Session 6 - Echo Wave Cave - Recount, Map, Summary, Questions

Recount of Session 6

Night 1 - Moondive - Early Night (2800 - 3159, 4 hrs)

Bosque and Worra did NOT see any military forces along the Waning Road and Triboar Trail on way to Moondive.

While walking to Moondive at night, Bosque and Worra discover an area were a large group of 30+ people and dragon camped. Burnt arrows and a broken bow a left among the smoldering braziers.

Worra sees Trad, the sorceress' onceti assistant, hung in a tree missing his limbs, acid burning his limbs to stumps.  Worra guesses Trad was ambushed and map he was carrying to the Rat King stolen.

Gawyn spots Worra and Bosque.

Gawyn, Bosque, Noname, Loxly and Austri meet in Sister Garaele's House with Worra.  

Worra and Bosque say their is group named the Jack Terriers meeting the Rat King to kill him at the stone fort house, The Green Spinster.  Jack Terriers armed with dreaded boomstocks.

Gawyn, Noname, Loxly and Austri explain the night before. Eldermath's execution by the last of the Burning Cloaks and a rain of fire arrows killing half the town followed by 20+ men dressed with black dragon masks attacking Moondive.

Lastly, Trista Khador called the Burningstaff after Noname left to help the group fight an acid dragon. She then killed Gundren, Sildar, Wolfenstein, and the barkeeper when she fireballed the Moondive Dive.

Sister Garaele's helped the group kill the acid dragon trying to fly away with Trista.  The dragon was killed lightning summoned by Sister Garaele.  Loxly puts an arrow through Trista's head as she tries to burn the arrow in mid flight.  The Burningstaff disintegrates while doing so.

Sister Garaele gives an iron acorn to Loxly in order to summon her if needed.

The surviving Luck Shrine shrine maiden and mother give group 10 improved healing potions.

Night 1 to Day 2 - Moondive - Late Night and Mid-late Morning (0000 - 0959, 10 hrs)

Group Rests

Day 2 - Moondive - Mid-late Morning, Early Afternoon (1000 - 1559, 6 hrs)

Bosque builds hand bombs with the help of a woodworker, Frederick Strongbeam.  Four fire hand bombs with caltrops, four fire hand bombs with ball bearings.

Loxly builds a keg bomb with woodworker.

Day 2 - Moondive to Green Spinster, At Green Spinster, Late Afternoon (1600 - 1959, 4 hrs)

Group including Worra go to Green Spinster.

Gawyn and group purposefully trip a Fountain of Rats guarding the lower level, rats run off in direction of Echo Wave Cave. Gawyn, Noname and Bosque discover only a dead man wearing a Jack Terrier's Cuirass and jacket.  Looks to be bitten to death by a 1000 tiny bites. 

Group sets Green Spinster on fire.

Group heads into mountains and find a cravasse leading deep within rocks.  They see cart, large feet, boots and tiny mice tracks.

Day 2 - Echo Wave Cave Entrance - Early Evening (2000 - 2399, 4 hrs)

Group hears distressed animal sounds.  Biscuit seems interested. Loxly through telepathy with Biscuit that an draft ogre was injured in rock fall.  Group lets injured draft ogre limp home.

Once in entrance cave, group discovers ferroquin (destroyed) and knight (dead) crushed under many giant boulders. Unfortunately, Tharden was caught in the collapse.  Tharden is has been dead only hours, dust has nearly settled.

Austri can hear faint breathing behind another rock fail.  He discovers his cousin, Nundro, alive and shaken from ambush of the Jack Terriers, Tharden's death, and sealing himself with rock fall in a cove to protect himself.

Austri tells the group he is staying with Nundro and wants to start the rock fall to seal Echo Wave Cave.  The group and Austri negotiate, Austri give them 11 hours to explore cave. If anyone other than group members comes out the cave, Austri will initiate the rock fall.

Day 2 - Count Down - Entrance Cave - Hour 11 (2400)

Left Biscuit's cart at edge of sink hole exposing two entrances to mine.

Bosque, Gawyn, Loxly and Noname help Biscuit get down in sink hole with keg bomb.  Worra follows.

North mine entrance had lots of boot prints and one set trailing off to east entrance.

Group goes into east mine entrance, lots of rat tracks and one set of boot prints. Familiar mouse waves, Loxly kills it, dissipates into blue luminous smoke.

Group marches into east entrance into mining tunnel for 30 mins till seeing next opening and room.

Day 2 - Count Down - Mushroom'd Hallway to Assayer's office to Ancient Latrine Fight - Hour 11 (2500)

Fight 1 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F1)

Group sees glowing mushroom, phosphorescent spores, mushroom zombies. Group sets up trap with Loxly Grabbing Thorn spell.

5 zombies die.  Ignites poison mushroom cloud explosion.  Bosque and Gawyn poisoned. Noname was exposed yet not poisoned.  

Did not go deeper into area with overgrowth of glowing mushroom (green area). 

Cloud lines represent Area Characters did not explore or can see.

Worra disappears.

Find barred door to immediate north, Biscuit could not open in.

Find door to west, easily opens. Discovered Assayer's Office and 500 gp on tables and chest.  Secret door found, rat familiar helps discover group discover it.

Biscuit and keg bomb could not fit into secret passages way (Would take 1 hour to clear); Biscuit and keg bomb left in Assayer's office.

Crates are filled with solid blocks of decayed food, glass bottles, clay containers, porcelain chamber pots.

Rat familiar climbs on crates, play acts fighting and someone in danger.  Points at secret door.

