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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wsclark" data-source="post: 805" data-attributes="member: 97">Session XI - Farewell Chin, It's Time To Move AlongQuick note first, Galen, the new character replacing Chin, was originally going to be a magic-user type, first starting out as a rogue and then multiclassing into magic use. Due to some conversations at the beginning of the night, the player decided that he would prefer to have another monk character as he really enjoyed playing one. So the character has changed as well as his name, which is now Rufio. I've edited the previous session to reflect the name change. Now on with the session...Frosting 28th, 744 YNDThe first order of business (while waiting for Thalen's player to arrive) is, of course, trying to convince everyone to get Chin resurrected. The subject has returned and Chin's player makes a last ditch effort to have the group find someone who can perform the deed. After much debate, the group decides that they will attempt to find someone who might be able to do it, besides the Halls of the Valiant whom they have already spoken to. So, Shaedra and Lulla go out to gather information, trying to find a cleric in the city who is capable of performing the deed. Their search is indeed fruitful, mainly because they find out that there is no cleric in the city capable of performing a resurrection. The best they could find was a cleric named Mist (Clr14) of The Traveler. Returning to the group and letting them know of this information, they resign to the fact that they will continue with their current plans for Chin's funeral.(DM's note: This was the primary reason, hidden in the background, that Chin's body needed to be returned to the monastery. The Halls of the Valiant would do all the preparation work necessary, as well as receiving the fee and having a small quest performed, for the resurrection so that when they returned Chin to the monastery, the ritual could be performed immediately.)Our intrepid heroes now continue their shopping spree, which actually turns into a "Let's just pick up a few things." Several decide to update their armor to breastplate (Pug, Shaedra, and Lulla) while some better weapons are found. The biggest surprise purchase was by Lulla, as Marty the pony is her new mount. Maybe now she can keep up with the rest of the group easier, since no one will have to carry her around.After finishing their shopping expedition, they all return to the Halls of the Valiant for Chin's funeral. They contact the cleric they spoke with the previous day who then calls on two other clerics to join him. The entourage then proceeds to the mouth of the river that flows from the north that feeds the small bay that the city of Zoa is built around. It is a short walk northeast from the Circle of the Gods. When they reach the mouth of the river, attendants can be seen by a small boat, loaded with a wood pyre with Chin on top. After reaching the boat, the cleric asks the group if they have any finally words to say about their companion.Pug is too choked up to say anything. Lulla expresses the thought that she hopes Chin will watch over them. Daloren says that Chin will be missed. Shaedra states that Chin served well and it is time for him to return to his god. Thalen, takes a torch from the cleric after the cleric asks if someone from the group would prefer to light the pyre and does so. The burning boat is pushed from shore into the bay. There is an extended moment of silence. The group then sits on the shore watching their friend leave, telling stories of his valor. After about an hour, the boat sinks below the waves. The last comment was about Chin refusing to die and it is a shame that it happened. (DM's note: This comment was said with dual meaning, referring to Chin's player so forcefully trying to get Chin resurrected. I included it here because it gave me an idea, basically of having Chin occasionally haunting the party, especially at times when they are not following the path he was originally trying to lead the group on, to go out and do good deeds. I think I'll have a lot of fun with this and will eventually enlist the help of Chin's player once I set events in motion that show how it will work.)The group gathers their belongings and head back to see Geolain. They approach his tower at the scheduled time, an hour before sunset, pulling the rope to ring the bell once again. They wait only a fleeting moment before Joa arrives, "Welcome, friends." Joa leads them into the tower as before. This time the servants provide a more bracing selection of bread, cheese, cold meat and wine.After chatting for a few minutes, the door creaks open and Geolain steps into the room bearing a large sack. "I want you to rescue some things for me. Some idiots who call themselves the Sentinels of the True Way have stolen several books from around Zoa. They play to burn them tomorrow morning - barbarians! I want you to save the books before the heathens destroy them." They agree to perform this simple task for him.He hands over the large sack containing a blank scroll and three more nondescript large sacks. "Simply save the books and bring them to me. Once you've accomplished this, I will draw you a map to Halaan on the blank scroll. You need to be careful though. The Sentinels of the True Way have many allies, not the least of which is the House of Scorn." When asked if he knows where the books are being held, Geolain responds, "I do not know, but, Driscall, the owner of the Blind Beggar Inn should." and he provides directions to the place.Following the directions provided by Geolain, the group finds itself heading into the section of Zoa called the Dregs. This is where the original town of Zoa began and where the oldest buildings in the city still stand. Home to the poorest citizens, this area is rarely patrolled by militia. Thieves, criminals and the poor rub shoulders anonymously. The houses here are run down and often propped up, though some of them show signs of having once been nicer.They reach the Blind Beggar Inn, where a full-sized wooden beggar, eyes wrapped in cloth, stands by the front door holding out a wooden cup. Next to the door, weathered to the point where it is almost impossible to read, is a sign that says "Blind Beggar" in the merchant's tongue. Rufio drops a copper piece in the cup and the group enters the inn.The inside of the inn is dark and dirty. A small bar with some rickety-looking tables and chairs populate the main room, accessible from the entrance. A stone fireplace, blackened with soot, lies on the north wall. A stairway leads up to the second floor but it is roped off and looks unused. A man stands behind the bar in front of a door that apparently leads to a back room. Two commoners sit by the bar milking their beers while another man lies face down at a table with a