Hardcore Heroes: Episode 07

__NOTOC__
== Synopsis ==
After an unsuccessful attempt to sell the canoes, the party travels to Redport, the continent’s largest trading hub. Upon arrival, Malakai makes a poor impression by tossing coins at a sailor, which Van corrects. They proceed to "The Hobgoblin's Head" inn and learn Jarrot is absent. Outside, Malakai reunites with his father, Jarrot, who informs them about a bounty placed on their heads by Baroness Valmont. They discuss Hitchens, a recently deceased merchant, and suspect his death might be connected to a curse on Jarrot. The party investigates, leading them to Hitchens' widow and various merchants, uncovering Boren as a potential suspect. They continue to gather information from different sources, including a brothel owner and a bartender. Malakai later discovers his father is enchanted by a siren named Rosa. The group consults clerics and the sheriff, eventually killing the siren despite Van's objections. Jarrot disowns Malakai in anger, and the group prepares to face bounty hunters. A fight ensues with intruders at their inn, resulting in the death of one rogue. In the aftermath, Malakai is rewarded for killing the siren, and Van attempts to console a grieving and drunk Jarrot.
==Recap==
===Wednesday, 1509-02-03* ===
Morning comes without an issue, while everyone gets ready to leave Croak attempts to sell the two canoes without luck, but since the ship is leaving within the hour he is forced to leave them on the shore. Finally party leaves towards Redport.
===Sunday, 1509-02-07 ===
Party arrives in Redport in the late morning. City has a notably large number of ships going in and out making it essentially the biggest trading hub on this side of continent. As the party disembarks Malakai makes the best first impression possible, by asking a sailor for directions and then throwing coins at his feet for him to pick up, which then Van picks up and hands over properly. Everyone heads up the road to "The Hobgoblin's Head" inn where they talk a gnome who informs them he hasn't seen Jarrot around.
However, as Malakai walks out of the inn he sees his father walking up the road, they meet and embrace. He informs them that there is now a bounty on their head from Baroness Valmont 20 gold alive, 5 dead for questioning to which Malakai responds somewhat sourly about the low amount. They talk for a moment and then Jarrot excuses himself to go talk to Rosa while Delta hangs out with the party. He mentions that Hitchens, the merchant Malakai's father fell out with had been found dead, floating in the harbor. He mentions how Hitchens seemed to have been in constantly bad mood lately, always arguing about prices and that frankly he tells them that they sold their merchandise for even worse off deal than if they had sold it to Hitchens, admitting it was just a bad trip in general. Party ponders about it for a moment, at this point sorta crossing Hitchens as a plausible suspect for the magical curse that was put on Jarrot. They do decide it would be wise to ask his wife about anything that might have lately seemed off about him.
They find Hitchens tent, still up, but empty of merchandise so they go to one of the nearby ones to ask a few questions. Merchant there tells them Hitchens died about a week ago, but during the chitchat shopkeeper gets a bit antsy. He does tell them where the wife lives so with a bit of a show of kicking the party out they make their way to Hitchens home.
They find the widow's home, who is still dressed in black, and inquire with her. She seems interested in them inquiring about the manner of his death. She tells them that there is a merchant in town that has been undercutting everyone's prices and that Hitchens at some point started buying his wares for higher prices while selling for the same ones. She also mentions that a man named Boren bought the contents of Hitchens tent at wholesale prices after his death at which the party tells her that he was involved with another merchant. The party reassures her he will be brought to justice, but first they need to gather more evidence against him.
There's mention about the hobgoblin army that assaulted Redport a while back. The party goes to "The Lusty Maiden" where Hitchens had been seen recently before his passing. Croak finds the bartender and asks who Hitchens had been with, were there any workers that had been together with them and so on. The bartender ends up forwarding Croak to Chelsey, the owner of the brothel. She talks more uncertainties, though does mention how Hitchens was an unlikely victim of the underworld and Boren recently bought himself a shop. Croak and Malakai go back to their own tavern while Van starts putting some things together. Malakai heads up to continue learning his Sleep spell. They confirm that that Hitchens died on 02-01 while Jarrot was in Redport from 01–18 to 01–21, Van also confirms that Hitchens prices went up on 01–20. They decide that they need to meet with this Boren guy, but also agree that they definitely need to stay out of his sight as possible problem. Eventually Croak excuses himself, and goes to case merchant streets of their security and ease of access.
Shortly after sundown the merchant Ritchie comes to "The Hobgoblin's Head". Van and Ritchie meet up in an inn room to talk, he says that he doesn't want to get involved and that people are disappearing/getting stabbed. He does mention that Boren deals in more expensive goods such as foreign goods, jewelry, silks. He also suggests talking to ship captains/sailors who bring in such foreign goods to get more information about Boren. Night comes and everyone heads to sleep.
===Monday, 1509-02-08 ===
First thing in the morning Croak heads to "The Lusty Maiden" to speak to Chelsey. She say that Boren is a regular customer and is reluctant to be an informant on him. But Croak attempts to make a point of him being a dangerous individual to have around whose monetary gains are illegal. They have a discussion that breaches into morality of vengeance seeking, but doesn't quite get anywhere until Croak mentions Jarrot being one of the people seeking Justice. Chelsey perks up at his name saying that he used to be a regular until he stopped coming a while ago and she thought he was dead. She also shoots down the idea that Jarrot has a girlfriend and asks to know who is this Rosa to which Croak agrees to trade info on. Chelsey calls over Jizel whom has spent time with Boren, she restates things he tends to sell, but nothing particularly interesting.
