weird races and their crazy customs, it must be so tough to have to be around them all day.”He then brings them to his backyard where Oscar is waiting.

There's quite a lot of weird things here and a few new things stand out. '''A huge spool holds a rope with tomko tree wooden balls, each with a small rod of unfamiliar metal in it, at every twenty meters.''' Two large buoys, each weighed down with rather random things; a marble statue of a woman, missing an arm, a plate armor that is riddled with holes an inch across, a professional iron stove that has ruptured, a cauldron with some kind of dark substance caked inches thick to inner surface.

Hirsute explains that they need to get those items onto a ship and then '''go to [[Sarodin Sea#Gannet Island|Gannet Island]] where to the west of it they are to drop the first buoy, connect the rope from the spool to it and then go in a west-north-westerly direction running out the rope''' till it's all used up and then connect it to the second buoy which is to be dropped then.

Our friends go to Tony and tell him about the deal; he is willing to pay for the rent of a boat and the transport of the items to the boat. They find a working boat that is willing to take it on; the Barley a Wake. The next morning they leave port and start their journey. All goes well though they do have an encounter with a rather strange animal and they find a message in a bottle from a certain '''Bevis Cartal'''.

Back in Avale they visit Tony to get cold, hard cash and then '''return to Hirsute and finally buy the [[Lizard's Lament]]''' from him. He seems sad to let it go, patting the wand before he hands it over to Dauphine. From there they directly go to '''Yurdan Amaerth's''' mansion in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]] as directed by Tony. On the way there Darius explains that his [[Vessel Wraps]] has asked for the wand and since Quinton can use it as well, it then mentions they could split it, though this would destroy the wand. A number of plans to take possession of the wand after handing it over are discussed.

The mansion turns out to be a quite gaudy building with lots of marble. Whilst waiting outside his home office for the secretary they hear certain sounds coming from behind the door. Oscar opens it and sees a prematurely balding dwarf with a very short beard, wearing a suede suit, a gold chain and ditto bracelet. However he's not quite fully dressed; the dwarf quickly moves behind his chair but not before the young halfling noticed '''Yurdan''', for that's who it is, is in his underpants.

The dwarf quickly dresses while at the same time Dauphine, who tried to stop Oscar from opening the door barge right into the ranger and both spill to the floor. This is also when the secretary returns and after some apologies they are invited into the office. "'''Drusilia''', I'll see you soon," the dwarf says to a so far unseen gorgeous elven woman with long, slender legs and long raven hair who sits on a couch of to the side. She then leaves, giving every party member a smile.

The office is just as gaudy as the rest of the place, there's a niche which hold a [[Beljovac#Roncee & Roncee|Roncee & Roncee]] hand crossbow made almost entirely of gold. One table holds a model of [[Avale]] with a number of colored flags placed around the city. Quinton spots a flag on where the church burned down and memorizes one of the other locations. Another table holds a model of a yacht, almost two meters long.

They hand Yurdan the Lizard's Lament and he comments: "hmm, that's it? Not what I expected," before throwing it on the couch. He tells them Tony informed him of their success and he wants to hire them for a job; he'll pay 50 gp each if they get the job done, he doesn't care how. The job: he has problems with [[Avale - Guilds#Stonemasons Guild|Stonemasons Guild]] on his latest project, an office block called ‘The Amaerth Executive Suites’ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Center City|Center City]], and wants party to ‘convince’ the Grand Master in charge of construction, '''Borylla Tusarlig''', to finish it at the original price, contract be damned.

When asked he says that a ship sinking and other issues have increased the price. Meanwhile Oscar has been all over the office, touching the hand crossbow so Yurdan moves him away. Quinton calls his yacht gaudy in an effort to distract him and sits down on the couch, on the Lizard's Lament but the dwarf sees this and puts the wand on his desk. Oscar then breaks the main mast of the yacht and tries to put it back, failing, over and over and over.

Our friends accept the job though stress they won't do anything illegal which Yurdan infers as being said with a wink. The party then goes to the Stonemasons Guild HQ in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fractures|Fractures]]. Some handy work by Quinton with the receptionist means they eventually get a meeting with Borylla the next morning and the rest of the party investigates the sunken ship. They learn it was a freak storm that sunk the Big Deck Energy as it returned from the [[Sarodin Sea#Salt Lions|Salt Lions]] and nothing nefarious.

At the meeting with '''Borylla Tusarlig''', a dwarven woman with a sensible haircut and practical clothing our friends learn that all of the extra cost incurred are specified in the contract and typical construction issues, something Yurdan, a real estate developer, definitely knows about. She tells them she intends to keep the dwarf to his contract and they have come in vain.

But then the party mentions how they are good at getting deals arranged and things done. That makes her pause and she comes with an offer; '''she will personally eat half the extra cost if the party will do something for her''', Yurdan will have the pay the other half, however. She explains the wives of some [[Avale - Guilds#Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild|Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild]] masters are organizing a social get-together and she wants an invite to it. As they leave, Oscar gives her a hand, copying what Quinton did at the start of the meeting.

Our friends then manage to convince Yurdan to take the deal, they notice the mast of the model yacht has been repaired, there's no evidence it was ever broken. Borylla told them the event is being held at The Evergreen Anteroom, an inn in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#NoGWay|NoGWay]] in a few days' time. Our friends go there and find out that the three organizers are currently there, inspecting the garden where they want to host the event.

The party quickly orders a fancy tea as Dauphine goes to invite them to join so they can ask for a favor. The three socialite ladies, all looking to be in their thirties, introduce themselves, '''Lilia Calidus''', a petite blonde, '''Jennifer Cole''', a slender brunette, and '''Alice Lemuel''', a green eyed redhead with an aquiline nose and perfect teeth. Darius actually came across them the day he arrived in Avale, though neither party remembers.

Jennifer dismisses our friends' request out of hand; “Why would we want to invite such a boring nobody?” Lilia interjects: “No need to be so hasty, my dear compeer,” she tilts her head and looks at Alice, “why don’t we order some sandwiches and have chat.” Jennifer: “I just love sandwiches, don’t you?” As they wait, Lilia asks Dauphine what it's like to spend her days with the other party members.

During the conversation Oscar plays with his [[Cyphers & Potions#Damager|Damager]] cypher and eventually the ladies say '''they will extend an invitation if the party does some ‘trivial tasks’''' for the ‘little fête’ they are organizing. Our friends have had their fill of doing favors but they have little choice but to accept. The first task is to collect some rare fruits from Princes Island in the Tal estuary. As they leave everyone but Darius notices Jennifer putting silver teaspoons in her purse.

The next morning they deliver the fruit to Jennifer Cole's house as that is where all three ladies are. Their next task is to invite an exotic guest; the three tried to invite a minotaur that arrived in town recently but he snubbed them, they want the party to change his mind. Lilia comments: “He’d be the horniest guest we’ve ever had.” The minotaur can be found at The Usual Place, a tavern in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Clover Hill|Clover Hill]].

When they arrive there it turns out that Dauphine knows this particular minotaur; [[Evgenis Voúkeros|'''Evgenis Voúkeros''']], a friend from earlier in her life. When he sees the druid he invited her to join him at his table; “have some coffee.” He is talking about caravan routes with a man who introduces himself as [[Cassian Vellor|'''Cassian Vellor''']]. They soon manage to convince him to attend the fête though he's still disappointed he is not allowed to perform. More interestingly it is clear for all the party that '''Dauphine has quite the crush on him'''.

The third task is quite simple; bring a tiny tree to the singer that has been contracted for the event.Jennifer: “It’s earthly and divine, I’m sure it’ll enchant her.” Lilia adds: “If two lovers, of nature, were to present this then I’m sure they right sentiment will be firmly planted.” She is staying in the penthouse of The Five Georges in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Gill Gardens|Gill Gardens]] under the name Frazierdaughter.

The party goes there and learns the singer is '''Cobblar Languid''', a very popular artist. She too has a favor to ask... “Would you know anywhere in town where they sell a potion of golden throat? It’s made with harpy vocal cords.” Our friends definitely know as they sold some to Herb's Store in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Dawnbloom Heights|Dawnbloom Heights]]. They go there and get the requested item, Dauphine also buys a [https://5e.tools/items.html#skull%20of%20revelation_hhhvi Skull of Revelation]. Oscar shows Herb the vials he got from Crazy Clyde’s Clearance Crates and is told they are illegal but quite nice.

The final task is to bring the pièce de résistance to the inn’s garden. They hired the sculptor '''Parn Gemgiel''' to craft an immense, five by five by five meter, ice sculpture of a woman alchemist. At the man's studio in [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]] they learn that a brown mold has been placed in a wooden box painted eggshell white and cerulean blue at the bottom of the sculpture to keep it cold.
[[Category:Events]]

Avale - Neighborhoods

2026-07-21T15:47:27Z

DB:

An alphabetical listing of all the neighborhoods of [[Avale]] with a '''short description and all points of interest (PoI)''' to be found there.

=== Abrinol ===
This formerly mainly industrial neighborhood now has a largely gentrified eastern side. To the west many manufactories can still be found. It is named for one of the three [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]].

====Happy Soles====
{{#lsth:Avale|Happy Soles}}
====[[Sulla Arena]]====
{{#lsth:Sulla Arena|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - Under-Barrow Savings
* Inn - The Steaming Pot
* Messengers Coalition, Ropemaker Way
* Shrine - [[Ehlonna]]

=== Bow Valley ===
Known for Manette Creek which winds its way along the valley further north into the city. This neighborhood is mostly industrial, including many paper-markers, interspersed with lower class housing and some middle class housing at the northern end.

====Vulpine Count====
{{#lsth:Avale|Vulpine Count}}

'''PoI'''
* Alchemist - Bottle Shock
* Cemetery - Babbling Brook
* Inn - Blue Balladeer Inn
* Inn - Grey Minstrel Inn
* Jeweler - Rock Bottom Prices
* Tavern - The Grape Escape

=== Cegir Town ===
Very much a middle class neighborhood though some more expensive homes can be found near the border with Downpark. It is know for its bookbinders and booksellers.

====[[Thal Sivale]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Sivale|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Barber - Hair Me Out
* Inn - The Plucked Pheasant

=== Center City ===
In the early days of Avale the seat of government could be found here, now it's a middle class neighborhood where many of the Docami live. Numerous bookkeepers, notaries & scribes can also be found here.

====State Museum====
{{#lsth:Avale|State Museum}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub/Tavern - Wine Me Up, owner: '''Bethryn Therthran''' (dwarf, female)

=== Clover Hill ===
An upscale neighborhood that is home to many embassies and specialty food stores.

====[[Hythe Maritime Services]]====
{{#lsth:Hythe Maritime Services|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Perfumer - Smells by Design
* Tavern - The Usual Place

=== Dawnbloom Heights ===
An upper class neighborhood known for its architecture and absurd prices for "top of hill" homes. Many law-firms can be found near the border with Uppark.

====[[Companions of Elric]]====
{{#lsth:Companions of Elric|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Alchemists & Apothecaries - Herb's Store, Cat Lane
* Cemetery - Mother Mensual

=== Downpark ===
Said to be 'less stuffy' than Uppark this neighborhood has a lot of (upper-)middle class housing next to all the services that a seat of government attracts. Many glaziers & mirrorers can be found here.

====Halls====
{{#lsth:Avale|Halls}}
====[[Lirr]]====
{{#lsth:Lirr|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - Pursue Hickory
* HQ - Humtache, Watch Plaza
* HQ - Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers

=== Fabrics ===
Much of the neighborhood consists of weavers, dyers, tailors, and clothes stores. Large warehouses dominate the riverfront. Other businesses here include furriers and instrument-makers.
====[[Istus]]====
{{#lsth:Istus|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Clothes store - Save Nine

=== Farmhold Hamlet ===
As the capital grew it, subsumed a number of villages near it, including this one. Over the centuries this '''neighborhood''' has changed completely and is now a '''bohemian hotbed''', very much looked down upon by all the other inhabitants as it is as far from the 'proper' Dolac lifestyle as one can get.

'''PoI'''
* Alchemist - Chimera and Chong's
* Theater - People’s Playhouse
* Nightclub - Bears, Amos Street
* Nightclub - Portinari Dance Hall

=== Fort Read ===
The Avale Armed Forces headquarters, there are more officers than enlisted personnel here.

=== Fractures ===
For a part still an agricultural neighborhood with many small farms to the east, known for its mushroom cultivation. Around the university many businesses have sprung up; hostels, taverns, laundries, brothels, and more.
====Avale School of Business (ASB)====
{{#lsth:Avale|Avale School of Business (ASB)}}

'''PoI'''

* HQ - Stonemasons Guild

=== Gill Gardens ===
This upper class neighborhood is also known as the Sea of Green. Many public gardens and parks are dotted around and the large estates all have their own grounds.
====[[Resa's Rest]]====
{{#lsth:Resa's Rest|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Inn - The Five Georges

=== Hookville ===
Known for it's slaughterhouses, this neighborhood is where most of the livestock trade takes place. About a third of the area is low class housing.

'''PoI'''
* HQ - Guild of Stevedores
* Inn - Pair O' Dice Inn

=== Jeoran Terrace ===
This neighborhood, two thirds industry and one third low class housing, is filled with manufactories of all stripes. It is known for its metal works, smiths of all stripes, and armorers.

====[[Ulaa]]====
{{#lsth:Ulaa|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Foundry - Big Brass Bells Foundry
* Inn - The Reverend’s Rest Inn
* Jeweler - Rings and Things
* Smith - Wesson's Smithy, Sito Road

=== Kalehaven ===
A mix of warehouses and industry such as basket weavers, masons, and soap-makers can be found here. A number of piers are the main ingress for any ship-bound freight destined for the city. Also known for '''The Coop'''; the '''large produce market''' where most of the city's grocers buy their goods.

====White Bridge====
{{#lsth:Avale|White Bridge}}

====[[Abraxis Combine]]====
{{#lsth:Abraxis Combine|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Spice Shop - Curry On My Wayward Son
* Surplus - POWMD: Pre-Owned Weapons of Maximum Destructiveness, ''"If it's in stock, we got it!"''

=== Kesslia ===
An upper-middle class neighborhood with beautiful, tree-shaded avenues and brooks. Home to many a professor and high ranking Docami.
====Venture Hall====
{{#lsth:Avale|Venture Hall}}

'''PoI'''
* Jeweler - Family Jules (Julegibisel, gnomes)
* Perfumer - Heaven Scent

=== Kipfield ===
Home of skinners, tanners, and leather-workers, the smell takes more than a little getting used to and the low class housing is cheap because of it.

