Hardcore Heroes: Episode 37

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== Synopsis ==
At the Featherfall Inn in Clydesdale, the party reflects on recent events, including the decision to retire Jeeves near Tassel and the distribution of a substantial reward. They plan their journey to Shirebrook, avoid Shirebrook's potential dangers, and acquire new equipment and enchantments. Upon arrival, they learn about recent political changes and the disappearance of Aldric. The party encounters various figures, including Rohana and Venlen, who reveal troubling information about the state of affairs and their own plans. Venlen, claiming to be a secret agent for the Queen, provides dubious guidance and expresses disdain for the current Baron. After intricate planning and spellwork, Malakai takes drastic measures by magically compelling the Baron to support his claim to the position.
==Recap==
=== Sunday, 1509-11-20 ===
At the Featherfall inn in Clydesdale the party quietly comes to terms with what just happened. 
Jeeves ponders Malakais offer while rubbing his sore jaw. His reply is that if he were to retire he'd rather do it near Tassel, where the horse races are. But it does seem he would consider it more of an extended vacation, than a voluntary retirement. They share some more slightly awkward moments and Malakai hands off a bag of smoky quartz's that are worth almost 500 gold. With a single tear rolling down Malakais cheek they head down to the main room.
Later Malakai brings up the subject of retiring Jeeves in Tassel with party and they end up gathering 355 more gold to give to Jeeves for his planned retirement. 
They plot their route to Tassel, noting that they probably shouldn't stay in Shirebrook too long and that their name might have gotten to Rockwave as well by now. They also buy a replacement chest which has another set of security spells cast on it. Kain asks Malakai to enchant one of his daggers with Continual light
Anxiously the party listens to the various rumors of the disaster in Redport, from golems dressed as people casting fireballs in the streets to giant spider sucking people dry until it's burned to death. Later in the evening Malakai shares his treasury adventure with Van while Kain is still in bar below, he is somewhat surprised to hear of Malakai giving the gems to Jeeves, but doesn't object. They do share in mutual wanderlust of what they might’ve gotten out of the treasure if they had planned better for the raid. Malakai also expresses some anarchistic notions that at this point, what government is he to answer to when he can murder a hundred people with a click of his fingers. They also share concern about the status of Shirebrook, the idea that they might arrive to an abandoned town not far out of the realm of possibility. 
Since Malakai doesn't require sleep due to potion he continues learning spells from Aldric's spellbooks.
=== Monday, 1509-11-21 ===
Party sets out early the following day with Malakai entertaining himself by throwing light stones into random ponds along the way and abusing Jeeves. 
Party arrives in Rockwave without a hitch and begins planning which ship to charter to Shirebrook. They stay in Rockwave for the night.
=== Tuesday, 1509-11-22 ===
Party leaves later in the day paying 21 gold extra to leave immediately. Malakai learns Sepia snake sigil in the first night on the ship. He also learns Detect invisibility and Featherfall.
Kain pulls Jeeves aside on the ship and gives him the lit dagger as a gift, uselessly batting aside the masters and lord titles. 
=== Wednesday, 1509-11-23 ===
In the late morning party arrives in Shirebrook. Van notes how every voyage they have had since their first one has been leagues better and they reminisce about the hobgoblin island, Corni and the terror they faced. 
After disembarking the ship party visits the harbormaster where they find out that about 6 days ago Count Roderick Ironhydes men finally arrived, but that this in actuality is the second group and that the first ship went missing before it even arrived in Whiteshore. The name they get is Angus Landslide who has apparently appointed Lord Twintower as the new lord of the town, it is also said that they are still looking for a new sheriff since most of the suitable fighting men have left the town. 
Harbormaster also mentions that there was a war up north between Misty rapids and Thornwood which Baron Song won. He whispers rumors that Song used undead minions to breach the defenses of Thornwood which most of the party seems somewhat bewildered about. Van expresses concern and reluctance towards idea of fighting this Baron Song solely on these rumors. Before they leave the harbormaster also informs them that Angus has been looking for them, but Malakai decides that they should first go to Rohana, not wanting to appear subservient to the dwarf. 
