This blog will start off as a dedicated blog for my 4e D&D Eberron campaign, "The Dragonthrone Heirs." I suspect it will grow to cover other things in time.
Enjoy your stay!
Enjoy your stay!
Chapter Three
Posted 22nd August 2008 at 06:32 PM by Scribe Ineti
Played on Friday, August 15th, 8:20 pm–2:00 am; attended by Jim, Andi, Matt, Jess, Tom
The following morning, the group shares a frugal breakfast as Keddis and his employees clean up the debris from the battle in the early morning hours. As his workers drag the corpses of the rats out back and pile them up to be burned, Keddis expresses his gratitude for the party’s help.
It is clear to all that Zenya is not doing well; she is pale and weak from the filth fever. She explains that there is someone who might be able to help, and the other members of the group offer to accompany her back to the Maisson district to seek aid. As the heroes prepare to leave, Talbot enters the inn. He beckons Malkaius over and tells him that Captain Folston would like to take him up on his offer and wishes to see him. The tiefling states that he will pay a visit in the afternoon.
Our heroes make the trip to Soraia’s, an upscale brothel just a few doors down from Madame DuVey’s, where Malkaius, Diesa and Malakith had searched for Adelbert a few nights ago. Zenya asks her companions to wait outside, and she enters. Inside, Agata greets the young half-elf with a mixture of relief and a scolding tongue. When she learns that Zenya has contracted the filth fever while battling dire rats, the old housekeeper is aghast. “Dire rats?!” she cries out, and a moment later, Malakith, Malkaius and Diesa burst into the kitchen, weapons drawn. “Where are the Dire Rats?” exclaims Malkaius, his hands crackling with arcane power.
Agata shrieks, and Zenya quickly restores calm, explaining that these people are her friends. After calming down, Agata cooks up a nice, full breakfast for everyone and the heroes chow down eagerly as the housekeeper goes to fetch Sister Bertilla, the brothel’s on-retainer cleric of the Sovereign Host (and of the goddess Boldrei in specific). After a moment Bertilla, a large female dwarf, arrives, pulling closed her robes of the faith and brushing her disheveled hair out of her face. Following a ritual of disease curing (which isn’t inexpensive), Bertilla restores Zenya to good health, but not before Malkaius gives away that Zenya has been staying at the Broken Shard Inn. Agata is most displeased to hear this information. Zenya, in turn, is most displeased with Malkaius, and shoos the group out before they can reveal anything else.
As the four heroes walk back to the Broken Shard Inn, they make plans for the day. They all agree that the most logical next place to look for clues is the city’s sewers, since the word on the street is that it’s where the Ratter and his lair can be found. However, Malkaius very much wants to keep his appointment with Captain Folston. Agreeing it would be better to get their personal errands out of the way first, the group splits up.
Diesa makes her rounds at the local merchants in the hopes of locating more of her clan’s lost hoard, but comes up empty handed. Malakith plants himself in a barstool at the Inn and downs one pint of ale after another. While he drinks, he converses with a fellow Blood of Vol devotee named Joval who brings news from the south. It seems that southwest of Starilaskur, near the Seawall Mountains, the Kech Sharrat goblin tribe is growing restless, possibly threatening to rise up against Darguun’s more peaceful ruling caste of goblinoids. Rumors suggest the foul necromancer Naar’kul is a likely source of these troubles. Joval mentions that the Kech Sharrat can be recognized by the sword-shaped brands on their arms, and also mentions that there are rumors of mercenary bands massing in Darguun at the Gathering Stone and around the ruined Cyrean city of Lyrenton.
Malakith listens to the news with concern, and dispatches a message to the Crimson Monastery to pass along the news. In addition, Brother Joval states that he will make the long journey to the Crimson Monastery himself to deliver the news and to inform their brotherhood of the likelihood of impending hostilities. It seems the Last War, while officially over, hasn’t truly ended.
In the meantime, Zenya takes Malkaius to Captain Folston’s house in Maisson (a route Malkaius jokingly claims that he could nearly walk blindfolded by now, though he is grateful for the company). Talbot greets them and shows the warlock to Folston’s room. Malkaius and the Captain converse for some time, talking in part about the Cult of the Black Feather, the Raven Queen, and Folston’s expedition to Xen’drik. Folston rambles on about one of his allies, a tiefling warrior named Keezelbar, who was a ferocious fighter and had lost a horn in battle. Folston recalls seeing Keezelbar fall in a battle while on the dark continent.
During the conversation, Malkaius notes that the Captain is actually a good deal younger than he had assumed, and that, rather than suffering from the ravages of old age, Folston is instead being consumed by a terrible, wasting disease. Folston mentions that all twelve surviving members of his company’s expedition to Xen’drik had the same affliction. Malkaius vows to learn the nature of the illness and if possible, find a cure. Malkaius also pledges that he will continue to search for the Captain’s lost treasures. With that, he and Zenya depart the townhouse and return to the inn.
