Session 10 - Speakeasy Shenanigans

The party heads to the Speakeasy. Kali sits at a bench waiting for her date while Diz and Burr head straight to the bar to drink. Diz gets flirtatiously drunk and starts hitting on Burr. When Kali’s date, Aubrey, arrives he greets her and lets her know that he has found a couple other items that he believes the others would love and he would like to gift them to them.

He gives Diz a Helm of Comprehend Languages and Burr a Robe of Many Items. He then grabs two house ales and sits down to speak with Kali. They discuss a little about the town and where they are from. Kali discovers that the people in the town don’t have a great loyalty to Lathander but that a few generations ago the Church of Lathander bought their way into the town as the sole religion. He points out a few of the townspeople in the speakeasy and Kali gets interested in a little old woman he states is Cecilia the seer.

She excuses herself for a moment and goes to speak with her. It turns out that her form of divination is through Tarot Card readings. Kali questions her about where a young diviner who sees and shares visions might go to help learn her craft. She suggests Waterdeep as it is a rather large city with a few magical academies. Kali thanks her and goes back to Aubrey.

He attempts to get Kali to dance with him calling out to the bard for dance music. Kali declines but Diz grabs Burr and spins around the dance floor with a drunken freedom. Kali downs a couple more beers and asks Aubrey for something stronger as they seem to be having no effect. He brings her back a shot of dragon whiskey as she starts shedding her clothes. Aubrey heads off quickly, as this is not what he signed up for, and Boreas flies over covering her with his wings.

She stumbles out of the Speakeasy to head back to the Inn. After picking up all her clothes, Burr and Diz decide to play a few rounds of cards before following behind. Kali rather loudly stumbles past the Shrine of Lethander causing Merrygold to come out and question what on earth has happened. He heads the way she came from to see if he can find the source of the chaos. He sees Diz and Burr and questions them to. He strips Diz of the title of Awakened and asks for her pin back. Diz flirtatiously says to take it from her and seductively starts walking toward him. He flees mumbling about how having multiple religions in the town is already leading them to moral ruin.

They all make it back to the Inn and in the morning Diz wakes with a horrible hangover. The bar maiden behind the counter offers him a hangover cure for a few gold and she gladly accepts. They ask her if she has any idea of where the White Dragon may have gone. She says that it went North but that they might have better luck if they ask the Council of Dragonriders in Phandalin. They all roll their eyes and decide to head back to the Tower of Storms up North to see if they have set eyes on any path the dragon may be taking.  

Session 9: Leilon in Ruin

As the Party exits the woods they see roughly fifty people standing in a clearing just off the High Road, where the forest to the northeast and the swampland to the southwest give way to grassland for a bit on each side of the road. The beginnings of gardens or larger fields of crops are half-dug here.

The people mill about in a panic. Some shake in fear, others shout in anger, and in the center of it all an enraged dwarf waves her arms and tries to get those around her to listen. A bored-looking human in a chain shirt and shield decorated with the sigil of Neverwinter stands next to the dwarf. He finally bangs his spear against his shield to quiet the tumult.

The dwarf is Grizzelda Copperwraught, who the settlers call “the Growler,” but never within earshot of her. She was personally hired by Lord Neverember to oversee the rebuilding of the structures that will comprise the new town. She instructs the builders and gives them their pay at the end of each tenday.

Next to Grizzelda is Sergeant Hazz Yorrum. Yorrum is a human guard, and in charge of the Neverwinter soldiers who protect the settlers while the town is being built. He is a coward, as lazy as he is corrupt.

Merrygold Brightshine is a priest of Lathander, the Morninglord. He and his church were given the rights to build the first temple in Leilon. The church of Lathander paid handsomely for the honor, and Merrygold and his staff assist in making sure that the workers get fed and cared for outside of their normal duties.

Lathander: a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality, and youth. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies. Novices in the Lathanderian faith were called the Awakened, while clerics were known as Dawnbringers. They could ascend to the following higher titles in order: Dawngreeter, Dawnlord, High Dawnlord, and Dawnmaster, while an elite cleric was referred to as a Morninglord. All of Lathander's clergy respected art, liberty, nature, and culture; promoted betterment of oneself; and strove to bring hope to their followers and others. Many of these followers worked in various creative arts. They were intolerant of evil, especially undead and inaction that caused evil to prosper.

Valdi Estapaar is a half-elven fisher who is tasked by Lord Neverember to oversee the fishing industry that is supposed to support the town as it is built. The fish she and her subordinates catch feed the town, and the excess fish are cured and transported to the nearby cities for sale.

The Growler, Merrygold, and Valdi comprise the Leilon Town Council at this point in the town’s development. While the Growler is ostensibly the leader, the council votes on major issues, so the Growler can be overruled if Merrygold and Valdi agree on a different plan.

Two strange knights bearing a symbol of a dragon eating its own tail ride horses next to a wagon carrying two archers, pulled by another horse. As the knights signal an attack, the rest of the citizens of Leilon scatter. The acolytes of Lathander shepherd the children to safety, and the rest of the adults move toward the safety of the nearby trees. Sgt. Yorrum, it should be noted, flees faster than anyone.

Grizzelda and Valdi approach the Knights to see what they could want. Things get physical and a battle ensues. By the end of the battle Grizzelda has earned the title "Horse Puncher"and the Party has discovered that these were more followers of the League of Dragons. Their reach seems to be all over Faerun. 

After the battle, Kali goes to hunt down Hazz Yurrum. She begins to whip him to shape and teach him a lesson about what it means to be a soldier. Burr and Diz make their way into the town. They see a kraken priest performing a ritual down by the docks, pulling berserkers out of the sea. Burr and Diz are able to reason with him and avoid a fight. They convince Grizzelda to allow them to speak at the next town meeting about creating a space for the worship of the kraken within Leilon. They plan to meet the next day. 

After a good nights sleep at the inn they head to the town meeting. Valdi, Grizzelda, Merrygold, and the kraken priest all have their chance to speak. It is decided that the four small islands in the bay will be given to the kraken priest to build upon for his worshippers.

The Party then decides to do some exploring. Kali stays behind with the kraken priest and does more training with Hazz Yurrum on the island. Burr and Diz visit Lathander's Shrine and Diz does an act of service to become and Awakened. Merrygold gives him a pamphlet explaining the steps in becoming a Cleric of Lathander all the way up to becoming a Morninglord like himself. 

Burr and Diz then go to the island to meet up with Kali. Diz asks the kraken priest how to become someone like him. The priest explains that you have to give yourself completely to the Kraken. When pushed further the priest eyes turn black and the Kraken begins speaking through him. He explains that he only accepts followers that allow him to control their mind and body. This is too high a price for Diz and she declines. 

The Party's next stop is the Peculiarities Shop. They enter and are greeted by a whimsical Illuskan male named Aubrey Silverspun. Kali purchases an Echo Pearl from Vibration Lake and in exchange for a date with Aubrey receives a Javelin of Lightning. Diz purchases a set of engraved thieves tools as well as some magical peas and a Runic Tunic (+1 AC). Aubrey tells them about a secret Speakeasy at the end of the street. He tells them he will meet them after he closes up the shop. Burr purchased 5 exploding arrows

Diz gives 1000 GP to the Council to help build a library/school.

Burr gives 1000 GP to the Barge Bar.

 

Session 8 - Setting Off On a Journey

 The Party sets off on their journey to the bottom of the continent. They decide to follow the coast for now along well-trod roads. They head south towards the grand city of Waterdeep, when suddenly an arrow strikes a nearby tree, with a note attached to it. Bo investigates and the note reads “You are a fool for looking!” They discover the arrow was shot by a Goblin sent by Bo Burnham. Burr sends him back with a note scribbled on the back “Bow Burn Him.”

As the day nears its end the Party decides to take refuge at a Lighthouse. Here they meet Haseid, the current Lighthouse keeper. He invites them inside and asks them to tie up their horses outside. During their discussions before bed Haseid explains to The Party that the Lighthouse was under a curse from Talos, the evil god of storms. The Lighthouse had for decades been luring ships to their doom rather than helping them navigate away from the craggy shore. His father began trying to turn the curse around and he is working on the same. After an evening meal he shows them to a room to spend the night.

While asleep, Ranalia shows Kali a vision of a possible future where she is shaking hands with an Ice Giant. She lets Kali know that it is only a possibility for her future, not a sure thing. Her choices could lead to this peace, but she could make a choice at some point that alters this future.

When they wake the next morning, Kali blesses the Lighthouse for Stronmaus, a deity of the sun, sky, weather, seas, and joy. Kali tells Haseid about the blessing that worked and how to best to server Stronmaus. He bursts into tears thanking her for her blessing.

The Party decides to go and investigate one of the shipwrecks. Sutton Hoo finds a stone filled with rainbow colors that flow as if in liquid, slowly swirling iridescently, when exposed to sunlight. He brings it back to Burr and it turns out to be a rare Rogue Stone. Burr finds some silver and copper as well as a bone statuette. Diz is only able to find lint as she searches in all the wrong places. Kali finds silver, copper, and 2 Small mirrors set in a painted wooden frame. Kali gives it to Diz to help her look around corners.

After getting back from their expedition, the Party says their goodbyes to Haseid. He lets them know that they are welcome back at any time, giving Kali an especially warm grin.They make their way down the road and are met by a Duergar. Diz recognizes him as one of the grey dwarvs of the Underdark. After exchanging some barbs a fight breaks out. After suffering him much damage including an acid burn on his face the Part decides to nonlethally knock him unconscious and stick him in a hole in the ground. The Party then continues down the road and makes it to Leilon a small mining town.