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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wsclark" data-source="post: 804" data-attributes="member: 97">Session X - It's Good To Be Back On LandFrosting 24th, 744 YNDPug is standing over the dead body of Varin, the evil cleric of the Harvester of Souls in the captain's quarters, out of breath from dealing with him. Chin's crumpled form lies on the floor nearby. Lulla has come inside to see if everything is alright, but is shocked to see Chin's dead body. Pug tells her that there may be more creatures on board and she should check on Daloren while he takes care of things in here. Lulla goes out to make sure Daloren is alright.Daloren is just coming out of his paralyzation when Lulla approaches. He climbs up on board the cog from the dingy and the two of them sit down to rest while Lulla tells him what has happened. They rest, that is until they hear a loud crash and smell some smoke.Pug has been checking out the room the cleric has been using as a temple. He strips the cleric of his belongings, the half-plate mail, the scythe and a pair of vials. He then goes over to the chest that is drawing his attention and he examines it, first by looking and then by opening it up, which is when a glyph on the chest is triggered causing Pug to suffer some damage from the fire explosion. Some of the sails covering the windows also catch on fire. Pug, thinking quickly as he grew up in a family of fishermen, rips the sails down and stuffs them out the windows into the sea. That taken care of, he proceeds to open the chest, finding a huge (for him) pile of gold coins, some gems and a couple of vials, all blood soaked.He closes the chest up, picks it up, and starts carrying it out of the room. On the way out of the room, he crosses the threshold of the doorway, banging into the doors to open them some more. Brrr!! He trips another glyph dealing him some more damage, causing him to fall on the floor of the corridor unconscious, with a big thud and crash as he drops the chest as well. Daloren goes running to see what the noise is, running across the glyph on the floor in the entranceway of the corridor, paralyzing him. All is quiet.Lulla hears the silence and calls out to Daloren and Pug. There is no response. She goes to the corridor entrance and sees Daloren standing there frozen, just like he was in the dingy only minutes before. Pug lies beyond him and looks to be in terrible shape, burned and covered in what looks like ice crystals. She needs to get to Pug in order to save him but is afraid to try and get past Daloren in case she might suffer the same fate. In the end she bowls Daloren down, walks over his body to get to Pug and using the power of Boegoo, heal Pug of some of his wounds.They bring Daloren out on deck, as well as the body of Chin, the chest full of loot, the items from the dead cleric and the body of the captain. Captain Wien is in really bad shape and after investigating the remaining small rooms off of the corridor leading to the captains quarters, they decide to place him in one of those rooms on a bed to rest. Now it's time to see what else is on the ship after throwing the remains of the zombies overboard.Down into the hold the three go, carefully looking around. As they approach the bow of the ship, they get near where the galley is only to see the partially butchered body of a man lying on the floor in the forward port corner of the room. The corpse turns its head and stares at them, lifting up a knife that was hidden behind it. As they watch in horror, the thing cuts at its left forearm until the appendage falls off, then pushes it toward the stove by the porthole. They are so disgusted by the vile creature, that they dispatched it quickly. (DM's note: Varin ran out of food and animated this zombie to butcher itself whenever anyone enters the room. He has been eating of this meat, using purify food and drink spells to keep it from poisoning him.)After getting rid of this additional body, they continue their search, first opening the hatch at the stern that leads to the bilge, seeing that it is filled with large rocks, sand and water that has seeped into the ship. They then check out the companion hatch at the bow of the ship, revealing the same thing. Having searched the hold of the ship, the group heads back to the stern of the ship to go back up on deck, that is, until they hear some noise coming from the bilge below them. It sounds as if something is heading towards the bow hatch to the bilge. They surround the hatch and open it.Out of the hatch pops a young human who is yelling about some skeletons chasing him. Recognizing that this person is not undead Pug attempts to close the hatch and succeeds, but not before a small skeleton of a giant rat comes out of the hatch. It is quickly dispatched by Lulla and Daloren. The human thanks the group for saving him, telling them that his name is Rufio and he has been hiding