Group goes through secret door. Familiar disappears into blue luminous smoke.

Fight 2 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F2)

Group looks down a hallway lined with latrine benches. As they continue to burst into the latrine, they see a man armed with an extremely heavy looking pike and an other dressed in half plate, a large ornate shield a luminous white-blue sword yelling at an unseen person around the corner.

The Half-plate man notices the group and yells at them to identify themselves. Loxly tries to convince the man they are reinforcements.  The man replies, "You are not soldiers and definitely not of the seven I brought!"

In the confusion, the Half-plate man is struck with magic missiles and steps back injured.  The man with pike, aims his pike like a bow and a mighty flash erupts from the end of the pike quickly followed by flash and noice like lighting and thunder.

An Onceti man in red robe runs towards the group and fires magic missiles again at the Half-plate man.

Noname charges the Half-plate man and dents his armor with three blows.  Killing the Half-plate man.

The group realizes the man with pike is armed with a boomstock and is probably the units sergeant.  The Sargeant fires a round into Noname at point blank.  Noname thinks about catching the projectile, yet does not attempt it. Noname now fears the boomstocks power (Noname loses HP).  Sargeant runs thru the western door behind him.

Gawyn makes the Sargeant fear him with a damage spell (Sargeant loses HP).  Loxly throws a grabbing thorne spell. Bosque throws two handbombs resulting in making the western door impassable and obscured.

The red robed wizard thanks the group for intervening and takes cover behind the group.

Six blasts from three separate boomstocks erupts through the smoke and fire from the western door.  Lucky, no one from the group is hurt. It seems through the blasts were aimed most at Noname and the red robed wizard.

Gawyn clears the flames and debris from Bosque's bombs so the group see or pass through the western door.  The group notices there is no one on the otherside of the doorway. Their is some thorned vines ripped up as if someone struggled to get free (one Jack Terrier loses HP).

The red robed wizard runs east, through the secret door into secret passage way as everyone expects a threat threw the western door of the latrine.  Noname notices and chases the wizard north through the secret passage way.  The wizard pushes open a secret door at the north end of the secret passage way.

Day 2 - Count Down - Meet the Rat King and Golum Guardian - Hour 10 (2600), Magic Resets.

Fight 3 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F3)

Noname tackles the wizard.  The rest of the group chases after Noname.  The group tied up the wizard. The group notices they are in a large kitchen. Nothing of value is in this room.

They persuade the wizard to give them information.  The wizard gives them the following:

- He is the Rat King.

- He tells you he was trying to get to the Forge of Spells.

- There is clay golum guarding the entrance and it's will not let anyone pass; it does seem to be like it could be reasoned with. 

- Clay Golum controls the mushroom zombies.

- The Jack Terriers captured him after his failed attempt to reason with the Golum.

- Jack Terriers were interrogating him about the forge and what it does. He said, "He does not know." The Sargeant and Officer (Half-plate) were close to executing him when the group charged in.

- He sent the familiar to lead them to him.

The Golum (Circle marked G)

The group have the Rat King show them the way to the Golum. They exit the kitchen through the western door, they see a large room with 40 feet ceiling carved out of the cave.  The floors, walls and ceilings look like flagstones.  Many unlight dry oil walls sconces are mounted to the walls and pillars. Many large unlight wagon wheel-like chandelier hang from the ceiling.  The group notice skeletons of many different bipedal creatures in various states of completeness and positions on the floor.  Looks as if a large fight occurred here.  

The group go up the stairs immediately north of them and slowly approach the green glowing Golum. As they pass a large pillar, the Golum stares at the group silently and near motionlessly.

Jack Terriers retreat (Blue Arrow with Jack Terrier Symbol)

They notice the haphazard fortification of tables and benches with motionless mushroom zombies laying against them. They also notice the two other doors south. One loosely barricaded closed and one leading to the Latrine.

The groups sees some tables and benches pushed outward from the fortification as if the Jack Terriers broke up the barrier to escape from the group during the fight.  The group knows the room extends further to the south west, they just can not see what is exactly there. (The cloud looking marks are unexplored areas).

Fight 4 (Red Spikey Balloon marked F4)

The Group stops when the Golum in a booming voice ask them to halt and state their business.

Gawyn talks to the Golum and gains it's trust. The Golum warns he does not trust the Rat King and the Forge has been active as of recent (you do not know what recent means to a Golum that been there for a 1000 years).  The Golum asks if he can be released from his service and seem to recognize Gawyn.  The Golum asks for Gawyn to place his head into his large out stretch hand in order verify his identity.  Golum says Gawyn bloodline is allowed to release the Golum from service the yells "Release me!". Gawyn says it is released and Golum melts into the floor and disappears.

Soon after, two shots from a boomstock strike behind them near the 30 feet wide and 15 feet tall entrance tunnel of the Forge of Spells.  The tunnel leading to the forge is straight and speck of yellow-orange light is viewable at the other end (approx 1000+ ft long tunnel to Forge).  The group kneels down after hearing the ricochet.

The next two rounds, hear the near invisible shots whizz and crack near them. They see the flash and smoke come from the south west. They also hear the something running in armor and panting heavily coming the group's way!

'

End of Session 6

----------Questions----------

1. Do you fight the Jack Terriers, run into forge or something else?

2. Biscuit?

3. What do you do with the Rat King?

4. What other options do you think you have?

5. Does your group have a name?

-----------Session 7 Knowns-----------

- You have all your spell slots back.

- Austri helping depends on player attendance.

- You have 10 hours left no matter if Austri helps or not.  Nundro wants revenge!!!

- Fighting is fast (6 second a player's turn) and talk eats up time, any negotiation or dialogue is a minimum of 15 mins.  We'll be rolling a D4 to see how many quarters of an hour a complex conversation in game takes.

- Jack Terriers want to see the Forge of Spells and kill the Rat King (and probably any witnesses) then to report to their commander, Captain Bulter.

- There are 4 to 5 Jack Terriers alive currently and they are as well equipt as the group.

- Must be in line of sight for telepathy and within 30 ft.

- You have the iron acorn!

- Worra knows the location of all the promisary notes for payment and leads.  Bosque, Austri and Loxly, want her alive. Gawyn and Noname, may not care if she lives and maybe have an idea she grants wishes if she makes it out of Echo Wave Cave alive.

----------Session 7 Ending----------

Pick three Plot Hooks, rank them 1 to 3:

- Find Prince Lecham's buried gift for the group, deeper into Blood Coast to the Green Ilse (Southeast Cross)

- Captain Gozo's Ship in Neverwane, mystery of salted boltian trade and travel to Tarte in the Plaingraves (Central Cross)

- Austri's return to the Hillrocker Family Combine (Northwest Cross, Crater Lands)

- Bosque's quest for revenge and join the Urraedi Arimavor (Southwest Cross, the Oncet)

- Gawyn's search for Archomet, Nightmare Dragon and Mignola's favor (New Continent)

- Loxly's reclaiming of his kingdom from Ivanham of Nottinghoe in the Lincolnwood Forest in his land of Shergreengrave (Northeast Cross, Moon Coast)

- Noname's walking of the world till he reaches the Purple Coast and the Gray Tower. (New Continent, the Narrow Lands, Bosque homeland)

- Submit your own!!!

----------Notes----------

Charge to 32 Hour Day, 4 long rests, Powers Reset at Dawn or Dusk (16 hrs)

Morning 

(0400 - 0759, 0800 - 1159) Sunrise 1000

(Early Morning, Late Morning)

Afternoon

(1200 - 1559, 1600 - 1959)

(Early Afternoon, Late Afternoon)

Evening 

(2000 - 2359, 2400 - 2759) Sunset 2600

(Early Evening, Late Evening)

Night

(2800 - 3159, 0000 - 0359)

(Early Night, Late Night)

Boomstock - Firearm Range Weapon - Lever Action Cast Iron Rifle

Boomstock

There are few firearms outside the Cross Kingdom and the Cross Kingdom holds dominion over these weapons, makers, spell casters and alchemy with great fury.

Boomstocks are made of cast iron and wood made of two major parts: barrelaction and breachcasing. The barrelaction is comprised of rifled barrel, iron sights, stock, breachlock action and spellhammer; imbued with 40 strikes.  The breach is separate from the barrelaction and called a breachcasing. The breachcasing is cast iron with an area bored out to load black powder, bullet, and wax seal to keep everything in place and protected.  Each breachcasing is imbued with eight spellprimers to ignite the powder; one used per firing. The breachcasing is ejected when the boomstock's lever is actioned down.  To load a breachcasing, pull the level up. If correctly loaded, you will hear the spellhammer lock away from the breachcasing and see both the spellprimer and spellhammer glow soft red.  Pulling the trigger, makes the spellhammer fall and striking the spellprimer that ignites the power propelling the bullet.  Both sections of the boomstock need to reimbued by a sanctioned artificer.  

Boomstocks are normally equiped with removable pike blades, making the boomstock even deadlier when loaded.

Most that carry boomstocks are experts in function and fighting with these specialized weapons.  Normally experts can fire two chasings is succession at range or in melee use the boomstock as a pike then fire once.  Also, experts carry an extra spellhammer and a bandolier of eight breachcasings ready to be fired.

Lastly, expect an armored mastiff to help carry powder kegs, various bullets, grease, and field supplies.

Boomstock...5000 gp...1d20...15 lb Special Ammunition* (range 150/300), loading, two-handed, Reach, Versatile (1d10)

Special Ammunition*

Breachcasting...100 gp...5 lb

Black Powder Keg...250 gp...20 lb

Bullet, Lead (10)...30 gp...10 lb

Bullet, Silver (10)...130 gp...10 lb

Sealing Wax...5 sp...1/4 lb

Spellprimer... must see sanctioned artificer

Spellhammer...must see sanctioned artificer

Session 6 - Prologue - Part 2 - Secrets of Neverwane

Worra knows the orisons cravered on the outer hull gave her seaworthy ship some of the properties of the wind; importantly being formless and powerful.  Her ship is nearly invisible from the outside and faster than any skiff on this continent. Her fear was not of night time, no living thing should see the flying longship cut through the air. Her fear was of daylight, the skyskiff would be an opaque mist with a faint rainbow trail. Definitely something to gossip about.

It echoes in here mind that skyskiffs are precious; to pilot one is an honor and to own one is an obligation of secrecy. The Cross Kingdom pays high bounties for these flying ships and their pilots.  Captured passengers are put to the sword and left to be a feast for carrion eating beasts.

"I named the longskiff, Dorra.  After my sister, whom was a cartographer, historian, and linguist," the onceti saying both cheerful and sad.  "She loved traveling.  She died in Crossica."

Bosque did not know how to respond seeing her sadness. He replies, "I am sorry to hear. Can you tell me what happened?"

It was quiet for a long time after that.  Only the muted wind against the invisible aura occupied the space.

Worra broke the silence a hour later. "We set down during dawn. That way the skiff will have little chance of beginning seen and we get a bit of light."