half-full mug of beer beside him.Rufio walks up to the bartender asking where they can find Driscall. The bartender tells him that Driscall went to visit the Willing Maid and will not likely return until tomorrow. He then asks them to buy some drinks. Rufio tries to convince the bartender to provide more information by placing a gold piece on the bar, again asking about Driscall, "Are you sure he's not around. We really need to talk with him." The bartender repeats the same answer, again asking them to buy some drinks. "Not right now, we need to find Driscall. Can you tell us where the Willing Maid is?" The bartender tells them how to get there. When Rufio looks down, the gold piece he had under his finger is gone.While this is happening, Shaedra decides to check out the man lying face down at a table. She tries to rouse him, to no avail as he is passed out cold. Since the place seems to be providing so little information, the group goes over to the Willing Maid, a tavern, inn and brothel that is a sleazy and expensive place to eat, sleep, or indulge in the baser instincts. Four stories and leaky in the rain, the place is relatively safe, though some patrons have been know to disappear in the night. Lulla waits outside the front door with Marty and Daloren, while Thalen, Rufio and Shaedra enter.Rufio goes to the bar to try and find out where Driscall is. He talks to the bartender finding out that Driscall hasn't been here tonight and that it's not the day of the week that he usually shows up. This is puzzling to him and he goes outside to Lulla and Daloren. Daloren makes the comment "Us looking for someone who we don't know what he looks like, doesn't look good." Meanwhile, Shaedra goes up to one of the ladies present asking for a description of Driscall. She is fairly intimidating to them and they describe Driscall to her. Thalen is trying the same idea out on another lady, using bribery as the tactic. Rufio and Daloren decide to go back to Geolain to try and get a description of Driscall. Shaedra finally is given a description of the man just like the bartender from the Blind Beggar Inn. She collects Thalen and Lulla leading them back to speak with the shifty bartender again.Rufio and Daloren pull the rope at Geolain's tower with Joa coming to the front gate. They ask him about getting more information about Driscall. Joa disappears for a couple of minutes. When he returns, he tells them that all they know is he owns the Blind Beggar Inn. They decide to run back to the inn to talk to the bartender again. On the way back, they see Shaedra, Thalen and Lulla riding Marty up ahead. They decide to try to surprise them, but Thalen notices them before they can pull it off. Shaedra turns around saying "Notch down the testosterone guys, will you!" They then exchange information as they continue back to the Blind Beggar. Upon hearing who Driscall really is, Rufio says "I'm going to go in there, jump over the bar and kick him in the chin." Everyone else groans while Shaedra says "We don't want to talk about him anymore" (DM's note: there was an awful lot of side jokes about Chin flying around this evening. Everyone was getting into it  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  )They arrive back at the Blind Beggar Inn. They decide that Shaedra will go in to find Driscall while Rufio holds the door open in order to hear what is happening. Thalen goes around to the back of the building to cover any rear exits. Daloren and Lulla will cover the front of the building. Shaedra walks in to find the place just like they left it before but the bartender is gone. Realizing that the man at the table would be useless to talk to, she heads over to the two men nursing their beers. She asks them, "Do you know where Driscall is?" The answer back is "Who?" She says "The bartender". "Oh, you mean Helmut. He left to run an errand."Thalen has quietly entered the rear of the Inn ending up in the kitchen. He finds no one there. Rufio enters the Inn going to join Shaedra. Daloren decides to try looking around the back alley for any signs of tracks leading away recently. It is difficult to do so due to the cobblestone streets. Rufio reaches Shaedra and the two men saying "We need information about Driscall. What can you tell us" as he places 7 gold pieces on the bar. The two men open up telling them that the bartender is indeed Driscall, he split as soon as the group left last time and is probably at his house right now. They get directions to Driscall's home, collect everyone else and leave.Thalen and Daloren decide to run ahead to try and possibly prevent Driscall from getting away again. They reach Driscall's house, a two story high structure, the upper level overhangs the street. Right next door to a weaver, the small house looks dark and locked. They check for other entrances to the house, finding only the two windows on the upper floor besides the front door. While Thalen hides Daloren by standing in front of him, Daloren quietly picks the lock on the door, a task that is getting easier for him to do.The two of them sneak into the house, closing and locking the front door. They don't want Driscall to have an easy escape. The first floor consist of a small sitting room and even smaller kitchen. They hear some movement upstairs. Thalen quietly climbs the stairs going up, easily seeing a man who looks like he's packing his bags. Thalen motions to Daloren to join him, pointing out the man. Daloren sneaks up behind him and with Thalen ready to rush the man, attacks him with a couple of punches that daze him. Thalen comes barreling across the room, hitting the man again who collapses into an unconscious heap on the floor.Daloren goes down stairs to open the front door for the rest of the group while Thalen makes sure that Driscall can't get away. Thalen then searches the upper level while the rest of the group decides to search to main level. No one finds anything. Rufio decides to go downstairs to check out the cellar barely missing being hit by a longsword. There are four men in chainmail down there waiting for them and a short battle ensues! The four men are fairly easily vanquished, but not before Rufio is staggering around at the point of collapse due to being hit twice. Thalen was also hit once before the four men were dispatched. Lulla heals them both. When they look around, they find 35 books in a pile, the ones that are going to be burned in the morning.It looks like they found what they were looking for.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">But what to do about Driscall?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">How long are they going to stay there and will they go back to Geolain's directly?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Will they return all the books?</li> </ul>Check back again to find out!!!</blockquote>

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