Malakai continue learning his spells as he eats his breakfast and meets up with Van. They greet Delta and talk a little about Rosa and Jarrot, learning that he met her about month and half ago. Delta seems fairly neutral about their relationship, but gets defensive when the party begins to question about when and where Jarrot leaves saying that this is the happiest he has seen him even if perhaps he was charmed. Party notes to check out some other sailors about the name Rosa.
They end up meeting Jarrot on the road back to "The Hobgoblin's Head" and Malakai notes the smell of woman on him. Van lies about wanting to cast a spell on him to be sure that the disease that got to him is gone, in truth he wants to check if he is charmed by this Rosa person. Jarrot mentions that he didn't make a good deal with Boren after leaving Hitchens, he also mentions Boren told him he wanted to buy his ship. Surprisingly Jarrot agrees to let Malakai meet this Rosa, just two of them, but later. He mentions that he is planning on transporting some mithril ore to Keldoram, at which everyone perks up and Van asks whether he might get the dwarves to create a mithril scimitar for him. With the life-saving in mind Jarrot actually agrees.
Croak goes to a tavern and finds himself a thief buddy whom he sells the story of a gem merchant with peridots that he has info on. He gives him information that is fairly approximate of the group leaving out the spell-caster part and also gives him the exact rooms where they're staying at. Later he comes back to party and tells them there's bounty hunters that are on their tail, but he thinks the party can take them.
Malakai goes shopping for guard dogs around town and eventually finds a Jacklyn who just has a few dogs around, she introduces Scooby to him. Van goes to buy himself a longbow with Croak who pokes around the prices for a field plate armor.
Finally as it gets later Malakai goes with Jarrot to meet this Rosa person. They go to the beach and find a small hovel there. Suddenly Malakai hears a beautiful song, but has to roll a saving throw versus spell which he manages to succeed. Malakai suddenly decides he would rather leave, but Jarrot comes back out and wants to pull Malakai into the hovel, eventually Malakai wriggles out and runs back to town.
He meets up with his friends and informs them that his father is seeing a weird hag like green skinned woman that has charmed him with a song. They see the urgency and immediately head to local temple, not before Croak plants the peridots in Vans room in case they don't get back in time.
They find a Quantarius Cleric in the temple who gives Van idea to stick wax in his ears to block out the sound as well as forwards them to Sheriff's office and temple of Voraci in town, the Cleric there being possibly more suited for a destruction sort of job.
Malakai goes to Sheriff's office and informs the Sheriff, Kel Isabel Brave, of the possible siren on the beach. She looks him up and down and on merit of being a wizard trusts him on his word, they speak for a bit more and she dons her armor.
Meanwhile, Van and Croak go to the Voraci temple on the harbor there they find a tall and thin woman Cleric, she seems somewhat fascinating of this turn of events, but does not entirely jump on the idea of hunting her down rather questions whether the creature has seemed to be malevolent. Van does agree that it needs more looking into and perhaps not immediate deadly assault. The Voraci Cleric brings forth the question whether a siren, creature of beauty, doesn't fall under Chis and therefore killing her would be against his god. They argue for a while until finally 3 of them arrive at the hovel.
Malakai stands strongly for killing the creature as does the Sheriff and mostly so does Croak, while Van disagrees and neither does the Voraci Cleric, albeit she takes more of a neutral position. Van goes to the temple and attempts to ask advice from his god, but fails so he heads back to the party. After more arguing Van still refuses to go in without discussion.
Finally the rest of the group have had enough, they make their plan, stick the wax in their ears and barge in while Van-Healsing is praying outside.
Rosa and Jarrot are interrupted in middle of lovemaking as Croak gets a great hit on the siren, followed by Malakai blinding her. Outnumbered, without a weapon and naked the siren doesn't really stand a chance, Malakai wrestles his father away as sheriff and Croak don't even let her escape invisible, using flour to reveal her form and then promptly stab her to death.
Jarrot curses and damns Malakai for taking away his love disowning him while Croak unemphatically loots the hut of its worth. Jarrot spits on Van as he storms away. Van visibly discontent leaves the beach as well after a few words. Malakai stands his ground, adamant it's for best and that she would have attempted to kill his father at some point.
Eventually everyone is back in "The Hobgoblin's Head" where Croak urges everyone to go to their room so they can ambush the “bounty-hunters”, setting up a low light environment to hide in better.
Some hours later their window is opened from the alleyway side and two rogues sneak in one of which suddenly spots Croak and the fight begins. Soon enough it seems like the rogue's are majorly outclassed as Croak quickly kills one of them, Malakai slings two others and fourth on just crunches to gravity.
===Tuesday, 1509-02-09 ===
Van goes to find Delta and informs him of what happened with Rosa, who seems to be in similar opinion with Malakai. They both go to look for Jarrot. Croak goes minor shopping and also finds an armor-smith from who he commissions a fieldplate.
Malakai goes to see Baron Redwing who thanks him for the killing of siren and rewards him with 3 gemstones.
Van-Healsing hangs out with a very drunk Jarrot, giving him a shoulder to cry on. At one point he asks if perhaps the mithril scimitar is still an option to which Jarrot seems somewhat indecisive. Van goes to temple and seeks dispel magic to be cast on Jarrot, but cannot afford it so he tells Jarrot to seek him out someday later.
== Experience and changes ==
* Scooby the guard dog joins party and rolls 8HP
* Malakai gains 3rd level and rolls 1HP for a total of 7HP
*Dates are extrapolated from a previous mention of an exact date.
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes