Story/Session 3

# Session 3 — «Trapped with cogdogs»

## About

*\* To see all the campaign sessions and events check the list of sessions in the "Story" page's segment "Sessions".*

**Session 3** took place on 2023/10/14 in Guangzhou, Panyu in COMMUNE Bar. A total of four characters participated in the events of the session: Greg "Grog" Butkus (Sam), Dalerion Korr (Rebecca), Tobias Slater (Sean), Urifaen "Fiddler" Quoreak (Craig).

### Connected sessions

This session is a part of series of events that are tied together due to the nature of their events.

 Session 2 | «No cogdogs allowed»

## Journal

### The eerie tunnels

In the aftermath of a previous skirmish, the group proceeded to explore the tunnel leading deeper into the subterranean levels of the mines. Fiddler caught up with the party, stating that when they were investigating the missing cogdogs by the Crystal Workshop, he returned to the Old Quill Tavern.

Upon reaching the second level, a cluster of doors came into view, identified by the knowledgeable Finbin Applerod as dormitories. Further investigation revealed a food storage room, though it yielded nothing valuable. However, one door refused to budge. Fiddler attempted to employ his lock-picking skills and, with some success in manipulating the pins, found himself thwarted by the door's stubbornness. Closer examination exposed it as a powerlock, also known as the Arcane Lock, — a creation of the Aetherforge in collaboration with the Lumina Arcanum mages. The room behind it remained an enigma, with even Finbin unable to shed light on its contents. No one in the party possessed the means to unlock the powerlock, which now emitted a faint, eerie blue glow. As the party proceeded on the second level, they almost triggered a concealed trap. Leading the way, Fiddler detected the danger just in the nick of time, his teeth grazing a devious contraption positioned near ankle height. Upon closer examination, Goblorr confirmed the trap's goblin origin, signifying their proximity to the goblin group. Goblorr was forced to disarm the trap by severing the metal wire, causing it to harmlessly collapse onto the floor. Fiddler then extracted a loose stone from the wall, unveiling a substantial bag wrapped in rugged cloth. This bag concealed what appeared to be gunpowder.

The group pressed on to the third level and began to take note of the eerie stillness pervading the mines. On this level, originally intended to be the final destination for the extracted ore, they encountered desolate passages and a conspicuous absence of the cogdogs they sought. The steep stairs leading further down indicated that the cogdogs could not navigate them independently. This left two unsettling possibilities: the cogdogs had either been forcibly taken to lower levels, or there existed unknown entry points into the mines that had eluded both their and everyone else's detection.

### The numbers six and seven

Delving further into the mines, the party finally reached the fourth level, where they stumbled upon the missing miners. In a spacious corridor, the miners had encircled a lone goblin perched atop a cogdog, threatening to detonate it with a familiar red goblin vial. The group convened to strategize their approach to disarm the goblin and eliminate the threat. Greg proposed using his mystical abilities to traverse the mists and seize either the goblin or the volatile vial to prevent an explosion, or alternatively, to eliminate the goblin. Goblorr Gob, on the other hand, suggested a ruse, claiming that their group had never encountered Kazzlack before, allowing him to impersonate the Demolitions group leader by donning the his necklace. The group reached a consensus, but with a firm condition: Greg Butkus was to closely shadow Goblorr Gob, keeping a pointed weapon aimed at his back as an insurance against betrayal. They inched forward, working to disperse the crowd and close the distance between them and the goblin perched on the cogdog. Andrew Tate, the miners' overseer, acknowledged their command to move his people away from the volatile situation.

With the goblin's attention secured, they found themselves mere feet from him, initiating the charade. Goblorr Gob's impersonation of Kazzlack was remarkably convincing, successfully persuading the infiltrator that he was indeed their leader, the head of the demolition group. He managed to talk the goblin out of using the vial on the cogdog, preventing its destruction, and convinced him to surrender the vial to their group instead. In a twist of fate, the vial slipped through their grasp, bumping Greg's wrist and detonating behind them, setting their own clothes, as well as those of some remaining miners, ablaze. Responding swiftly to the unexpected turn of events, Fiddler proclaimed that the goblin had "seen it coming," and swiftly thrust his rapier into him. Greg completed the task by dispatching the goblin with a brutal slap.