in the bilge for a least a week. He didn't think he would get out alive. Pug asks him if there are anymore of those skeletons down below and he says yes. The group decides to take them out now, instead of being surprised later.Once everyone is ready, Pug flings the hatch open once more, and several more creatures come forth. In the end, four more small animal skeletons burst forth, only to be quickly dispatched by the group. When they have been dealt with, Rufio inquires about the fate of the rest of the crew and the ship. As they head back up to the main deck, Pug, Daloren and Lulla fill Rufio in on what they have found out so far. When they get back into the sunlight, everyone starts to let their guard down and take stock of the situation. Until they smell some smoke and it's not coming from Pug!Daloren looks down the corridor to the captains quarters and sees it ablaze. Pug didn't get all the embers out! They quickly start putting everything into the dingy when Lulla realizes that the captain in still in one of the beds in a side room off of the corridor. Daloren goes to get him, picking him up and carrying him to the dingy while the rest of the group finish loading the small craft. Daloren quickly checks to see if captain Wien is still alive and he is. With everyone in the dingy, they start rowing away from the Hyperion back to the Forsaken. About half way there, they watch as the fiery remains of the Hyperion sink below the sea.At this point Rufio inquires about the dead body in the boat. The group explains that it is of a fallen comrade and they haven't had time to decide what to do to pay him homage. Meanwhile, Lulla checks on the captain to find out that he has died. (DM's note: The captain started suffering smoke inhalation damage when the fire broke out and went negative in hit points. No one thought to check on his condition any more than, yup, he's still breathing. After fifteen minutes before checking again, he was dead.) They decide to roll the body over the side of the dingy to give him a burial at sea, as well as not to invited any questions from the captain and crew of the Forsaken. Rufio agrees to go along with the plan.They get back to the Forsaken, bringing everything back on board. Captain Pocaat asked them what happened. He is especially curious since he just witness a burning ship sink below the waves. They tell him all about the evil cleric, with Rufio filling in some of the details since he was present onboard when the cleric took over. Pocaat makes a comment that he wishes he never agreed to the charter to take them to Zoa. Nothing but bad luck has befallen him and his crew ever since the group came on board. He also asks about the chest and what's in it. They tell him that it has some things they found over on the ship, possessions of the cleric, charts, maps, mostly a blood stained mess. The open the chest to reveal the half-plate sitting there, all covered in red. Pocaat tells them to close the damn thing and keep it locked until they reached Zoa. He and the crew are nervous about the contents, which suits the group just fine. They retire to the cabins for some much needed rest (and to count the 18 gems and 1121 GP.)(DM's note: There was something else going on behind the scenes involving the players [not specific to the adventure itself, but closely related to one of the characters] as this was all going on. The player of Chin really liked the character [he is now playing Rufio], so much so that he had been trying to subtly persuade the other players to try and get Chin resurrected. By this point of the evening, he was starting to drop clear hints on what he thought the group should do. The group, on the other hand, basically was ignoring him. It bears notice here due to what happens later and the fact that they didn't try to appraise the gems they found at this point. They didn't want the player to know if they might have enough cash to actually try to get him resurrected.)Frosting 27th, 744 YNDFinally, about mid-morning, the city of Zoa can be seen off in the distance, situated on a small bay off Reanaaria Bay, it is well built and defended. Stout walls surround the city, 20 feet tall and built by followers of Gaaria (the Founder.) The walls are well constructed and contain many stones with small engravings, runes, or prayers to the Founder. Three stout gatehouses guard the paved roads that lead to the city, each filled with militia.Built directly into the reef, the walls to the east of Zoa tower over the waters of Reanaaria Bay. A large "sea gate" stands at either end of the coral reef, each at least 100 feet wide and deep enough to allow entrance to the largest of ships. An inverted porticullis protects each gate; the militia raises them at night or where the city is under attack, preventing any ship larger than a longboat from entering or leaving. A 100 foot tall statue of Huunaav (The Traveler) stands in the midst of the sea wall, his ancient face looking out toward the sea with a grin.Most buildings in Zoa are tall. Most stand three stories high and many rise as high as six. Occasionally, a bridge spans the distance between two buildings. The main city docks butt up to the market directly and it is not unusual to see a ship being unloaded and goods taken directly to a booth where they are then sold to buyers. Both areas are loud with sellers and filled with the smell of cooked food and exotic spices.The group disembarks the Forsaken, carrying their friend Chin on a litter between Daloren and Rufio, while Pug and Shaedra carry the chest between them, but not before captain Pocaat thanks them for riding passage with him and if they ever need passage again to go elsewhere. They enter the dock area and are overwhelmed by the sight. The city of Zoa is something indeed. The place is huge! Buildings seem to be everywhere and the group has never seen so many people in the same place before in their lives (well, except for Pug and Daloren who were in the militia here for a while.) The noise is amazing. Somewhere off in the distance, the sound of metal on metal rings out, while on a nearby corner, a vendor sells his wares, shouting out "Sausages!" every few seconds. Men and women in robes, togas, and furs wander the street. It is truly remarkable.The first order of business is what to do about Chin. They ask around for where they can find a temple of The Halls of the Valiant, because, although they do not know if Chin worshipped any particular god, they figure that since he was full of chivalry and valor, the Knight of the Gods, Naemae, would be most appropriate. They are given directions to follow the docks to the right and they will come upon the Circle of the Gods.The Circle of the Gods. Temples of the various gods surround this large plaza on all sides. Most noticeable is the Hall of the Coin, standing to the south and connecting the Circle to the Market. The Sun Spire is large and impressive as well while the House of Waves is interesting if for no other reason than it sits atop the water of the harbor.The center of the plaza is an immense reflecting pool, 40 feet across with seats all around, making it a comfortable place to sit and read on warm days. Artists often bring their easels to the square and one can find any number of paintings of the temples, the water itself, or various persons in the marketplace.They group finds the Halls of the Valiant and enter, looking to find someone to speak with. They attract the attention of a cleric, who comes over and greets them "Good afternoon, is there something that I can help you with?" At this point, Pug explains the history of the group, how Chin came down from the monastery, brought this diverse group of people together, only to have his life stolen from him by an evil cleric of the Harvester of Souls, may he burn forever on the ship at the bottom of the sea. He concludes with "Chin was my hero!"Pug asks what it would take to have their friend returned to them. The cleric ponders the question for a moment, and responds "Well, it would cost you 1550 GP, and would require two other things. The first would be to perform a small quest for us. The second would be to return you friend to the monastery that he came from." The group discusses this and asks "Why must we return Chin to the monastery, would he not be resurrected here?" The cleric responds, "While that might seem to be the case, the returning your friend to his monastery is necessary for the completion of the spell." They group has run into a problem, several actually. They don't have the time to take a side trek to Chin's monastery as they need to locate Halaan, they don't have that much cash on hand and, besides that, no one knows where the monastery is. In the end, they decide to ask the cleric to give their friend Chin, a pyre burial at sea. The cleric agrees, asking them if after breakfast tomorrow morning would be alright. The group would prefer to have it in the afternoon and the cleric agrees. They leave Chin with the cleric.(DM's note: Up to this point, Chin's player has been getting more and more persistent about trying to get Chin raised, even to the point of suggesting that the playing group adopt a formal policy, similar to the dividing up of treasure, on the subject of resurrection for characters. Basically, the others told him that they didn't think it was necessary. At this point, the player went to the bathroom and then the kitchen to get something to drink. The rest of the group now decides to appraise the 18 gems they found in the chest, finding out they are worth about 1500 GP and agree NOT to tell Chin's player their worth, in the hopes of him realizing they didn't have enough money to get him resurrected. Shaedra's player even said to him point blank, aw, just let him burn in a sea pyre! What you have to appreciate is that this player and I are in another group that have been playing the same characters for 16 years, constantly