Session 14 - Aboard the Waterspider

The day after summer solstice and the conclusion of the Festival of Excelsion, half-elf bard Haevan, half air-spirit monk Aubrey and half-orc fighter Phryne pick their way through a fully debauched Victor on their way to rendezvous with the Aleazea family for their ride out of town. After breaking into the Lord of Victor's manor and discovering her knowledge and involvement with the goblin mining and human slavery in the region, Lady Aevara suggested they get out of town as quickly as possible, or face consequences.

Phryne heads straight for the dock with their mastiff and human cleric Edlee, while Aubrey and Haeven head for the Baths, where their faithful mule Eeyore is stabled. Aubrey thinks he sees someone tailing them, but it seems to be just a human male who was ambling his way to the Baths behind them. Haeven sidetracks to the Plaza of the Strong where he finds the half-elf child, Mich. He explains to Mich that he has a mission for the child; to use the disenfranchised of Victor to spread a message of Thicket (an alter-ego of Haeven). Haeven explains that the criminal element are being abused by those in power, and that Mich should do everything in his power to spread a message of action against them, and of rebellion. Haeven tells Mich to spread the message: "THICKET HAS SEEN WHAT YOU'VE DONE" and that if he gets caught his life is over. Mich seems chuffed at the mission, and he and the other urchins of Victor scamper off.

The companions meet at the docks, along with a manservant of Haevan's who gives his name as "Arin," and they find the ship Lady Aevara, the elven Magistrate, directed them to, a two well-kept, two story riverboat, the *Waterspider*, owned by the Aleazea family. Standing by the gangplank in front of the boat is a half-elf druid, Percival Brightwood (PC of Andrew). He explains that he was sent by Veit Rummenheim to help them, and the party welcome his help readily enough. Haeven is thrilled to have another half-elf among them.

Before they depart, Haeven distributes to his companions some items of aid Lady Aevara had presented him with. To Aubrey, Haeven gives a pair of gloves that are so sheer they appear almost invisible, Haeven explains that, when worn, they seem to direct your hands when attempting to open locks.

He bequest to Phryne an obsidian black longsword from hilt to tip. He explains that Aevara never had the swordo appraised, as she felt that there was a dark, magical power about it and she feared what it might hold. Phryne accepts it readily and names it Mildred. As she handles it throughout she feels attached to the sword, and wants to keep it by her side constantly.

For himself he keeps a small want with a spindly, silver spider holding an amethyst at the tip. Silver skeins run down the wand to the handle as if threads of spider web. He explains that Aevara got the wand from a sorcerer named Arachnia, and the her wand is imbued with her favourite means of entrapping her victims.

Aboard the Waterspider, the companions meet Hael, patriarch of the Aleazea family, and Eadrae, his daughter and the co-captain of the ship alongside a human crew, along with several cousins who had been in town for the Festival. Hael and Eadrae are thrilled to meet Phryne the Champion and Aubrey the Heroic, they watched their exploits in the Championship and have heard stories, rumours about the heroes.

The Aleazea are dealers in exquisite elven jewelry from Elysium. They seem more human in attitude than most elves, a new generation of elves who have largely assimilated into human culture since the 5 Century War.

Since the family doesn’t sleep two small but comfortable rooms are given to the party to share. As the sun reaches its apex in the sky, Eadrae approaches Phryne, “Are we ready to cast off?” And the *Waterspider* takes to the Victory.

Eadre explains that, if weather is cooperative, it is about a three-day journey down river. The Victory is one of the widest rivers in Malex, and as the *Waterspider* makes its way downriver she passes several fishing villages dotting the bank on either side, and pass a dozen skiffs and small fishing boats.

As the day goes along the elves set about to reading, sharing poetry with one another, gossiping, playing tiles. Wine flows freely and (human) attendants serve food throughout the afternoon. The sun begins to set on an afternoon of leisure and relaxation.

As the sun dips low in the west, Edlee points out something. Downriver around the next bend in the Victory he points to a column of smoke filtering up.

Percival transforms into a hawk (leaving his clothes behind, which Aubrey picks up) and takes off into the sky, following the river while keeping the *Waterspider* in sight. The sun is low and darkness creeps over the land, but as he flies closer he sees that several homes and buildings in a riverside village are burning freely, and townsfolk seem to be getting chased. He returns to the boat, unwilling to get closer on his own for fear of attack.