> *"I will slap that bitch!" — "Greg, you just killed him..." —* Greg & Dalerion.
>
>

Upon closer examination of the liberated cogdog, Dalerion made an intriguing discovery—it was the missing cogdog number six. Eager to explore its capabilities, he attempted to mimic Master Coppercoil by mounting the machine but encountered an obstacle - the "number six" stubbornly spun in circles and refused to respond to any directional commands. Recalling the information shared by Master Coppercoil regarding the peculiar nature of cogdogs, particularly the way "hound masters" guided their movements, the group recognized the importance of a specific leather harness. Lacking the harness, they resorted to utilizing a leather belt they had acquired from the fallen goblin. With some quick thinking, they punctured a few holes in the belt to align with the cogdog's neck machinery, successfully coaxing it into motion at last. It did the trick, and with it... Dalerion then travelled on a cogdog... for several hours straight.

Andrew Tate informed the group that, from the current hallway, there were only two more passages. These tunnels led to the old chambers of "Silver Wing" and the iron deposits, both of which had been abandoned for a considerable time due to depleted ore reserves. He further revealed that an unusually large supply delivery had arrived just two days ago, forcing some miners to store crates within the "Silver Wing" chamber. In response to Tobias' inquiry about the size of the delivery "how big", - Andrew made a visual connection by pointing at the rescued cogdog and described it as "cogdog big." This scale suggested the delivery's vastness, potentially ample enough to conceal and transport a cogdog within it.

Venturing down the tunnel toward the "Silver Wing," the group encountered more trap wires to disarm and gunpowder bags to collect along the way. Fiddler, taking the lead, cautiously opened the doors leading to the area, narrowly avoiding a crossbow bolt aimed perilously close to his face.

Choosing diplomacy over confrontation, the party engaged in conversation with the leader of the infiltrators' group, a goblin who introduced himself as "Kaz-ack" or Kaz Akgh. Goblorr Gob continued his ruse by impersonating Kazzlack once more, successfully deceiving the goblins once again. The group presented an alternative plan: rather than detonate the cogdogs in Fayers Cove, which would result in the loss of innocent lives, why not transport them to Ronar Dominion and exact revenge on the dwarves they harbored disdain for, potentially causing significant destruction on the continent? Combining the persuasive abilities of Fiddler and Greg, Goblorr's "talent" for impersonation, and Dalerion's historical knowledge once the goblins started questioning the group's knowledge of the conflict, the infiltrators were ultimately swayed. They agreed to abandon the cave, leaving the cogdogs behind, and extended an invitation for the group to meet them in two days with the cogdog's core. However, Fiddler was not content without discovering the identity of his crossbow assailant. He challenged the goblin to a duel to the death, who accepted, descending from his perch atop some crates. Before the duel could begin, Fiddler utilized his magic to put the goblin to sleep, resulting in an explosive end, presumably triggered by a concealed red goblin vial within the goblin's coat.

With the goblins departing, the group bid farewell to Goblorr and began the process of transporting the cogdogs back to the surface.

### Half-truths

Greg Butkus and Dalerion Korr opted to remain behind with the cogdogs, while Tobias and Fiddler proceeded towards the exit. There, they encountered a sizable gathering of Golden Swords and Grey Cloaks, who had already converged on the location where the group had previously encountered the goblins and confronted the demolition team led by Kazzlack. Among them, they met Aiden Bell, the lieutenant of the Grey Cloaks, who Hudson Pearson had mentioned would reward the group for their victory over the assault group in Artisan's Row. Aiden Bell pledged to honor this commitment once the situation settled down and everyone returned to the Grey Cloaks Barracks in the Old Fort district. Tobias and Fiddler attempted to deceive the soldiers, claiming that hostages were present and that they needed access to the Arcane Lock-ed room, potentially implicating Akkalati soldiers in the process.