The heroes decide to rest for the night and venture into the sewers in the morning. That night, Zenya spends some time on the rooftops, watching the city’s nocturnal activities. That clever halfling thief slips onto the rooftop behind her and the two have a brief conversation. The halfling offers Zenya the manacles he appropriated from Diesa, but Zenya passes on taking them. The halfling shrugs, smiles, then scales the wall and slips into Diesa’s room to drop off the manacles along with a yellow rose before disappearing into the depths of the moons-lit city.
In the morning, Diesa discovers the manacles and the rose and falls into a foul mood. After a quick breakfast, the adventurers arm and equip themselves for the excursion into the sewers. The journey is fraught with danger. The party battles through numerous huge rats and at one point, a large leaping spider that nearly ends Malkaius’ life. All the while a mad, cackling laughter echoes in the dank tunnels. It doesn’t take long for the players to find its source: the Ratter himself comes forth, clearly quite insane. He wears a strange ring set with a glowing sapphire, and as the party looks on, he summons forth an oozing, amorphous creature from the depths of a murky sewage pit.
Despite a grueling battle, the heroes prevail and destroy the foul smile elemental and its master. When Malkaius notes the arcane symbols carved into Ratter’s flesh, all doubt is erased from his mind. Naar’kul was behind the theft of Folston’s items, for only he marks his victims in such a manner. With a heavy heart, the tiefling throws the broken body of the burglar over his shoulder, determined that he should receive a proper burial.
Zenya searches the Ratter’s nest and finds two potions with light green fluid in them and the black velvet bag with the crimson drawstring that Captain Folston had lost. On closer inspection, she realizes that it’s a magical pouch of holding, and inside is a cache of gold coins. Also inside the bag is the lost piece of ironwood set with gems: the second of Captain Folston’s treasures has been found! One of the gems is unusual; a diamond laced with golden swirls of energy. When Zenya gazes into the gem, she sees swirling patterns. Malkaius recognizes the strange shapes as the glyphs called dragonmarks. The two potions turn out to be potions of healing, a useful find for the group.
The group leaves the sewers behind for a meal, but Keddis refuses to allow them entrance to the Inn until they’ve all been thoroughly bathed. After a round of hot baths and a meal, the heroes deliver the recovered treasures to Captain Folston. In gratitude, he allows the party to keep the items, including the gold contained in the pouch of holding. He also answers several questions about the origins of the ironwood talisman, explaining that it is one of a set and that several of his allies from the Xen’drik expedition had each carried one. Over the years he lost track of most of his companions, though he does recall that one of them, an eladrin named Davon, recently resided in the Zil city of Korranberg, far to the south from Starilaskur.
The heroes return to the Broken Shard Inn for a well-deserved night’s rest. Their first adventure together has been a success, but it is clear to all that there’s more to come.
The following morning, the group shares a frugal breakfast as Keddis and his employees clean up the debris from the battle in the early morning hours. As his workers drag the corpses of the rats out back and pile them up to be burned, Keddis expresses his gratitude for the party’s help.
It is clear to all that Zenya is not doing well; she is pale and weak from the filth fever. She explains that there is someone who might be able to help, and the other members of the group offer to accompany her back to the Maisson district to seek aid. As the heroes prepare to leave, Talbot enters the inn. He beckons Malkaius over and tells him that Captain Folston would like to take him up on his offer and wishes to see him. The tiefling states that he will pay a visit in the afternoon.
Our heroes make the trip to Soraia’s, an upscale brothel just a few doors down from Madame DuVey’s, where Malkaius, Diesa and Malakith had searched for Adelbert a few nights ago. Zenya asks her companions to wait outside, and she enters. Inside, Agata greets the young half-elf with a mixture of relief and a scolding tongue. When she learns that Zenya has contracted the filth fever while battling dire rats, the old housekeeper is aghast. “Dire rats?!” she cries out, and a moment later, Malakith, Malkaius and Diesa burst into the kitchen, weapons drawn. “Where are the Dire Rats?” exclaims Malkaius, his hands crackling with arcane power.
Agata shrieks, and Zenya quickly restores calm, explaining that these people are her friends. After calming down, Agata cooks up a nice, full breakfast for everyone and the heroes chow down eagerly as the housekeeper goes to fetch Sister Bertilla, the brothel’s on-retainer cleric of the Sovereign Host (and of the goddess Boldrei in specific). After a moment Bertilla, a large female dwarf, arrives, pulling closed her robes of the faith and brushing her disheveled hair out of her face. Following a ritual of disease curing (which isn’t inexpensive), Bertilla restores Zenya to good health, but not before Malkaius gives away that Zenya has been staying at the Broken Shard Inn. Agata is most displeased to hear this information. Zenya, in turn, is most displeased with Malkaius, and shoos the group out before they can reveal anything else.
As the four heroes walk back to the Broken Shard Inn, they make plans for the day. They all agree that the most logical next place to look for clues is the city’s sewers, since the word on the street is that it’s where the Ratter and his lair can be found. However, Malkaius very much wants to keep his appointment with Captain Folston. Agreeing it would be better to get their personal errands out of the way first, the group splits up.