Bosque nods his head and returns to marveling at the speed and ease the skyskiff travels. His memory goes to the sailing seaships that brought him to the Cross Continent.  

The onceti continues stands at the stern with a long handled steering paddle within her grip.  A group of small mountain between them and the Nevers marked their heading.  The Dawn Star rises over the eastern sea as they travel northwest.  She smiles spotting a storm of high clouds gathering and pushing toward the Nevers.

Bosque sees Worra pull the ship into a spot that she must have used before.  It was too well tucked and hidden to find with luck; perfectly hidden among the rocks, trees and tall shrubbery.  As soon as Dorra settled and further hidden, the sorceress and ranger were on trail with a couple of bags between them.  They were quickly on the Waning Road and couple of hours later at Neverwane's door.

Rain had been pouring over the last hour as they walked to the fortress city of Neverwane.  The rain became worst as Worra and Bosque passed through the deep cavernous gate.  The platoon of guards and inspectors worried more about refuge from the deluge then inspection and security.  The ranger and sorceress were relieved to step out of the rain and into the line to enter Neverwane.

Once it was their turn of inspection, the gate captain gave little less than a wave to have a yomen write down their false names.  She waved harder to keep them moving and get them away from her station.  It poured rain as the two made their way through the streets and alleys.  They found their rest at the Blue Tigon* Public House near the onceti markets.

∆

The pair slept in adjoining rooms. The host expressed that female folk ought to stay in a separate wing but gave little care after being give double rate up front for a two night stay.  The two even paid extra for tubs, hot water and soap to be brought up within an hour.

Bosque was refreshed after a nap, a bath and another nap. He felt the need to eat and was curious if Worra would join him. He knocks on her door and listens to silence on the otherside. Suspicious, he unsheaths his dagger slowly and begins to pry the lock on the door.  Hearing footsteps coming up stairway and he hurries picking the lock.  The lock releases and the ranger enters the room. He see nothing wrong in the sorceress' room.  He tries to close the door, yet it says a jar.  He forces it again.

"What are you doing?" The voice says on the otherside of the door. "Are you trying to hobble me, Bosque, or seek my wrath?"

Bosque looks down seeing Worra's boot then release the door.  "My apologies, I was worried."

She smiles as she enters. "No harm. I like that your first instinct is to commit burglary. We'll need that spirit tonight."

Worra and Bosque eat a meal consisting of onceti delicacies in the form of wine, cheese, fruit and bread.  Her love of markets like Neverwane's Syzygy Market Square shows as she talks of her day.  She discusses the payment arrangement for Austri and Loxly through an Onceti jeweler and pawnbroker named Nonnac.

"I should have asked for gold back in that room," jokingly says the ranger.

The sorceress replies, "You will be rewarded with thine riches 10 fold than that of Austri." Worra's mood get serious and says, "On the matter of riches, our night ends with a murder and robbery."

She explains that there is a dinner party in honor Neverwane's full control of the Neverchain.  The chain that stretches across the Waning River and prevents ships from moving freely between the river Lone Tower Harbour.  The taxes and fees are worth millions of gold pieces a season. Worra wonders what Neverwane gave to it's rival sister city Neverwax for such a victory.  She suspects the Cross Kingdom completed the occupation of Neverwax now wants full control of the Nevers.  This is the bait to reel in the big catch.

She lays out the plan to rob and murder Neverwane's Last Word of the People+, Chomic Varpe Elderberry++, after his dinner party within his domuswaerden. Taking his coin and secrets with them in the form of a locked chest in his sleeping chamber.  Getting out of the six story house that acts as warehouse, stable and mansion will be a problematic.

∆

Worra and Bosque watch Elderberry entertain all the other hyguier nobles and various military from the roof top terrace of another domuswaerden.  If anyone noticed the sorceress or ranger, they would look like a noble woman enjoying the cold city night air with her attending guard. Bosque did not feel much like a guard.  He was limited to a couple of daggers, lock pick kit, few piton, a small hammer and rope.  All in which he needed to keep hidden.

Worra mentions, "There are a lot of Crossican Officers. Namely the Neverwax Garrison Commander, Huw Liam Butler, a drunken jealous self-servicing nepotist.  His garrison must be expanding into Neverwane."

The ranger guesses the sorceress know more about this party then she let him in on.

"I want to listen and see what they are talking about," she says while snaping her fingers.

A small beautiful dragon with blue feathered wings lands on a table near the sorceress.  She pets the orn*** as it walks closer then picks it up with both hands.  Bosque watches her whisper to it. The blue orn with yellow feathery belly then takes flight and circles Elderberry's party. The orn tries to land on a ledge but  disappears in a blue puff of mist.

"Sard-fire, my familiar!" Worra says trying to keep the curse to herself. Bosque is filled with surprise and delight as he had never heard Worra curse before.

The sorceress looks at the ranger, "They have a wizard and they know someone just poked them."

The ranger shrugs showing no care to the new development.  He starts listening and looking around.  He seeing a few carts beginning unloaded through the storage entrance of Elderberry's home. He tell Worra, "They are taking deliveries still. We'll just slip in that way."

As Bosque looks back one more time at the party, he notices a man dressed in the green robes of a wizard whispering into Elderberry's ear. He points to the place the orn struck the barrier.  Elderberry waves him off and the wizard storms aways. The ranger keeps watch and now knows which room the wizard came from.

"...and kill a wizard."

∆

Bosque was surprised how easy it was to enter the storage underyard of the domuswaerden.  Worra could tell there were many wards and runes to protect the Elderberry's home. Many to warn the wizard if intruders entered into specific areas. They found some servant tunics imbued with magic and hoped these would allow for easier access through the six story building. They put the tunics over their clothes and entered through a servant entrance.