As darkness engulfs the river, the only light coming from the moon and stars, a smell of smoke begins to pervade the air.

Backlit by the mighty blaze, the fishing village burns a couple of minutes down the river. Several dwellings have caught fire and burn freely. As the boat nears the village the heroes on deck can clearly see figures running about frantically, screaming.

Eadrae and her father, Hael, approach the companions on deck, looking frightened and nervous.

“Should… should we anchor and put down a lifeboat? Land and see we can help?” Eadrae asks.

“Don’t be a child, Eadrae,” Hael snaps, though he seems spooked by the sight of the burning village.

As the *Waterspider* rounds the bend, the elves cowering below decks or on the bridge after hearing Percival's report and seeing the village, the heroes await on deck, debating if they should anchor and help. While the others are talking, Percival and Haeven hear something odd over the side of the ship, the sound of wood thunking against the side of the boat. The two glance over to see three figures climbing the side of the boat and attack before three ghouls, one clearly leading them, clamber aboard.

The ghouls make lunges for the two as they try to fend off the fiendish boarders, but they manage to dodge as their friends join the fray. Percival casts a druidic spell of magical strength on himself, while Phryne and Aubrey dash into the battle lashing out at the ghouls, Phryne brandishing her new weapon. Edlee, as well, rushes forth, drawing out a holy symbol from beneath his tunic and invoking, "Sweet Xelex, God of 1000 Lovers, protect us, protect all life." He summons a shining, holy light that seems to singe the ghouls slightly, but they seem mostly unharmed. As the heroes down the largest of the ghouls, three more climb aboard.

Haeven uses his new wand to summon bunches of magical web that trap a couple of the ghouls in place momentarily. Aubrey and Percival, wielding quarterstaffs, beat the ghouls back while Edlee lobs off radiant, holy fire that burns the attackers. Phryne, meanwhile, obsidian blade in hand, pairs two ghouls entirely in half, and soon the heroes have the corpses of the monsters strewn over the deck. They watch helplessly as the village burns behind them, all signs of life gone.

The rest of the night and the next day pass by thankfully uneventful. Beyond the burning village the river seems normal. More villages and boats in sight. Haeven pulls Hael Aleazea aside and questions him about his position among Elysium elves, and Port-of-Utopia, and the destination itself, specifically about equipment. Haeven directs the half-elf to a human blacksmith in the dwarven district named Ariana. Haeven asks some token of House Aleazea, but Hael is reticent about providing one.

A strange sight appears in the late afternoon on the third day. Traveling upriver is a large barge, although the design is alien to any vessel any of the companions have ever seen. Most boats are made of wood reinforced with metal components, but this one is squat, wide, and seems to be mostly made of metal worked into the shape of a boat. There is a column at the back that belches thick, oppressive looking smog.

Most strange, however, is that the ship employs no rowers or sails. It seems to be moving up river on its own quite easily, a most disturbing sight.

Aubrey can just make out several figures, not humans or elves, moving about the boat, and he can tell they have a huge canvas tarp pulled over crates and equipment.

Percival notices the Felsic Combine insignia and the several goblins, including three hulking, misshapen and well-armoured brutes.

Percival transforms into a hawk once again and takes to the sky to get closer, while Aubrey dives into the water, using his air power to stay underwater and swim after the barge. Percival scrutinizes the goblins before diving and stealthily landing on the back of the vessel unnoticed. He sees extensive mining and construction equipment, kilns, mixers, an dynamite as well. He gets an idea and transforms into a human, naked and crouching under the tarp. With his magic he starts a fire and makes a dash off the boat, making a leap seconds before the dynamite explodes, wrenching the barge apart and sinking it. Aubrey, underneath the water, swims to find Percival who has already transformed into a water and swam away.

While it takes awhile for Aubrey to catch up to the *Waterspider*, eventually using his air powers to float above the water and get noticed, the party is reunited, although its clear Percival's hearing won't return to normal for some days.

Port-of-Utopia is at the end of a large natural peninsula, separated by the Victory as it widens closer to the mouth of the river. The peninsula is known for its hills and the closer the *Waterspider* gets to the coast traveling along the Victory, fogs often descend from the hills in the morning and cover the river, lasting until the late morning. Fishing villages dot the riverside, with skiffs and fishing boats plying the waters. The occasional riverboat or pleasure crafts pass, sailing down or rowing up the slow moving Victory.

