World of Embrel: Knights of Magic - Episode 2

== Summary ==
After playing a decisive role in the defense of Wilderest from invading giants, the party became Knights of the Vanguard, knighted by the king of Oldirin himself. The Vanguard then tasked the party with a new adventure: to find a ship that will carry them south of the Summer Sea. There, they would find an isle with a shrine to the Goddess of Magic, where they might learn why magic in Embrel was dying—and how to prevent that death.
In this episode, the party arrived in Záchálas, toured the city, fought an invasion of snakes, met Lugo's parents, and got a lead on a ship that could take them south.
== Acclimating to Customs ==
Travelling from Sunward to Záchálas brought assassination attempts from the Second Moon, who tried to take the map that would lead the party to Efrelyn's shrine. With that altercation behind them, however, they arrived at the port of Záchálas. The deep water harbor dominated the sprawling coastal metropolis. Záchálas was a trade hub, full of the scents of spices, food, sweat, and coin. Shipwrights fitted ships with newly forged dragonheads, a state-of-the-art weapon.
Ferrah asked Lugo whether they should keep their Vanguard nature a secret. Lugo had a sneaking suspicion that some locals already knew of his involvement, but it was up to the rest whether they would reveal it or not. The group decided to keep a low profile for the time being.
Lugo was at the edge of the barge the moment Záchálas came into view. As they docked and the plank lowered, he took a deep breath of the familiar air and hollered at everyone to hurry up, jogging down to the crowded docks. Lugo warned the party not to get separated, but if they did, they should head to the nearby tavern, First Chance Last Chance. The tavern was so named because it was the first place to get a drink after docking, as well as the last place to get a drink before setting off.
In order to keep the party from getting separated, Ferrah tied a red handkerchief to a stick, giving it to Lugo. Lugo waved it, then handed it to Linus. A tanuki immediately came and tried to take the stick, then rolled onto its back and played dead. Ferrah made another flag for the tanuki, which garnered a guard's attention. Giving a tanuki an item or letting a tanuki steal an item were both finable offences. The party was charged two copper. Ferrah gave the guard a third copper as thanks for the diligence.
Lugo tried to keep the group out of trouble, buying loud strings with which to tie up their weapons. Loud strings would make unsheathing weapons highly noticeable. After tying strings around Ferrah's fists, Xochi used Druidcraft to make the strings pretty. That was also a finable offence, as was lying about it, and while attempting to fine the guards wasn't technically finable, it certainly didn't put Xochi on the guards' good side. Lugo ended up pulling a silver piece from Xochi's purse in order to end the train of fines.
At First Chance Last Chance, Lugo slapped a silver piece on the bar and was greeted by Richie Gutcutter, a small, wily Dragonborn who had been a friend of Lugo's since Lugo was old enough to drink. Ferrah also slammed a silver coin down, hoping to honor the customs of the city. When Lugo gave her a thumbs up, Xochi followed suit and whacked the bar with a coin herself.
As Richie knew that Lugo had left to attempt the Vanguard trials, the party asked for discretion. Richie was eager to oblige. They also asked him to check his contacts for a boat and captain that could take them beyond the Summer Sea. Richie thought it was a joke, but said he'd see what he could do. He stated that he'd do it as a favor and ordered food and drink to be served to the party on the house, but Lugo said he wouldn't dream of taking anything for free, dishing out another silver piece. Ferrah followed Lugo's lead with more silver and a statement that she didn't dream either.
The food was spectacular, including the day's special, a massive paella that Richie had to bring to the party by carrying the massive platter on his head. The main drinks were cider and mead. Wraps, focaccia, marinated olives, and of course the local export of sugarsalt were all available in abundance. Also, the barstools had crank wheels that shifted the height of the stools, allowing them to service a wide variety of patrons.
The party feasted, continually brought more delicacies. Lugo showed the group tricks for eating like a Záchálan, such as using wraps to scoop the paella.
Linus was still queasy from the boat ride and from the string of murders that occurred on it. He wished to go to wherever they planned to stay the night and simply decompress, but it didn't look like that would happen anytime soon. He ordered coffee and was brought two espressos garnished with chocolate-coated coffee beans. The coffee was from Sugar Rock, the best coffee in the world. Linus drank one and absolutely loved it, though in the back of his mind he was still exhausted. Xochi drank the other, and also licked the chocolate off of the beans, saving them for later.
== Exploits in the Bar ==
A random bar brawl broke out in the First Chance Last Chance, during which someone fell on Xochi and stole her rapier without her knowledge. Linus shoved the guy off of his ally and prepared to protect his friends, though the brawl moved away. Lugo watched the fight with glee, happy to be home.
