04/01/2022 - Discussions with Dwarves, a Myriath, Meal, and a Purple Pirate

## New arrivals

* On Ilbidor hanging around the docks – a large ship approaches, very fancy looking ship, three stories tall, two rows of canons, carved in reptilian shapes. Sails are gold and pristine. Very well-trained crew. At the ships bow is a large pulsating blue crystal, like the ones seen on Myriath.
* On the boat are three dwarves (two females, one male). Dressed in silver and electrum.
* Dr T heads towards us with Lieutenant Ilyen and a few other guild members. She tells us she has important guests arriving, and heads up onto the ship. She exchanges a friendly greeting with the dwarves.
* We go a bit closer. Lysander recognises the dwarves as being Professors of the Electrum University, the main centre of learning for the dwarves. University was founded by two dwarven families, one whom deal in gold the other in silver, hence Electrum.
* Dwarves introduce themselves as Elain Silvertail (VP of the university), Karram and Norde (her assistants), Dr T invites them to a private chamber where they can speak more freely. Leads them back towards the guild.
* Dr T introduces us to them. Leo asks why they are here… they have important (secret) business with the guild. Dr T invites us to listen in to their meeting. Elain isn’t keen, but agrees we can listen in.
* Leo sees Trimaeus walk out of a pub, see the dwarves, and do a U-turn straight back into the pub.

## New missions

* Everyone meets in the guilds meeting room. Pleasantries are exchanged.
* Dr Page also arrives.
* We’ve found two pieces of tablet. The guild have been trying to locate the third piece, and believe it is on Auorundfell. Dr T has been communicating with the King of Auorundfell, who has confirmed the third piece is in their possession.
* The guild believe this tablet was once used for some summoning ritual. They have also heard rumours that the prismatic pirates have shown some interest in locating these tablet pieces. So, the guild and Auorundfell are keen to ensure the safety of the tablet pieces, and don’t want to bring the tablet pieces to the same place.
* Elain places a crystalline object on the table. She mutters something and the crystal emits dancing lights. Within the lights is a dwarf dressed in fine red robes. We’re on a zoom call with the “royal advisor” (a spokesperson to the King) to discuss the safety of the tablet.
* Currently it is kept sage within their upper vaults. The tablet piece has been used for many generations as their coronation stone, so is often seen by the public. They are worried that someone might steal the tablet, but cannot simply remove / hide the stone. It is a historical and political artefact that must be kept visible to the people during coronations etc.
* Propose a plan to produce a replica of the tablet that they can use for the coronations etc., so they can put the proper tablet piece way down in their lower vault. So Auorundfell want us to make the replica tablet (very very good replica, to fool even the cleverest dwarves).
* Furthermore, the dwarves have recently discovered an intriguing statue beneath the lower levels of their keep. So, when we make and drop off the replica, they would like us to do some proper archaeology for us and excavate the statue. This statue has potential implications of the royal dwarven families, so they want us to look into it as independent historians, rather than their own people.
* Leo asks how much digging we need to do….
* Rocky questions why we need to make the replica… apparently, we need to do it as it would cause suspicion if the dwarven families were seen to be doing so.
* Dr T reminds us there is a forgery shop on the Wretched Hive. Scribbulus is also waiting for us there, having sailed there from Iysgarth. She can provide us with gold (100GP each) and potions. Gives Leo the bag of holding.
* Dr T also says we can head to the Wretched Hive/Auorundfell via Myriath, as they may be able to give us some improvements to our ships.
* Dr T says we can get ready to sail asap. She wants to have a private conversation with Elaine. Blagden tries to listen in using Ratty. But the room is magically protected.

