Session 50

Date: 9/27/2015

Attending: Jake, Aaron, Dave, Joey

Absent: Justin – in Florida

Start Time: 7:50 pm

End Time: 10:35 pm

XP awarded: 4,000

Game time elapsed: 2.5 days

Enemies Defeated:  1 alien creature, 2 steeltoes

Notes:

The group heads upstairs (Bajol trailing behind and still recovering from the effects of the insanity spell). Fyn is sneaking ahead when the next level opens up into a similar room. In it 4 steeltoes are talking to one of the alien creatures, but do not see the hidden Fyn. The party retreats back down into the floor they entered from and discuss their options. While they are talking they hear a steeltoe coming down the stairs. The knights hide in a side tunnel. The steeltoe enters cautiously and immediately goes to the tunnel that has the stair leading to the lower unexplored levels. The knights remain hidden, and Fyn sneaks out and returns upstairs. He finds that the other steeltoes are gone and only the alien creature remains, pouring over some documents. Fyn sneak attacks and slays the alien creature. He picks up the papers (stashing them for later in his bag) and returns downstairs. He ducks his head into the tunnel where the steeltoe that came downstairs went and hears something very large making its way up the stairs. He informs the group and they all head up to the next level.

 In the room where Fyn killed the alien creature, the knights ignore the various side rooms and tunnels and take the stairs upward. There they find a room similar to the two below it. It is a large room with a stair that continues upward. Where the double doors the party entered the complex from are located two floors below on this floor is a small door made out of the wood of the walls. Like before there are several side passages and rooms, but unlike the previous two floors there is a bright silvery sword embedded into the wall opposite the small door. Standing in front of the small door are two steeltoes who clearly see the party. A vicious fight ensues where the steeltoes are slain. The large thing that was following them has almost reached the room. Feydor manages to rip the sword free and Fyn picks the lock and throws open the door, revealing rocky hill country beyond and spilling morning light into the room. Frumious, having summoned a large earth elemental during the fight with the steeltoes, sets the elemental to block the stairs preventing the large thing from below – which proves to be an enormous steeltoe in armor wielding a massive lochaber axe – from entering the room or giving pursuit. The party then exits the complex.

From outside the knights see that their suspicions were correct and that they were in the Hanging Tree they encountered in Avonhollow. Now finding themselves there, they travel for the whole day until they make it to Waymeet. As Waymeet does not open the gates at night, the party camps outside the walls and then heads into town to plan, discuss, and rest up. Realizing that Bajol is in no condition to insist that they stay at an inn with an attached stable, the knights choose to forego the Stag and Chalice and instead rent rooms at the Lump Pillow, being run by a Halfling woman named Lois. Since the Lumpy Pillow doesn’t serve food or have a taproom, the party has a hot lunch at the Venison’s Rest tavern (instead of the Foaming Tankard). There they hole up and examine both the papers Fyn snagged and the sword they took. Not recognizing the language Frumious employs magic to be able to read them. The papers seem to be a set of orders, records of movements, and partially drawn maps. They are obviously written with the expectation that the recipient knows all they need to know, and thus there are no labels on the map fragments, and no names or places on the others. They party is able to make little sense of them except for one note:

“I know you and yours cannot leave the Tree. I have gathered my kind to the Forest to repel aggression and to claim what is ours. Stand ready; should we succeed I will bring it to the Tree for the ritual.”

The note is signed “Blackbriar.”

The sword proves to be a highly magical blade named “Colwych, the Sword of Allanora.” After discussion, the group decides to disband until dinner. Fyn heads back to his room to work on Ratchets and sleep. Feydor decides that since Grigor is no longer traveling with the party a group historian is needed and spends the afternoon taking notes on their adventures since the Isles of Mist. Frumious, on learning that the baker for the Venison’s Rest has retired, spends the afternoon baking.

The group regathers at the Venison’s Rest for dinner. Frumious gathers information from the crowd and picks up the following info:

*something or someone has occupied Caer Wynnic; no one knows what’s going on but everyone and everything is avoiding the area around the former capitol.

