Session 25 8/7/2022

Elektrah, Althalus, Arden, Lucia

Tasha, Jeff, Michael, Megan

Althalus, knowing he missed the barge, gets a horse and leaves town trying to catch up to it. He spends a few days on the road and passes through Elturel. He gathers some information about the party, the cultist battle, and the minotaur clan raiding to the west. Arden, Lucia, and Elektrah take the barge farther down the river to the next port town (trading outpost). Elektrah hears what sounds like a scream or a cry but is too far away to see anything or hear anything more. The barge will stay there for a week while the new engine is installed. Brottar is staying on the barge to help remove the old engine and install the new one. The rest of the party head into town to find a place to stay. They're able to get rooms at the Sparrow's Nest inn and gather some basic supplies. They notice that the guards seem agitated and find out that there are a lot of bandits about. They're keeping a close eye on the roads and have increased their patrols. Elektrah hears the screaming again and heads to the gate. There is a man on a horse with a bound, screaming child on the back. Elektrah asks him what he's doing with the kid. He scoffs and ignores her. She causes an earth tremor which knocks the horse down, throwing the man and the child off. The guards come out to see what's going on and take the man off to the side. After a few minutes, the guard picks up the child and heads back into town. The party finds out that the man is a bounty hunter and was bringing a child back home. The child wasn't the one he was looking for, but the child was missing from this town anyway. The child is four years old and wanted to go back so he could 'be a monster'. The guard mentions that he has the correct birthmark and takes him into town to his family. The bounty hunter heads into town to get his bounty from the child's family and find a place to stay.

The next day, the guards are on high alert. There are riders coming from the north east and they're headed directly from town. A group of 6 riders in red and gold livery enter town. They stable their horses and head to the Noble's district. The party decide to follow at a discreet distance. The symbol on their livery looks like three golden circles on a crimson background. The riders bang on a gate and wait for someone to come let them in. Elektrah wild shapes into a bird so she can find out what's going on. 4 of the riders spread out around the yard, resting after being on the horseback so long. The smallest and the biggest riders follow the guard into the house. Elektrah flies off to the back of the house (behind a shed) and resumes her human shape. She then wildshapes into a mouse to sneak into the house. She is very sneaky and gets into the kitchen. The kitchen staff mention how they have so much more work now that there are guests. The butler comes in and waits for refreshments to be prepared for the guests. Elektrah sneaks out of the kitchen through the dining room. The butler does notice her after a bit and calls for the kitchen cat to come and catch the mouse. The cat has trouble findind the mouse or caring much about it. Elektrah makes her way through the dining room and into the foyer. She makes her way towards the study where she can make out a few words through the closed door. Desert, Circus, Town, Wizard. She gets closer, concerned because the cat seems to have spotted her and is making it's way towards her. Once inside the study, she overhears the lord of the manor and the smallest rider discussing a clan of minotaurs that are raiding to the west. Having heard everything that's worth hearing, Elektrah sneaks out of the study, out the front door, and through the yard to the gate. Lucia and Arden had been casually walking around the area and are very surprised when Elektrah pops up behind them. After hearing everything she learned, the party heads back into town to rest for the night. Lucia is out all night doing rogue things.

The next morning, Elektrah and Arden hear about some graffiti that is popping up all over town. They immediately suspect Lucia, which is a very reasonable reaction. There was a specific symbol painted on the temple of Umberlee, an armorer, a weapon shop, and a guard post. Arden and Elektrah wander around the market to look at the graffiti. Having been out all night, Lucia is sleeping throughout the morning into the afternoon. During all of this, Althalus enters the city, stables and sells his horse and saddle for a total of 10 gold. He gets a room at the inn and arranges for meals. He hears some gossip about the graffiti and the strange party of travellers that have rented the other rooms. There's also news of a guard that was attacked. He immediately suspects Lucia is around, given her predilection of harming guards. He heads out into the market to see what's to be found. Eventually, sees Elektrah and Arden, He approaches them and chats with them briefly. He sees that Lucia isn't with them and is hopeful that she's not travelling with them anymore. He is disappointed to learn that she's just sleeping and is very much still part of the party. By this point, Lucia is awake and trying to blend into the crowd of the inn/tavern. The party finds her, cloaked and hooded, sitting in the shadowy corner of the tavern. She's not very inconspicuous and Arden tells her that. They discuss the graffiti and, while she doesn't immediately deny that it was her, she is not the one that tagged these buildings. It does sounds like something she would do, though. It wasn't a complicated design and paints are easily found/stolen. Elektrah checks the local job board and sees a bounty for bandits a day's journey west of the city. There is also a bounty for a blue dragon that she immediately passes over. She does not see any bounties for her group and is a bit relieved. They take the bounty for the bandits and ask the guards for details like which bandits specifically and what proof do they need to bring back. The guards don't care which group of bandits they take out, just kill some bandits and make the countryside safer.

The party heads out of town. Elektrah and Lucia discuss the new rogue in the party and try to find ways to bond with him. Lucia suggests stripping him naked and tying him up on the barge. That's how they met and how they bonded, initially, after all. They discuss various ways to distract and drug him, involving herbs and breasts. Arden notices smoke in the distance and alerts the rest of the party. It's decided that the sneaky people will approach from the side/back and the not-sneaky people will be a distraction. Causing a bit of damage, they party is able to makes some devastating attacks. One of the bandits falls. Lucia has two bandits on her and eventually succumbs to her wounds and drops to the ground. Arden is able to cast a quick spell to keep her from bleeding out. Althalus steps away, hoping to draw the bandits away from Lucia until she can be healed. They do not follow and attack Lucia's unmoving body. This enrages Arden who calls upon his Lord's might to absolutely disintegrate one of the bandits. Between the three of them, they're able to kill the remaining bandit and revivify Lucia. After some quick healing, the party finds a fair amount of loot. (to be added next session because I gave the loot cards to Tasha). The party will distribute the loot next session.

1,000 gold was found. 5,000 XP for 3 Gladiators.

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