## Pub night

* We go to find Trimaeus. He’s in the pub. Rocky buys two bottles of whiskey and takes it to Trimaeus’s table.
* The barkeep warns Blagden against stealing anything.
* Trimaeus chats to the others… he is sad about having to go back out to sail the next day. He is not happy about how far away Auorundfell is.
* Blagden ties the barkeeps shoelaces together so he falls over. The barkeeper throws water over him in revenge. Rocky gives Blagden some whiskey. He hates it.
* Most people stay up late drinking etc.

## Upgrade time

* Three days sail to Myriath.
* Leo asks Trimaeus why he avoided the dwarves… he isn’t a big fan of the people of Auorundfell. They have a bad past and unhappy memories, so he likes to avoid their officials. He hasn’t been there for about 20 years. He felt he had outstayed his welcome there, so took up sailing and left as a captain. Leo tries to get him to give the details of why/how he outstayed his welcome, but gets no answers.
* We arrive. Meet with some of the officials we met previously.
* They say that Elaine has contacted her, and asked if Myriath can upgrade the Wildmane. Given that the vessel was given to us as a boon of the Goddess of Myriath, and Elaine has already paid, they are willing to give us an upgrade.
* The upgrade is a crystal. Can cast certain spells into the crystal which will then apply that spell to the whole ship.
* The people of Myriath also invite us to stay the night on the island and eat with them. They ask us about where we are going etc. Lots of general chat. How they have been re-establishing things on the island since they became un-frozen in time.
* The meal gives us all the benefits of a Heroes feast, for 1 week! They then install the crystal and cast haste into it for us.
* A few people purchase some spell components before we leave.

## The Wretched Hive

* Takes 3 days (as we’re hasted for the first day) to get to the wretched hive.
* As we arrive we see words appearing in the sky “welcome my lovelies”. We see a weird reptilian like creature approach the boat. It grows in size and then pops into the figure of Scribbulus.
* As he finishes hugging everyone, Wilbur suddenly pops out of a new necklace has was wearing.
* We arrive on the Wretched Hive. We see a crying girl. Rocky asks her what is wrong. Says that a strange woman with long black hair, purple coat, thigh-high boots, a red-feather hat, and two creatures came into their house and took her brother.
* Belgear asks if she has parents. She doesn’t. But her brothers’ boss might be able to help. She takes us towards him.
* As we follow her through the streets, Blagden nearly gets something stolen off him by a thief, but he notices and scares them off.
* She leads us to the forgery shop. A man called Sartiel, comes out. Very gaunt man, long white beard. Bald in the centre of his head.
* Rocky explains that we are here to help find the girls (Cleo’s) brother. Sartiel says he is a forger, Cleo’s brother was his apprentice.
* Offer us a little money to find her brother… we suggest an exchange instead. He can make what we need in exchange for finding her brother (Lucas).
* Sartiel thinks he knows how the kidnapper is… it’s the Captain of the Purple pirates. A real piece of work. Captain Clanaris, known to trade in people.
* We split up to look for clues! Blagden uses his city knowledge to find someone to provide information. She left this morning. Heading to a tiny island north east of here that the pirates often frequent. The island tavern has two parts, a northern exclusive part that is well guarded, and a non-guarded southern portion.
* We then go to scope out Cleo’s house. Cleo tells us her brother managed to kill one of the pirates. Inside there is the body (human) wearing purple, an open hatch, claw marks. Cleo says the pirates had spoken to her brother earlier at Sartiel’s shop.
* As Blagden speaks to Cleo, he notices her eyes sparkle a golden colour, not dissimilar to Azurial’s eyes, suggesting she’s an Assimar.
* We take the purple robes off. Blagden finds a small bag of gold and a parchment that is essentially a to-do list.

1. - Pick up ale
2. - Meet the boss before kidnap
3. - Check on underwater entrance.

* Rocky looks in the small hatch that Cleo hid in. He found 10 platinum, which he almost takes before realising its Cleo and her brother’s life savings. He puts it back with an extra gold.
* We go to the magic shop, Blagden picks up some slipper.
* We end the session ready to head to the tavern to find the purple pirate!