Meanwhile, Greg and Tobias ventured outside the mines and encountered Kofrok Brod. They explained the situation to him, and the half-orc departed in search of assistance, either from the Aetherforge masters or the mages of Lumina Arcanum, to unlock the Arcane Lock or fashion a fitting key. While waiting for Kofrok's return, Aiden Bell, who had stepped outside to smoke his pipe, along with the two, noticed a group of Akkalati soldiers. Among them was an individual described by everyone the group had encountered before as a woman with "long red hair," potentially the High Inquisitor of the Holy State of Akkalat.

Kofork returned empty-handed, explaining that Lumina Arcanum mages had limited involvement with the doors inside the mines; they primarily worked on the lock itself. He conveyed that if enough force was applied to the hinges, the door could potentially be opened. It could be broken down, cut, or otherwise damaged, but the Arcane Lock would remain unaffected. With this information, the two adventurers promptly returned to the mines, citing the need to address the "hostage" situation. They arrived at the locked door and waited for Greg and Dalerion to catch up with them, riding the cogdogs. Fiddler strategically placed gunpowder bags against what he believed to be the concealed hinges of the locked door, lit them, and then took cover. The door was blasted open, leaving the Arcane Lock unharmed.

Inside the now-vacant storage room, they discovered the lifeless body of an Akkalati soldier with a golden sword impaled in his abdomen. Upon closer examination, Greg and Dalerion deduced that the body had been dragged into the room and that the soldier had met his demise well before the sword was thrust into him. Fiddler employed some of the gunpowder to mask other visible injuries on the corpse, igniting them to obscure any incriminating evidence. They were preparing to frame the Akkalati soldiers against the Golden Swords and the residents of Fayers Cove as a whole.

The group, after a fruitless search, decided to return to the chamber above, where the Golden Swords were conducting their investigation. Upon their return, they discovered the presence of two additional individuals: Olan Blackwater, the Councilor of Lumina Arcanum, adorned in the guild's red silk robes with a prominent silver chain that signified his high-ranking position, and Elara Dorle, the High Priestess of Sanctum, wearing white and gold clerical attire.

Fiddler peered beyond the soldiers and observed Olan performing a ritual to communicate with the deceased goblin, Kazzlack. Realizing this, he urged the group to amend their story and speak the truth, recognizing that under the "Speak with the Dead" ritual, the deceased could not lie. Greg Butkus attempted to disrupt the ritual by approaching Olan and slapping his hand. However, it proved futile, as Olan's concentration remained unbroken, and he merely gestured for Greg to cease his actions by extending an open palm. The Golden Swords attempted to apprehend Greg, but he managed to break free and retreated, opting not to further escalate the confrontation.

Following the unsettling encounter, High Priestess Elara Dorle expressed a desire to converse with the group. In her presence, they felt compelled to speak only the truth. She posed a series of questions regarding their expedition to the mines and the true sequence of events. Fiddler, in particular, believed that she had discerned his falsehood. Despite the unease, Elara sought to reward the group and presented them with her golden necklace as proof of their accomplishment. She instructed them to show the necklace to any major guild in Fayers Cove to claim their reward, with the condition that they return it to her in the Church of All, also known as the Temple of Fayers Cove.

Greg Butkus managed to persuade Elara to allow them to use the necklace twice, a request to which she agreed. With the necklace in hand, the party departed the mines to witness the setting sun on the horizon, contemplating their next course of action.

## Notable non-player characters

A list of notable NPCs the group has either met for the first time or interacted with throughout the session.

## Statistics

*\* For campaign combat and roll statistics, see Characters' page segments "Combat statistics" and "Roll statistics".*

Dalerion Korr (Rebecca) was voted MVP of the session and was awarded an Inspiration Coin.

### Roll statistics

Roll statistics include average dice roll result (natural only), the natural twenty, and natural one dice roll counts.

In this session Dalerion Korr (Rebecca) rolled two **Natural 1**s in a row, while Tobias Slater (Sean) did not roll either **Natural 20** or **Natural 1** at all.

### Combat statistics

Actions that drop the enemy's health points to zero - account to kills; actions that assist other party members in any sensible way, including healing party members that are fighting a certain enemy, - account to assists. Damage calculated includes friendly fire, and measurable environmental damage during a given combat event; healing calculated includes self-healing and the use of items like healing potions, etc.