Embers of the Wilds: Episode 17

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==Experience==
1,567 exp each
EXP Total for each character: 5966
==Synopsis==
An injured ranger named Link comes into town, saying he had escaped being the prisoner of the draconians. The draconians had been interogating him for information on sources of magic. The town give Link a place to rest. After Link recovered he leaves town. The party meet with the draconians afterwards and they claim innocence or ignorance over the situation.
The party next travels north to the ruined town of Ipsum to try to meet with Maven the Wizard. At Ipsum they find the town being controlled by two rival gangs, one lead by Maven. The party make their way past the first gang's territory to each Maven's territory and are escorted into their Keep.
==Recap==
===22nd September, 20 (Age of Iron)===
The party are back in Trog Canyon. After the funeral of , the 75 year old co-owner of the inn, the party begin a long rest (7 days). 
===24th September - The Injured Ranger===
Two days into the long rest, an injured stranger stumbles into the town from the west, stubmling along the Trog River that runs though the canyon. It is a human male in his 40s who is clearly injured. He has ruined leather armor and tattered clothes. The party and the town's cleric go up to the injured man. The injured man is destructful of the party, thinking them in league with monsters because pf Pearl. Sheriff Kyra convinces the man to stop by telling him the next town downriver is controlled by a necromancer (). The injured stranger gives permission for treatment, and casts .
The injuries on the wounded man show that he was defending himself from attack. The wound man, who is a Ranger, explains he was taken prisoner by the Draconians from his village, and was tourtured & interrogated for months. His village is on the far side of Mount Carmine to the west. The Ranger says that the draconians were asking him about the sources of magic in the area. Once the ranger escaped, he went down river, and went past the draconian watch tower that is outside of Trog Canyon. The ranger then passes out.
The party take the ranger into the inn to rest. Mayor and Annabelle argue over what they are to do with the ranger. The party decide they need to talk with the draconians outside of town about this situation.
===25th September - The Legend of Link===
In the morning Tristelle finds the Ranger at the inn's balcony, drinking coffee. The ranger, now rested, says his name is Link. He is amazed that a cleric like Annabelle is living here.
The party meet up and decide to talk to the draconians after their long rest has finished. 
===27th September - Link Leaves===
Link, now recovered, decides to leave town and head home. Tristelle has Link mark on the map the location of his home village, Lazus, at the edge of the great plateau around Mount Carmine. From his home village he can see 2 other mountains other than Mount Carmine. 
===29th September - Draconians & Heatwave===
The Long Rest Ends. It is the start of a new Heatwave.
 the carpenter goes to Kyra and says the canoe project has been pushed back because of the repair work after the elemtanal attack. Thor then asks for Kyra to find him some more workers from outside of the town.
The party go to talk with the draconians outside of town. After Tristelle shares some wine, one of the draconians leaves to get the bronze spellcaster draconian.
Tristelle brings up the attack on the village of Lazus. Tsar claims that his people are peaceful and never would have done it. Pearl brings up the Field Marshall Sklaeros, but Tsar claims to have never heard of them.
The party return to town. They discuss what to do next and decide to head north to Ipsum, which is appromately 130 miles away of travel away. The party stock up on supplies. The party borrow a llama named Tecky from a forester named Nyx (female aged 60) for 5 gold.
The party set out and once they get out of the canyon they find the remains of a woman who died around a week ago. The body has been attacked by animials post-portum, so the cause of death is uncertain. Tristelle casts and just detects the normal moderate ambient magic everywhere.
===2nd October - Hobgoblins===
A day away from Fairport, in the evening the party see a smoke stack to the west a few miles, like a campfire. The partry go investigate and find a camp of hobgoblins roasting an animal over their fire. The party leave the hobgolins alone, but Kyra takes note of the location. 
===3rd October - Fairport===
The party arrive at 's cave south of Fairport. Silvano is enjoying the heatwave. Kyra gives directions to Silvano to where the hobgoblins were. Silvanothernis is skeptical at first, fearful their cave will be raided while they are away, decides to go after the hobgoblins, trusting the party in the end.
The party then arrive in Fairport to find a dwarven festival occurring. It is the remembrance day of the great dwarven clan of Heets, that first Dwarven Clan to settle in this area.
===4th October - Heading Upriver===
The party head up river towards Ipsum that is 80 miles away of travel, so likely 6 days. Wily the Merchant told the party of Jezebel who will row people up and down the river in Episode 11, but charges 10 gold per person. The party leave town in search of Jezebel.
The party pass Silvanothernis's cave. He thanks the party for their telling him of the hobgoblins. Pearl asks about the dangers to the north up river. Silvano has heard of dangers from Wily, but hasn't seem them first hand, except the manticore. Silvano explains to the party what a manticore is and he saw it flying over the ruins of Ipsum.
