Session 21: Lorleena's Cutter
Quentin watched the beastial form of Varekai jump up to a nearby balcony, and Alex stopped in the doorway to see the were-creature’s silhouette against the starry sky as it leapt over the rooftop. They turned to the others in the group and saw the diminutive form of Jerrin trying to assist Thovaas to his feet. They inspected the six-armed snake woman, stabbing her several more times in reaction to her tail twitching.
The voices of neighbors could be heard as they looked into the courtyard. Three sages stumbled into the courtyard, and Thovaas told one to fetch the city guard. The group investigated the creature’s weapons, Jerrin staring at them to detect if they were magically enhanced. The only thing he came across was the wand that she had used on Thovaas.
The group watched as the guards poked around, and the sergeant sent a runner to bring the lieutenant and captain after hearing the party explain what had happened. It took them a few times to get it right with the many questions the guards had, so Thovaas borrowed some parchment and began writing what he had just witnessed. Alex searched vigorously through Marak’s quarters and came up with several tomes that he had recently used. The books were of ancient days, and there were a few pages where the corners had been folded and passages underlined. In each occasion it seemed to reference a six-armed being, or mentioned an elder race.
Alex also discovered Marak’s journal. In it were the last notes of tasks and research notes, and also included a timeline of his latest meetings and appointments. Alex read through the final entries and discovered that the day after the party had arrived and talked with him, he had asked for a book to be delivered from Suln, the Kingdom’s capital. A return message stated that the book would be on its way with the next riverboat to go upstream to Kargam, a ship called Lorleena’s Cutter. By the schedule the ship would likely be arrive in Kargam within the next few days. The group decided to intercept the ship in order to collect the book on Marak’s behalf.
The party stayed a while at the row house of the Order of Conhenci, and Rian and Siakam showed up to direct events as the night finally settled down. Rian gave the group an open invitation to stay the night, to stay any night they wished as long as they were in town. The guards took the body of the six-armed woman-beast away to the castle, and the guard lieutenant asked that the party visit the castle in the morning to discuss their events with investigators there. Thovaas went to spend the night at a nicer inn, and discovered that there not many empty places to be had. The night was alive with people and merriment; entertainers seemed to be in their glory as a makeshift theater held a play despite the hour. Eventually he found a room he could share and wrote everything he could remember from the night before down on parchment.
Quentin informed them that the large river ship might arrive a bit early, since it may try to unload some extra supplies at the south docks. He and Alex made their way through the city gathering rumors of the ship, but the main topic was the assassination attempt on the King, and who was behind it. Rumors ran wild –
• Dark elves called drow were responsible, and had tried to kill the king, the marquis and all the barons in one blow. I’d heard that they tried to kill the King in Suln and that’s why he fled to Kargam so suddenly. The poor King, I hope he and the Marquis find them and take care of the wretched cretins once and for all.
• The king had summoned the barons to meet to find out which one of them was really a dark elf in disguise, and I heard it was that strange mage Volare from Deepmoor. After all he is the only foreigner to rule a barony in the entire Kingdom.
• I was at the castle crypt and saw that it was really elves that tried to kill the king, and they had painted their skin to look like drow. Ok, it wasn’t me, but my sisters-brothers-cousins-uncle says so. What?
• There was no assassination attempt; the king is still safe inside the castle because the Marquis and other Barons smelled the plot from a mile away. The way my servant wench tells it, she pegs one of the nobles for being the mastermind.
• The barons, led by the marquis, left the castle stealthily to track down the assassin at a lord’s house in the merchant district. They were spotted by my boy and his pals as they played. He says they tossed him a gold coin to stay where they were, but I ain’t seen it.
• The assassin was chased down by the Marquis’s dogs, and they tracked him back to the castle where the king himself dispatched the murderer. The man had twelve heads and was said to be a necromancer.
• The king’s chief advisor, Nemdori, was killed in cold blood in his quarters by the assassin and the king was left unharmed. The assassin wasn’t after the King at all but Nemdori.
• Nemdori saved the king’s life by jumping heroically between the assassin’s blade and the king’s throat. Then Nemdori valiantly fought the attacker to his dying breath, and the Marquis revenged him.
• I saw the barons together in the streets headed to the artisan district in the middle of the day, possibly following a lead on the assassination attempt. They stopped to take two of my clay jugs and asked to borrow my staff. I never got my staff back, and they didn’t pay for anything either! Cheapskates!
• Ogmund was the assassin and had tried to kill the king just to show that he could and get away with it. It was to prove how powerless Marquis Hoil was against him. That showoff Ogmund will be the death of him someday.