Diesa makes her rounds at the local merchants in the hopes of locating more of her clan’s lost hoard, but comes up empty handed. Malakith plants himself in a barstool at the Inn and downs one pint of ale after another. While he drinks, he converses with a fellow Blood of Vol devotee named Joval who brings news from the south. It seems that southwest of Starilaskur, near the Seawall Mountains, the Kech Sharrat goblin tribe is growing restless, possibly threatening to rise up against Darguun’s more peaceful ruling caste of goblinoids. Rumors suggest the foul necromancer Naar’kul is a likely source of these troubles. Joval mentions that the Kech Sharrat can be recognized by the sword-shaped brands on their arms, and also mentions that there are rumors of mercenary bands massing in Darguun at the Gathering Stone and around the ruined Cyrean city of Lyrenton.
Malakith listens to the news with concern, and dispatches a message to the Crimson Monastery to pass along the news. In addition, Brother Joval states that he will make the long journey to the Crimson Monastery himself to deliver the news and to inform their brotherhood of the likelihood of impending hostilities. It seems the Last War, while officially over, hasn’t truly ended.
In the meantime, Zenya takes Malkaius to Captain Folston’s house in Maisson (a route Malkaius jokingly claims that he could nearly walk blindfolded by now, though he is grateful for the company). Talbot greets them and shows the warlock to Folston’s room. Malkaius and the Captain converse for some time, talking in part about the Cult of the Black Feather, the Raven Queen, and Folston’s expedition to Xen’drik. Folston rambles on about one of his allies, a tiefling warrior named Keezelbar, who was a ferocious fighter and had lost a horn in battle. Folston recalls seeing Keezelbar fall in a battle while on the dark continent.
During the conversation, Malkaius notes that the Captain is actually a good deal younger than he had assumed, and that, rather than suffering from the ravages of old age, Folston is instead being consumed by a terrible, wasting disease. Folston mentions that all twelve surviving members of his company’s expedition to Xen’drik had the same affliction. Malkaius vows to learn the nature of the illness and if possible, find a cure. Malkaius also pledges that he will continue to search for the Captain’s lost treasures. With that, he and Zenya depart the townhouse and return to the inn.
The heroes decide to rest for the night and venture into the sewers in the morning. That night, Zenya spends some time on the rooftops, watching the city’s nocturnal activities. That clever halfling thief slips onto the rooftop behind her and the two have a brief conversation. The halfling offers Zenya the manacles he appropriated from Diesa, but Zenya passes on taking them. The halfling shrugs, smiles, then scales the wall and slips into Diesa’s room to drop off the manacles along with a yellow rose before disappearing into the depths of the moons-lit city.
In the morning, Diesa discovers the manacles and the rose and falls into a foul mood. After a quick breakfast, the adventurers arm and equip themselves for the excursion into the sewers. The journey is fraught with danger. The party battles through numerous huge rats and at one point, a large leaping spider that nearly ends Malkaius’ life. All the while a mad, cackling laughter echoes in the dank tunnels. It doesn’t take long for the players to find its source: the Ratter himself comes forth, clearly quite insane. He wears a strange ring set with a glowing sapphire, and as the party looks on, he summons forth an oozing, amorphous creature from the depths of a murky sewage pit.
Despite a grueling battle, the heroes prevail and destroy the foul smile elemental and its master. When Malkaius notes the arcane symbols carved into Ratter’s flesh, all doubt is erased from his mind. Naar’kul was behind the theft of Folston’s items, for only he marks his victims in such a manner. With a heavy heart, the tiefling throws the broken body of the burglar over his shoulder, determined that he should receive a proper burial.
Zenya searches the Ratter’s nest and finds two potions with light green fluid in them and the black velvet bag with the crimson drawstring that Captain Folston had lost. On closer inspection, she realizes that it’s a magical pouch of holding, and inside is a cache of gold coins. Also inside the bag is the lost piece of ironwood set with gems: the second of Captain Folston’s treasures has been found! One of the gems is unusual; a diamond laced with golden swirls of energy. When Zenya gazes into the gem, she sees swirling patterns. Malkaius recognizes the strange shapes as the glyphs called dragonmarks. The two potions turn out to be potions of healing, a useful find for the group.
The group leaves the sewers behind for a meal, but Keddis refuses to allow them entrance to the Inn until they’ve all been thoroughly bathed. After a round of hot baths and a meal, the heroes deliver the recovered treasures to Captain Folston. In gratitude, he allows the party to keep the items, including the gold contained in the pouch of holding. He also answers several questions about the origins of the ironwood talisman, explaining that it is one of a set and that several of his allies from the Xen’drik expedition had each carried one. Over the years he lost track of most of his companions, though he does recall that one of them, an eladrin named Davon, recently resided in the Zil city of Korranberg, far to the south from Starilaskur.
The heroes return to the Broken Shard Inn for a well-deserved night’s rest. Their first adventure together has been a success, but it is clear to all that there’s more to come.
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