They arrive at Rohana's, waiting for her to finish with a customer before she greets them with the same old slightly disapproving welcome. Turns out that Venlen, the wizard that created the potion of disfiguration which was used on lady Twintower, came asking for Malakai. Immediately alert the party question her and it seems like it was only few days ago that he visited Rohana, mentioning that he will be in the Dragons den inn. They share the ghostly reputation Venlen has left of himself to the party with Kain. Rohana describes Venlen as a gentlemany human man in his late 50's to 60's, over 6 feet but lanky, short black hair, scraggly salt & pepper beard, wearing deep red robes. 
Before they leave Rohana asks them whether they know anything about Aldric who has apparently disappeared. Malakai does his best to appear professionally concerned and curious of this. Van offers to scry on him, but they lament that they don't have a lot of time right now. Rohana mentions that it's possible that Wraith of the tether wilds might have come for Aldric. 
After concluding that the Dragon den inn is packed to the gills Van heads back to Dewtrop inn while Malakai visits his own house. There he Identifies Zinleys axe to be a +1 axe, identifies that the gem of true seeing has no other properties and fails the pair of daggers. He also identifies the scroll of shatter. 
=== Thursday, 1509-11-24 ===
After carefully preparing spells for a possible wizard fight party heads to Dragon den inn to meet Venlen. Extremely cautious, Van heads in first to ask for the man while Malakai waits outside. Barkeep there tells him that Venlen left a message to meet him here on the night of full moon which is the next Tuesday. Somewhat relieved they decide to go visit the new baron instead, on their way there Malakai hands Kain the magical battleaxe and in turn Van takes Kain's old bronze broadsword and donates it to local law enforcement which they are grateful about.
At the keep they are let in, the gate guard welcoming the expected party. They are led to a meeting room, the servants ushered out beforehand, where they find Chancellor Landslide, he questions their disappearance and failure to properly seal the keep then ignores their excuses. He also informs them they are to be in Newfort in a weeks time or they will be considered outlaws. Malakai of course manages to make fun of the length of Chancellor's legs which is smoothed over quickly by the rest of the party. They are sent off and on their way to the freshly chosen Baron share some jovial dwarf hating. 
Baron seems to meet them rather amicably, sharing much more polite greetings. Riding on their previous dealings the Baron seems to hope to rely on the party to get Shirebrook back and running once they've arrived back from Newfort, noting that it will require extraordinary will to rise the town out of the shithole it has dug itself into. Afterwards they ask if they can make use of Aldric's tower which the Baron grants since he's missing.
At the tower they get in with a Dispel magic and Malakai continues his act, perusing Aldric's research like it's the first time he's seeing it. They play chess for a while until the night sets so they can observe whether the Malkis constellation is up yet, which it doesn't seem to be. Concerned they discuss this, with Van expressing his fatigue with people who ignore it every time he tells them of this, but Kain bears down on the importance of informing possible allies. Kain also brings forth the idea that Malkis might be walking mortal lands as they speak, which party frankly couldn't really deal with even if they wanted to. 
=== Friday, 1509-11-25 ===
Van goes back into town to speak with Mother Ellyse about Malkis. She appears to be aware and somewhat worried about the notion that Malkis might be walking among them. They share their concerns and Ellyse notates that the way the world is going it might be truly the case that Malkis is on prime material plane, however it would fall onto Van and his friends to lead the lands towards brighter future since she is too old to really venture out. Van solemnly promises to try finding out what the chaotic gods plan are and to try his best to aid the suffering people. 
Meanwhile, Kain and Malakai go talk with Rohana, she also agrees with their conclusions about the stars, but cannot really offer much advice. They mention that the Malkis clerics they killed in the Black pine marsh apparently didn't know their gods plan either nor Chis had any specific information. Before they go Malakai asks how much Rohana would charge for casting Identify if he provided the pearl to which she answers 900 gold which apparently some nobles, quoting “Fool and his money are easily parted”, do pay. He suddenly gets worried she might ESP him and learn of his dark secrets so he excuses himself. 