• The assassin escaped because one of the barons let him, and he ran out the front gate of the castle after killing several of the guards. He was probably hired by one of the Barons just to show off.
• The assassin wasn’t a man, but a woman, and had silver eyelashes to match her silver tongue, and any man meeting her eye would be entranced to do her bidding. I wish I’d met her, I’d show her!
• The assassin wasn’t a human, but drow intent on starting a war just to mess with the trade guilds.
After a long night of listening to everyone’s sob story, both Quentin and Alex turned in at a hideout Quentin took them to.
Everyone woke to a new day and strolled over to meet the others at the castle in the late morning. There the captain of the guard questioned them and what they knew of an assassination attempt on the King and the death of his advisor. In the middle of the discussion, horns are sounded and a large amount of knights poured out of the main gates. They were followed by an entourage of the Marquis and the five Barons of the surrounding lands, and everyone on the grounds of the castle could see them as they walked downhill from the castle and straight into the noble quarter. Marquis Hoil, each of the Barons, and all of their assistants seemed to be ready for something, as if readying for war. Alex, like the wise merchants, watched everyone else, keeping his valuables safe from wandering hands. After the war parade disappeared down the main street of the noble district everything seemed to resume. The captain explained that the sages, Marak included, never got to see the King’s advisor, Nemdori, and that they had been detained as the attack unfolded. Though he was sure Marak and the others had never seen Nemdori, the party was not. They explained how the six-armed snake woman they had killed was a master of magic and disguise, possibly eluding the guards with ease. The captain said anything supposedly anything was possible with magic, so why not. He signed the statement of witness prepared by Thovaas and thanked the party for their good work.
As the group exited through the outer castle gates, a loud explosion erupted in the direction of the noble district. Thick black smoke bellowed into the sky, and the party rushed toward it, fighting a sea of fleeing people. They saw one building on fire and watched as another burst into flame. From the fire itself they made out the form of a huge bird, and it swiped at Baron Thord Sulisen of Threshwindwith its fiery claw. The party saw the bright colors of the Baron of Osscourt, Tragris Lunsater, as he leapt into the air and his blade connected with the fire bird's wing. Argus Vaugn, the Baron of Marncourt, floated down from a window as the building behind him burned and shot a well-aimed arrow into one of the bird's flaming eyes. Jerrin fought his way close to the scene and doused the flames burning one building.
Baron of Velja, Yurich Silverflame brought forth a devastating blast of fire which blew the bird to ashen pieces. The foreign wizard Baron Volare Comnia of Deepmoor sifted the ashes with his feet and found a small flame, itself shaped like a bird, starting to grow from the fuel of the ashes. Baron Volare took two egg shell halves in his hands and clamped them together with the tiny fire bird inside. He sealed the egg closed with several words of magic and held it up for all to see. Marquis Hoil led the Barons back into the mansion and fighting could be heard echoing from within. City guards poured in to assist and after several minutes the Marquis was at the balcony, waving to those below. Thovaas watched at the front as the guards carried the bodies of elves from the building and carried them toward the castle. He noted that all of them seemed dead, and several of them were charred and had deep gashes across their bodies. The group discussed later that some of them had painted themselves dark to appear as drow but were obviously elves, and were probably wood elves like those from Elarith.
The party decided to make their way around the town to shop in the unique markets and to see a few free performances at the castle. They headed down to the south docks district and strolled along the water’s edge as the sun set slowly. As they did they spotted a large ship anchored and a stream of workers unloading crates, barrels, chests and sacks from it. As they got closer they could see the name on the bow: Lorleena’s Cutter.
The group moved in closer as they watched the laborers hustle along the docks. They turned the corner to look down the street where they were taking the contents and saw a huge man, twelve feet tall with long hair and full beard, watching over the men as they moved the supplies. This giant towered over them, and next to his head was a window in which a greasy man rested his folded arms on the sill. Thovaas hailed him, and the greasy man sneered, telling the party to keep moving. Thovaas mentioned that he was looking for a book that Marak was expecting, and the man nodded as if he knew Marak and the book. The giant grumbled.
Quentin peeked his head around the corner and asked about picking up the book and perhaps having a look around for a few more things. The man at the window nodded and told Quentin he could have whatever he wanted if he got rid of the paladin. Thovaas took a few steps forward into the street and the giant leveled his huge halberd to chest level. Slowly Thovaas slid his had to his sword. Thovaas estimated it would take him six or more paces to reach the giant, all the while open to its long reach. Jerrin, following the paladin's reaction, reigned back his mount and stayed around the corner. He cast a quick spell of protection and watched the muscle on the ship take notice of what was happening.
