Of Dice and Men: Episode 24

__NOTOC__
== Synopsis ==
The former VOA members arrive at the McGary household in Wikkthronrarenta, where they meet Vicho the Sorcerer, who shares their mission of espionage against Mistrya. They welcome Vicho into their group and discuss their next moves at The Brown Shed tavern, deciding to first visit Highcastle to retrieve an amulet from Lord John Marbury. After a journey filled with military sightings, undead confrontations, and a stormy sea passage with the Rocky Nugget, they arrive in Keldoram. There, they learn about local political dynamics and acquire a guide for their trip south. At Highcastle, Nevets infiltrates Marbury’s estate to steal the amulet and a magical rapier, then they escape to Stoutend, where they encounter unexpected scrutiny from local guards.
==Recap==
===31st July 1512===
The former members of the "Various Operations Agency" (VOA) are in Wikkthronrarenta at the McGary household. Lord Leo McGary leads the party into a room where Vicho the Sorcerer is waiting. McGary explains that Vicho was given the same assignments as the party-espionage actions against Mistrya. Vicho easily makes friends with the party, and they accept him into the fold.
The new party head to the tavern, The Brown Shed, and exchange ideas for the coming missions in Mistrya. The party convince Vicho they should go to Highcastle first, so Nevets can get the amulet of health from Lord John Marbury there. As a child, Lord Marbury was given the amulet in order to save his life.
The party decide to head to Bon' Theris to catch a ship.
===1st August 1512===
The party leave Wikkthronrarenta and arrive in Fen Den by the end of the day.
===2nd August 1512*===
The party leave Fen Den. Along the road, the party pass by a military patrol going the other way. The patrol is made up of 150 solders, lead by cavalry, with a cart full of wizards at the back. Lennie mocks the wizards for their pointy hats.
===3rd August 1512*===
The party arrive in Gumpbrun to find members of the military digging defensive trenches and constructing a palisade wall. 
===4th August 1512*===
The party depart Gumbrun towards Bon' Theris, through the Krolrog Ridge.
===5th August 1512*===
As they travel though the Krolrog Ridge, the party smell something dead and foul in the canyon to the south of the road. The party climb down and discover the undead giant Malakai created. The party manage to defeat the undead monster and keep moving onward.
===7th August 1512*===
The party arrive in Bon' Theris.
:As you move though the woods around Bon' Theris, you will see a whole bunch of artillery set up. Lots of balistas, mostly heavy but a few light interspersed here, Some under construction. All of them are set up behind barriers, trenches with spiked sticks. All the balistas are manned and pointed up though the trees. As you walk past you can see each a balista has a knight, some foot solders, some have wizard nearby. Some are clustered very close together, some are fairly spread-out. There are little supply caches stashed about, tents put up in between the balistas. It appears the woods around Bon' Theris are heavily armed and heavily manned. There are more balistas built every day. 
The party hire a private ship, the Rocky Nugget, to Keldoram for 200 gold. The ship is captained by Captain Dicena (Human Female 12 Hotness). 
===8th August 1512*===
The Rocky Nugget leaves first thing in the morning from Bon' Theris with the whole party on board. The crew are all human except one Minotaur. 
===10th August 1512*===
While at sea, Lennie arm wrestles the Minotaur crewmember and barely wins. 
===12th August 1512*===
As the Rocky Nugget basses through the Straight of Amon, between Gadia and Eridon, the wind dies and the ship becomes listless in the water. Stormclouds form overheard. A odd storm without wind, but with lightning and thunder.
Captain Dicena warns everyone of the curse of Gadia, ever since Malcifer Winter came to power a year or more ago.
===14th August 1512*===
On the evening of the second day of the storm in the Straight of Amon, a flock of bats (Malcifer in flock form) fly around the ship several times then flies onward a few minutes later.
Captain Dicena suggests that they make an offering to Malcifer for mercy. Other ships have be found in Straight of Amon with the whole crew slain. 