As they entered, many beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen of various tastes were lined up in the butlery. The ranger and sorceress stayed hidden in a mist of shadow as a cross red-faced old woman in a black dress yelled at the courtesans. A older man in butler attire handed out ribbons they tired to their wrists.

The old lady yelled, "Do not take these ribbons off for no reason, or the wizard in this house pull your soul out and keep in in a glass! Now entertain!"

Soon the group was out of the room and up the stairs. Bosque and Worra both notice the butler locking the ribbons in large key cabinet in the room and placing a elegant serving cart into a dumbwaiter before he scurried off.

Worra seeing the courtesans whispers to Bosque, "I think Elderberry is going to have an apology gift for the wizard."

∆

Bosque glances back at Worra noticing that she looks mesmerizing. He leads as they walk down the hallways and stairs leading to the wizard's chambers. He knocks on the door he thinks belongs to the wizard.  No response.

More knocking.  A couple of servants pass too busy to notice the two standing in front of the door.  No response.

Bosque knocks even louder, longer and quicker.  A different door opens and the wizard steps out and yelling, "That is a servant pantry!"

The ranger and sorceress both quickly move toward the wizard.

Bosque says in a theatric nasally ascent, "Oh dear sir, I am new and I am so excited for you. The Last Word Elderberry wished to apologize for his rudeness earlier with a gift."

The wizard assumes Worra is his gift and is charmed immediately by the onceti woman. He takes her by the hand and leads her into his chamber. Bosque follows with quick steps.

"Lastly, the master wishes you to have this wine as well," Bosque added as he faces the door closing it while looking out into the hall. He sets the wine down next to a glass decanter on a side board near the door.

When Bosque turns around, Worra has the wizard gripped by the throat and raised off the ground.  The sorceress' other hand had changed into black long fingered claw. The ranger watches as she pulls the soul from the wizard.  Worra drops the wizard as the soul arcs and forms into ball.  Worra motions for the stunned Bosque to hand her a small glass decanter.

Moments later, the sorceress hides the now wax sealed glass vessel containing wizard's soul and his recovered spell book within the room's wardrobe. The ranger tucks the wizard's body into bed and wonders again what creature his partner is.

With one less problem and few hours left, Bosque and Worra decide to divide tasks.  Bosque will retrieve Elderberry's diary, papers and other wealth within his locked chest.  Worra is to go up to party and charm her way to Elderberry, listen and maybe cause havoc amongs the military.  

∆

Bosque finds Elderberry's room easily, gains access with no problem and goes to where the chest is said to be.  He goes to unlock it and he can not.  One of his lock picks breaks jamming up action of the lock.  The ranger thinks what he can do next.

He hears foot steps and door swings open. Bosque slides under the bed.  Servants push a well-made cart into the room, light all the oil lamps and a fire. They talk about how their master has been taken by tall bald woman with long earlobes and how rowdy the officers are getting.  One office already loosing a finger and an other an eye. They sprinkle flower pedals on the bed and the ground.  Bosque hears the talk more and straighten the room more.

The servants finally leave and Bosque slides out. The ranger decides to pop the pins out of the hinges using a piton and hammer. Inside is the inflammatory diary of Chomic Varpe Elderberry, separate correspondence from the Rat King, Inner Court of Floed Rithal and Sildar of Nortica, and below the papers, twenty-five thousand in crossian gold pieces. He does not have time to read and shoves everything back into the chest.

The door bursts open and an shadowy outline stands head down in the doorway.

"I am going to piss and shite everywhere! That whore hogging misanthrope is going to love what I do when I unsheth my man dagger," says the middle-aged man wearing a Crossian captain's uniform. Bosque recognizes Captain Butler. He is holding his scabbard sword in hand as he enters the room while pulling his pants down. 

He then mumbles, "Elderberry will definitely be in the mood with this aroma." The captain faces the wall opposite of Bosque, drawing arcs of urine. Spraying and dowsing the plaster, paintings and furniture while laughing with drunken revenge.

The ranger knows there is no time to hide.  The man has not noticed him trying to stay still and unnoticed. Bosque desides to draws his two daggers waiting for a good time to strike or hoping Butler would finish and leave the room.  The ranger prayers the captain pulls his pants up before needing to fight him.

The man turns around to face his rear into a corner saying, "The lovers better beware of my brown cobra!" 

After being comfortably underway, Butler's pants are completely down and around his boots. While straining, the captain looks up and notices the ranger.

Captain Butler training kicks in and he tries to draw his sword. The ranger steps to attack then stops as the soldier fumbles his sabre. The sword begins to fall out a window near the captain's vandelism.  Bosque thinks to himself if the man had his pants on he would have easily caught it, drunk or not.  Yet the intoxicated jealous captain trips and humorously falls out open the window. 

Bosque only assumes the captain died from falling five stories.  He does not have time to check as Worra opens the door.  The ranger dives underneath the bed.  

Worra and Elderberry both are laughing, the laughter fills the room. Bosque is distracted by the thought of  watching a man evacuate himself in revenge then comit accidental suicide trying to attack him. It was made worse that he could see the man's remains laying on the wood floor a tracking flies.  The ranger's concentration was broken by Worra's cloak and Elderberry's clothes hitting the floor.  He moves into action at the sound of choking and gurgling.

Bosque pulls himself from under the bed. Sees the two struggling. Worra on bottom, facing her attacker and pushing his chin and body away.  Elderberry on top, both hands around her throat. His face transformed--no nose, no eyes-- just a large demonic snapping mouth with purple tongue wrapping around Worra's face.  Bosque with all his strength stabs Elderberry through the head and cuts the tongue.  Worra falls off the bed and unwraps the tongue from her head.  

Elderberry whips back taking Bosque's dagger with him.  The monster Elderberry is squirms along the wall, spreading the captain's mess.  The monster pulls violently on the dagger stuck in it's skull.  The ranger, improvising, pulls an oil sconce off the wall and throws it into the beast gruggling, gabbing and gnawing maw.

It takes a few bites before the scones bursts into flame.  The immolated creature burns from the inside and out. Bosque pulls two more scones from the wall and feeds them violently into squealing thing.  It stops moving as the fire begins to steadily burn within the gapping jaw.  The sorceress steps in and she sprays a ray of frost into the remains of Elderberry simultaneously insuring the monster is dead and putting out the fire.

"We need to get out of here, if their is one of these there can be more," saying the wraspy voiced Worra.

Bosque replies, "We have a problem. That captain, he fell out the window."

"Perfect, a better cover," she coughs.

Worra seems drained from the struggle with Elderberry yet casts prestidigitation clean the room and Elderberry's body after the fight.  Bosque gets a flash of inspiration and hopes to find the cart the servants used earlier.  Lucky, he finds it tucked at the end of the hall next to a door only a few feet tall. He opens the short door and sees the dumbwaiter.  He smoothly hurries back to the room, noding to a noble with a courtesan.  

He enters the room and says, "We'll shove elderberry and his chest below and use these table cloths to cover everything."

Worra nods and they load.  Bosque tries to disguise the shape of a body the best he can while Worra puts on her cloak.  They leave the room, the sorceress goes down to the butlery and kitchen. The ranger loads the dumbwaiter with a bit of trouble getting everything into the shaft.  Once he was done, he headed down the stairs.

Bosque is surprised not to see Worra already in the butlery.  He pushes that concern aside as he brings down the platform with treasure and beast.  He hears a commotion and screams from outside.  

Worra runs from the underyard into the bultery saying, "They found Hue. I got a draft orge and wagon, hurry!" 

The ranger notices she has the bottle containing the wizard's soul and his spell book in sack next to her on the driver's bench of the wagon. Bosque loads the chest first then the sheet covered body into one of the large empty casks already on the wagon.  Servants and guests can be heard coming down the stairs.  

Lucky, they are out of underyard and around the corner before any potential witnesses see them exit.

∆

Now hidden in a warehouse a few blocks from Syzygy Market Square.  Sunrise is only a couple of hours away.  Nonnac looks over the strange remains of Elderberry with Worra.

The jeweler rubs his bald onceti head and says, "He's some kind of lich. Just not undead." 

Worra and Nannoc both discuss remains further.  

Bosque is more interested in reading letters and pieces of parchment out of Elderberry's chest.  In a series of message rolls, he discovers Sildar only wished to recover Trista and restore order. He implored sending enough soldiers to help Moondive recover from the abuse of the Burning Cloaks and bring Trista to justice. Sildar did make a request on Gundar's behalf to Elderberry to allow more enguier hill-dwarves to transit through Neverwane's ports.

Worra interrupt his reading to tell him, "Nannoc is senting one of his servants to collect our things, gimme your key and sign this letter."

Bosque hands the key over and signs, then returns to reading.

The ranger finds a folded letter, sealed with wax, with a smooth flat black rock inside.  The letter was written by Sildar to Elderberry concerning his induction into Nortica and explains the magic rocks use as a key and compass for the nobles alliance's caches and properties.  Bosque pockets the letter and rock.

The rest of the documents are Elderberry's reports from the Rat King of his failings and promises to help his carve out a new kingdom with a never ending army of iron golems that would crush the Cross Kingdom's ferroquin.

Elderberry's diary, speaks of many irrelevant personal conquests.  He remarks the Rat King is a joke and over promises beyond reason.  It was impressive for him to have recruited so many boltian to his cause. The Burningstaff at least gave many of unaligned landgraves leaning towards annexation into the Cross Kingdom.

He writes entries asking Captain Bulter for a company of boomstocks, firejacques, and the fearsome walking walls of armor called ferroquins to assist in tying up loose ends like  Trista and Rat King.  The garrison commander informs he can spare one highly trained group of adventures to exterminate vermin such as these.  

The groups name is the Jack Terriers, their armed with boomstocks, a light ferroquin, and armored mastiff that enjoys iced buns.  They were to meet up with the Rat King three days ago at the Green Spinster and poss as new recruits for the Burning Cloaks.  Their real orders are to get the Rat King to Echo Wave Cave and execute him after verifying the existence of the mage forge.  Afterwards, Elderberry was going to be given newly created landgrave of Neverdive, command of three thousand Crossian Cuirassary and hold a title of Marqois given by Floed Rithal and the Inner-court.  

Bosque thinks about how Prince Lecham and Marco were correct about the implication of Moondive Mine on the region.

Lastly, there is a small book log with a letter asking for salted boltian to be shipped up the Waning River to the landgrave of Tarte.  The rate for intact bodies of gybolts go for 15 gp each, dybolts at 30 gp each, and 50 for orbolts.  Ten fold if alive. Meet with Captain Gozo each Loknesday at pier 96.  The log starts with entries from 20 years ago and ends with nearly 500,000 gp in profit.  Seeing this might have been how Elderberry rose to his prominence in Neverwane.