The party keep traveling up river.
===6th October - Hiring Jezebel===
The party spot a tall wooden watchtower with a medum sided building next to it. A human guard, Bruce, spots the party and goes on alert. He assumes Pearl is a lycanthrope. Kyra explains Pearl is a Tabaxi. Bruce demands that Pearl put a silver coin in her mouth. Pearl complies. When Pearl passes the test, the guard relaxes. Bruce explains there are weretigers in the area.
Bruce says that Jezebel is his mother and invites the party insides, and gets excited when Tristelle introduces herself. Jezebel is a fan of Tristelle as well. Tristelle performs the song "Trog Lover", a melancholic song which moves everyone to tears.
Afterwards the party talk with Jezebel about doing up river as her husband Harold serves the party some drinks. Jezebel says the city is physically intact, but is controlled by 2 rival gangs. The Stewards & The Tiger Clan. The gangs seem to be friendly with the lycanthropes in the area. The leader of The Stewards is claimed to be the reclusive , the wizard the party want to meet, if Maven is alive or not is actuall unknown. The Tiger Clan, lead by , control the front of the city, which blocks access to the back of the city that the The Stewards control.
Jezebel says it will cost 40 gold to get the party and their llama up the river to Ipsum. The party agree to the price, with the extra of their map being filled out more. The ride on the boat will take 3 days.
===6 to 9 October - Journey to Ipsum===
The party travel mostly by cannoe up river, but getting off at points to avoid certain spots, as indicated by Jezebel. She warns they avoided a creature with one eye on its face and eyes on its hands. Other times they are avoiding steep parts of the river that are difficult to traverse directly. 
===9th October - Entry into Ipsum===
The party are dropped off near the gates of Ipsum, then Jezebel and her family row away. The group head up the path towards the gate, Pearl has her hood up to hide her tabaxi features. At Ipsum is no sign of the heatwave that is affecting the lowerlands to the south. 
The "guards" (The Tiger Clan) on top of the gate tell the party it will cost 5 gold per person plus 1 gold per pack animal to get inside the town. The party pay the toll and are allowed into Ipsum.
Inside the gate the party see a large section of town has been burnt down and decayed, but the section of town that hasn't been burnt down then appears well maintained. The feel of town town is warey, but doesn't have the obpressive feeling of Kah-Ella. The chidlren playing in a nearby courtyard notably avoid approaching the "guards" when their ball lands near them. The Tiger Clan appear more like a street gang than guards, as they wear missmatched armor & weapons.
A member of the Tiger Clan recommends the party rest in the Long Haired Troll Inn, and avoid heading into rival gang (The Stewards)'s territory. The Stewards see themselves as a coninuiation of the former government that ran Ipsum, but for the most part hold up in their castle, and only come out to raid and enforce their laws in the Old Quarter. The Tiger Clan claims it doesn't believe in laws and that disputes can be worked out by other methods.
The Tiger Clan notice Tristelle is a bard, and say that she should perform for their leader Opal. Tristelle politely declines, saying she is tired from her journey.
The Inn & Tavern only has two rooms for rent. The cost is 5 silver a night, and a silver for stableing. The party pay for 2 rooms and to stable their llama. In the tavern the population seem to avoid the group of Tiger Clan inside.
The party meet up alone and talk about the situation. They decide not to split up, Tristelle is woried about being abducted and become Opal's personal jester. Pearl borrows Tristelle's bongo drums to make herself look like Tristelle's assistant. They work out a plan to get to The Old Quarter of town where Maven's gang, The Stewards. The party decide to just scout out the situation to find out more.
The party wear low profile clothing and head into the town. They see the east part of town seems entirely flattened and ruined. At the outskirts of the ruined part shows fire damage. 
The party find the inner section of town is guarded off by a portcullus. The Stewards appear in heavy armor with proper uniforms on the inner city wall. The Stewards allow passage of town residents through the inner gates. People going to fill barrels of water from the lake at the back of the town are charged an extra fee.
The party wait in line to get to the portcullus. When it is their town the party is honest that they wish to see Maven. They explain they are magic users and need to talk with Maven about magical matters. The Stewards are surprised the party admit openly to be magic users, and 2 of them escort the party to the Keep. Kyra has to give up her sword at the castle-gate. Pearl and Tristelle work out a safeword (Trout) to say if they want to escape.
The party are lead into the castle as the sun sets. The party are lead to a room an a candle is lit for them.
==Experience==
Experience given at the start of the episode.
Category:Embers of the Wilds Episodes