having them resurrected and when they get killed off at a really high level, reincarnated back to first level. The current groups attitude came as a bit of a shock to him.)After dealing with the arrangements for Chin, they head to the Crossed Cutlasses, a five story inn, one of the best in town for the money. Many militia frequent it in their off-duty hours and both Daloren and Pug remember this establishment from their days in the militia. After securing some rooms, the group heads out, following the directions Veoden gave them, to find the wizard Geolain. His tower is virtually on the other side of the small bay Zoa is built around.Behind walls nearly 15 feet high and an iron gate stands the 60-foot tower of the man they seek. Next to the gate, a large bell is set into the stone wall. A think rope dangles from it. Pug pulls on the rope and they wait. A few moments after the bell rings out, the door to the tower opens. A young man wearing dark tight robes and a leather apron approaches the gate. He smiles politely through the bars, "Hallo and good day to you. May I ask your names and business here?" The group introduces themselves and tell the young man that they are here to see Geolain, the wizard, on a mission for the wizard Veoden. The young man asks them to please wait here and he will return momentarily.The young man returns, "Geolain will see you now." He opens the gate and with a deep bow, bids them enter, "My name is Joa, apprentice to Geolain. Please follow." Joa escorts them through the tower doorway and into a drawing room. "Please, make yourself comfortable." and with that, Joa turns on a heel and exits through a door on the far wall.Moments later, lovely young women whisk into the room. They bear trays of cookies, cakes, and sweetmeats. One carries a small barrel of ale and another brings a delicate decanter full of sweet wine. Shortly after the girls leave, an old man with thin white hair on top of his head enters the drawing room, "Greetings. I am Geolain the Wizard." Geolain wears fine gray robes, cinched tight with a simple leather belt.The group explains all that happened up in the vicinity of Haanex, including the Coin and the task set forth by Veoden, to find the person named Halaan. Geolain claims that he can find out where Halaan is but they will have to do something for him. He tells them to return the next evening, an hour before dusk, and he will have their answer. He then dismisses them and exits the drawing room.They return to the Crossed Cutlasses for some fine food, drink and for some, a nice hot bath. It is a restful evening.Frosting 28th, 744 YNDAfter sleeping in this morning, the group gets up and has a hearty breakfast. They decide to see if they can better provision themselves by seeking out the dwarven blacksmith Purguld, who Stiruck, the dwarf they saved from the ogres, said lived in the city. The bring the half plate mail, the note from Stiruck and head over to Small Town.Until very recently, this area was part of the Lower Coins (a groups of hills where the most affluent in Zoa live.) An influx of dwarves and gnomes from the mountains inhabited a growing shanty town outside the north gate. Seeing a way to increase revenues, the council passed an edict trebling the gate entry. Angered by this action, the dwarves and gnomes hatched an ingenious scheme.The refugees quickly gathered all their wealth and descended en masse on the southern path of the Lower Coins. They bought up as many local homes and as much land as they could and converted the area into a small dwarven burrough. Before those in the Coins realized what was happening, the dwarves owned the entire section of town right next door. By spring of the present year, the dwarves and gnomes thoroughly entrenched themselves in the second richest section of town.The artisans of town resented the dwarves' new "artisan district" almost as much as the rich resented the (now) poor dwarves living in close proximity to them. Add to that the noise from smithies and the unique smells from the smelting houses and tanneries, and the tension rose.It has not improved. The area is heavily patrolled by the city militia, especially by men on the Coins side. Dwarves have their own patrols, though they have no authority from the city. A city garrison, recently placed in Small Town, keeps the peace as well.The group finds Purguld, who is suspicious until Stiruck is mentioned and the letter from him produced. He agrees to look over the half plate mail, giving the group a good offer for it. When asked about items for purchase, he shows them other armor and weapons. The group goes to work trying to decide what to buy.....(DM's note: I'm waiting to see if they are going to try and use the gold from the chest, it being blood stained and all. Should be interesting. This is where we left off for the evening and will pick it up from here on Dec. 13th.)</blockquote>

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