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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 9735114" data-attributes="member: 11"><p>The summer dry spell is going to end tomorrow with a remote game we've been playing since 2020. I finally got around to cleaning up the session summary, so I figured I'd share it here. It was a good session, but no combat.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><h3>Quick recap</h3><p>The group traveled to Saltmarsh ahead of the lizardfolk queen and her entourage, observing significant changes upon arrival. They learned of recent attacks by sahuagin forces and met the Prefect and the bailiff, later arranging a meeting between them and the Lizardfolk queen. They also gathered intelligence and prepared for potential conflicts. While coordinating plans and meetings in the Sea-Grove of Tethys, a mechanical sphinx arrived, a herald of mysterious wizard. It challenged them to solve its riddle and when they did it gave them a mysterious poetic invitation that seemed to be a riddle in itself, suggesting the location of the legendary weapons Whelm, Wave, and Nightrazor. In the end it was decided the Revenants of Saltmarsh would explore Silver Stand seeking council of the elves there, while a new adventuring band in town hired by the prefect, The Unbroken Chain, investigated the bullywug and sahuagin activity in the Drowned Forest.</p><h3>---------------------------------------------------</h3> <h3>Full Summary</h3><h4>Saltmarsh Arrival Strategy</h4><p>The group discussed their plan to travel to Saltmarsh, deciding to get there ahead of the Queen's barge to prepare and notify the Prefect of her arrival. They agreed to be vague with the prefect regarding the details of the sahuagin lair and proximity of two dragons until the meeting with the Queen. As the party traveled to Saltmarsh, Yaakov also proposed avoiding sharing information with the prefect's butler, who is allegedly part of the Scarlet Brotherhood, and suggested potentially feeding the prefect false information to expose the butler's involvement. </p><p>Upon arriving in Salt Marsh, they noticed significant changes, including the demolition of the building that one held the vampire lair, and new warship defenses. The group stopped at the inn to clean up before meeting with the Prefect and eventually heading to the Sea-Grove of Tethys, where the queen would be staying.</p><h4>Sahuagin Attack on Isle of the Abbey and Dwarven Invasion </h4><p>The party learned of recent events in town from Hanna Rist, innkeep at the Snapping Line and around town, including an attack by sahuagin forces on the Isle of the Abbey that resulted in the capsizing of a warship, damage to two others, and casualties among soldiers and sailors. The attack came from an unexpected inland direction, but the presence of deck wizard, Garo Imari, and the Unbroken Chain (an adventuring band hired by the Prefect, Anders Solmor, at the recommendation of his butler, Skerrin Wavechaser) helped prevent further damage. They also learned unease among Saltmarsh residence about rumors regarding the imminent arrival of dwarven troops. The party paid the innkeeper for an extended stay, before taking the the time to dump gear and clean up, and arranged to send a message to the Prefect about their return in the meantime. They then headed to the Prefect's mansion to report on their visit to the Lizardfolk queen.</p><h4>Meeting the Prefect</h4><p>At the prefect's house, the party, the prefect and bailiff Fireborn discussed recent events. The party also met the prefect's new bodyguards, the Unbroken Chain.  A meeting was planned to in the Sea-Grove since the place promised wards against scrying. The prefect also suggested the party visit Kelendek the Sharp. The supercilious wizard offered spell scrolls to aid in the defense of the town and the defeat of the sahuagin.  The bailiff also explained that several war-priests dedicated to Nereus had recently arrived to pledge themselves to the effort. They could be found at the local temple. The group agreed to regroup at the grove to discuss their findings with the Lizard Folk Queen, after dealing with some things on their own. </p><p></p><p>Lamech and Yaakov accompanied Eliander FIreborn as far as the guardhouse to learn more about recent events in town. He warned them about the Unbroken Chain's mercenary reputation. Yaakov tried to return the favor by voicing his suspicions about the prefect's butler, but Eliander was skeptical, suggesting this would be quite surprising given the Wavechaser family's long-standing service to the Solmors. Afterward, Lamech and Yaakov went on to check on the refugee camp. </p><p></p><p>Grandinar visits Untermeister Manistrad Copperlocks to brief her and invite her to the meeting at the Sea-Grove, while Temo checks on boat repairs and Xpyali, who had stayed behind. </p><p></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Sea-Grove Meeting</span></strong></p><p>Eventually, Queen O'Thok'ent of the Dunwater Lizardfolk and Prefect Anders Solmor, the former accompanied by her entourage, the latter by Bailiff Eliander Fireborn and the Unbroken Chain meet at the Sea-Grove along with the Revenants of Saltmarsh and Untermeister Copperlocks. The discovery of a Sahuagin lair located inland in the swamp is revealed. The Queen emphasized the need to plan an assault on the Sahuagin, suggesting that waiting for their attack could be risky. The Prefect agrees. Lamech proposed addressing the environmental issue of gray water, which he believed might be drawing the sahuagin, as a secondary goal. The group agreed to take a few days to prepare and wait for Oceaus's return with information from the sea elves. In the meantime, more intelligence needed to be gathered. The queen continued to push for the party to investigate the Drowned Forest, but the Prefect suggests that the Unbroken Chain look into that while the Revenants seek out aid from the elves in Silver Stand. </p><h4></h4> <h4>Another Sea-Grove Meeting</h4><p>The meeting reconvenes at the Sea-Grove four days later when Oceaus returns from briefing his Prince. He brings a new companion, lore master Anemone Serain, sent by the prince to assist with information and attack planning. Oceaus reports that the sea elven prince is mustering forces for a future attack, though it may take at least a fortnight. Furthermore, the Merfolk want a strategy meeting before committing troops. Oceaus has been given authority to help plan an assault, and sea elven forces will be available in the future once a plan is made. Some sahuagin attacks on sea peoples have occurred recently.</p><p></p><h4>An Unexpected Visitor</h4><p>While privately conferring with the prefect and the queen away from the ears of others, a clockwork sphinx arrives and offers them a choice of price they must pay for the information it brings. They can sacrifice a living thing they love one and a magic item, answer a riddle with the consequences for failure being death, or just fight it. They decided to try the riddle. The Queen offered to take the Prefect to safety, which the group agreed to. </p><p>The sphinx asked its riddle,</p><p></p><p>The group discussed but quickly came to agree with Lamech's answer, "a joke." Upon speaking the correct answer, the sphinx's chest cranked open and from within came a rolled piece of parchment. THe creature then flew off. The parchment held a poem giving clues on finding the lair of the infamous mad wizard Jocose the Farceur, where three legendary weapons could be retrieved to help fight the sahuagin, if those who dared, braved his dungeon funhouse. The invitation was written onto a palimpsest and the image of a smoke-topped mountain on a map with other notes are barely visible on it.</p><p></p><p>When shown the poetic invite Oceaus declared it a distraction that would threaten the alliance with different peoples wanting to claim the weapons.</p><p></p><p>The topic was put aside and the next immediate steps were decided upon. The Revenants of Saltmarsh would travel to Silver Stand with Oceaus to seek out the aid of the elves there, while the Unbroken Chain would be sent to the Drowned Forest to investigate the strange happenings there. In the meantime, Queen of O'Thok'ent would begin to draft a plan for assault on the sahuagin lair.</p></blockquote><p></p>

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