===15th August 1512*===
At dawn it is discovered member of the Rocky Nugget crew, Hank, has disappeared. The ship is still listless in the unnatural storm. Toki sees Captain Dicena quietly suffering from Hank's disappearance. The crew become confrontational towards the party, even suggesting having a dwarf on a ship is bad luck. 
===17th August 1512*===
The storm clears, wind picks up, and the Rocky Nugget is able to sail out of the Straight of Amon.
===18th August 1512*===
Vicho visits with Captain Dicena and tries to set up a romantic interlude with Lennie and her.
Captain Dicena tries talking to Lennie, making romantic overtures, but Lennie is oblivious to them, so the Captain leaves him be.
The ship arrives in the Dwarven Federation town of Keldoram. As the party get off the ship Toke enters a converstation with Draff the Dwarf, who is a guide to the city. While Toki is talking with Draff, Thane Einhard Blacksteel walks past, wearing his Mithril Plate Armor. Toki asks about it and Draff says that Thane Einhard is the Thane of the entire Dwarven Federation, and the Blacksteels have a secret source of mithril.
The party explain they are heading south to Highcastle. Draff recommends getting a guide to Tharnham and then just following the river south to Highcastle from there. The party meet with Dunhilda who is heading to Tharnham that day. She is leading a group of donkeys laden with a strange sort of coal.
As the party travel with Dunhilda though the Hemdorkas Hills, Dunhilda explains to Toki in Dwarvish about recent events, such as Cyclopes digging themselves out of the ground and attacking Mil Faldur. Dunhilda also mentions about a roving band of Hobgoblins in the area looking for the Bone Spear once owned by Silak (now owned by Ebnur from Desperate Measures). Dunhilda then talks about the Grell who have been attacking of late. 
Dunhilda then talks about Zweihard Blacksteel, the younger brother to Thane Blacksteel, who she used to apprentice under. One day Zweihard disappears on a holy quest for his god and headed east.
===21st August 1512*===
The party arrive in Tharnham.
===24th August 1512*===
The party arrive in Highcastle. Nevets scouts out the Marbury Estate where Lord John Marbury lives while the rest of the party look into getting a ship to cross the Grand Canal into Mistrya. The harbormaster, Lady Amon, says that no ships are going to Mistrya, saying that New Eridon is currently hostile with Mistrya, bringing up an incident in May where a Mistryan Ship crashed into the Highcastle docks. 
Nevets discovers that John Marbury is in his early 20s now with early greying hair, is married and has a pregnant wife. Nevets meets up with the rest of the party inside the King's Cup inn. Nevets lies to the party and says that he saw John Mulberry mistreating his staff, so he'll be stealing the amulet tonight. 
That night Toki casts Pass Without Trace on Nevets and Vicho casts Invisibility on Nevets. The party wait in an allyway outside of the estate as Nevents sneaks in. Nevets breaks into the manor-house and gets inside. He makes his way to the Lord's bedchamber and steals the amulet from around his neck, as well ask take his fancy rapier. The amulet is a hexagon shape on a long chain. Nevets then sneaks out of the residence.
Nevets meets up with the party in their inn-room. Toki casts detect magic and confirms the amulet & rapier are both magical. The rapier is a Sword of Swiftness, which they hide in the bad of holding. Nevets wears the amulet and gets 19 con as a result gains an extra 24 HP.
The party make their way to the Golden Goose Tavern halfway down the switch backs down to the docks. Nevets arranges for a smuggler. They arrange to be smuggled into Stoutend for 100 gold. They get into a boat which is rowed by a large oaf. Once they are clear of the docks and in the canal the sails are raised.
In the early dawn, as the ship passes by Ridgeback Isle, they spy a strange 8' humanoid wearing a long cloak with glowing eyes standing on the beach. The party decide to avoid the strange creature and keep sailing southward.
===25th August 1512===
The party arrive in Stoutend. Nevets hides in the bag of holding, Vicho, Toki and Lennie walk onto the docks. The guard asks Vicho about who he is and he says a former noble. The guard wants the party to talk with Lord Nicolas in town. Vicho tries to get out of the meeting, but the guard is insistent.
: * Dates are extrapolated from a previous mention of an exact date.
Category:Of Dice and Men Episodes