'''PoI'''
* HQ - Leatherworkers Guild
* Tannery - The Three Tanners

=== Little Perches ===
Formerly a low class neighborhood, it has gentrified into a middle class neighborhood with many specialty stores, taverns, and eateries.

'''PoI'''
* Clothes - Second Hand News
* Perfumer - Eau My Gods
* Restaurant - This Scampi Happening

=== Longsee ===
A little less industrial than Kalehaven, this neighborhood none the less still contains more manufactories than housing. Bowyers, chandlers, and cobblers are found here.

====Pheld Ceramics====
{{#lsth:Avale|Pheld Ceramics}}

'''PoI'''
* Casino - He Bluffs Me Not
* Fishmonger - For Cod’s Sake, Shore Way
* Inn - The Boer Inn
* Inn - The Other Inn
* Tavern - The Adjective Noun

=== Lost Bay ===
This neighborhood used to be a bay but was reclaimed from the river with magic. '''Abyss Annex''' is the unofficial name for the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]] and Lost Bay neighborhoods''' that house the poorest of the poor, most not originally from [[Dolac]]. Crime is high here but so is ingenuity. It is bisected by the '''Sito Road''' which runs north through the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]] and [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]] neighborhoods'''.

====None Turned Away Clinic====
{{#lsth:Avale|None Turned Away Clinic}}

=== Mimico ===
One of the later additions to the city, it was built containing middle and upper class housing interspersed with many small gardens to give it a more bucolic character.

=== Narrow Park ===
Manicured to an inch, this park is full of water features and paths for a gentle stroll whilst discussing matters of import.

=== New Dunum ===
Created when Emperor Avale conquered the city, the neighborhood was of the highest class, filled with astounding buildings. Over time it has become middle class with only some of the old buildings still surviving. Many of the more successful shipwrights and cartographers have historically lived here.
====[[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]]====
{{#lsth:Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bakery - Tart of Darkness
* NPC - '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', Lookout Road
* Tavern - Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse

=== New Prospect ===
After years of protests from [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Mimico|Mimico]] residents this neighborhood was finally built. It contains mostly (lower-)middle class housing and to the west an area reserved for wagon-makers and caravan suppliers.

=== NoGWay ===
The short name for North of Grove Way, it used to be part of [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]]. Now it is a mostly middle class neighborhood though it has retained its cluster of alchemists and apothecaries.

====[[Kasarian Embassy]]====
{{#lsth:Kasarian Embassy|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Inn - The Evergreen Anteroom

=== Oakhurst ===
Known for its breweries and distilleries at the south end, the rest of the neighborhood is filled with (upper-)middle class housing and the shops and eateries that come with it. All on meandering streets with plenty of green.
====[[Thal Lithel]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Lithel|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Brewery - The Grog Father
* Brewery - This Is The Yeast We Can Do, owner: '''Bretmera Gremdain''' (dwarf female)
* HQ - Brewers Guild, Falanae Avenue
* Restaurant - Feywild Shroomhouse, Korb Street
* Sculptor - '''Parn Gemgiel''' (dwarf male)
* Theater - Catifras Theater

=== Old Yards ===
This is where the old naval yards used to be many centuries ago before they were moved up river. '''Abyss Annex''' is the unofficial name for the '''Old Yards and Lost Bay neighborhoods''' that house the poorest of the poor, most not originally from Dolac. Crime is high here but so is ingenuity. It is bisected by the '''Sito Road''' which runs north through the '''Kalehaven and Jeoran Terrace neighborhoods'''.

'''PoI'''
* Pawnshop - The Loan-ly Warrior's Stop

=== Parade Fields ===
Historically this is where the army would present its forces to the monarch and (foreign) dignitaries. These days it's mostly a large field used for whatever purpose one needs. Encroaching on it from the south is a large caravanserai where most of the overland trade starts and ends.

=== Pell Point ===
Here there's still some of the old fishing village that was the start of it all. While almost everything moved to the new port, net-makers are all found here, and there are still a few piers where fishing vessels dock and unload their catches to immediately be sold at auction. The few upper class buildings in this neighborhood are all in the hands of businesses, the other housing is a mix of lower class and (lower-)middle class.

====Bajakian Ferry====
{{#lsth:Avale|Bajakian Ferry}}
====[[House Ditta]]====
{{#lsth:House Ditta|[[Avale]]}}

=== Prester ===
A neighborhood in decline; these days it is known for its many flophouses where down on their luck sailors spend their time ashore. This brought with it many, many taverns, brothels, and other businesses of ill repute. Businesses that can be found here are paint makers and outfitters.
====Admiralty House====
{{#lsth:Avale|Admiralty House}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub - Spreaders, Blue Cloth Alley

=== Proviso Place ===
Though next to two of the less fragrant neighborhoods of the city, Proviso Place is not too badly affected thanks to it laying in something of a bowl. Formerly mostly full of warehouses, many have now been converted into middle class apartments. It is known for its many theaters and [[Dolac#Culture|niteries]].
====Scarlet Bonnet====
{{#lsth:Avale|Scarlet Bonnet}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub - Knight Moves, Twiller Street

=== Sevso Island ===
This island was '''reclaimed from the river at great expense''' after the city was conquered by [[Miforan Empire|Avale Sevso]]. It was the first of a number of islands that were connected with boat bridges to the western bank of the estuary. These days the island is '''a large neighborhood''' with low to middle class housing and one of the few locations in the city where the imperial name remained. It is connected to the city by the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#White Bridge|White Bridge]]'''.

'''PoI'''
* NPC - '''Alun Djames''', Reginald Avenue

=== Uppark ===
Full of imposing stone buildings, this neighborhood contains upper class and (upper-)middle class housing, the other half is dedicated to keeping the wheels of power spinning.

====Domicile of Diligence====
{{#lsth:Avale|Domicile of Diligence}}
====Inner Court Arcade====
{{#lsth:Avale|Inner Court Arcade}}
====[[Abjura Dolana]]====
{{#lsth:Abjura Dolana|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Pholtus]]====
{{#lsth:Pholtus|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - High Shore Bonding Company
* HQ - Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes
* HQ - Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors
* NPC - '''House''' (human unsure), Lock Street
* Tavern - The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden

=== Woodfall ===
This neighborhood is known for its many migrants from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]], [[Neniros]], [[Ogren]], [[Tilgay]], and other exotic places. Numerous woodshops line the streets here; furniture makers and more general carpenters. On '''Langspelme Road''' stands the recently built '''Endorn Theater''', named for the former boss of the Guild of Woodworkers who was instrumental in its construction. '''Promise Fields''' is filled with people at all hours and [[Dolac#Culture|gakker]] is played here, the local team is called the Bolters.

'''PoI'''
* Tavern - The Thirsty Recruit

[[Category:Locations]]

Sarodin Sea

2026-07-21T15:07:16Z

DB:

[[File:Gaider's Mourn.jpg|thumb|450x450px|Gaider's Mourn]]'''A large, salt water, inner sea''' around which many countries can be found. These include [[Haza]], [[Vilda]], the [[Reuel Woods]], [[Sormark]], [[Mifora]], [[Dolac]], and [[Neniros]].

Fed by many rivers, it '''empties into the Eastern Ocean via the Copis River''' which turns brackish not too far from the coast.

'''Certain sages claim the sea was created during an event comparable to the [[Collapse]] (see the [[Eras]] page).'''

It is full of marine life from the very smallest plankton to massive whales and everything in-between.

'''Many monsters also make it their home''', causing most ships to remain close to the coast. Only the biggest [[Dolac]] merchant ships cross the sea in a flotilla of at least three ships and with plenty of magical support.

== Notable locations ==

==== Arpa Islands ====
Over the centuries several ships have stumbled upon this '''archipelago of islands''' but '''no subsequent expedition ever found it again'''. According to reports '''many species of animals not seen anywhere else in the world''' live here, including large waterfowl that are described as the best thing the sailors ever ate.
[[File:Destraumen Maelstrom.png|left|87x87px]]

==== Destraumen Maelstrom ====
This '''enormous whirlpool, over a hundred miles across''' according to some, '''slowly circles the sea, fortunately never coming close to shore'''. It is said that any ship unlucky enough to be caught in its snares is '''pulled down to a layer of the Abyss known as the Shadowsea'''.

==== Gannet Island ====
Found '''north of [[Avale]]''', this tiny island contains a lighthouse, two piers, and '''Fort Gannet'''. In the past the isle functioned as a naval base and held two more piers. These days the fort '''mostly functions as a prison''' for those the Dolac government wants far away from the main land.

==== Hundred Mile Islands ====
This '''group of three islands''' is named thus for the fact that they are found along an imaginary line running from north-northwest to south-southeast almost exactly a hundred miles long. They are '''found about five hundred miles northeast of Avale'''. From north to south the three islands are '''Brovpra, Cluval, and Abrinol'''.

The three islands have '''a native population of around four thousand each''', who have lived there even before the Collapse. Their '''culture, which is not found anywhere else, is one of spirit worship and ancestor veneration'''; everyone wears necklaces, bracelets, and anklets made of shells that signify their connections. A number of centuries ago '''Dolac built outposts on all three isles to support their (merchant) navy'''.

==== Kaleido Reef ====
{{#lsth:Sormark|Kaleido Reef}}

==== [[Nolla Isle]] ====
Said to be '''haunted and/or cursed'''. The remains of an old tower can be seen on this small island.

==== Regilt ====
A '''sunken city of old'''. Once every so often utensils or other items from the city end up in fisher-men's nets.
[[File:Saltlions.png|right|122x122px]]

==== Salt Lions ====
'''Two basalt beasts, cathedral-sized'''. They frown eternally at each other across the waves. No one knows how long they have been here. The north one carries an '''encampment; creeping human figures eat away at its features like rot, pick-pick-picking'''. There's a supply dock below. The stone-cutters are known as the Unmakers, they quarry precious Sphinxstone that is shipped around the sea.

==== Sarodin Span ====
{{#lsth:Mifora|Sarodin Span}}

==== Soft Surf Island ====
This atoll known for its '''coral rim''' '''and beautiful lagoon''' is located about midway between Brovpra and Haza. Soft sand beaches circle the island and the '''weather seems to be pleasant here at all times'''. It is often visited by people from the Hundred Mile Islands and now can be considered to be permanently inhabited, a number of cabins have been constructed.

==== Styx Sea ====
[[File:Styx Sea.png|150x150px|right]]
The '''center of the Sarodin Sea is considered to be haunted''' and those few that survive a journey through it often have no memory of it, hence the name. More than any supernatural dangers, '''frequent, huge storms''' are the reason why no sane captains cross the Styx Sea.

==== [[Threepwood Isle]] ====
The '''very large island''' is quite far from everywhere and thus provides a relatively save '''home to [[Strebor's Corsairs]]'''. The capital, and only city, is Elaine.
[[Category:Locations]]

Haza

2026-07-21T14:41:02Z

DB:

{{CountryBox
|Government=Feudalism
|Major Worship=[[Boccob]], [[Lirr]], [[Olidammara]], [[Osprem]], [[Pholtus]]
|Capital=[[Beljovac]]
|Cities=[[Ide Volcar]], Voj Sunac, Pestyk
|Climate=Mild
|Exports=Artwork, coffee, cotton, jewelry, olive oil, rice, silver
|Imports=Artwork, gems, grain, leather goods, wine
|image=Haza.jpg}}

The country is bordered by [[Jucatta]] to the west, the Dark ocean to the north, [[Vilda]] to the east, and the [[Sarodin Sea]] to the south.

The Kingdom of Haza and the Protectorate of Vilju, more commonly known as Haza, is '''quite rich and highly developed''' and has been '''ruled by [[House Meloi]]''' for centuries.

'''Vilda is technically an independent country but in reality a vassal of Haza.'''

== Government ==
A '''traditional feudal system with the monarch ruling through many vassals'''; dukes, earls, barons, and so on, forms the backbone of the nation. There are '''many noble families''', some of more influence than others. '''Vassals are free to rule their fiefs as they see fit, with some restrictions''' such as an obligation to treating the peasantry well and upholding Hazan ideals.

'''Taxes are not low but almost anyone can make a good living here. Crime rates''' differs per fiefdom but are '''usually not too bad,''' every town or city has a '''town guard, called the Green Guard''', paid for by the local ruler. There is also a '''national 'secret police', called the Kurbak''', who nominally report to the monarch but seem to operate mostly independently.

=== Magic ===
It is unclear why, but '''there are more spellcasters in Haza than in most countries'''. It is often referred to as '''Boccob's Boon'''. Some speculate it has to do with the coffee that people drink here, others claim that even before the [[Collapse]] and the large scale cultivation of coffee, spellcasters were common here.

Of all organizations originating from south of the Sarodin Sea, [[Abjura Dolana]] is probably the one with the largest foothold north of the sea. They have '''a quite close relationship with the Haza government''' and help with identifying any arcane spellcasters who enter the country. Said spellcasters are then given the choice to pay '''5 gold pieces for a license that requires them to also swear fealty to the royal house'''. If they do so, they are required to visibly wear a badge that indicates they took the oath, anyone wearing one '''can be ordered by the town guard or other government officials to help them out'''. Alternatively one can pay 500 gold pieces for a license without the oath.

=== Religion ===
'''Pholtus is the state religion but they have lost influence over the centuries.''' Their temples can be found in all cities though. '''Olidammara represents another aspect of the populace'''; they are quite the '''bon vivants''' when given the chance. '''Boccob and Lirr found a warm welcome here after Collapse''' and their worship is more widespread than one would expect. '''Osprem worship is popular along the coast.'''

== Geography ==
'''Bordered in the west by the impenetrable Gora Mountains''', the country features '''rolling hills and wide valleys as one goes east'''. '''Agricultural activity here is quite varied with rice being the staple crop. This is also where the country's coffee is cultivated.'''

'''East of the Ura river valley the terrain turns into plains''' with just the occasional tree; mostly eucalyptus, ojcu, and sycamore. These prairies are '''roamed by both wild and domesticated guanacos and alpacas'''. The former are '''kept for their meat''' and the latter '''for their wool'''.

Going f'''urther east we come to the Minar Basin''' which is '''shared with Vilda'''. This area is quite warm and wet, with many swamps to the north. The '''southern region of the basin is known for its cotton''', said to have been smuggled out of [[Jucatta]] many centuries ago.

The '''northern border is the Dark ocean''', of which the less said, the better, its mist enveloping the coast eternally. A '''number of mountains to the north''', however, have proven to be '''very rich in metals, silver in particular but gold and platinum are not uncommon either'''.