Ferrah meanwhile got drawn into a crowd of sailor women, one of whom recognized the tradition of friendship ribbons native to Merkai Lash, Ferrah's homeland. They engaged in stories and song, as well as arm wrestling that was somewhat more than arm wrestling.
Linus and Xochi then heard about a frog race that was soon to begin, which would cost one silver to enter. While Linus didn't want to participate, Xochi was keenly interested. She dragged Linus behind a potted plant to talk to him privately, but when Linus misinterpreted the motion as a dance, he followed along with the dance. A patron warned them not to dance without music, as that was a finable offense.
Linus insisted that he didn't want to frog race due to the time that people got upset with Kartuk for winning a sowary race so handily; as they were Vanguard, they were probably far above the prowess of the mortals around them. It would draw too much attention. Xochi agreed that Linus was probably right, but she became so depressed that Linus caved and agreed to race. Xochi used Wildshape to turn into a frog, which Linus named Greenface McFrogstuff.
Lugo bet two silver on McFrogstuff to win. The pool reached one gold, ten silver before the race began. The other frogs in the race were called Hopper, Franchute, Tsuwoo, and Lul.
Before the race began, Toad came out of Linus' hat and saw McFrogstuff, feeling betrayed that Linus would work with a different frog. He hid in Linus' hat and pouted.
Franchute won the race with a large lead. Xochi as McFrogstuff had trouble keeping her Wildshape intact, losing her legs and occasionally trying to run instead of hop. Lugo said it was the best two silver he had ever spent.
== A Beached Party ==
Of the party, Lugo became the most drunk, with the others moderating themselves rather well. That said, Ferrah did get more toasted than she planned during her time with the sailors; when the sailors departed, she returned to the party covered in a smear of lipstick around—but not touching—her lips. Xochi and Linus tried to persuade Lugo that it was time to go to whatever inn in which they planned to spend the night so they could take a nap, but Lugo instead directed them out of the tavern and to Cheery Cove, a black-sanded bay.
Upon reaching the beach, Xochi realized that her rapier was missing, though by then, there was little she could do about it.
Lugo ran straight to the sandy shore and started taking his boots off, but heard a familiar whistling coming from a man pushing a wagon. Lugo launched his boot into the air and ran for the wagon. Linus used Mage Hand to grab the boot and keep it safe, but an off-duty guard caught his unlicensed use of magic and fined him. Linus flashed his Vanguard badge, which got him 30% off the fine. The guard wished him well.
Lugo took the party to the push-wagon, which sold them an iced cream that had the consistency of mochi and the flavour and taste of gelato. They traded tastes of the three flavours: olive oil, berries, and fig. It was exquisite and the first time most of them had ever tried ice cream.
Lugo then stripped to play in the ocean. Thinking it was the custom, Ferrah stripped as well. Linus tried to get Lugo to go to their inn, but Lugo insisted that Cheery Cove was the best place for a nap. In the end, Xochi, Lugo, Ferrah, and Toad went to the ocean while Uno, Tuk, and Linus remained on the beach. The party left their goods with Linus for safekeeping.
Ferrah joined a game to climb pumice stone towers, but crabs in the towers pinched and knocked her off after ten feet. Xochi dove to the seafloor and found a tidestone, as well as an octopus. They waved to each other. Lugo floated on his back with Toad on his belly, then Toad hopped off and copied Lugo, laying on his back beside the Forceborn.
On the beach, a young woman asked Linus if he didn't like the ocean either. She was an Orc with white hair and had been left on the beach with a bunch of stuff as well. Introducing herself as the Cursed Baker, a local figure known to be wildly allergic to almost everything she baked, she gave Linus an herb biscuit that immediately cleansed his sickness and was quite delicious. Linus told her that he was from Aabar, which she recognized because of the everfog that had cursed Aabar and prevented it from being a significant trade port. That was a sensitive subject for Linus, so he directed the conversation to mention his girlfriend who also had a bakery. The Cursed Baker went back to reading soon after.
During their hour at the beach, various articles of clothing were stolen from Linus' pile without his knowledge. Crabs rose from the sand to steal Linus' shoe; tanukis snuck off with Lugo's pants. Uno, who had been sunbathing, saw a tanuki and tried to hand over his shirt, but the tanuki wouldn't take it. Disappointed, Uno buried the shirt and claimed that it had been lost as well. In total, Linus lost a shoe, Xochi lost her poncho, Lugo lost his pants, Ferrah lost her sash, and Uno lost his shirt.
== The Market Detour ==
=== Purchasing Goods ===
Lugo said they couldn't walk around like a bunch of clothesless weirdos and took them to the market quarter. The market was a labyrinthe of rented stalls that continually shifted placement. Linus experienced an uncomfortable flashback from his time in Sunward during the Vanguard trials where the streets were so packed and he got robbed, so he certainly didn't want to go into the maze of a market.
Thankfully, he didn't have to: On the outskirts of the market were Proxies clad in red scarves and wide red hats who could be paid to scour the market for goods. Lugo raised a hand to get one's attention, negotiated the clothing they needed, and handed off a gold piece. The Proxy set to work. Meanwhile, Lugo sat everyone at benches outside the market to wait. Foodstalls approached, and by the time the Proxy returned, everyone had kebabs of meats and vegetables.
The Proxy returned with most of the requested items, including biker shorts for Xochi so that she could finally have pants and a vest for Lugo. However, Uno had failed to request a shirt, so instead he borrowed the vest. The Proxy also offered the party a discount to the Fairy's Fountain spa, which Linus said would be a great idea.
=== Snakes in a Market ===
Tuk and Uno wandered off to explore the marketplace while the others continued to discuss the spa. Xochi saw a viper beside her, along with three more coming out of a nearby doorway. Seeing no guards paying attention, she ducked behind a potted plant and cast Speak with Animals. What she heard was not animal speech, but instead a different language entirely, filled with hatred and violence. She heard a rumble and deftly dodged just as a snake golem crashed through the house and into the streets.
Lugo immediately sobered up. They wouldn't be going to a spa anytime soon. He unsheathed his sword, snapping his loud string. Resounding cracks filled the air as most citizens did the same, all armed and attacking in a horde. The snake golem, a writhing mass of bones and snakes, scooped up people and ripped them apart to incorporate their bones into its structure.
It was a fierce battle. Nine citizens were killed in the fight, and at some point both Ferrah and Xochi were scooped up into the mass, bitten countless times and nearly ripped apart. Lugo knew that such attacks from the Serpent Queen were common in Záchálas and warned the party to use ice to their advantage. Xochi called upon a dust elemental to aid her fight and then fought with an Ice Knife. Ferrah blasted the golem's innards with a frosty dragon breath, and Linus channeled a cold Witch Bolt to strike the golem.
Tuk and Uno meanwhile were deep in the market and discussed where everyone had run off to. They decided to be honorable and not steal.
In the middle of the fight, a group of Talon members appeared, dropping from a rooftop. The Talon was a local defense organization, one of a very few that had both Vanguard and non-Vanguard in its ranks. Lance Zetna, a Vanguard rival of the party, led the group of Talons. He launched a devastating Cone of Cold at the snake golem, and soon after Linus finished it off with another strike of his Witch Bolt. Swarms of snakes exuded from the corpse pile, but the citizens soon annihilated them.
During the aftermath, Lugo mended Ferrah's wounds with a cave pearl infused with Cure Wounds. Lance ordered that Xochi be given an antidote for the myriad bites she had received. People fought over the corpses of snakes, so Ferrah gave away the corpses of those snakes she killed, to the shock and gratitude of others.
Ferrah thanked Lance and the Talon for their aid. Xochi asked what the golem was, and Lugo said it was the one thing that wasn't great about Záchálas. Lance declared that it wasn't as simple as that; this pissed Lugo off, since he didn't like Lance acting like he knew more about Lugo's hometown than Lugo did. Townsfolk gave the Talon members a bottle of serpent rum as thanks for their efforts, but Xochi tied Lance's shoelaces together, causing him to trip and smash the rum. He received a littering fine.
The citizens and guards continued about their day, some crying over those lost to the attack, but that was daily life for them. The guards sold the party new loud strings and didn't fine them because they were part of the Vanguard.
== Lugo's Home ==
=== Family Reunion ===
Xochi insisted that it was time to go to the tavern in which they would sleep, but Lugo said they wouldn't be staying in some tavern and told them to follow him. Sick of Lugo's opaque directions, Linus tackled the Forceborn and fought him. Tanukis took advantage of the opportunity and stole the green hive glass shard from Linus' wand.
After arguing with the party for not trusting him and for not trying to enjoy the wonderful city of Záchálas, Lugo realized that Linus lost an important part of his wand and felt bad. He said they were going to his parents' house and would rest there.
He led them to the lake district, which had no inns or taverns, just homes where people seemed to need wooden tokens to get in.
They went to a modest blue house. When Lugo announced that he didn't have a token, a Half-Orc woman exited and squealed at the sight of her son. Lugo's mother, Myra, along with his Halfling father, Rekka, were overjoyed at the reunion and showered Lugo with hugs and kisses.
Inside the house was apparently a party, the house filled with people. The parents let slip that their son was part of the Vanguard, which caused everyone to start fawning over the party. One young person recognized that Linus was dressed like the wizard on the cover of Glistravo's Story of Magic and geeked out, though Linus asked them to keep his being a wizard a secret. A crowd of youths surrounded him, excited to see a real wizard.