Nannoc sees Bosque exhausted from reading. He slaps Bosque's shoulder and tells him, "I am going to pour over these later, give a good read.  If you come back this way, ask for Nannoc at the Syzygy Market Square. I'll find you and I'll talk to you about anything you probably should know."

Nannoc collects the papers and drops a heavy leather sack of gold coins on the table and walks a few steps away.

"Also, this is yours from Elderberry." A tollpiece clangs on to the table.

∆

After a long bath and a few hours of sleep, the pair were on their way to Dorra. Many hours later they were just outside of Moondive in the middle of a cold night.

Smoke was on the wind. Frost on the ground. Worra found her self shocked as Trad hung frost covered dead in a tree, his feet and legs burned off. Bosque notices they are just a mile outside of Moondive.  After cutting him down and piling cold rocks over his body, they moved on.

Both Bosque and Worra feared for Austri, Loxly, Gawyn and No Name as the burning smell of wood and flesh became unbearable as they entered Moondive.

----------Result----------

Bosque Level 5!

Salted Boltian Trade (Anyone)

- Find Captain Gozo

- Transport any number of salted whole Boltian in large casks to Pier 96 in Neverwane 

- Reward: Gold and travel to Tarte.

----------Treasure----------

Nortica Black Key stone and letter

(Note: Sildar has one of these.)

1000 gold pieces

Lockpick Kit

------------Notes-----------

Tigon, extremely wide faced Tiger like reptile.  Has feathery like fur.

Last Word of the People, Chief of Staff Artisan or Political Group 

Chomic Varpe Elderberry, joke from holy grail. "Your father is hung like a hamster and smells of Elderberries."

Larpin Handiak, hard work gift, polish?

Orn, a small feathered dragon

Timeline

0200 - left Cragmaw

0300 - fought Suteo

0400 - flight over Triboar Trail and The Waning Road (no troops could be found)

1000 - Dawn, settling Dorra, skyskiff, starts raining

1200 - Neverwane Gate, heavy rain

1300 - Blue Tigon, raining, Bosque nap

1400 - Tubs, hot, water and food for Bosque and Worra

1500 - stops raining, Bosque Nap; Worra sees Onceti Affiliated Merchant Company at Syzygy Market Square (Largest in Neverwane and very close to Blue Tigon).

1530 - Nonnac (jeweler, pawnbroker, exchange banker) arranges payment for Austri and Loxly and directs Worra to Atsillab.

1600 - Atsillab is a baker and Onceti Herald, will sign off note for murder and rob of major's chief of staff, Chomic Varpe Elderberry*, for reasons at home. Also, talks of a matter with Gybolts concerning the need for a new green ilse in the Oncet.

1900 - Bosque Awakes, Knocks on Worra's door, see her walking into hallway with wine, fruit, bread, cheeses, and few other implements in a bag.

1930 - Talk of plan.

1800 - Dusk

2200 - Ready....Moondive Attacked by Trista, remains of Burning Cloaks, Dragon Cult, and Dragon

2300 - Arrive at Elderberry's

2600 - Still Partying, Captain Huw Liam Butler poisoned by Worra

0200 - Murder Elderberry, Find gold and platinum in chest, diary and other documents.

0300 - Leave with items.

0400 - Meet with Nonnac, take receipts for notes for Austri and Loxly.

1200 - Leave Neverwane

1400 - Skyskiff

1800 - Leave for Moondive

2400 - Arrive at outside Moondive, no Troops spotted

2500 - Meet group in Moondive 

Session 4 - Cragmaw Castle - Part 3 - Urraedi Arimavor

Worra releases Bosque's wrist.  They look into each other's eyes seeing anger fade and reason return. In a somber moment, Bosque returns the three coins to Worra.

Worra asks, "How did you get that coin?"

"I will not tell you," Bosque said. He places the coin back into his pouch on his leather necklace.

"You must, Bosque. There are a powerful few that seek these coins and a great deal of dangerous beings that have them. If you possess one of the coins, you have entered into a deadly game of last one standing."

"Then tell me how you got yours if these are so dangerous. Why would you hold on to them?"

Worra hesitates, thinking. She holds her three coins in her hand, places them in the pouch and ties her belt on.

"Urraedi Arimavor*, translate to a soul for gold," said Worra quietly, "To say those ancient words tempts faint to bring them to your door."

Confused Bosque says the words back, "Urraedi Arimavor?" At this time Bosque notices that Loxly, Austri, Lecham and Wolfenstein are gone. 

Worra gives Bosque a stern look that makes him yield and understand the serious nature of uttering the murderous group's name.

"If you must mention them at all, call them coin-seekers or coin-followers.  Coin-followers scrye for their name said out loud. Coin-seekers scrye for these coins as they scream into the astralos^ when they appear."

"I don't believe you."  Bosque says wanting to no longer listen. "I have killed dozens of creatures and people since I have carried this coin. With how you are talking about it, the boogyman should be here by now. Already killed me."

"I'll tell you where I found them then," Worra finally reveals. "One coin found was where Gundren was ambushed in the mouth of a green goblin. One coin outside the cave of King Klag in the mouth of a red goblin. The last coin in King Klag's mouth with his face pulled off."  Worra then says, "I figured a great killer, a monster, was on our trail seeking the Rat King or the Moondiver Mine."

"I did not carve King Klag's face, that was Loxly."

Worra continues, "The face doesn't matter! Who delivers the kill, gets the coin. The soul taken in trade, the deposit left in the dead's mouth. Given to you instead of Death as the soul is stolen from the astralos.  You have left a trail for them to follow."