=== Saturday, 1509-11-26 ===
Having time to waste Van Scries on Aldric, but only sees darkness. Somewhat baffled about where it might be he goes to the tower and casts Speak with dead on a toenail. Spells goes off and Van starts asking questions, first one being  “Were you known as Aldric in life?” to which the answer is “Of course I was you little shit”. Second question is “Do you know how you died” to which answer is “Only a fool would not know how they reached their demise”. Third question is “Who or what killed you?” to which answer is “What killed me is different from who killed me”. Van stores the toenail and departs.
Malakai applies some stoneskins to party.
Van informs the party that Aldric has died, but due to the spell constraints he cannot really cast the spell again to find out anything more besides that. Idea that Malakai might use this opportunity to nab the spot of court wizard is passed around.
Kain informs Rohana of Aldric's death who seems to suspect that it was Georg, noting down his evil deeds and connections.They don't come up with any good ways to be sure of this though. Van ponders who might be behind this, Venlen being the first accused then Georg, no conclusive reasons are found however. 
=== Monday, 1509-11-28 ===
Preppering Telepathy between Malakai and Van, putting invisibility on Kain and Van then lastly Shield on Malakai the party is ready to sit down and talk with Venlen. 
Nervously Malakai walks into the tavern where the bartender forwards him to a table near the wall where Venlen, as described by Rohana, sits. Before he walks over Malakai begins casting ESP which is noticed and due to crowds reaction is almost interrupted, however he succeeds, but to his surprise the ESP doesn't bring up anything from Venlen, as if there was nothing there. Malakai goes to the table and sits, Venlen immediately commending him on keeping the concentration on the spell, but remarking that it's a poor way to meet someone for the first time. Malakai brings up the topic of Lady twintower's disfiguration of which the man doesn't seem least bit remorseful, rather he is disappointed Malakai brought in the girl who delivered the potion, though by his words it appears delivering the potion was the whole objective for himself. Scooting closer Venlen claims that he is the agent of the Queen and that the Twintower's have been abusive to the people for which the potion was intended as humiliating punishment. In reply to Malakai asking for proof of his employment he retorts that he is a more subtle type of agent which shouldn't be connected back to the Queen, but he isn't connected to any of the noble murders in any way and the cultists are the reason they should be working together. He then tasks Malakai with seeking a way to replace Baron Twintower because of his brutal and unbefitting persona which is unsuitable for the position of Baron saying that any other noble family will do. Malakai brings up idea of placing himself as the new Baron, but the man seems fairly dismissive of it, he also denies ever sailing with Malakais father. Malakai informs him of Darf and his friends who mostly got themselves killed chasing after his rumor which Venlen seems displeases at. Venlen confirms that Queen is still alive, but that she doesn't intend to do anything about Thornwood yet. 
Venlen ends up leaving the question of Malakais chance at Baron-dom open, however the power at his disposal not quite enough to instate a commoner into such a position. Before they part Malakai tries to implore Venlen for some assistance into the Shadow mountain investigation, after a lengthy chit chat with him mostly shooting Malakai down Venlen agrees to hand a note of the most important information to Queen. They finally part with Malakai making more of his dark jokes, but Venlen implying if he was to kill him the order which he belongs to would eventually hunt Malakai down. 
Malakai meets up with the party and retells the information. They sort of mull over the thought of dethroning Baron and claiming the seat for Malakai. They also ponder whether to hire some adventurers to escort Jeeves or go to Newfort first and then do it themselves. 
=== Tuesday, 1509-11-29* ===
During the night Malakai Polymorphs and visits the Baron while he is asleep. There he transforms into an imp and after long deliberation casts Lesser geas on the sleeping man ordering him to do everything he can to make Malakai the Baron of Shirebrook, afterwards he safely escape and heads back home. 
== Experience and changes. ==
* Malakai hits 100k experience.
*Dates are extrapolated from a previous mention of an exact date.
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes