Session 4

09/25/23

## What in Guilds Name is Going On

After our talk with Pierre at the Sall a Secrete, we head back to the Broken Bannister, where we plan to rest for the night before leaving the next day to get our free meal and gather information from the Rat's Chorus. Before entering the Broken Bannister, we strike up a conversation with an elderly man relaxing on the porch in a rocking chair. Honey Heart ask him if he's seen anyone rushing by recently with some seals. The man says no, and that a lot of people are in a hurry in this city. He points to someone rushing by and Honey Heart chases them down to ask some questions. This does not end as he had hoped and returns to the group disheartened. This man, named Bill-Donny, turns out to be the owner of the Broken Bannister, and he spends his days hangin on the porch, welcoming folks and sharing stories.

A mysterious, darkly pigmented goblin approaches our group as we gather at the Broken Bannister, offering us pieces of his cloak as a gesture of condolence. He expresses his sympathy and offers to say a prayer for our departed friend, Preston Peppermill. We're taken aback by how he seems to know about Preston's recent passing, and he explains that he's a cleric of death, able to sense such events. This enigmatic goblin introduces himself as Ulna, and offers to say a prayer with us for Preston. We express their gratitude for his kind words and assurance that we'll miss Preston dearly, vowing not to forget what JP did to him. Ulna will be at the Broken Bannister for the next few nights, extending his support to us during this challenging time.

Honey Heart, decides to hold up a sign in the bustling street of Lumberlight, bearing the message, "I know what happened to Preston Peppermill.". His hope is that the Owl Sentinel perched in the city's center might catch sight of this sign and take notice. As Honey Heart displays the sign, the owl scans past them. However, it is uncertain whether the owl has indeed captured the image and intends to report it to the city authorities. It is unsure what the consequences of their bold message will entail

The gang, heads to the Sall a Secrete in the morning and is greeted by Pierre. He ushers them into a room where they may pick from some nice jackets to wear while in the restaurant. Fletcher while changing, in a stroke of luck, discovers a forgotten piece of gold tucked away in one of the jacket pockets and adds it to the groups coin purse. Despite having already eaten breakfast, the group orders a feast and make a concerted effort to finish every bit, as leaving food on the table is strictly prohibited in this fine establishment. The rules of the Sall a Secrete are too (1), Act dignified, (2), Enjoy your meal, and (3), uneaten food cost extra. The bread in the food appears to be nutritionally dense and fills up the stomach significantly more than normal bread. It is known as "Baker's Bread". While enjoying our meal, a woman named Renee joins our table and discusses with us the matter of our stolen seals. We learn from her that the Angler's Song is involved, and their contact's name is Gordon Welmer, a member of the Swayback's crew. He is described to us as a tall scruffy man with missing teeth who frequents bars in the city. During this Conversation, it is mentioned that the Waxing Crescents and the Angler's Song had a recent incident at the docks, exacerbating their feud.

In the normally bustling Docks of Lumberlight, six large ships dominate the scene, but the most awe-inspiring of them all is the Grand Lantern. This colossal vessel serves a dual purpose, functioning both as the Guild Hall of the Angler's Song and their flagship. The ship bears a remarkable distinction—it's the only known vessel known to have defeated a sea fairing Leviathan in combat. As a testament to its legendary victory, the Grand Lantern proudly displays a massive Angler fish's lantern mounted on its deck, acquired from its triumph over a giant Angler Leviathan. During their exploration of the docks, the gang stumbles upon the source of mysterious snoring, leading them to a colossal barrel. Inside, they discover Jolly Roger, a man of medium height, who is incredibly muscular. He is hiding from his responsibility as guild leader of the Angler's Song. He finds meetings to be boaring and really just likes to fight and go on adventures. We learn that the meeting is about the incident at the docks that we learned about earlier. Jolly Roger offers Shuupo a cracker, and upon Shuupo's call, a gigantic four-foot-tall parrot named Polly swoops down to collect the cracker. With Polly now accompanying them, the gang gains an unexpected advantage. They manage to enter the Grand Lantern by posing as Jolly's ambassador, with Polly sporting an official bone around her neck. This clever ruse allows them to access the ship and hopes to attend the impending emergency meeting, providing them with a unique opportunity to uncover more about the ongoing events in Lumberlight.

On the Grand Lantern, the gang finds themselves in the company of various individuals, each wearing distinct bones symbolizing their allegiance to different crews. Fletcher has an unexpected encounter with his brother, leading to a darts challenge. In a daring move, Fletcher bets the party's gold and emerges victorious in the first round but faces defeat in the subsequent two rounds. Meanwhile, Shuupo and Honey Heart strike up a conversation with a rugged man named Thomas Twist Langford, whose hands bear the calluses of hard work. Thomas is an expert in knots and rope work, and he shares his concerns about Gormen's strange disappearance and the recent ship seizure. He mentions that Gormen had been watching a ship from "The Maw."

As the captains from their meeting pass by, Polly the parrot makes her presence known by defecating on them. This unanticipated incident leads the gang into a room where they encounter a towering nine-foot-tall orc who's leisurely smoking marijuana and hotboxing the space. This orc introduces himself as Captain Vincent the Dragon, the sixth captain of the Swayback. He reveals that he lost his ship due to the presence of contraband brought on board by Gordon, which caused complications. He provides the gang with marks that will allow them to board the Swayback and recover their belongings. Vincent tasks them with retrieving Ballast stones from the Swayback, mentioning a hollow chest containing something called "Wormsbreath" that they must finish for him. The Swayback is located in the Maw, and they should avoid the Echo resin at all costs.

The gang arrives at the Maw, where the Swayback is anchored in the center of the area. The mast of the Swayback is a distinctive swaback tree with a notable curve. Guarding the ship are members of the Tribunal. Turner Blackthorne is assigned as their escort but is reluctant to go below deck due to his past involvement with drugs. As they explore the ship, they stumble upon a hollow stone that's refrigerated inside, containing a metal canister. Curiosity gets the better of them, and they decide to take the Wormsbreath substance from it.After ingesting the Wormsbreath, the gang begins to experience intense hallucinations. The planks of the ship start to resemble water, and their perception of size and sensation becomes distorted. Fragmented thoughts swirl about in their minds.

* Ten Hun feels as though his name is Sam and envisions a desire to become a doctor.
* Bellamy Smith believes he's Jared Manning.

As the hallucinogenic trip continues, they suddenly become aware of people sneaking down the steps toward the room they're in, setting the stage for a potentially intense and mysterious encounter in their altered state.