In the morning on the third day of travel, a twist in the river runs into a thick cloud of fog, although the sun seems to be attempting to shine through giving the thick mist a blinding luminescence. Suddenly, a wind picks up, blowing the fog across the river, and the heroes have their first view of Port-of-Utopia. Eadrae stands on the deck, taking in the view.

She points to a great towered wall close to the river. “That’s the River Gate, which connects to the Southtwin.” She points to a small mountain with a watchspire on top. The *Waterspider* slides past the river fortifications and beyond, on the west bank of the river, you see a dip in the hills with farmlands and cottages. Just beyond that the city begins to get denser with three or four story homes and an incredible towering temple at the centre of it, atop a hill. “That’s the Grand Pentacle Temple, the biggest man made structue in all of Malex.” She nods to another huge fortification just beyond a huge river-spanning bridge that walls in the island it sits on. “There’s the Palace-of-Unity, where the human lord of Port-of-Utopia and the Magisterial seat resides.”

Between the Grand Pentacle Temple and the Palace you can see another spire, a long slim structure, raising up through the fog like a blade.

As they're preparing to dock Haeven asks Hael about establishments they could look for in the city, high class and low. Hael uncomfortably explains that the high class establishments he frequents are full-elf only, but that if Haeven is looking for a common, base experience, the Palace of 1000 Pleasures is a popular destination. He also asks about getting passage to Elysium, and Hael explains that this could prove more difficult as travel has been restricted as of late. Any non-elf needs travel documents to board the ships that take travellers to the Great Island continent, papers that need to be obtained through people of high positions, a Grand Pentacle Priest, a member of the royal house of Victor.

The *Waterspider* puts in at one of the river docks just beyond the bridge and immediately register with the dockmaster and go about unloading their cargo. Eadrae and her father thank the party for their help on the Victory. “Should you ever need a favour please ask after us at our manor in the Lake District.”

“Although we’ll be making for Elysium within the week,” Hael adds, then turns to direct the sailors as they unload luggage and cargo.

The sailors seem to keep glancing nervously over at the dockside streets, shops and warehouses, which are thronged with people.

As soon as Phryne steps off the boat into sight of the crowd, a great cheer goes up. “CHAMP-EE-ON! CHAMP-EE-ON!”

She begins to put on a show for the crowd, flexing her muscles. The rest of the companions try to exercise some discretion... although Aubrey glares at the Champion of Excelsion.

Several acolytes of Excelsion walk forward and present Phryne with a crown of laurel and resplendent athletic clothing. The crowd parts as a broad-shouldered, muscular, elderly-looking Coastlander woman walks forward, wearing matching athletic clothing, robes and a golden medallion on her chest.

“Greetings Champion, I am Reteka, Grand Priestess of Excelsion,” she bows, then turns to the crowds and holds up her hands. “I give you Phryne, our Champion! This woman has earned the honour of Excelsion through her might and physical prowess! Blessings of the gods go with you, Champion!”

“Blessings of the gods!” the crowd cries out in response. “Blessings of Excelsion!”

Admirers mob Phryne as she steps off the dock, people who want to shake her hand, touch her clothes and introduce her to their babies.

While everyone is distracted by the crowds, Percival notices, at the end of the nearest street,several armoured, mounted figures on warhorses. They are wearing the silver-blue armour of the New Church of Apexion. They seem to be surveying the crowd. After a moment the leader, an elderly Lowlander man, turns and nods and the group trots off into the city.

After a time Grand Priestess Reteka pulls Phryne aside before departing back for the Grand Pentacle Temple. “Champion, might I ask a favour? A colleague of mine and I have a delicate issue you and your companions may be of some help with.”

Phryne says, "Well, we're not great with delicate issues but we can look into it."

ACTIVE QUESTS

-Phryne is allowed to request a boon from the worshippers of Excelsion

-Seek out Grand Priest Reteka and her colleague at the Grand Pentacle Temple

-Gain an audience with the Elven Senate of Elysium to present what they know of the goblin activity (perhaps using Lady Aevara of Victor's amulet)

-Investigate the encroaching dark forces from the East for the forest spirit (party thinks that the magical and destructive properties of tealstone, these goblin factories and Ghazek from Gobelton have something to do with it)

-Escort Edlee to Elysium