Session 27

Date: 3/29/2015

Attending: Jake, Dave, Chris, Joey, Aaron, Justin

Absent: None

Start Time: 7:20 p.m.

End Time: 10:40 p.m.

XP awarded: 700

Game time elapsed:  2 days

Enemies Defeated: Salavic

Notes:

The party rode hard and arrived in Halvenspring at dusk on the 2^nd day from Ramsrun. Orius immediately bid the group farewell and went to meet with Klaus. The party split up for a bit that evening.

Bajol went to the Sleeping Dragon Tavern. He was greeted by Porter, who welcomed him warmly. They went into the office for a private conversation regarding the business. Porter informed Bajol that business had been good, and that 2,500 gold pieces were in the kitty. Porter suggested expanding the menu and using some of the profits to add onto the building so as to be able to rent rooms. Bajol gave Porter a 15% raise, promoted him to General Manager and told him to build the business as he sees fit, reserving about 20% of profits each month to support the defenses of the town (to be collected by Marc Risus).

Bajol then asked Porter about Salavic, at which point Porter began sweating and obviously could not answer. Bajol noticed he was itching something on his chest in response to the question “Did you buy anything from Salavic?” So as quick and gently as he could Bajol grabbed Porter and ripped off a small wicker doll that was hanging around his neck on a piece of twine. Immediately Porter seemed free of a controlling influence. Bajol left the Dragon and headed to Grigor’s tower.

Fyn headed to his home and checked out his workshop and living quarters. Seeing that the vice in his workshop had been closed, he slowly searched the building from top to bottom, looking for evidence that someone had been snooping around. The only thing he found was a note that said:

“As far as you are concerned your only family is me, your father, and your brother. Do not talk to anyone else named Sosyl! – Styren”

After reading the note Fyn locked up and went to Styren’s house, only to find it closed up and no one home. Swinging by the Sleeping Dragon (just missing Bajol) he asked Porter if he had seen his uncle. Porter told Fyn that Styren had left for Templemount 23 days ago (originally stated in session as a week and a half, now corrected upon DM note review). Fyn then headed to Grigor’s tower.

Meanwhile, Feydor and Frumious went to visit with Father Theodore. There they informed him about their adventures, and were disappointed that he didn’t have any information about Brulor or any first world religions beyond commonly accepted Omnian dogma. He informed Feydor that Feydor’s mother had been a slave in Nath, and that she had been bought by a Cult that intended to sacrifice her. Realizing this she fled to the Seven Vales where she found employment in Earl Augustus’ household. It is unknown when and by whom she got pregnant; Theodore had no info that contradicted the story Feydor knew. Apparently she met someone – Theodore suspects the merchant she presented as Feydor’s father – who suggested that she relocate to Halvenspring.

Frumious inquires as to the theology of Narsus (First Patriarch of the Choval Church). Theodore politely made it clear that he rejected Narsus’ beliefs (church as ultimate political and secular power, conversion by the sword) and would not accept Vornic’s leadership if Bishop Vornic chose to align himself with Narsus.

Frumious then asked Theodore about Salavic, only to have Theodore go mute and begin sweating. Frumious and Feydor then went to Grigor’s tower.

Grigor went straight to his tower after the initial split. Finding Nolan and Osgood, he had a conversation where he filled in Nolan on the Knights adventurers and asked him about his own. Nolan said that he was a High Bard, and his superiors assigned him to figure out what the political situation is with Mario Treyvan in Illmar. Nolan had little knowledge of anything first world, and was more interested in the local and recent political concerns.

About this time is when Bajol arrived and told Grigor about the wicker necklace. Going inside they tried to take Osgood’s but he ran upstairs. The rest of the party caught up at that point and Osgood was liberated when Nolan fascinated him. The party resolved to confront Salavic that night. Bajol went to invte his dad to come, and Grigor went to his house for the same reason. Bajol saw that his father was affected as well and headed back. Grigor encountered his mother who was not wearing a doll, saying that such things don’t work on her, and she told him that the entire town was enspelled.

With that the Knights and Nolan led by the freed Osgood headed into the Firnockt to confront Salavic. Along the way Grigor entrusts the Book Box to Kyros who flies off to hide.

The area around the cottage has various wicker objects hanging from the trees, and Little Baskins refuses to step into the clearing. The cottage is a lumpy squat building with a storage shed on the side and a high angled roof. A single light is on in the window.

Frumious heads to the shed to burn down the stored materials. The rest of the party rushes into the cottage, Bajol kicking down the door. It is all one room, covered in twigs and wicker materials and tools. Seated in a chair in front of an oil lamp is a Halfling sized marionette, which turns and addresses them. The party briefly converses, with the puppet letting them know that burning down the shack would result in the deaths of the towns people. Finally they break the mannequin apart, after he realizes they do not have the box and correctly deduces that the “drake” has it. A small wicker bird launches into the night.

Fyn and Feydor collect all the things from the cottage that are magical while Bajol and Grigor pursue the bird. The bird as it flies gathers wicker and morphs into a dragon. Grigor throws an acid spell at the dragon while Bajol shoots it with his bow.  The dragon disintegrates and a small wicker bird falls to the ground with Bajol’s arrow through it.

The party regroups and heads back to Halvenspring. After some discussion they (ok Fyn) breaks into every house and removes the wicker amulets from the towns people. Having collected them all they burn them with everything collected at the cottage, noting that the amulets flare with an intense heat when the tools burn up. They then plan a meeting of town leadership in the morning.

The next morning everyone gathers at the Church – the party, Pharun, Marc Risus, Karl, Theodore, the Grey Circle, and a few others. The party begins telling the assembled about Salavic and demands to know what is going on in the town and Firnockt. When they mention the cloaking nature of the town Marc Risus dismisses everyone except the party, himself, and Pharun – an authoritative action that angers Fyn and Frumious. He tells the party that he will not give the full details as he does not want the Knights to get caught up in local doings and neglect the other events they have been involved in (he having been filled in on the party’s adventures by Bajol earlier). The party reluctantly accepts this and leaves. Next they head to Onsmythe who proves to have more knowledge than they expected. The conversation is derailed however when he suggests that an Omnian would give a different answer (regarding the “are we human” question) and Frumious takes exception to that. End Session