"No, no, no," Bosque says as he places his hand on the latch of the door. He then turns back, "This is some ploy.  You know too much about this. A person who is afraid of these men behind the coins would have left them where they lay.  Your aim is something else?  This is an opportunity for you, no?"

Worra releases some tension in her body. Bosque notices she seems more relax and maybe out of this Worra will tell him a little more than half truths. She adjusts her cloak. Yellow trim brighten to the color of gold and the blue shines for a moment then deepens into the color of night.

"I need killers, Bosque.  Even to generate coins, you needed to have killed someone carrying one that wanted you dead. No small feat."

"I am no killer," Bosque says, more to himself then to her. "I'm just a man, looking for work.  And this coin, I stole it from a deadman."

"Who are you try to make believe you? Me? No." Worra moves closer to Bosque, her hand on the latch Bosque is holding. "You're on a quest, a quest for vengeance. Probably because of the man you said you took that from. And I'll tell you, only killers can walk that path and be successful."

Bosque looks away. He can feel her gaze going right through him. Worra keeps speaking.

"In truth, I need killers to keep the Lost Mine of Moondiver lost.  You and your friends, they can help. I know enough gold or platinum will make you all forget this mine exists. The eynuier, I might be able to buyoff, if not you will need to find a way to keep them silent. I know they are close with Floed Rithal and the Carracque** of the Cross Kingdom cannot have the mine.  The eynuier cannot profit because Rithal will profit. Rithal is a monster, breeding a court of monsters. All petty and prideful. All ruling in the name of greed and gluttony.  They would rather murder their own people then feed them. That is why Rithal ignited the Long War. His coffers need war, his sychophants need war, all the profiteers need war.  The mine will let Rithal finally clench the Blood Coast, flood it will material and weapons, turning everything south of here into battlefields and unmarked graves of undesirables like indeguier^^, bloodfolk^^^, trauti^^^^, and onceti.  Till finally, the Green Isle is taken and he breaks the Onci Treaty***. After he devoures the Oncet he will move his boomstocks, firejacques, farroquins, all his terratine and nautrine**** to the next continent."

Bosque looks into Worra's eyes, "I have goals and you have goals. Turth. What does it matter?"

Worra opens the door, "If that is not enough, does it matters if you find your mentor's killer?"

"You cannot know that."

"Austri was right, I'm a vendishona," she smiles dryly as her arm blocks the door. "I know many things. I am many things. I am whatever needs to be done and what needs to be done now is for you to follow me.  Your friends are about to have a meeting you need to attend."

----------End---------

Notes

Urraedi Arimavor, Carracque, Carraque Floed Rithal, Onci Treaty of 333, Bloodties Treaty of 371, Carraque Goldbrau Alexidrina Hanotter, Crosian-Oncet Beachlands, Straight of Oncet, 

boomstocks, firejacques, ferroquin, terratine, nautrine, farronaut, Astralos, Trauti, Bloodfolk, Blood Coast, Calendar - Eye of Praise

*Urraedi Arimavor, urrea (gold, basque), dirua (money, basque) arima (soul, basque), voor (for, dutch), an elusive and mysterious group of assassins from the Masoka continent, mas (snake, samali), inyoka (snake, zulu).

**Carracque(named derived from Carrack sailing ship from 18th century), Emperor, King, Czar.

***Onci Treaty Armistice treaty signed in the year 333 by Carraque Goldbrau Alexidrina Hanotter (Queen Victoria Alexanderia Victoria Hanover) say troops or ships from the Cross Kingdom cannot enter the waters within 1000 leagues of an Onceti Island. Onceti and Crosian ships, citizens or troops are not allowed within the Straight of Oncet or occupy within 100 miles of the Crosian-Oncet Beachlands. Dwarves-Eynuier are allowed to transport and occupy within unoccupied lands and seas if both Oncight Council and Carraque of Cross have given permissions. A similar treaty was made with the Boltian, called the Bloodties Treaty of 371. Broken by Floed Rithal (Adolf Hitler) in 407.

****boomstocks, firejacques, ferroquin, all his terratine and nautrine (crude breach-load cartridge rifle), (direct fire artillery), (iron golem-like armor that can carry various firejacques and close combat weapons, controlled by a noble-warrior called ferronaut), (land forces, army, 100K combatants), (sea forces, navy, 1000s of ships with 1000 sailors per ship, galleys/triremes as favored ship).

^Astralos, a combination of outer space, the plains that spirit reside, and the multiverse.

Indeguier^^, Onceti for Boltian (gybolts, dibolts and orbolts).

Bloodfolk^^^, Humans of the Blood Coast, many settlements and city-states prosper from self rule and trade with Boltian, Onceti, and Trauti.

Trauti^^^^, a species of anthropoid with bifurcated horns emerging from their foreheads or temples. Variety of skin colors including Human tones and every color in nature.  Some have deer-like facial features. Know for abilities in magic, trickery and moving large amounts goods over land and sea.  Tribal, mysterious, nomadic, generally good in business to a point some think of them as thieves and running confidence schemes.  

+Fursa, Furca, the yoke, Y cross. Located in the southern March of Coarsica.

++Current year/season/month/day is 410 Halfall Hexadane Balsday

Calendar of Eye of Praise

Seasons - Forwinter Winter Halwinter Halspring Spring Forsummer Summer Forautumn Autumn Halfall

Months - Henalish Dilish Trilish Unlish Tetradane Hexadane Septadane Leviathane Octover Novemver Decemver

Days - Monday Tuesday Wednesday Loknesday Thursday Friday Balsday Valsday Sunday

36 Days/Month, 11 Month/Season(Earth year), 10 Seasons/Year(Earth Decade).