*the Marquis came into the Marque from the east and rode straight through. He has been largely absent of late.

Frumious then uses a spell to communicate with Osgood (note that only a limited amount of words – 25 - can be sent with this spell, and both Frumious and Osgood know this). Frumious’ message to Osgood is:

“Osgood – What is the major news of Halvenspring of late? We are in Waymeet right now. Tell me if we should return home with haste.”

Osgood’s response is:

“Things tense but not active. Holding breath. Army at lake. Suspect Illmar. Firnockt impassable. Tainted all around. Last settlement left north Mossreach. Dwarves are coming.”

The party then sits for dinner and discusses what Frumious’ information and Osgood’s message could mean. During dinner Marcus Oakcask comes in for a drink sees the knights and joins them for dinner. Frumious is all of a sudden and somewhat uncharacteristically diplomatic (nat 20 Diplomacy check) and the party finds Marcus spilling the beans somewhat about the Underground Mine.  From Marcus (and the DM’s notes):

“The Underground Mine (hereafter UM) is a secret dwarven organization that protects the interests of dwarves and guards against the day when the Tainted Ones rise up enmass again to threaten the world. While technically they have a multi continent presence, most of the UM is concentrated in the Kingdom of the Seven Vales as it is based out of Boulderrest. The Seven Vales also has most of the Tainted One locations of concern for the UM. The UM is divided up into 4 branches – the Watchers, the Walkers, the Hammer, and the Council.

The Watchers are UM agents spread throughout the world. Less sleeper agent and more passive spy, the Watchers typically live in communities and run local businesses. Many are inn keepers and smiths, no small few are merchants of one type or another. There is at least one in every area where there is a significant population of dwarves, the local regime seems racist or overbearing, or there is a sight or location associated with the Tainted Ones. Each Watcher has a coin or medallion with the symbol of the UM on it. They can use it to contact the Walkers by tracing a symbol on it – one symbol means “send Walker”, one means “in danger send help”, and one means “I’m dying”. Outside of the coins, each Watcher writes a written report twice a year which is picked up by a Walker passing through.

The Walkers are scouts and messengers. They are constantly on the move through both the wilderness and along the roads, carrying reports from Watchers and investigating new and moving threats. They are also the UM’s fast response group when protection or martial action is needed. Every Walker carries a map that magically responds to the coin of any Watcher within 100 miles. When a Watcher traces the appropriate symbol on his coin, that symbol appears on the Walker’s map in the Watcher’s location. The Walkers also have a metal belt loop that allows them **********<concealed>*****************. In dire circumstances the Council can communicate directly with the Walkers via their maps. Twice a year Walkers rendezvous with a Councilmember to deliver reports, receive instructions, and hear about the doings of others.

Most people do not know about the existence of the Underground Mine. Those who do know do not have specifics, merely knowing that there is a dwarven organization of some sort. A small percentage of that actually know that the group is called the Underground Mine and are vaguely aware of the Watchers and Walkers, and then not by name. Almost no one outside of the organization knows of the Hammer or the Council.”

It’s worth noting that Marcus seemed willing to talk, albeit slightly reluctantly, but the party chose not to press him on the part above he edited, or ask him anything about the Hammer or Council. This was not a party decision or anything, they just didn’t do it.

Anyway, Frumious then tells Marcus about the Tainted Halfling. Marcus’ demeanor immediately changes. He then tells the party that when he dies they should take an iron box that is bound with leather from his store to Klaus in Halvenspring. He then tells them that everyone who has ever learned what the Halflings become when Tainted has died suddenly and mysteriously. No one knows how or why. Immediately Feydor and Fyn suggest Marcus come with the Knights. Marcus agrees. The knights then spend the night in Marcus’ shop as Fyn doesn’t want Marcus to leave sight of at least one party member. The party gears up, buys 2 horses and a riding dog, and then heads north to Shadowmount. End Session