The '''Sarodin Sea forms the southern border''' and is used quite extensively. The country has a '''large fleet of fishing boats''', most equipped with a distinctive single outrigger. Uniquely, they have created '''fish 'farms' along the coast'''; huge nets create pens where fish are kept and bred.
==== Silazni Zmaj Bay ====
[[File:Silazni Zmaj Bay.png|100x100px|left]]This bay with its '''collection of islets featuring ridges, towers, and caves has stood as a natural bulwark against invaders'''. Its waters feature an incredibly diverse marine life and dangerous underwater caves.

Early in the country's history extra defenses were added to the magnificent bay, somewhat diminishing its extraordinary beauty but being very effective at '''stopping multiple invading armadas'''.
==== Sre Planina ====
[[File:Sre Planina.png|100x100px|right]]This '''four kilometer tall mountain northwest of [[Ide Volcar]] was mined for silver''' even before the [[Collapse]]. It wasn't until after that event that it became clear just how much silver it contained. With newer technology the '''Hazans extracted many, many tons of pure silver''', nowadays production seems to have declined to just a trickle.

== Ecology ==
Many rodents make their home here, including species not seen south of the Sarodin sea. There are many types of cavia, both tiny ones and a species that is over a meter long. Maras are plentiful and quite fast. Viscachas, which resemble rabbits, live both in the mountains and on the plains.

There is plenty of space for mammals, and there is a very diverse range of them. Guanacos and the similar alpacas are very numerous. Giant anteaters are quite common on the eastern plains and tapirs in the western valley forests and rivers. '''Sloths roam the plains, including a huge species of over 7 meters long.''' Different deer species can be found all over; the gama of the plains, the huemul who live in the Gora Mountains in summer and come down for the rest of the year, and the pudu; a tiny species that is only 35 cm tall.

Predators certainly exist but aren't as numerous as in most places. They include many species of cat, including the jaguar and cougar. '''There are also the maned wolf which might not be a wolf at all, the plains fox which might not be a fox, and the bush dog that might not be a dog.'''

Caiman can be found in the Minar Basin as well as various species of turtle and tortoise which range further afield. Lizards are not too common, but there is the '''black and white tegu which gets up to 2 meters long'''. Much more dangerous are some of the snake species; boa constrictors and '''a very venomous pit viper named the yarará'''.

There is a wide variety of birds, notably hummingbirds, horneros, flamingos, herons, cormorants, swallows, and tinamous (sometimes confused with partridges). '''The rhea is a large flightless bird found on the plains.''' Hawks, falcons, and the Gora condor are the most common raptors.

Along the coast one can find elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions and species of penguin. The territorial waters have abundant sea life; dolphins, orcas, and whales. The most numerous fish include sardines, hakes, dolphinfish, salmon, and sharks; also present are squid and king crabs. Rivers and streams contain many species of trout, catfish, and the river cougar, a voracious fish with a dangerous bite.

=== Monsters ===
The '''Restless (undead) are more prominent here than in most countries''', some link this to the abundance of spellcasters but they consider this slander. Goblinoids here are quite hardy, '''bugbears and hobgoblins''' are more prevalent than your garden variety goblins. '''Gnolls''' are a constant danger in the north, so much so that there is quite a hefty bounty on them.

A few different types of '''giants''' can be found in the Gora Mountains but rather improbably, no reports exist of them attacking people.

In and around the swamps of the Minar basin, camps of '''troglodytes''' can be found. The real danger though are the swarming '''meenlocks''', no one is quite sure where they come from but they have been around for centuries. '''Trolls''' are frequently seen here but can also be encountered in the rest of the country.

Along the coast tribes of '''koalinth and locathah''' share the same grounds in a tenuous peace that was brokered by House Meloi in ages past.

One of the typical Hazan monsters is the '''manticore''', many of them roam the countryside. The '''shambling mound''' is another monster that is found in Haza much more frequently than in most countries.

A popular story claims that an '''ancient, gargantuan purple worm called Fialový Červ lives in Sre Planina''' and either mines the silver and brings it to the surface or is the source of the silver deposits in the mountain, excreting them as it goes. Either way the tale seems too fanciful to be true.

== History ==
Before the Collapse the country of Haza was only the size of what is now the western half of the country. The '''nations to the south of the Sarodin Sea were always more advanced but rulers shrewdly negotiated a treaty with the Balturans''' who came north to mine the Gora Mountains. This '''brought them not money but advances in just about all fields of science'''.

After the Collapse the country was '''beset upon from both the east and west''' by neighbors who saw Haza's relative prosperity as their only chance of survival in a world in upheaval. These '''invasions were easily defeated; the Haza army had quite a bit of magical support and modern weapons'''. The '''armadas from the west were so thoroughly destroyed that the saying 'sending a fleet to Haza' is still in use these days''' to mean doing something very foolish.

About a century after the Collapse another desperate and futile attack from the impoverished nations to the east '''turned into a reverse invasion as the Hazans decided to conquer their neighbors and bring them into the fold''', thus staving off any future attacks. This is when the country grew to its current size.

As a political ploy they let the tiny country of Vilju in the northeast exist as a protectorate instead of conquering it outright, also due to the fact it never attacked them. They installed Haza's royal heir as monarch of Vilju which meant their children, in turn, were then princes and princesses in their own right and thus able to use those honorifics, lifting them above the other nobles of Haza.

The '''next centuries the country remained relatively insular'''. They were '''attacked by their eastern neighbor Vilda no less than four times but these invasions were more than ill-advised and countered with ease''' and few losses.

One of the '''defining features of Haza is its courtly intrigue'''. Instead of fighting for the throne with personal armies the nobility has always used marriages, pacts, and rumors instead. Thus '''the ruling family has changed quite a few times since the Collapse''' without that hurting the country much economically. The current ruling family, [[House Meloi]], has ruled for centuries now, the longest period one family has been in power.

The '''country has grown from strength to strength''', mostly out of view of the southern nations. '''Both technologically and culturally it can now match a country like [[Mifora]]''' though Miforans would never admit to this. And '''ever since House Meloi came to power they have been going out into the world, exporting their values and gaining influence, also via their pre-eminent merchant guild, [[House Ditta]]'''.

== Culture ==
'''Humans make up the majority''' of the populace with '''halflings being the second largest group'''. While there are few orcs on this side of the Gora Mountains, '''half-orcs are still quite common'''. '''Dwarves, gnomes, and half-elves are each a small minority of about the same size.''' Gnomes have been here since before anyone can remember, while most dwarves are descended from those stuck here after the Collapse. The majority of half-elves are more recent arrivals, having come here in the last few centuries.

'''Dancing is incredibly popular''' in Haza, from very prescribed courtly dances to the wildly flailing 'leg up' dances that can be found at any tavern. Of special note are the ''''host dances'''<nowiki/>' where the populace dresses up in traditional outfits and then '''fills entire town squares''' to dance in vast groups, linking arms and swaying in patterns to the accompanying music.

'''The Epic is an oral tradition that is still very much practiced''' in the eastern part of the country. These '''tales of thousands of verses''' are '''performed both by traveling pjesniks (poets) and village elders'''. It takes years to learn an epic and be able to recite it in such a way to keep the audience entertained. The practitioners are very protective of their craft and '''have resisted all attempts at writing down the tales'''.

'''Outside of Jucatta this is the only place where cotton is grown''' and since the invention of an improved spinning wheel, the kolovrat, its production has seen a meteoric rise. These days '''most underclothes are made of cotton as are sheets and towels'''. Filters made of cotton were also important for the rising popularity of coffee. Cotton clothes have become so popular that they are now exported and sold as luxury items abroad.

Outer-clothes and many other things are still mostly made of wool, specifically the '''wool of the alpaca'''. It is highly prized by the Hazans and seen as superior to sheep's wool, though there doesn't seem to be an agreed upon reason why this is so. Hazan woolen clothing is '''distinct for not being a single color; most have multiples bands of different colors'''. These can be '''horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, depending on the region'''.

Hunting has long fallen out of favor with the nobility but '''falconry is very popular''' among them. Most nobles, young and old, go out at least once a week with their birds. The breeding of falcons has become big business and '''the best command prices even beyond those of thoroughbred horses'''. There is such a rivalry to own the best raptor that some enterprising individuals try to lure birds away from their owners.

=== Food ===
Haza is '''known for coffee and the elaborate culture around it'''. Most Hazans starts their morning with a tiny cup of freshly brewed black liquid, many have their own rituals for preparing it. The beans are not that cheap so the majority of the populace has no more than one cup a day. Now that export of coffee is taking off, there have been grumblings that this has increased prices for hard-working Hazans.

The people here have '''a reputation for their love of eating'''. Social gatherings are commonly centered on sharing a meal. Invitations to have dinner at home are generally viewed as a symbol of friendship and warmth.

One of the main characteristics of Hazan cuisine is its '''simplicity, with many dishes made up of few ingredients''', and therefore Hazan cooks often rely on the quality of the ingredients, rather than the complexity of preparation. Some of the '''most used ingredients are the local long grain rice, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, beans, olives, garlic, onions, artichokes, lettuce, eggplants, zucchini, and different types of cheese'''.

Most regions of Haza are known for their '''guanaco-oriented diet'''. '''Grilled meat from the barbecue is a staple''', with steak and beef ribs especially common. This is often served with '''a condiment called mišuška''', a cold sauce of herbs, garlic olive oil, and vinegar. '''Chickens''' are ubiquitous but in some regions '''maras and viscachas''' are seen more often on the menu. In Kolechia the gama deer is quite popular. Along the coast, fish is eaten more than meat, '''sardines are especially highly prized''', and where there are rivers or lakes, '''silversides, jaguar catfish, and headstanders''' are much favored.

'''Four-Fold''s,'' small pastries of meat, cheese, beans, and many other fillings''', are a common sight. They also vary in their looks, since they are folded with a traditional decorative edging that serves as a way to identify the flavor. '''Kazola is a traditional Kolechian dish of rice cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency''', onions, crushed almonds, and coriander are added during cooking.

The '''milk from alpacas is used for the making of both hard and soft cheeses'''. The hard cheeses are usually grated over many Hazan dishes. The soft cheeses are used as filling in four-folds and sweet soft cheeses are a very popular dessert. In the far north alpaca milk is drunk, but this is seen as an aberration by the rest of the country.

Other than cheeses, '''desserts are often made of rice sweetened with spices like vanilla and cinnamon, they often also contain many varieties of nuts'''. A famous dessert is '''Czassat, a sponge cake filled and decorated with figs, drizzled in honey'''. Another after-dinner favorite is cherries soaked in spirits.

The '''common drink is a lightly alcoholic mead made with lancepod fruits'''. While there are plenty of grains grown in the eastern part of the country, '''beer isn't very popular'''. '''Wine certainly is''', but since almost all of it has to be imported, it is only for those of some means. The country is '''known for its many spirits''', made from either rice or grain, mostly flavored with bark or berries. These are usually cheap and bountiful. Some of the most expensive spirits are more refined and flavored with herbs and spices. The '''top of the line is Liovy, said to be made with a hundred different ingredients'''.
[[Category:Locations]]

Haza

2026-07-21T14:38:30Z

DB:

{{CountryBox
|Government=Feudalism
|Major Worship=[[Boccob]], [[Lirr]], [[Olidammara]], [[Osprem]], [[Pholtus]]
|Capital=[[Beljovac]]
|Cities=[[Ide Volcar]], Voj Sunac, Pestyk
|Climate=Mild
|Exports=Artwork, coffee, cotton, jewelry, olive oil, rice, silver
|Imports=Artwork, gems, grain, leather goods, wine
|image=Haza.jpg}}

The country is bordered by [[Jucatta]] to the west, the Dark ocean to the north, [[Vilda]] to the east, and the [[Sarodin Sea]] to the south.

The Kingdom of Haza and the Protectorate of Vilju, more commonly known as Haza, is '''quite rich and highly developed''' and has been '''ruled by [[House Meloi]]''' for centuries.

'''Vilda is technically an independent country but in reality a vassal of Haza.'''

== Government ==
A '''traditional feudal system with the monarch ruling through many vassals'''; dukes, earls, barons, and so on, forms the backbone of the nation. There are '''many noble families''', some of more influence than others. '''Vassals are free to rule their fiefs as they see fit, with some restrictions''' such as an obligation to treating the peasantry well and upholding Hazan ideals.

'''Taxes are not low but almost anyone can make a good living here. Crime rates''' differs per fiefdom but are '''usually not too bad,''' every town or city has a '''town guard, called the Green Guard''', paid for by the local ruler. There is also a '''national 'secret police', called the Kurbak''', who nominally report to the monarch but seem to operate mostly independently.

=== Magic ===
It is unclear why, but '''there are more spellcasters in Haza than in most countries'''. It is often referred to as '''Boccob's Boon'''. Some speculate it has to do with the coffee that people drink here, others claim that even before the [[Collapse]] and the large scale cultivation of coffee, spellcasters were common here.

Of all organizations originating from south of the Sarodin Sea, [[Abjura Dolana]] is probably the one with the largest foothold north of the sea. They have '''a quite close relationship with the Haza government''' and help with identifying any arcane spellcasters who enter the country. Said spellcasters are then given the choice to pay '''5 gold pieces for a license that requires them to also swear fealty to the royal house'''. If they do so, they are required to visibly wear a badge that indicates they took the oath, anyone wearing one '''can be ordered by the town guard or other government officials to help them out'''. Alternatively one can pay 500 gold pieces for a license without the oath.

=== Religion ===
'''Pholtus is the state religion but they have lost influence over the centuries.''' Their temples can be found in all cities though. '''Olidammara represents another aspect of the populace'''; they are quite the '''bon vivants''' when given the chance. '''Boccob and Lirr found a warm welcome here after Collapse''' and their worship is more widespread than one would expect. '''Osprem worship is popular along the coast.'''

== Geography ==
'''Bordered in the west by the impenetrable Gora Mountains''', the country features '''rolling hills and wide valleys as one goes east'''. '''Agricultural activity here is quite varied with rice being the staple crop. This is also where the country's coffee is cultivated.'''

'''East of the Ura river valley the terrain turns into plains''' with just the occasional tree; mostly eucalyptus, ojcu, and sycamore. These prairies are '''roamed by both wild and domesticated guanacos and alpacas'''. The former are '''kept for their meat''' and the latter '''for their wool'''.

Going f'''urther east we come to the Minar Basin''' which is '''shared with Vilda'''. This area is quite warm and wet, with many swamps to the north. The '''southern region of the basin is known for its cotton''', said to have been smuggled out of [[Jucatta]] many centuries ago.

The '''northern border is the Dark ocean''', of which the less said, the better, its mist enveloping the coast eternally. A '''number of mountains to the north''', however, have proven to be '''very rich in metals, silver in particular but gold and platinum are not uncommon either'''.

The '''Sarodin Sea forms the southern border''' and is used quite extensively. The country has a '''large fleet of fishing boats''', most equipped with a distinctive single outrigger. Uniquely, they have created '''fish 'farms' along the coast'''; huge nets create pens where fish are kept and bred.
==== Silazni Zmaj Bay ====
[[File:Silazni Zmaj Bay.png|100x100px|right]]This bay with its '''collection of islets featuring ridges, towers, and caves has stood as a natural bulwark against invaders'''. Its waters feature an incredibly diverse marine life and dangerous underwater caves. Early in the country's history extra defenses were added to the magnificent bay, somewhat diminishing its extraordinary beauty but being very effective at '''stopping multiple invading armadas'''.
[[File:Sre Planina.png|100x100px|left]]

==== Sre Planina ====
This '''four kilometer tall mountain northwest of [[Ide Volcar]] was mined for silver''' even before the [[Collapse]]. It wasn't until after that event that it became clear just how much silver it contained. With newer technology the '''Hazans extracted many, many tons of pure silver''', nowadays production seems to have declined to just a trickle.

== Ecology ==
Many rodents make their home here, including species not seen south of the Sarodin sea. There are many types of cavia, both tiny ones and a species that is over a meter long. Maras are plentiful and quite fast. Viscachas, which resemble rabbits, live both in the mountains and on the plains.

There is plenty of space for mammals, and there is a very diverse range of them. Guanacos and the similar alpacas are very numerous. Giant anteaters are quite common on the eastern plains and tapirs in the western valley forests and rivers. '''Sloths roam the plains, including a huge species of over 7 meters long.''' Different deer species can be found all over; the gama of the plains, the huemul who live in the Gora Mountains in summer and come down for the rest of the year, and the pudu; a tiny species that is only 35 cm tall.

Predators certainly exist but aren't as numerous as in most places. They include many species of cat, including the jaguar and cougar. '''There are also the maned wolf which might not be a wolf at all, the plains fox which might not be a fox, and the bush dog that might not be a dog.'''

Caiman can be found in the Minar Basin as well as various species of turtle and tortoise which range further afield. Lizards are not too common, but there is the '''black and white tegu which gets up to 2 meters long'''. Much more dangerous are some of the snake species; boa constrictors and '''a very venomous pit viper named the yarará'''.

There is a wide variety of birds, notably hummingbirds, horneros, flamingos, herons, cormorants, swallows, and tinamous (sometimes confused with partridges). '''The rhea is a large flightless bird found on the plains.''' Hawks, falcons, and the Gora condor are the most common raptors.

Along the coast one can find elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions and species of penguin. The territorial waters have abundant sea life; dolphins, orcas, and whales. The most numerous fish include sardines, hakes, dolphinfish, salmon, and sharks; also present are squid and king crabs. Rivers and streams contain many species of trout, catfish, and the river cougar, a voracious fish with a dangerous bite.

=== Monsters ===
The '''Restless (undead) are more prominent here than in most countries''', some link this to the abundance of spellcasters but they consider this slander. Goblinoids here are quite hardy, '''bugbears and hobgoblins''' are more prevalent than your garden variety goblins. '''Gnolls''' are a constant danger in the north, so much so that there is quite a hefty bounty on them.

A few different types of '''giants''' can be found in the Gora Mountains but rather improbably, no reports exist of them attacking people.

In and around the swamps of the Minar basin, camps of '''troglodytes''' can be found. The real danger though are the swarming '''meenlocks''', no one is quite sure where they come from but they have been around for centuries. '''Trolls''' are frequently seen here but can also be encountered in the rest of the country.

Along the coast tribes of '''koalinth and locathah''' share the same grounds in a tenuous peace that was brokered by House Meloi in ages past.

One of the typical Hazan monsters is the '''manticore''', many of them roam the countryside. The '''shambling mound''' is another monster that is found in Haza much more frequently than in most countries.

A popular story claims that an '''ancient, gargantuan purple worm called Fialový Červ lives in Sre Planina''' and either mines the silver and brings it to the surface or is the source of the silver deposits in the mountain, excreting them as it goes. Either way the tale seems too fanciful to be true.

== History ==
Before the Collapse the country of Haza was only the size of what is now the western half of the country. The '''nations to the south of the Sarodin Sea were always more advanced but rulers shrewdly negotiated a treaty with the Balturans''' who came north to mine the Gora Mountains. This '''brought them not money but advances in just about all fields of science'''.

After the Collapse the country was '''beset upon from both the east and west''' by neighbors who saw Haza's relative prosperity as their only chance of survival in a world in upheaval. These '''invasions were easily defeated; the Haza army had quite a bit of magical support and modern weapons'''. The '''armadas from the west were so thoroughly destroyed that the saying 'sending a fleet to Haza' is still in use these days''' to mean doing something very foolish.

About a century after the Collapse another desperate and futile attack from the impoverished nations to the east '''turned into a reverse invasion as the Hazans decided to conquer their neighbors and bring them into the fold''', thus staving off any future attacks. This is when the country grew to its current size.

As a political ploy they let the tiny country of Vilju in the northeast exist as a protectorate instead of conquering it outright, also due to the fact it never attacked them. They installed Haza's royal heir as monarch of Vilju which meant their children, in turn, were then princes and princesses in their own right and thus able to use those honorifics, lifting them above the other nobles of Haza.

The '''next centuries the country remained relatively insular'''. They were '''attacked by their eastern neighbor Vilda no less than four times but these invasions were more than ill-advised and countered with ease''' and few losses.

One of the '''defining features of Haza is its courtly intrigue'''. Instead of fighting for the throne with personal armies the nobility has always used marriages, pacts, and rumors instead. Thus '''the ruling family has changed quite a few times since the Collapse''' without that hurting the country much economically. The current ruling family, [[House Meloi]], has ruled for centuries now, the longest period one family has been in power.

The '''country has grown from strength to strength''', mostly out of view of the southern nations. '''Both technologically and culturally it can now match a country like [[Mifora]]''' though Miforans would never admit to this. And '''ever since House Meloi came to power they have been going out into the world, exporting their values and gaining influence, also via their pre-eminent merchant guild, [[House Ditta]]'''.

== Culture ==
'''Humans make up the majority''' of the populace with '''halflings being the second largest group'''. While there are few orcs on this side of the Gora Mountains, '''half-orcs are still quite common'''. '''Dwarves, gnomes, and half-elves are each a small minority of about the same size.''' Gnomes have been here since before anyone can remember, while most dwarves are descended from those stuck here after the Collapse. The majority of half-elves are more recent arrivals, having come here in the last few centuries.

'''Dancing is incredibly popular''' in Haza, from very prescribed courtly dances to the wildly flailing 'leg up' dances that can be found at any tavern. Of special note are the ''''host dances'''<nowiki/>' where the populace dresses up in traditional outfits and then '''fills entire town squares''' to dance in vast groups, linking arms and swaying in patterns to the accompanying music.

'''The Epic is an oral tradition that is still very much practiced''' in the eastern part of the country. These '''tales of thousands of verses''' are '''performed both by traveling pjesniks (poets) and village elders'''. It takes years to learn an epic and be able to recite it in such a way to keep the audience entertained. The practitioners are very protective of their craft and '''have resisted all attempts at writing down the tales'''.

'''Outside of Jucatta this is the only place where cotton is grown''' and since the invention of an improved spinning wheel, the kolovrat, its production has seen a meteoric rise. These days '''most underclothes are made of cotton as are sheets and towels'''. Filters made of cotton were also important for the rising popularity of coffee. Cotton clothes have become so popular that they are now exported and sold as luxury items abroad.

Outer-clothes and many other things are still mostly made of wool, specifically the '''wool of the alpaca'''. It is highly prized by the Hazans and seen as superior to sheep's wool, though there doesn't seem to be an agreed upon reason why this is so. Hazan woolen clothing is '''distinct for not being a single color; most have multiples bands of different colors'''. These can be '''horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, depending on the region'''.

Hunting has long fallen out of favor with the nobility but '''falconry is very popular''' among them. Most nobles, young and old, go out at least once a week with their birds. The breeding of falcons has become big business and '''the best command prices even beyond those of thoroughbred horses'''. There is such a rivalry to own the best raptor that some enterprising individuals try to lure birds away from their owners.

=== Food ===
Haza is '''known for coffee and the elaborate culture around it'''. Most Hazans starts their morning with a tiny cup of freshly brewed black liquid, many have their own rituals for preparing it. The beans are not that cheap so the majority of the populace has no more than one cup a day. Now that export of coffee is taking off, there have been grumblings that this has increased prices for hard-working Hazans.

The people here have '''a reputation for their love of eating'''. Social gatherings are commonly centered on sharing a meal. Invitations to have dinner at home are generally viewed as a symbol of friendship and warmth.

One of the main characteristics of Hazan cuisine is its '''simplicity, with many dishes made up of few ingredients''', and therefore Hazan cooks often rely on the quality of the ingredients, rather than the complexity of preparation. Some of the '''most used ingredients are the local long grain rice, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, beans, olives, garlic, onions, artichokes, lettuce, eggplants, zucchini, and different types of cheese'''.

Most regions of Haza are known for their '''guanaco-oriented diet'''. '''Grilled meat from the barbecue is a staple''', with steak and beef ribs especially common. This is often served with '''a condiment called mišuška''', a cold sauce of herbs, garlic olive oil, and vinegar. '''Chickens''' are ubiquitous but in some regions '''maras and viscachas''' are seen more often on the menu. In Kolechia the gama deer is quite popular. Along the coast, fish is eaten more than meat, '''sardines are especially highly prized''', and where there are rivers or lakes, '''silversides, jaguar catfish, and headstanders''' are much favored.

'''Four-Fold''s,'' small pastries of meat, cheese, beans, and many other fillings''', are a common sight. They also vary in their looks, since they are folded with a traditional decorative edging that serves as a way to identify the flavor. '''Kazola is a traditional Kolechian dish of rice cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency''', onions, crushed almonds, and coriander are added during cooking.

The '''milk from alpacas is used for the making of both hard and soft cheeses'''. The hard cheeses are usually grated over many Hazan dishes. The soft cheeses are used as filling in four-folds and sweet soft cheeses are a very popular dessert. In the far north alpaca milk is drunk, but this is seen as an aberration by the rest of the country.

Other than cheeses, '''desserts are often made of rice sweetened with spices like vanilla and cinnamon, they often also contain many varieties of nuts'''. A famous dessert is '''Czassat, a sponge cake filled and decorated with figs, drizzled in honey'''. Another after-dinner favorite is cherries soaked in spirits.

The '''common drink is a lightly alcoholic mead made with lancepod fruits'''. While there are plenty of grains grown in the eastern part of the country, '''beer isn't very popular'''. '''Wine certainly is''', but since almost all of it has to be imported, it is only for those of some means. The country is '''known for its many spirits''', made from either rice or grain, mostly flavored with bark or berries. These are usually cheap and bountiful. Some of the most expensive spirits are more refined and flavored with herbs and spices. The '''top of the line is Liovy, said to be made with a hundred different ingredients'''.
[[Category:Locations]]

Sarodin Sea

2026-07-21T14:17:27Z

DB:

[[File:Gaider's Mourn.jpg|thumb|450x450px|Gaider's Mourn]]'''A large, salt water, inner sea''' around which many countries can be found. These include [[Haza]], [[Vilda]], the [[Reuel Woods]], [[Sormark]], [[Mifora]], [[Dolac]], and [[Neniros]].

Fed by many rivers, it '''empties into the Eastern Ocean via the Copis River''' which turns brackish not too far from the coast.

'''Certain sages claim the sea was created during an event comparable to the [[Collapse]] (see the [[Eras]] page).'''

It is full of marine life from the very smallest plankton to massive whales and everything in-between.

'''Many monsters also make it their home''', causing most ships to remain close to the coast. Only the biggest [[Dolac]] merchant ships cross the sea in a flotilla of at least three ships and with plenty of magical support.

== Notable locations ==

==== Arpa Islands ====
Over the centuries several ships have stumbled upon this '''archipelago of islands''' but '''no subsequent expedition ever found it again'''. According to reports '''many species of animals not seen anywhere else in the world''' live here, including large waterfowl that are described as the best thing the sailors ever ate.
[[File:Destraumen Maelstrom.png|left|87x87px]]

==== Destraumen Maelstrom ====
This '''enormous whirlpool, over a hundred miles across''' according to some, '''slowly circles the sea, fortunately never coming close to shore'''. It is said that any ship unlucky enough to be caught in its snares is '''pulled down to a layer of the Abyss known as the Shadowsea'''.

==== Gannet Island ====
Found '''north of [[Avale]]''', this tiny island contains a lighthouse, two piers, and '''Fort Gannet'''. In the past the isle functioned as a naval base and held two more piers. These days the fort '''mostly functions as a prison''' for those the Dolac government wants far away from the main land.

==== Hundred Mile Islands ====
This '''group of three islands''' is named thus for the fact that they are found along an imaginary line running from north-northwest to south-southeast almost exactly a hundred miles long. They are '''found about five hundred miles northeast of Avale'''. From north to south the three islands are '''Brovpra, Cluval, and Abrinol'''.

The three islands have '''a native population of around four thousand each''', who have lived there even before the Collapse. Their '''culture, which is not found anywhere else, is one of spirit worship and ancestor veneration'''; everyone wears necklaces, bracelets, and anklets made of shells that signify their connections. A number of centuries ago '''Dolac built outposts on all three isles to support their (merchant) navy'''.

==== Kaleido Reef ====
{{#lsth:Sormark|Kaleido Reef}}

==== [[Nolla Isle]] ====
Said to be haunted and/or cursed. The remains of an old tower can be seen on this small island.

==== Regilt ====
A '''sunken city of old'''. Once every so often utensils or other items from the city end up in fisher-men's nets.
[[File:Saltlions.png|right|122x122px]]

==== Salt Lions ====
'''Two basalt beasts, cathedral-sized'''. They frown eternally at each other across the waves. No one knows how long they have been here. The north one carries an '''encampment; creeping human figures eat away at its features like rot, pick-pick-picking'''. There's a supply dock below. The stone-cutters are known as the Unmakers, they quarry precious Sphinxstone that is shipped around the sea.