Alex darted through the line of workers and made his way around the small building. He saw a line of closed windows on the second floor and crawled his way up the side of the structure to brace himself in the window frame. He eased one of the window shutters open after easily releasing a latch and slipped into the dark room. His footsteps were soft across the wooden floor and he could see the greasy man in front of him, telling Thovaas again to pester someone else. A floorboard creaked beneath him, but the man was listening to a possible bargain.
Thovaas again mentioned the authority of the law and confiscating the book. The giant jumped into action, slashing and stabbing at Thovaas. The greasy man yelled down from the window that any of the workers who helped fight off the party would be paid double for their efforts. Thovaas paused for an opening and the giant stabbed again with its halberd to draw blood. Quentin shot the giant and it charged after him, drawing a colossal sword from a sheath on his back.
Quentin had ducked out of sight then popped up to place a well aimed arrow into the greasy man's side. At that moment Alex leapt upon the greasy man as he recoiled from the window. Alex's rapier drove deep and the surprised man spun to face him, his face distorting from shock to pure rage as he dropped his crossbow and drew his own scimitar, a gleaming blade that shimmered as the tip danced near Alex's face.
Jerrin saw the guards on the ship clambor to a plank to cross onto the dock. He cast a spell and threw a ball of fire at the dock where it burst into flames. Thovaas drew his sword and slashed at the giant repeatedly, opening gashes on its unprotected thighs. Alex struck blows against the greasy man as he stabbed wildly toward him. Quentin shot the giant from close range, an arrow driving deep into his arm. The giant chased after Quentin as he retreated and several of the laborers stabbed meekly toward him. First the giant's sword crashed into the building above Quentin's head then the rogue ducked as the sword again thundered into the structure. Alex and his opponent wondered who was knocking but neither allowed the other an opening to see outside.
The guards from the ship swarmed on Jerrin and his ally Tempest. They struck several blows before one of them fell, and Thovaas and Quentin worked in conjunction to drop the giant. Alex pierced his adversary's throat, twisted the blade to slice through vital veins, and watched as he crumpled to the floor at his feet. Seeing the gathering group of laborers from the window, Alex tossed out a magic stick that burst into smoke when it hit the street. The laborers stepped further back from the fight, and when the smoke cleared less than half were brave enough to remain. Alex picked up the greasy man's crossbow, fired it at one of the guards then leapt down into the street, drawing his rapier from his teeth.
The guards from the ship rained down blows on Thovaas, felling him, and Quentin retained a safe avenue of escape as he repeatedly attacked then withdrew. Jerrin manuvered patiently, commanding Tempest to attack his same foe. An angry guard, with no one else to attack, struck down one of the laborers and pushed him aside. One of the other laborers dived beneath an outdoor table while the others quickly fled. The guards screamed at them but continued to assault the party.
Jerrin made his way to Thovaas and healed him to consciousness. The paladin stood wearily, but shook off the drowsiness as he saw the guards had pushed the others back. Retrieving his sword, Thovaas stepped into a solid line with Jerrin, Alex and Quentin to drop many of the guards. Three of them retreated to the ship and stopped where they surrendered by the plank to the ship.
The party clambored on board and Quentin and Alex searched as Jerrin watched the few remaining laborers and three guard prisoners. Thovaas sift through the captain's quarters and found the ship's log and read over the last entries, mostly of materials to be delivered from Suln and other parts. Thovaas then took the time to again write down everything that had occured and met the city guard as they came to investigate the fight. Alex found the book Marak had sent for, the writings of Simleer, the great sage Conhenci's insane protege. Along with it were several parchments of notes pointing out useful passages and other excepts. A letter was also attached, and in it the head sage of the Order in Suln questioned why Marak had demanded the book and that he would await a reply, but there was no hurry as the book had been studied time and time again. Below decks, fresh flowers fulled the cargo hold and the whole of it was kept cool somehow. The smell was thick on the whole of the boat, and the ship's log indicated that the flowers were to be delivered to the Artisan District where they were to be part of the final games and ceremonial parade when King Gerin left Kargam.
The group explained what had happened to the city watch, and Thovaas headed across the river and to the Government District later that night. He asked around and got the name of Barister Sigrid, whose butler promised would handle the issue of the ship as property in the morning. Pleased with the answer Thovaas headed back to the ship with the others. When he arrived he saw Varekai gracefully ease his way on to the dock towards the boat.