Rekka took Linus to Lugo's old bedroom which had been converted into a chandlery. That was where the party would rest. Linus immediately crashed into a pillow and screamed into it. When Xochi came to check on him with a plate of food and water, Linus was still screaming, so Xochi left him to his rest. Toad, however, joined Xochi to enjoy the party downstairs.
Rekka served the group his homemade cider, Ferrah danced to a band that had started playing, and Lugo was back to drinking. He laughed and ribbed the people he grew up with.
=== "The Family" Reunion ===
Then Oliver Romhani arrived, someone who worked for Lugo's uncles. Myra and Rekka were tense at his presence and said he had no invitation, but Oliver stated that he needed none. He asked Lugo to step outside with him, and when Rekka tried to interfere, Oliver pushed the Halfling away and pulled Lugo out.
Oliver confronted Lugo, saying that it was rude to not let the uncles know he was back in town. "You need to listen," Oliver said. "I thought I'd made it clear in Wilderest, you watched me bury someone alive."
He broke Lugo's ring finger. "We need your friends' help. Come by your uncle's place tomorrow night."
Finally, he used Lay on Hands to mend Lugo's broken finger. He smiled at the Forceborn. "Don't make me do something I'll regret, alright? Thank your mother for the hospitality." Then he walked away.
Lugo went back into the house and picked up his drinks, brushing off any concern. It was great to be home.
But Xochi and Ferrah confronted him, and while Lugo called Oliver a general liaison, Rekka called Oliver a criminal. Lugo was breaking the hearts of his parents; they wondered why he would work for his uncles. It became too much for Rekka, who slumped onto the couch to rest. Myra took him upstairs to bed.
The party retired to the chandlery. Throughout the night, the air smelled like rosehip candles and sounded like severe flatulence.
== A Lead on the Coral Breaker ==
In the morning, Linus got up first and told Xochi and Ferrah that he was heading to the docks, not interested in whatever Lugo had in store for them. Xochi went with him so that he wouldn't be alone in Záchálas.
The two went straight to the harbormaster, who continued to work while talking. They were looking for someone who could get past the shallow coral, but the harbormaster laughed, as the coral ripped ships apart. No one would take them south, except maybe the lunatic Juni Lackbend, but she was lost at sea. Pirates might also work, but the party wouldn't find pirates under the harbormaster's watch.
As he spoke, a variety of pirates walked behind him.
Xochi and Linus continued to investigate ships for hire. Everyone laughed at their request. The coral was stronger than most wood, like trying to sail through ice. There had been rumors of a ship called the Coral Breaker, which had been designed to go south, but it had disappeared. No one would be able to help them.
Back at Lugo's house, Lugo was upset that Linus and Xochi were wasting their time when they had already asked Richie to look for leads. He took Ferrah to the merchant district, which stretched up the cliff. A wrought iron fence surrounded the district, where the elite lived. The area boasted museums and libraries. According to Lugo, this was where Záchálas was bought and sold.
He pointed to a library. "And that's where Linus would have loved to be."
The two found Lance Zetna and Talon members sitting in a park. Lance tried to provoke Lugo, asking why the Heroes of Houndsmere were in Záchálas. Ferrah said they were sightseeing, which Lance mocked. But before Lugo and Ferrah departed, Lance stated that he had seen Xochi talk to a serpent. She had better be careful, lest people think she worked with the Serpent Queen. Lugo thanked Lance for the warning and acknowledged the threat.
Lugo and Ferrah strolled into the harbor district, Lugo intent on visiting his uncles later in the evening. They saw Xochi and Linus talking to random sailors and the laughter that followed in their wake. The groups united, trading information about the Coral Breaker and about Lance, warning Xochi not to talk to snakes in Záchálas. Linus made a joke about the many obscure fines, which caused Lugo to laugh and agree.
A tour guide passed by. Lugo pretended that they were new to the city and poor. The guide sold them a pamphlet full of information on Záchálas and warned them to be wary of the tanukis. During the exchange, however, Lugo lost a small square of paralyzing frog skin that was in his possession.
Linus and Xochi decided to go to a library to research the Coral Breaker while the others would talk to Richie at First Chance Last Chance. When Ferrah and Lugo entered the establishment, they saw that Richie was still at work. There was a local joke about Richie never sleeping since he seemed to work every shift.
After greeting each other, Richie informed the party that he had a lead. The Coral Breaker, a ship stolen by pirates, but a guy in the corner of the tavern knew someone on the crew.
The informant was Anara Silverclaw, the poacher frenemy of the party, and the cost of information doubled the moment he saw them. But Anara's child appeared, happy to see Lugo and Ferrah again.
After paying Anara nine ounces of gold, Anara gave the party his information. Face, a member of the Coral Breaker's crew, was being taken to the Wretched Vault. If they rescued him, he might be able to help them find the ship.
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Knights of Magic - 02