==== Sarodin Span ====
{{#lsth:Mifora|Sarodin Span}}

==== Styx Sea ====
[[File:Styx Sea.png|150x150px|right]]
The '''center of the Sarodin Sea is considered to be haunted''' and those few that survive a journey through it often have no memory of it, hence the name. More than any supernatural dangers, '''frequent, huge storms''' are the reason why no sane captains cross the Styx Sea.

==== [[Threepwood Isle]] ====
The large island is quite far from everywhere and thus provides a relatively save '''home to [[Strebor's Corsairs]]'''. The capital, and only city, is Elaine.
[[Category:Locations]]

Sarodin Sea

2026-07-21T13:48:22Z

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[[File:Gaider's Mourn.jpg|thumb|450x450px|Gaider's Mourn]]'''A large, salt water, inner sea''' around which many of the most advanced countries in the world can be found. These include [[Haza]], [[Vilda]], the [[Reuel Woods]], [[Sormark]], [[Mifora]], [[Dolac]], and [[Neniros]].

Fed by many rivers, it '''empties into the Eastern Ocean via the Copis River''' which turns brackish not too far from the coast.

'''Certain sages claim the sea was created during an event comparable to the [[Collapse]].'''

It is full of marine life from the very smallest plankton to massive whales and everything in-between.

'''Many monsters also make it their home''', causing most ships to remain close to the coast. Only the biggest [[Dolac]] merchant ships cross the sea in a flotilla of at least three ships and with plenty of magical support.

== Notable locations ==

==== Arpa Islands ====
Over the centuries several ships have stumbled upon this '''archipelago of islands''' but '''no subsequent expedition ever found it again'''. According to reports '''many species of animals not seen anywhere else in the world''' live here, including large waterfowl that are described as the best thing the sailors ever ate.
[[File:Destraumen Maelstrom.png|left|87x87px]]

==== Destraumen Maelstrom ====
This '''huge whirlpool, over a hundred miles across''' according to some, '''slowly circles the sea, fortunately never coming close to shore'''. It is said that any ship unlucky enough to be caught in it is '''pulled down to a layer of the Abyss known as the Shadowsea'''.

==== Gannet Island ====
Found '''north of [[Avale]]''' this tiny island contains a lighthouse, two piers, and Fort Gannet. In the past the isle functioned as a naval base and held two more piers. These days the fort '''mostly functions as a prison''' for those the Dolac government wants far away from the main land.

==== Hundred Mile Islands ====
This '''group of three islands''' is named thus for the fact that they are found along an imaginary line running from north-northwest to south-southeast almost exactly a hundred miles long. They are '''found about five hundred miles northeast of [[Avale]]'''. From north to south the three islands are '''Brovpra, Cluval, and Abrinol'''.

The three islands have '''a native population of around four thousand each''', who have lived there even before the Collapse. Their '''culture, which is not found anywhere else, is one of spirit worship and ancestor veneration'''; everyone wears necklaces, bracelets, and anklets made of shells that signify their connections. A number of centuries ago '''Dolac built outposts on all three isles to support their (merchant) navy'''.

==== Kaleido Reef ====
{{#lsth:Sormark|Kaleido Reef}}

==== [[Nolla Isle]] ====
Said to be haunted and/or cursed. The remains of an old tower can be seen on this small island.

==== Regilt ====
A '''sunken city of old''', said to be an ancient capital. Once every so often utensils or other items from the city end up in fisher-men's nets.
[[File:Saltlions.png|right|122x122px]]

==== Salt Lions ====
'''Two basalt beasts, cathedral-sized'''. They frown eternally at each other across the waves. No one knows how long they have been here. The north one carries an '''encampment of stonecutters'''.

==== Sarodin Span ====
{{#lsth:Mifora|Sarodin Span}}

==== Styx Sea ====
[[File:Styx Sea.png|left|150x150px]]
The '''center of the Sarodin Sea is considered to be haunted''' and those few that survive a journey through it often have no memory of it, hence the name. More than any supernatural dangers, '''frequent, huge storms''' are the reason why no sane captains cross the Styx Sea.

==== [[Threepwood Isle]] ====
The large island is quite far from everywhere and thus provides a relatively save '''home to [[Strebor's Corsairs]]'''. The capital, and only city, is Elaine.
[[Category:Locations]]

Sormark

2026-07-21T13:47:17Z

DB:

{{CountryBox
|image=Sormark.jpg
|Government=Oligarchy / Feudalism
|Capital=[[Stjordvik]]
|Major Worship= [[Beory]], [[Ehlonna]], [[Erythnul]], [[Olidammara]], [[Ulaa]]
|Cities=[[Hollenvik]], [[Jurva]], [[Resoborg]],
|Climate=Warm and humid
|Exports=Drugs, herbs, pelts, salt, seafood, rice
|Imports= Beer, cheese, cloth, glass, horses, weapons
}}

The country is bordered by the [[Sarodin Sea]] to the west, [[Mifora]] to the southwest, the [[Reuel Woods]] to the north, [[Loveria]] to the east, and [[Fir Lanear]] to the south (with the the [[Giant's Crown Mountains]] in between).

Though '''no longer a true frontier nation it still has much of that feel'''. Outside of the larger cities and main roads you are as likely to come across a small farming village as wandering band of humanoids.[[File:Sormark Map 2024.jpg|thumb|620x620px|none]]

==Government==
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 20px;"
|+The populace has a proclivity for giving their rulers nicknames that tend to stick.
|-
!Barony
!Capital
!Location!!Ruler
|-
|Frooyla
|Resoborg||River West||Eyolf the Bold
|-
|Arvaal
|Ojyren||River East||Malena Hagsdottir
|-
|Svinik
|Stjordvik||Coastal||Raknar the Crayman
|-
|Namverg
|Jurva||Central||Nev Wolfsblood
|-
|Hoeskal
|Viborg||Mountain||Avalanche Gunnbjorn
|-
|Udvjor
|Olfjorby||South||Bryn Shield
|}

'''This polity consists of six independent baronies''' which signed the Accord of Aarvik, thereby setting down the exact borders and making it so that any harmful action committed by one barony against another automatically is an attack against all others. By the same vein, any harmful action by a foreign entity against a barony will be seen as an attack against all.

This has been the situation for some time now, and while it has lead to a stable country it also has led to some stagnation and the '''increasing influence of merchant houses, those of [[Fir Lanear]] in particular'''. '''Taxes in the country are below average''', most of the recent improvements have been funded through taxing the increasing international trade.

Though there are no national laws, all baronies are Sormark through and through, so '''their laws are all quite similar'''. Criminals don't have to hope for inter-baronial jurisdictional issues; any time a representative of law and order comes to collect a suspect, they are handed over without further ado.

===Magic===
'''[[Abjura Dolana]] isn't as highly respected here''' as in the heartlands but the rulers, in all their wisdom, did conclude that it would be a good idea to have an organization powerful enough to deal with rogue mages be part of their baronies. And thus '''any arcane spellcasters wishing to cast spells are to buy a license''' at the border or at a lodge building, '''for the low price of 7.5 gold pieces'''. Those so licensed are '''allowed to cast spells 'in a reasonable manner'''', what that entails is up to the local magistrate. Sormark is quite a religious country and thus divine spellcasters are not in any way curbed.

===Religion===
'''The people in Sormark very much believe in 'the right deity for the right occasion'.''' And thus they don't solely '''worship''' one god or goddess but '''whichever is the most suited to the occasion'''. This means Osprem whenever going out to sea, Beory when farming, Olidammara when reveling, etc. Pholtan priests are very respected as judges in most parts of the country.

'''One blemish is the [[Erythnul]] worship that keeps cropping up.''' Sormarkers are a hardy and tough people and believe in testing themselves against the elements. Often '''groups of Sormarkers will go out into the wilderness for a time''' to 'strengthen their bonds with the land'. Usually they return the better for it, but '''every so often a group is gripped by The Many's madness and then they go find 'worthy' candidates to battle and kill'''. Fortunately, they usually consider the weak to be below their attention.

==Geography==
The '''eastern part''' of the country consists of '''coastal wetlands, beaches, and barrier islands'''. The higher and contiguous hill lands of the '''west consist of prairie and some woodlands''' as it runs up to the [[Giant's Crown Mountains]] Range.

The '''Copis river, the northern boundary''' to the Reuel Woods, flows along a very deep ridge to the west. '''Legends say it is where [[A short-ish history of the world from the Collapse till now|Dendar the Night Serpent]] emerged from the earth'''. The river transports water from the [[Sarodin Sea]] all the way to the ocean and its slow current allows for much waterborne trade.

The '''southern border is formed by the Endless Mire'''. This swamp has resisted all attempts over the centuries to drain it or otherwise curtail it.
====Kaleido Reef====
[[File:Kaleido Reef.png|178x178px|right]]'''Meandering along the coast of much of eastern Sormark, is a chain of many reefs and tiny islands.''' It is home to an '''incredible diversity of fauna''', from a multitude of species of whales, dolphins, porpoises, turtles, fish, octopi, and snakes to over a hundred species of birds. Local legends say the reef was created when a fallen star flew over and shed its trail.

====Namar Mudlands====
[[File:Namar Mudlands.png|right|228x228px]]
'''In the Hoeskal barony, at the foot of the Giant's Crown Mountains one can find a large concentration of hundreds of small mud volcanoes.''' Here many '''ancient tools and rock carvings have been found, traces of what some consider to be the oldest signs of intelligent civilization''' in the world. Also found here is the '''Tantan Sten'''; when this big, two-meter-long stone is '''struck with smaller rocks, it makes a hollow, ringing sound'''.

==Ecology==
Rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, opossums, raccoons and deer are plentiful here, as is '''a large breed of boar called Sernas'''. When it comes to land-based predators there are brown bears and panthers but by far the most common, and dangerous, are the '''large packs of wolves'''. They are '''so ubiquitous that it is said that every tenth Sormarker has to be a werewolf'''.

Many types of birds make their home in Sormark. Quail, turkey, woodcock, and ducks are popular game birds and their numbers have been on the decline because of this. Quite a few species of songbirds can be found all over, and along the shore and in the wetlands pelicans and egrets are a usual sight. Eagles, ospreys, vultures and owls are the most widespread raptors.

'''Numerous species of turtles, many unique to this area, can be found around the coast and river areas.''' Amphibians and reptiles are more than abundant though chameleons have become rarer, due to their value to spellcasters. '''A special mention should go to the crocodile; these armored monstrosities grow over 6 meters in length and ambush anything they consider prey, and they consider everything prey.'''

Between the Sarodin Sea coast and the Copis river, many species of fish and other water creatures can be found. Most notable are bass, bream, catfish, cod, crayfish, mollusks, mudfish, oyster, shrimp, snapper, trout, and ‘wineskin’ (named for their appearance). '''Dolphins and sharks not only congregate along the coast but can be often be seen many miles upriver.'''

===Monsters===
Quite a number of flying monsters make Sormark their home; '''blood hawks, cockatrices, griffons, harpies, manticores, and stirges''' can all be encountered here, though most stay away from any areas of civilization.

'''Bands of bugbears and/or hobgoblins''' frequently make incursions into the country; some have even permanently settled. Then there’s the '''gnolls''' who have been here longer than anyone can remember. Their presence might explain the '''[[Erythnul]] worship''' in the country, or it could be the other way around. '''In either case, try and kill yourself before you let yourself be captured by gnolls.'''

'''Barghests led goblin tribes''' have occasionally caused trouble as well. A number of territorial '''hag covens''' are scattered throughout the country; in the past they used to have whole villages under their sway, that seems to be no longer the case. And then there’s the '''werewolves'''; it’s hard to estimate how many stories about them are just folklore and how much should be taken seriously.

Legends tell of '''an ancient and huge dragon turtle called Eika''' that often '''swims up and down the Copis River''' and considers it ‘her’ river. Firsthand accounts of her seem impossible to come by though.

==History==
'''Much of the history of the area from before the annexation by the [[Miforan Empire]] has been lost''', mainly due to the empire’s atrocious “One Empire“ directive. '''Sormark was defeated during the Red Branch Campaign''' in the latter days of the empire, '''culminating at the Battle of Seven Larches'''. '''King Aethelfrith was killed''' on the field, '''his claymore, Hlarskvung – the symbol of the monarchy, never to be found again'''.

Once this bountiful territory was gobbled up by the empire, '''investors from Mifora increased fishing, pelt hunting, rice cultivation, and salt winning''' to never before seen levels and cities began to grow. Then '''word of the agreeable climate caused a boom of ‘winter mansions’ to be built along the coast'''.

'''When the empire fell two centuries later it didn’t take long for the administrative divisions to turn into little fiefdoms.''' Through warfare and marriage they '''slowly formed into the six baronies we recognize today'''. The Accord of Aarvik brought internecine strife to a halt and a relatively stable country emerged.

==Culture==
While the country is '''mostly human''', '''many half-orcs''' can be found here, mostly in the eastern part of the country. '''Halflings are a smaller minority''' and tend to be found more to the west. '''Half-elves are about the same size minority''' but are found all over. After the [[Collapse]] a contingent of '''dwarves moved to Hoeskal''' and settled there, their descendants can still be found here. '''Gnomes''' aren't very populous anywhere but seem to be '''more common here than in most countries'''.

Sormark is '''famous for the great salt pans on the banks of the Sarodin Sea'''. These vividly colored ponds, some red as ruby, are where much of the world’s salt comes from.

Houses in areas that deal with regular flooding are built on top of '''<nowiki/>'overflow cellars''''. The '''buildings are all about half a meter off the ground, on stilts''', with a basement dug below to hold any water that might come their way, giving the cities are very distinctive look.

'''Music is a big part in the life of many Sormarkers''', especially in the barony of Svinik. '''Many bards have traveled to Stjordvik''' over the centuries and while there is no formal college there, this '''has led to all kinds of new music styles''' that are slowly gaining popularity all over.

In most inns and taverns you can play '''<nowiki/>'Sandy Table'''', a '''game where small wooden discs are slid across a table''' towards a scoring zone.

For the last century or so, '''drugs have been cultivated on a large scale in the countryside'''. While a lot of it is exported this '''has led to a systemic addiction problem''' within the country.

===Food===
In much of the food here you can still see the '''influence of [[Mifora#Food|Miforan cuisine]]''', though pastry is much less common and everything is a lot ‘messier’. '''Rice''' is the basis of many meals; '''corn''' is also used quite often. The abundance of herbs such as '''celery, parsley, bay leaf, green onions, and various peppers''', allows for Sormarkian meals to be quite aromatic.

It is customary for meat to be seared heavily, often grilled entirely black. One such popular dish is '''Sernas Back; the boar’s back meat is coated in salt and then seared till it’s very crispy'''. It usually served with fried ‘headless’, a local vegetable.

'''Sausages are often stuffed with a mixture of meat or seafood, rice, vegetables and herbs'''. Some are smoked whereas others merely dried. '''Blood is added to certain varieties''', giving it their distinctive red coloring. A local favorite is '''Chamot; a boar’s stomach stuffed with the animal’s meat and herbs and then smoked'''. '''Head cheese is a staple on menus in the eastern baronies.'''

'''Aside from the many species of fish, other forms of seafood are quite popular as well.''' '''Mollusks, oysters, and crayfish''' are usually fried in lard and eaten in large quantities. '''Bullfrogs''' are boiled whole and then fried. '''<nowiki/>'Altogether' is a perennial favorite; a mixture of sausage and seafood, with vegetables and rice, all boiled and simmered in a stock.'''

'''<nowiki/>'Kabees' is a much-used condiment; a brown sauce made of various mushrooms.'''

'''Beer and spirits''' (mostly corn based) are drunk in such quantities that it’s surprising demand can be met, or that anyone can get up in the morning.

==In the papers==
<blockquote>'''Passing Wind'''

''The papermills in the Hoeskal Mountains are operational again. As everybody knows these mills operate seasonally and produce the highest quality paper in the country. Hoeskal paper is highly sought after by writers, libraries and government mages. This means that the Hoeskal Mountains will be passing wind again. The katabatic winds carry the sulfur smell of the papermills down the mountain, causing the smell of farts in the province.''

'''Sandy Table Legalization'''

''The hugely popular tavern game Sandy Table was up for abolition by the government. While gambling in itself isn't illegal in Sormark, the combination of gambling and drinking often lead to trouble. Fights and huge gambling debts caused the government to step in. However, Sandy Table has a strong tradition in Sormark, and kids are brought up with the game. So with a small change in the rules, Sandy Table remains legal to play.''

'''Stjordvik Art Contest!'''

''With the yearly celectarion in mind Stjordvik is holding an art contest. If you are proficient in arts then you are invited to participate. Your goal is to create the best portrait of Baron Raknar. The winning entry will net the artist a handsome sum of coin and the painting will be displayed in the grand hallway of his castle. Entries are to be sent, with name and age, to Norbana's. Include return postage should you want your entry back, in case you don't win.<br>''

- Excerpts from articles in the The [[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora#Mifora Bulletin|Mifora Bulletin]] </blockquote>
[[Category:Locations]]

Mifora

2026-07-21T13:46:10Z

DB:

{{CountryBox
|Government= Republic
|Capital=[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora]]
|Major Worship= [[Beory]], [[Boccob]], [[Heironeous]], [[Istus]], [[Lirr]], [[Pholtus]]
|Cities=Dunum, Silia, Tetia
|Climate= Temperate to warm
|Exports= Artwork, cheese, fruits, grain, knowledge, leather, wine
|Imports= Coffee, cotton, rice, salt, silk, spices, sugar
|image=Mifora.jpg}}
The country is bordered by [[Dolac]] to the west, the [[Sarodin Sea]] to the north, [[Sormark]] to the northeast, [[Fir Lanear]] to the south (with the the [[Giant's Crown Mountains]] in between), and [[Otteun]] to the southwest, right beyond the mountains.

Confusingly Mifora refers to '''both a country and a [[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|city]]'''. Attempts have been made to rename the country to Sunita, but without success. And to muddy things even more; '''Mifora is where the original [[Miforan Empire]] got its start'''.

The country is '''more technologically advanced than most other nations'''. Though this is not necessarily true for the countryside, the capital and the other large cities contains '''many academies, colleges and other centers of learning'''.

== Government ==
Mifora is unique in the world for the fact that '''the many small agricultural communities in this nation, together hold more power than the metropolis of GICOM''', its capital.

This is because the '''country is divided up into seventy-two administrative shires of equal size by area''', each of which has one vote in the State Convocation. Most of these shires contain a small town and some villages or even less than that.

Each shire elects one envoy who then has a seat in the State Convocation for a period of five years. '''To say debate there is lively would be the understatement of the century.''' Items regularly get flung through the main chamber and the very real jail in the building sees occupants that need to cool off every week.

'''Crime is significant''' in the large cities and groups of bandits often travel the interior until hunted down. Most town guards are underfunded, many rich people employ their own security. '''The Palus, the national intelligence service''', is quite well funded and seen as very effective. '''Taxes are quite high but the government is quick to point out that the citizens benefit from a lot of programs''' not available in other countries. These are things like '''public schooling, state orphanages, assisted living for the infirm and old, good quality roads''', etc.

=== Magic ===
'''There isn't a thing the Miforan government can't tax, and magic is no different.''' On entering the country '''all arcane spellcasters are to pay 15 gold pieces to procure a license''' without which they are not allowed to cast spells. But that's not the end of it; '''any spellcaster hired, is to pay a 25% tax''' over their income from that job. '''Adventurers, and the law uses the loosest definition of this word, pay 20% tax.''' The way it works is that both parties are to draw up a contract and the employer is to pay the taxed amount directly to the revenue service.

=== Religion ===
'''Mifora is very much a Beory worshiping country''' in the rural areas. Only Pholtus has a little following there as well, but mostly for the justice speaking capacity. '''Boccob and Lirr''' are quite popular with certain segments of the population '''in the large cities'''. '''Heironeous''' has historically been popular in the '''south east of the country'''. The new arrival '''Istus has been gaining popularity''' in both urban and rural areas.

== Geography ==
The '''northern border is formed by the Sarodin Sea'''. Here one finds '''mostly sandy beaches''' but there are also '''some areas of coastal cliffs'''. '''Large estuaries''' have formed where the Garanus, Liga, and Vius rivers empty into the sea.

Going south the terrain is '''mostly flat plains and gently rolling hills'''. The plains are used '''extensively for agriculture; cereals, grapes, berries, and oilseeds''' are the most grown, using about half of the farmland. The other half is mostly used to graze the '''famous Miforan cows'''.

In the past there were many large forests but so much of them has been cut down that now some '''forest have gained a protective status for fear of running out of timber''' in the future and wood is even being imported from Sormark.

'''To the south the Giant's Crown Mountains border the country''' keeping much of the rain clouds in. The '''eastern border is formed by the Endless Mire'''. This swamp has resisted all attempts over the centuries to drain it or otherwise curtail it.
[[File:Bulette's Back.png|left|179x179px]]

==== Bulette's Back ====
This '''large stony plateau can be found in the center of the country''', the Vius river flows around the south and west of it. It measures '''forty by thirty kilometers and rises over ten meters''' above the surrounding country side. There are '''no natural paths onto it but a few access points have been built'''. There is '''only sparse vegetation on the top and no animals except for birds and insects'''.
==== Sarodin Span ====
[[File:Sarodin Span.png|right|138x138px]]These '''clusters of geometric columns can be found at the very eastern end of the Miforan coast''' next to the Endless Mire. '''The columns vary in height, like a pipe organ that got away from itself.''' The columns closest to the coast disappear into the sea, while others jut out of the ground like basalt palisade walls. '''Legends claim that these are the start of a dike built towards the two islands to the north, Jeheir and Guheir, and from there to Sormark.''' Who supposedly built them is unclear, some versions of the story say it was merfolk wizards, others versions hold an ancient sea deity responsible.

== Ecology ==
Hares and rabbit are ever present, the same can be said for voles, dormice, mice, mole-rats, squirrels and chipmunks. Moles and porcupine are quite widespread as well, as are badgers and polecats.

Elk and deer are less common as the hunting of them is quite popular. Boar do a little better and '''some bison can still be found but domesticated cows vastly outnumber them now.''' Foxes, wildcats and wolves are the main predators. Black bears are rare, brown bears are only seen near the mountains.

Grouse and pheasant are also quite popular to the hunt so their numbers have dwindled quite a bit. Swans and herons are the most recurrent large birds found inland. The '''cedar waxwing is one of the few species that is almost exclusively found only in Mifora'''. Woodpeckers are common, as are oystercatchers and woodcocks. Wagtails, orioles, crows, and warblers are the most seen songbirds.

Along the coast many seals and seabirds are found. And off the coast there are many sharks, dolphins and porpoises. Large whales are hunted, though on a small scale, the one exception is the '''narwhal; its horn is so valuable that many ships hunt them exclusively'''.

=== Monsters ===
While in many ways a very bucolic country, there are still quite some monsters around. Village are normally safe from their predations as most quickly learn to avoid hails of arrows. The '''Restless (undead) are less common here''' as old superstitions have purged most.

'''Carrion crawlers''' are surprisingly common and no one is quite sure where they come from. '''Displacer beasts''' have been seen deep inside two forests but fortunately don't seem to wander out from there. The Egnolobe Forest is well known for the clan of '''girallon''' that live there and is thus off-limits for anyone else. '''The leucrotta is likely the most dangerous of the ordinary monsters''', roaming around the edges of civilization.

The dangerous '''yuan-ti are present near the Endless Mire''' where they have been fought frequently in the past. This seems to have had the desired effect as they are now seen less often. '''Ogres, ettins and other giants''' can be found at the foot and lower elevations of the mountains, '''occasionally a band of them will come into the interior'''.

Stories tell of '''a morkoth of enormous proportions''' living in a cave off the coast of [[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]. The tale claims that it was '''summoned by empress Lytia and served her as an advisor and the guardian of many of her treasures'''. When she died '''her son found he did not have any control over it and it kept all the riches''' it was given to protect.

== History ==
'''When the children of Empress Ateia split up the [[Miforan Empire]], most of what is now Mifora went to her son Inicus.''' A traditionalist, he was the most resistant of the siblings to the new ideas and he firmly '''intended to continue on as the new emperor''' of a (much) smaller Miforan Empire. His daughter, however, had other ideas.

Laelia Sevso was an idealist. She cared deeply about the common people and their plight. After many years of reading books and talks with her tutors she came to the conclusion that things needed to change for the betterment of the populace. But she also knew her father would never allow it.

'''The upheaval as the empire split was ''the'' moment to enact any kind of change''', this was clear for anyone to see. And she was convinced that it was possible to have a bloodless coup that would allow her father to live out his years in the royal castle. Ah, the optimism of youth.

It turns out that she, and, to be fair, everyone else, had '''underestimated how different city-dwellers had become from those of the countryside'''. Even though students loved to discuss revolution, they, and everyone else in the large cities, did, when it actually came to it, not really enjoy a prospect where their opportunities would diminish for the betterment of the 'country bumpkins'.

Said peasants, however, were quite enthusiastic about a change of government once the call went out. '''Inicus had been slain the first night of the revolt but now the city-folk were dragging their feet when it came to enacting real change'''. It didn't take long at all before '''<nowiki/>'a host of hayseeds' arrived at the gates''' of the Grand Imperial City of Mifora.

The armies were unable to chose a side in this conflict as they were far away (and, in some cases, otherwise occupied). And so '''marched the 'yokels' into the city and took possession of Mulsa Palace'''. '''Representatives of all of society met here and a new system of government was forged.''' The county was '''divided into shires and each of these elected an envoy who got a seat in the State Convocation''' which was to rule the country. As all the large cities were each just a single shire they lost most of their power but soon started to claw back influence.

Those on the '''eastern border of Dolac, when seeing what had happened in their neighboring country, petitioned to join'''. This was immediately granted and the country grew to its current size.

== Culture ==
'''Humans form the majority''' in the country but '''halflings are a large minority''', bigger than in any other country. '''Half-orcs come next, then half-elves and dwarves, and gnomes far behind them.''' '''Anyone not human or halfling faces an amount of prejudice''', especially when it comes to politics.

Mifora is '''known for its architecture'''; in the days of the empire the most grandiose of stone buildings '''featuring arches and vaulted ceilings''' were built, most of them are still around. Ever since, the style has become a little more sober but they still like to incorporate some flourishes to their structures. '''Gardens were also very popular''' during the empire, these large, meticulously designed and maintained grounds usually include water features and gazebos. Nowadays many have been turned into parks.

In the '''eastern''' part of the country many buildings are '''wattle and daub''' style, in the '''west''' they are more often made of '''brick'''. In the early days of empire '''[[Miforan Empire#Master Builder Sivas Prester|Master Builder Sivas Prester]] built many fortifications''' at strategic positions around the realm. These redoubts were not only highly defensible but also spacious and aesthetically pleasing. Today '''many are in use as public buildings or private residences'''.

'''Literature has had an enormous boost''' after the fall of the empire, the creation of the republic valuing personal freedom, meaing almost anything could be said. This has lead to a long line of authors writing '''popular works criticizing parts of society'''. A special mention should go to '''<nowiki/>'key novels'''' which are fictional works '''about current day people''' with their names changed, skirting any libel charges this way.

'''Theater is very popular''' as well, with '''most villages putting on plays''' in the quiet winter months, showing us not everyone is born an actor. Many a play goes to the same well as the novels; a '''drama about the wrongs in society'''. There is also a '''large demand for comedies''', though even these usually carry a moralistic message of some sort as well.

Mifora is seen as the '''world's center for fashion''', though it should be noted that this is mostly a [[GICOM]] thing and even then, most of the so called fashion is only worn by those able to afford it, which is maybe one percent of the populace. Clothing manufactured for everyone else is mostly functional and usually made of cheap but sturdy materials.

'''<nowiki/>'Balls' is a very popular sport''' played throughout the country; two teams try to place their balls as near as possible to a scoring peg placed into the ground or floor. Three heavy balls may be rolled there and two lighter balls are allowed to be thrown. Teams alternate turns and are free to pick the order of balls used and can try and remove any balls already near the peg. Should a ball completely dislodge the peg then that team loses the round.

=== Food ===
Mifora is known for its cows and is the dairy capital of the world. Two breeds of cattle, the dusty white Holsatia and the light brown Helven, can be found throughout the country. Descendant from the wild bison of the area, they are now bred for milk, of which they produce large amounts. The milk itself isn't consumed much in most places but it is '''turned into butter and cheese'''. It is said that there are at least three times as many kinds of cheese than villages in Mifora.

'''Wheat and rye are the most grown''' cereals in the county and together with the ready supply of butter this has created a cuisine of '''puff pastries'''. These come in both sweet and savory kinds with many regional variants. '''Honey is very popular''', most villages keep their own bees. '''Berries and grapes are the most common fruit''' and are eaten fresh with cream or used in pastries.

'''Fish are very popular''' on the menu in most of the country with the Sarodin Sea and the many rivers and lakes providing a bountiful treasure. The most common are; '''cod, sardines, herring, tuna, eel, salmon, trout, sturgeon, mussels, oysters, shrimp and squid'''. '''Meat, while popular, is not served as often.''' Though the country is lousy with '''cows'''; only those that can't produce milk (anymore) are eaten, '''usually in stews'''. '''Pork is more common in the west and sheep and goat in the south.''' When possible, extra meat is provided by the hunt; mostly birds like pheasant, quail, duck, goose, and pigeon, and sometimes boar or deer.

The '''commonly grown vegetables are potato, green beans, carrots, leek, turnip, eggplant, zucchini, and shallots'''. '''Mushrooms are popular''' but have become harder to source, though some enterprising individuals have started their own mushroom farms. Traditionally the '''most used herbs are tansy, rue, penny-royal, thyme, and hyssop''' but these days many spices and herbs are imported from Sormark and further afield. Sauces are usually butter based and can contain eggs or flour.

'''Mead is the most drunk beverage with beer likely coming second.''' '''While grapes are grown in great quantities, wine isn't all that popular'''; it is relatively expensive and time consuming to make. This leaves it as a drink for the wealthy, more grapes are juiced immediately and drunk as a non-alcoholic beverage. That being said; the two former imperial wineries are still producing much wine which is highly prized in many foreign countries. Locally, '''cheap wine is often drunk mulled'''. Liqueurs made of blackcurrants and other berries are the most popular hard liquors.

A popular meal in much of the country is '''essaib'''; a simple soup made with parts of any fish available, leeks, onions or other local vegetables. It is simmered and usually served with baked bread crusts and a sauce of egg yolk and oil or butter with breadcrumbs, garlic, and pepper. A common winter dish is '''three for three'''; a casserole of beef with oxtail or marrowbone, a number of vegetables, usually from among carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery, cabbage, leeks, and onions, seasoned with salt, pepper, cloves, or other herbs. A famous desert is '''up and over'''; made with custard and a caramelized sugar covering.
[[Category:Locations]]

Lizard's Lament

2026-07-21T13:02:56Z

DB:

''The tail of a large lizard, a bit longer than a human hand. It twitches slightly when you grab it.''

As long as this item is in your possession and you are attuned to it; it has the following properties.

After a Long Rest any remaining charges in this wand are lost. To gain charges you need to donate {{TextAnimations|Text=your own blood|Color=crimson|Shadow=1|Pulse=1}} to the wand, at least equal to 1 HP per level. The wand then gains 1d6 charges. While holding the wand you can do the following:

You are immune to any Polymorph effects as long as the wand has charges.

You can use a Bonus Action to spend 1 charge and give any creature you touch Advantage on Stealth rolls until the end of your next turn.

You can cast one of the following spells using the number of charges indicated:

* Invisibility (2 charges)
* Spider Climb (2 charges)
* Witch Bolt (1 charge, takes the form of a lizard’s tongue and does Acid damage)

In all cases you need to Concentrate on the spell as if you had cast it.
[[Category:Items]]

Lizard's Lament

2026-07-21T13:00:20Z

DB:

''The tail of a large lizard, a bit longer than a human hand. It twitches slightly when you grab it.''

As long as this item is in your possession and you are attuned to it; it has the following properties.

After a Long Rest any remaining charges in this wand are lost. To gain charges you need to donate your {{TextAnimations|Text=own blood|Color=crimson|Shadow=1|Pulse=1}} to the wand, at least equal to 1 HP per level. The wand then gains 1d6 charges. While holding the wand you can do the following:

You are immune to any Polymorph effects as long as the wand has charges.

You can use a Bonus Action to spend 1 charge and give any creature you touch Advantage on Stealth rolls until the end of your next turn.

You can cast one of the following spells using the number of charges indicated:

Invisibility (2 charges), Spider Climb (2 charges), Witch Bolt (1 charge, takes the form of a lizard’s tongue and does Acid damage). In all cases you need to Concentrate on the spell as if you had cast it.
[[Category:Items]]

Lizard’s Lament

2026-07-21T12:58:59Z

DB: DB moved page Lizard’s Lament to Lizard's Lament

#REDIRECT [[Lizard's Lament]]

Lizard's Lament

2026-07-21T12:58:59Z

DB: DB moved page Lizard’s Lament to Lizard's Lament

As long as this item is in your possession and you are attuned to it; it has the following properties.

After a Long Rest any remaining charges in this wand are lost. To gain charges you need to donate your {{TextAnimations|Text=own blood|Color=crimson|Shadow=1}} to the wand, at least equal to 1 HP per level. The wand then gains 1d6 charges. While holding the wand you can do the following:

You are immune to any Polymorph effects as long as the wand has charges.

You can use a Bonus Action to spend 1 charge and give any creature you touch Advantage on Stealth rolls until the end of your next turn.

You can cast one of the following spells using the number of charges indicated:

Invisibility (2 charges), Spider Climb (2 charges), Witch Bolt (1 charge, takes the form of a lizard’s tongue and does Acid damage). In all cases you need to Concentrate on the spell as if you had cast it.
[[Category:Items]]

Avale - Neighborhoods

2026-07-17T00:31:02Z

DB:

An alphabetical listing of all the neighborhoods of [[Avale]] with a '''short description and all points of interest (PoI)''' to be found there.

=== Abrinol ===
This formerly mainly industrial neighborhood now has a largely gentrified eastern side. To the west many manufactories can still be found. It is named for one of the three [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]].

====Happy Soles====
{{#lsth:Avale|Happy Soles}}
====[[Sulla Arena]]====
{{#lsth:Sulla Arena|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - Under-Barrow Savings
* Inn - The Steaming Pot
* Messengers Coalition, Ropemaker Way
* Shrine - [[Ehlonna]]

=== Bow Valley ===
Known for Manette Creek which winds its way along the valley further north into the city. This neighborhood is mostly industrial, including many paper-markers, interspersed with lower class housing and some middle class housing at the northern end.

====Vulpine Count====
{{#lsth:Avale|Vulpine Count}}

'''PoI'''
* Alchemist - Bottle Shock
* Cemetery - Babbling Brook
* Inn - Blue Balladeer Inn
* Inn - Grey Minstrel Inn
* Jeweler - Rock Bottom Prices
* Tavern - The Grape Escape

=== Cegir Town ===
Very much a middle class neighborhood though some more expensive homes can be found near the border with Downpark. It is know for its bookbinders and booksellers.

====[[Thal Sivale]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Sivale|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Barber - Hair Me Out
* Inn - The Plucked Pheasant

=== Center City ===
In the early days of Avale the seat of government could be found here, now it's a middle class neighborhood where many of the Docami live. Numerous bookkeepers, notaries & scribes can also be found here.

====State Museum====
{{#lsth:Avale|State Museum}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub/Tavern - Wine Me Up, owner: '''Bethryn Therthran''' (dwarf, female)

=== Clover Hill ===
An upscale neighborhood that is home to many embassies and specialty food stores.

====[[Hythe Maritime Services]]====
{{#lsth:Hythe Maritime Services|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Perfumer - Smells by Design

=== Dawnbloom Heights ===
An upper class neighborhood known for its architecture and absurd prices for "top of hill" homes. Many law-firms can be found near the border with Uppark.

====[[Companions of Elric]]====
{{#lsth:Companions of Elric|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Alchemists & Apothecaries - Herb's Store, Cat Lane
* Cemetery - Mother Mensual

=== Downpark ===
Said to be 'less stuffy' than Uppark this neighborhood has a lot of (upper-)middle class housing next to all the services that a seat of government attracts. Many glaziers & mirrorers can be found here.

====Halls====
{{#lsth:Avale|Halls}}
====[[Lirr]]====
{{#lsth:Lirr|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - Pursue Hickory
* HQ - Humtache, Watch Plaza
* HQ - Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers

=== Fabrics ===
Much of the neighborhood consists of weavers, dyers, tailors, and clothes stores. Large warehouses dominate the riverfront. Other businesses here include furriers and instrument-makers.
====[[Istus]]====
{{#lsth:Istus|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Clothes store - Save Nine

=== Farmhold Hamlet ===
As the capital grew it, subsumed a number of villages near it, including this one. Over the centuries this '''neighborhood''' has changed completely and is now a '''bohemian hotbed''', very much looked down upon by all the other inhabitants as it is as far from the 'proper' Dolac lifestyle as one can get.

'''PoI'''
* Alchemist - Chimera and Chong's
* Theater - People’s Playhouse
* Nightclub - Bears, Amos Street
* Nightclub - Portinari Dance Hall

=== Fort Read ===
The Avale Armed Forces headquarters, there are more officers than enlisted personnel here.

=== Fractures ===
For a part still an agricultural neighborhood with many small farms to the east, known for its mushroom cultivation. Around the university many businesses have sprung up; hostels, taverns, laundries, brothels, and more.
====Avale School of Business (ASB)====
{{#lsth:Avale|Avale School of Business (ASB)}}

'''PoI'''

* HQ - Stonemasons Guild

=== Gill Gardens ===
This upper class neighborhood is also known as the Sea of Green. Many public gardens and parks are dotted around and the large estates all have their own grounds.
====[[Resa's Rest]]====
{{#lsth:Resa's Rest|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Inn - The Five Georges

=== Hookville ===
Known for it's slaughterhouses, this neighborhood is where most of the livestock trade takes place. About a third of the area is low class housing.

'''PoI'''
* HQ - Guild of Stevedores
* Inn - Pair O' Dice Inn

=== Jeoran Terrace ===
This neighborhood, two thirds industry and one third low class housing, is filled with manufactories of all stripes. It is known for its metal works, smiths of all stripes, and armorers.

====[[Ulaa]]====
{{#lsth:Ulaa|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Foundry - Big Brass Bells Foundry
* Inn - The Reverend’s Rest Inn
* Jeweler - Rings and Things
* Smith - Wesson's Smithy, Sito Road

=== Kalehaven ===
A mix of warehouses and industry such as basket weavers, masons, and soap-makers can be found here. A number of piers are the main ingress for any ship-bound freight destined for the city. Also known for '''The Coop'''; the '''large produce market''' where most of the city's grocers buy their goods.

====White Bridge====
{{#lsth:Avale|White Bridge}}

====[[Abraxis Combine]]====
{{#lsth:Abraxis Combine|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Spice Shop - Curry On My Wayward Son
* Surplus - POWMD: Pre-Owned Weapons of Maximum Destructiveness, ''"If it's in stock, we got it!"''

=== Kesslia ===
An upper-middle class neighborhood with beautiful, tree-shaded avenues and brooks. Home to many a professor and high ranking Docami.
====Venture Hall====
{{#lsth:Avale|Venture Hall}}

'''PoI'''
* Jeweler - Family Jules (Julegibisel, gnomes)
* Perfumer - Heaven Scent

=== Kipfield ===
Home of skinners, tanners, and leather-workers, the smell takes more than a little getting used to and the low class housing is cheap because of it.

'''PoI'''
* HQ - Leatherworkers Guild
* Tannery - The Three Tanners

=== Little Perches ===
Formerly a low class neighborhood, it has gentrified into a middle class neighborhood with many specialty stores, taverns, and eateries.

'''PoI'''
* Clothes - Second Hand News
* Perfumer - Eau My Gods
* Restaurant - This Scampi Happening

=== Longsee ===
A little less industrial than Kalehaven, this neighborhood none the less still contains more manufactories than housing. Bowyers, chandlers, and cobblers are found here.

====Pheld Ceramics====
{{#lsth:Avale|Pheld Ceramics}}

'''PoI'''
* Casino - He Bluffs Me Not
* Fishmonger - For Cod’s Sake, Shore Way
* Inn - The Boer Inn
* Inn - The Other Inn
* Tavern - The Adjective Noun

=== Lost Bay ===
This neighborhood used to be a bay but was reclaimed from the river with magic. '''Abyss Annex''' is the unofficial name for the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Old Yards|Old Yards]] and Lost Bay neighborhoods''' that house the poorest of the poor, most not originally from [[Dolac]]. Crime is high here but so is ingenuity. It is bisected by the '''Sito Road''' which runs north through the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kalehaven|Kalehaven]] and [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Jeoran Terrace|Jeoran Terrace]] neighborhoods'''.

====None Turned Away Clinic====
{{#lsth:Avale|None Turned Away Clinic}}

=== Mimico ===
One of the later additions to the city, it was built containing middle and upper class housing interspersed with many small gardens to give it a more bucolic character.

=== Narrow Park ===
Manicured to an inch, this park is full of water features and paths for a gentle stroll whilst discussing matters of import.

=== New Dunum ===
Created when Emperor Avale conquered the city, the neighborhood was of the highest class, filled with astounding buildings. Over time it has become middle class with only some of the old buildings still surviving. Many of the more successful shipwrights and cartographers have historically lived here.
====[[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]]====
{{#lsth:Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bakery - Tart of Darkness
* NPC - '''Hirsute Looking Glass''', Lookout Road
* Tavern - Bill & Ted’s Excellent Alehouse

=== New Prospect ===
After years of protests from [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Mimico|Mimico]] residents this neighborhood was finally built. It contains mostly (lower-)middle class housing and to the west an area reserved for wagon-makers and caravan suppliers.

=== NoGWay ===
The short name for North of Grove Way, it used to be part of [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Longsee|Longsee]]. Now it is a mostly middle class neighborhood though it has retained its cluster of alchemists and apothecaries.

====[[Kasarian Embassy]]====
{{#lsth:Kasarian Embassy|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Inn - The Evergreen Anteroom

=== Oakhurst ===
Known for its breweries and distilleries at the south end, the rest of the neighborhood is filled with (upper-)middle class housing and the shops and eateries that come with it. All on meandering streets with plenty of green.
====[[Thal Lithel]]====
{{#lsth:Thal Lithel|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Brewery - The Grog Father
* Brewery - This Is The Yeast We Can Do, owner: '''Bretmera Gremdain''' (dwarf female)
* HQ - Brewers Guild, Falanae Avenue
* Restaurant - Feywild Shroomhouse, Korb Street
* Sculptor - '''Parn Gemgiel''' (dwarf male)
* Theater - Catifras Theater

=== Old Yards ===
This is where the old naval yards used to be many centuries ago before they were moved up river. '''Abyss Annex''' is the unofficial name for the '''Old Yards and Lost Bay neighborhoods''' that house the poorest of the poor, most not originally from Dolac. Crime is high here but so is ingenuity. It is bisected by the '''Sito Road''' which runs north through the '''Kalehaven and Jeoran Terrace neighborhoods'''.

'''PoI'''
* Pawnshop - The Loan-ly Warrior's Stop

=== Parade Fields ===
Historically this is where the army would present its forces to the monarch and (foreign) dignitaries. These days it's mostly a large field used for whatever purpose one needs. Encroaching on it from the south is a large caravanserai where most of the overland trade starts and ends.

=== Pell Point ===
Here there's still some of the old fishing village that was the start of it all. While almost everything moved to the new port, net-makers are all found here, and there are still a few piers where fishing vessels dock and unload their catches to immediately be sold at auction. The few upper class buildings in this neighborhood are all in the hands of businesses, the other housing is a mix of lower class and (lower-)middle class.

====Bajakian Ferry====
{{#lsth:Avale|Bajakian Ferry}}
====[[House Ditta]]====
{{#lsth:House Ditta|[[Avale]]}}

=== Prester ===
A neighborhood in decline; these days it is known for its many flophouses where down on their luck sailors spend their time ashore. This brought with it many, many taverns, brothels, and other businesses of ill repute. Businesses that can be found here are paint makers and outfitters.
====Admiralty House====
{{#lsth:Avale|Admiralty House}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub - Spreaders, Blue Cloth Alley

=== Proviso Place ===
Though next to two of the less fragrant neighborhoods of the city, Proviso Place is not too badly affected thanks to it laying in something of a bowl. Formerly mostly full of warehouses, many have now been converted into middle class apartments. It is known for its many theaters and [[Dolac#Culture|niteries]].
====Scarlet Bonnet====
{{#lsth:Avale|Scarlet Bonnet}}

'''PoI'''
* Nightclub - Knight Moves, Twiller Street

=== Sevso Island ===
This island was '''reclaimed from the river at great expense''' after the city was conquered by [[Miforan Empire|Avale Sevso]]. It was the first of a number of islands that were connected with boat bridges to the western bank of the estuary. These days the island is '''a large neighborhood''' with low to middle class housing and one of the few locations in the city where the imperial name remained. It is connected to the city by the '''[[Avale - Neighborhoods#White Bridge|White Bridge]]'''.

'''PoI'''
* NPC - '''Alun Djames''', Reginald Avenue

=== Uppark ===
Full of imposing stone buildings, this neighborhood contains upper class and (upper-)middle class housing, the other half is dedicated to keeping the wheels of power spinning.

====Domicile of Diligence====
{{#lsth:Avale|Domicile of Diligence}}
====Inner Court Arcade====
{{#lsth:Avale|Inner Court Arcade}}
====[[Abjura Dolana]]====
{{#lsth:Abjura Dolana|[[Avale]]}}
====[[Pholtus]]====
{{#lsth:Pholtus|[[Avale]]}}

'''PoI'''
* Bank - High Shore Bonding Company
* HQ - Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes
* HQ - Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors
* NPC - '''House''' (human unsure), Lock Street
* Tavern - The Giggling Gnome Grog Garden

=== Woodfall ===
This neighborhood is known for its many migrants from the [[Sarodin Sea#Hundred Mile Islands|Hundred Mile Islands]], [[Neniros]], [[Ogren]], [[Tilgay]], and other exotic places. Numerous woodshops line the streets here; furniture makers and more general carpenters. On '''Langspelme Road''' stands the recently built '''Endorn Theater''', named for the former boss of the Guild of Woodworkers who was instrumental in its construction. '''Promise Fields''' is filled with people at all hours and [[Dolac#Culture|gakker]] is played here, the local team is called the Bolters.

'''PoI'''
* Tavern - The Thirsty Recruit

[[Category:Locations]]

Avale - Guilds

2026-07-17T00:30:06Z

DB:

A quick listing of details for the [[Dolac#The Guilds|Guilds]] in [[Avale]].

The first Grand Master listed is the Boss, unless noted differently. The Top Boss is also a [[Dolac#Government|Torchbearer]] unless noted differently.

=== Alchemists & Apothecaries Guild ===
HQ:

Top Boss: Sabrina Craig

Grand Masters: Sabrina Craig, Iyiss Leffery (gnome female)

Masters: Sinnom Calidus, Edlin Cole, Amaryllis Hardingdale (halfling female), Jerome Lemuel

=== Armorers & Weaponsmiths Guild ===
HQ:

Top Boss: Albert Charles (Ranhem guild)

Grand Masters: Lesmora Hoveg (female dwarf), Glornag of Rumukk (half-orc female)

Masters:

=== Guild of Bookkeepers, Notaries & Scribes ===
HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Uppark|Uppark]]

Top Boss: Joseph Lacombe

Grand Masters: Joseph Lacombe

Masters:

=== Brewers Guild ===
HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Oakhurst|Oakhurst]]

Top Boss: William Mullis (Ageha guild)

Grand Masters: Kylli Turbeac (dwarf female)

Masters:

=== Guild of Cartographers & Surveyors ===
HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Uppark|Uppark]]

Top Boss: <s>Geppert Cross</s>†, Zennara Rhagust

Grand Masters: <s>Geppert Cross</s>†, Zennara Rhagust

Masters:

=== Guild of Glaziers & Mirrorers ===
Notes: The Torchbearer for the guild is Randall Zwinge.

HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Downpark|Downpark]]

Top Boss: Kira Winston

Grand Masters: Kira Winston, Randall Zwinge

Masters:

=== Leatherworkers Guild ===
HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Kipfield|Kipfield]]

Top Boss: Melvin Hatchett (Taldem guild)

Grand Masters: Makira Floshin (half-elf female)

Masters:

=== Mercantile Guild ===
HQ:

Top Boss: Linda Husmil (Ageha guild)

Grand Masters: Jeffery Fitzwallace-Keely

Masters:

=== Seafarers Guild ===
HQ:

Top Boss:

Grand Masters: Ortegar Plashdeep (halfling male)

Masters:

=== Shipwrights Guild ===
HQ:

Top Boss:

Grand Masters: Bredneg Horgrum (dwarf male)

Masters: Gwendolyn Verdin

=== Guild of Stevedores ===
HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Hookville|Hookville]]

Top Boss: <s>Jinnie Affo</s>†

Grand Masters: <s>Jinnie Affo</s>†

Masters: Alun Djames

=== Stonemasons Guild ===
HQ: [[Avale - Neighborhoods#Fractures|Fractures]]

Top Boss: Bob Lew (Ultrem guild)

Grand Masters: Irvette Tikizaras, Borylla Tusarlig (dwarf female)

Masters:

=== Weavers and Tailors Guild ===
HQ:

Top Boss: Valerie Lewis

Grand Masters:

Masters:

=== Guild of Woodworkers ===
HQ:

Top Boss:

Grand Masters: Ilanis Hanali (half-elf female)

Masters:
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:NPC's]]

Template:DeityBox

2026-07-16T14:35:57Z

DB:

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Template:CountryBox

2026-07-16T14:33:59Z

DB:

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<noinclude>
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Template:DeityBox

2026-07-16T14:33:05Z

DB:

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<noinclude>
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</noinclude>

The Grand Imperial City of Mifora

2026-07-16T14:29:04Z

DB:

{{CityBox
| Government = Oligarchy
| Temples = [[Ancev]], [[Beory]], [[Boccob]], [[Ehlonna]], [[Erythnul]], [[Heironeous]], [[Istus]], [[Lirr]], [[Nerull]], [[Olidammara]], [[Osprem]], [[Pholtus]], [[Ulaa]], [[Zargos]]
| Merchant Houses = [[Abraxis Combine]], [[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]], [[House Ditta]], [[Hythe Maritime Services]], [[Thal Lithel]], [[Thal Sivale]].
| Other Organisations = [[Bruised But Not Broken]], [[Sulla Arena]], [[Rhes Haghed]], [[Companions of Elric]], [[Kasarian Embassy]], [[Abjura Dolana]], [[Buel Vitta Society]], [[Resa's Rest]]
| image = GICOM.png
}}

'''Forever in competition with the metropolis of [[Midtal]]''', The Grand Imperial City of Mifora '''claims''' that if, and that’s a big if, it isn’t the largest city in the world then at least '''it’s the most cultured and most refined'''. Ever since the early days it has '''styled itself the city of refinement and good taste'''. If it’s not from here then it can’t be much. Recently the inhabitants have been referring to their city as GICOM, it's unclear if it will stick.

'''It might be the capital of [[Mifora]] but it sees itself very much as an independent entity (even if reality would disagree here)''' and the '''proud inheritor of the [[Miforan Empire]]'''.

== Locations ==
The city is '''built on both banks of the Vius river''' right before it empties into the [[Sarodin Sea]]. '''Nine bridges''' connect the left and right side of the city which is '''divided up into fourty four administrative wards'''.

==== Ancee Museum ====
'''Count Gallisson Ancee''' was a great lover of art and rumored to be an illegitimate child of the emperor. When the city grew and the '''wharves were moved''', he bought the largest of them and had it '''converted into a grand museum by no less than three architects; one dwarf, one elf, and one gnome'''. When he died without heir, his testament declared that his fortune was to be used to keep the museum the foremost center of art in the world and be the meeting hall for the [[Buel Vitta Society|'''Buel Vitta Society''']].

==== Baseborn & Fowlingpiece, Solicitors at Law ====
''Representing the accused and smoothing over life's little wrinkles since 1149.'' The city's most famous '''lawyers''' can be found, not at all accidentally, '''a block away from Mulsa Palace'''.

==== Benthic College ====
This '''radical seat of higher learning''' is one of the city's most advanced universities. They cover many subjects but '''mostly the experimental'''. Their building is the sturdiest in the country and '''explosions''' and strange magical phenomenon are something the neighbors have gotten used to.

==== Clouds Bridge ====
One of the newest marvels in the city, this bridge was recently completed and is already famous worldwide for how its '''middle part can be lifted up''' quite high to let any ships pass.

==== Comedia Mifora ====
'''One of the oldest theaters in the world''', it claims to have seated every single Miforan Emperor and Empress. Though it started life as a venue for comedies to 'amuse the populace' over time it has staged many different kinds of plays, including some quite anti-establishment ones. These days it is the home of the '''Upstart Crows, the theater company of famed playwright Ben Stirapple'''.

==== Cuto's Cavern ====
This rather dark '''tavern''' across the way from the Comedia Mifora is a '''favorite hangout of many of the cognoscenti of GICOM'''. Nowadays droves of people come here just to catch a glimpse of the many artists, bards, writers, and thinkers that frequent the place.

==== End of Emperors Square ====
'''Formerly known as Sevso Square''', it used to contain a huge '''statue of emperor [[Miforan Empire|Paneg Sevso]]''' on horseback, celebrating his first victories. In Imperial times state holidays and victories were celebrated here with large parades. When the empire fell this is where the revolutionaries camped down after coming into the city. The '''statue was destroyed''' and later replaced with the '''Fountain of the People''', built with the very stones of the statue. The '''permanent gallows''' at the northern end see little hanging action but are '''used daily as a platform for anyone to orate and debate''' on any topic.

==== Kargis' Lighthouse ====
Officially named the Prince Argus Sevso Lighthouse, it is now only known under it's other moniker, '''named for Zora Kargis, the famous architect'''. This was her magnum opus, after '''having designed many more buildings in the city'''. '''Built on an artificial island in Corzon Bay''' right where the Vius river ends, this tall tower tapers to a special housing that contains '''special lenses created in [[Baltur]] of old'''. Magic is normally used to light the beacon but more mundane options are available when needed.

==== Life near Death ====
The '''largest market in the city''' started next to the main cemeteries. Over time the market grew and started to incorporate dry goods next to the food stalls that were there from the start. The city started burying its dead elsewhere but a small cemetery remains, dwarfed by '''a market that is now several city blocks in size'''.

==== Mifora Bulletin ====
Founded shortly after the revolution by the canny '''Esther Ridgeway''', this newspaper is '''still owned by her family'''. It is '''one of the few papers with international corespondents''' who will use expensive magic to report news if it is important enough. They publish a daily GICOM edition and weekly international edition. The latter are usually over thirty pages and '''so popular that they are still read months later in countries far from Mifora'''.

==== Mulsa Palace ====
This former palace can be found '''between the riverbank and End of Emperors Square'''. It now '''houses the State Convocation''' where '''representatives from all the shires run the country''' on those rare moments where they aren't insulting and berating each other.

==== Price Price Imperial Warehouse ====
Don't let the bombastic name fool you; this is a relatively new business, started not even fifty years ago. '''Better known as PPIW, it has revolutionized shopping'''. The company has '''many caravans on the road, visiting all cities (and some villages) as often as weekly''', carrying their most sold wares. But the innovation lies in the fact that '''anyone can order any product in PPIW's catalogue which will then be delivered by the next caravan'''.

==== Summerset College ====
This '''wealthy university college''' contains the '''largest temple to [[Boccob]]''' in the world on its grounds, see below. Beyond magical theory they are also '''word-class in subjects like engineering, applied mathematics, law''', and more.

==== Sweet As Honey ====
Owned by the '''Boulé family''', the '''best candies''' you have (n)ever tasted can be found here. '''Honey from the best apiaries''' in the country is used for an '''astouding array of sweets'''. This includes the common sugared fruits but also fennel flavored 'cushions', honey-lemon 'suckers', and marvelous creations like miniature castles made of sugar-work.

== Organizations ==
====[[Sulla Arena]]====
{{#lsth:Sulla Arena|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
====[[Companions of Elric]]====
{{#lsth: Companions of Elric|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
====[[Kasarian Embassy]]====
{{#lsth: Kasarian Embassy|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
====[[Abjura Dolana]]====
{{#lsth: Abjura Dolana|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
====[[Buel Vitta Society]]====
{{#lsth: Buel Vitta Society|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
====[[Resa's Rest]]====
{{#lsth: Resa's Rest|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
== Temples ==
==== [[Boccob]]====
{{#lsth:Boccob|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
==== [[Heironeous]]====
{{#lsth:Heironeous|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
==== [[Lirr]]====
{{#lsth:Lirr|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
====[[Osprem]]====
{{#lsth:Osprem|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
==== [[Ulaa]]====
{{#lsth:Ulaa|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
== Merchant Houses ==
==== [[Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities]]====
{{#lsth: Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities|[[The Grand Imperial City of Mifora|GICOM]]}}
== Notable People ==
* Alexander Todger (provost [mayor])
* Charles Dimm (chief of police)
* Russel Sulliver (private investigator)
* Fiona Lamb (halfling, sage, history)
* Jack Outend (sage, monsters)
* Rose Thorn (half-elf, singer)
* Carey Ruislip (gnome, publisher)
* Jill Regan (Rhes Haghed don)

[[Category:Locations]]