Session 10

**Real World Date: 3/28/2021**

**In Game Dates(x): 17th of Lencten, 5151 M.E. - 17th of Lencten, 5151 M.E.**

**Party Level: 3**

## NPCs Met This Adventure

* Kaylis - Cleric of Malasar that ran the temple hidden under the warehouse in the **Docks District**
* Reuben - member of the **Sovereign Brotherhood**, loyal to Wolvar Frostbeard, main suspect in assassination attempt on the King
* Vharkus - Dragonborn Captain of the City Watch in the **Hightop District**, investigating **Sovereign Brotherhood**
* Wellby Blackwater - Halfling thief was befriended and bailed out by by Bashan while locked up, willing to help the party for his share of the loot
* Quelenna Riverwall - noble Elf woman, was imprisoned for crimes that her husband may have actually committed, hires party help prove her innocence
* Parnam - lawyer providing representation to multiple people on behalf of the **Learned Guild**

## Summary

### Temple Fight

The party venture further into the underground temple. After another failed attempt from Baka to burst the door in, the eventually open the door with a crowbar to find two acolytes waiting for them. They quickly dispatch them and discover another door, which Baka decides to try and ram through again. Meanwhile, Quintus looks over a desk with some paperwork, including letters addressed to the cleric here named Kaylis and signed only **W.**, which is presumably Wolvar Frostbeard. Quintus takes all the letters and pockets them. Baka is unsuccessful at the next door as well, but they make it through into what appears to be a pair of jail cells, one of which has a dead body in it.

The final door eventually is opened, leading into a large ceremony chamber with a cleric inside, presumably Kaylis. The party make quick work of him, killing him before he can really start casting spells. However, a giant spider drops from the ceiling to continue the battle, but the party manage to kill the beast as well. Scouring the remains, they discover two potions, a magical rope of some kind, and some coins. Bashan uses keys on Kaylis to inspect the dead body, which has a tattoo with the symbol of the **Sovereign Brotherhood**. He appeared to be dead in here for a while, perhaps dead for several days. Cue decides to continue his decapitation spree and cuts off the head of Kaylis to return for coin.

### Unsuccessful Chase

The party leave the temple and head to the surface. Upon exiting the temple and into the warehouse, they arrive just in time for a fight to end and three men to flee in a wagon. They are being chased by a large figure running along the rooftops, who seems to be able to keep pace with the horses pulling the wagon. Cue attempts to give chase, firing at the figure on the roof. He hits a few times, but unfortunately cannot keep up with them and eventually loses them. After they are out of range, Cue turns around and returns to the group at the warehouse.

Meanwhile the rest of party inspect the two bodies that are there after whatever fight just transpired. They are definitely **Sovereign Brotherhood** members and Poem takes a ring off one of them with the symbol. Bashan notices him doing that but says nothing. The bodies were killed with large claw gashes, similar to Edwin Yshtar in the sewers. After Cue regroups with them, they realize they don't know how to pursue them or have any leads. After a brief discussion, they decide to just return to the **Sovereign Brotherhood HQ** and report to Yelbronna Stavenger. The party head towards the **Hightop District**.

### No Good Deed

The party return to the HQ, but when Bashan knocks, there is no response. Baka tries to burst the door down again, this time successful. However, as he busts in, he sees Yelbronna was about to reach the door and open it. She shrugs and walks back into the HQ. The party slowly file into the building after her, finding it abandoned and signs of a struggle. Yelbronna leads the majority of the party into the library to explain what happened, while Poem explores the other areas of the building. Apparently Yelbronna confronted some of the crew of Wolvar and a battle ensued, resulting in several deaths.

Yelbronna explains Wolvar and his crews plans started as trying to grift their way into becoming famous monster hunters. They lured monsters closer to the city and killed them. Then they even started smuggling the monsters into the city and killing them. None of that seemed to garner enough attention, and around that time Wolvar was taken off command and Yelbronna was sent to take over. Yelbronna doesn't know when Wolvar got in with the church of Malasar and Kaylis, but they seemed to slowly evolve into a group of hired assassins. One of the crew, Reuben, has been missing for a while now, because he went into hiding for several days since he was the assassin that attempted to kill the King. It is only a matter of time before they connect him to the **Sovereign Brotherhood**, which is why they have abandoned the building.

Yelbronna slides the deed to this building across the table to Bashan. The HQ is his.

### Best Laid Plans...

Yelbronna says that Bashan can get in contact with her if he needs to, but the **Sovereign Brotherhood** are skipping town and will be gone for a while. They can do what they wish with the building and what remains in it. She leaves and exits out the back door. Meanwhile, Poem has been exploring the building. He discovered a room with several bunks, an armory, a storage room, and a fancy big office in the back. As the party emerges from the library they discuss what they should do next. Bashan makes it very clear that this is HIS building, not theirs, and he will ultimately decide what to do with this building. As Cue walks outside, though, there is a large contingent of guards lead by a bronze Dragonborn captain named Vharkus.

The party exit the building. Majority of the party raise their hands, complying with the questions that Vharkus is asking. Hoiwever, Bashan, in effort to get arrested and perhaps find his way to the assassin that is locked up, headbutts Vharkus suddenly. He is arrested and put in manacles and Vharkus orders the rest of the party to leave with him. They aren't under arrest, but the guards are pretty insistent they don't have a choice in the matter. The party are taken to the jail/guard post in the **Hightop District**. The party is made to sit down in the lobby, while Bashan is taken downstairs to be put in a cell.

### Giving Away the Whole Store

Vharkus takes one of the party members into his office at a time and interrogates them. Cue is first. He tells the captain about Yelbronna, their two jobs they took for the **Sovereign Brotherhood**, and what he knows about this rogue faction within the group. He doesn't know the name of the Dwarf leading the rogue faction. Baka is next up, unsure how to answer most of the questions. He acts like he doesn't know most of the answers because he isn't sure about what they should share. He acts ignorant of most things until Vharkus dismisses him.

Poem is next inside. When he is asked about the same things, Poem adopts a new identity (real one? fake one?), uses a different voice, and goes by the name of **Nash Greatstone**. He states he is an undercover guard looking into the assassination attempt of **King Fenris Olmarza**. Vharkus insists they have the assassin, but "Nash" insists that who hired the assassin is more important. He claims this adventuring group is just a means to an end, and he is following them to look into this matter with the **Sovereign Brotherhood** and will let Vharkus know is he finds anything of note. Vharkus buys all of it and dismisses him.

Next up is Quintus, who shares all the documents he took from the underground temple, unsure if he is in trouble or not. He confirms some of the other information Vharkus already received, but once it seems like he doesn't know anymore, Vharkus dismisses him.

### Hard Knock Life

Down in the prisons, Bashan is locked up. In the nearby jail cells are several people, including: Wellby Blackwater, an obnoxious Hafling rogue who is locked up for stealing from a noble, a drunk man sleeping off a bender, and an Elven Noble who doesn't seem to think she belongs here. He sits patiently until Vharkus comes down to talk to him.

Vharkus knows most of what the party knows. Bashan is disappointed that the rest of his party gave up so much information, but maintains he can solve this problem without Vharkus. Vharkus says he can do the same, as he has the same info Bashan does, but more authority. Vharkus offers to maybe cut a deal with Bashan if he gives more info, but Bashan dismisses him.

Vharkus leaves as a two lawyers comes downstairs. One seems to be the Elven Noble's lawyer, but the other is a public defender named Parnam.

### Running Errands, Totally Normal Errands

Vharkus comes back upstairs and lets the rest of the party know they can leave, but not to leave town. Bashan will stay in jail for the assault until his bail hearing. The party leaves and very quickly realize they are being tailed, so they decide to split up and head off into different directions. As they split up, they can see the tail peal off and exclusively follow Cue without hesitation.

The party does some innocuous errands:

* Cue travels to city hall to send a message to his fellow monks in Coppersdale
* Poem heads to a clothing store and buys a magic item
* Baka donates coin to the church of Aubade, and the clerics there say hes has donated at least 427
* Quintus heads to the docks, hears rumors about a captain of a **Green Parade** going missing since the lockdown ended

Afterwards Cue and Quintus head back to the **Gilded Forge Inn** while Poem and Baka regroup at the HQ.

### Deals and Bail

Parnam meets with Wellby first, telling him he has will sit in the cell unless he can make bail, but that he has scheduled his trial date for his charges. He then skips over to the drunkar, whom he has arranged for release. The drunk man, presumably some noble with connections, leaves. Parnam then goes over to Bashan. He states he is a lawyer from the **Learned Guild**, who offer free legal representation for all people within the city.

Bashan tells the lawyer to tell Vharkus he can give some more info if he can arrange for his release early. He doesn't want to spend a few days in jail. Eventually Parnam gets Vharkus back down into the cells and Bashan trades Wolvar Frostbeard's name for some good will. Vharkus arranges for some forms to be signed so he can be granted bail immediately.

In a suprising move, Bashan pays his bail but also pays the bail of Wellby (50 ) and the Elven Noble (500 , a much more serious crime). They both seem grateful but leave.

### Regrouping Back At the Rendezvous Point

Poem searches the HQ while they wait. He various correspondences about this **Sovereign Brothehood**, including indications that they have branches in multiple cities around the world. He also realizes that most of the books in the library deal with monsters and how to hunt them. He finishes up his search of the place as Cue and Quintus had finally given up on the inn and joined them at the HQ.

Bashan then shows up, having made his bail. As the party discuss their next move, Wellby walks in, makes himself at home, sitting at one of the desk and putting feet up. He offers to make good on his debt to Bashan by doing some research for him. He agrees to try and find out where Wolvar Frostbeard went. He finds out they also have rooms at the **Gilded Forge Inn**, and says one of them should buy him dinner soon. He leaves, but most of the party seem to mistrust him.

### Bashan Investigations

The party continue their discussion of what to do with this building as well as how they want to proceed going forward. As they do, Quelenna Riverwall walks in and wishes to speak with Bashan. He takes her back to his "office" in the back and they have a discussion. She pays back the 500  and promises that she can give him double that if he completes a job for her.

Her husband has gotten into some legal trouble, and since she is part of his business, the guard think she is somehow involved or complicit. She wishes for the party to investigate her husband and his associates regarding this illegal dealings and find proof she is not involved. She wants them to start with a **Captain Ferris Mayweather**,a merchant captain of the **Green Parade** that went missing around the time evidence showed up incriminating her husband.

### Sneaky Sneaky

Poem, meanwhile, was listening at the door and as she leaves he approaches her outside and asks her to confirm the price she has agreed to pay them, as it seems too good to be true. Quelenna repeats that she will pay them 1000  for their troubles. She says she must leave no and find a new lawyer, as she doesn't trust their family lawyer, who may be in on it.

The party discuss the first steps in their new job...