haiiro
First Post
(I've stopped updating this thread. Please see the last post for details.)
A quick aside before we get started: character backgrounds, a full introduction, changes to the Realms and other info can all be found on the website for this campaign: http://3d6.org/. These Story Hour entries are also posted there, accompanied by photos and artwork (in the Journals section). Enjoy!
[size=+1]Tuggle's Follies[/size]
(In the Realms: 4th & 5th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, The Year of the Rested Serpent)
The party's attempts to stay undercover ended the moment they stepped out of Vars' wagon and found everyone staring at them. Behind them was the Dalesouth path, leading back to their training ground in Tasseldale. Ahead, the last leg of Rauthavyr's Road -- and Selgaunt at it's terminus. All around them is the dust and noise of dozens of people passing through the small and squalid town of Essiar, the closest settlement to the North of Selgaunt.
Their journey to this point had been by wagon. Specifically, a cramped and strange-smelling wagon belonging to an amiable spice merchant, Vars. He spoke of only one thing of consequence on the entire trip from Essiar: a recent spate of bandit attacks around Selgaunt and the River Arkhen. As a result, our merry band is alert, but not terribly worried -- they are seven in number, and only a long day's walk separates them from Selgaunt's gates.
Bidding farewell to Vars, they begin marching Southward.
The road is busy at this time of year -- and all the more so because of Rook's Night, which has provided them with a cover story thus far. Among the items that their principal contact within the Harpers, Agrafion, gave them is a small cage containing four ravens. As people from all over Sembia travel to Selgaunt to celebrate Rook's Night -- an annual festival commemorating the nation's most illustrious bird, the raven -- a few more will hardly stand out.
Unless, of course, those few are these seven peculiar individuals.
Here is what the average Sembian passerby -- a farmer returning from Selgaunt with his mule, or a trader heading there on a laden wagon, perhaps -- might notice, in approximately chronological order. There is a silver-haired elf, clad in an outlandish iridescent outfit bedecked with jingling bells. Oh! And look -- a worshipper of Torm in gleaming banded mail, whose mild-mannered expression belies the fact that he looks as though he stepped out of a stained glass window. Next to him, the most striking woman they've ever seen, clanking sleekly along in heavy plate shot through with enamelwork flowers -- who also looks like she might have emerged from churchglass.
Her radiant beauty is matched only by the blazing good looks and natural charm of another elven companion, who idly strums a lute and takes in the scenery with glittering eyes. The next two folks might look a bit out of place, but to a keen observer one's twitching gait and the other's fluid, loping stride make them equally hard to miss. The latter looks like a strange collision between a swashbuckler and a barbarian, while the former appears to be the product of a ruffian and a meaner ruffian -- unarmed, but appearing fully capable of uprooting trees with his bare hands. As these two are content to remain quiet, it is the silken voice of the final figure -- not his size or garb -- which draws the viewer's notice. Moving in and out through the group as they walk, this attractive gnome projects a certain something that makes the passing merchant think it might be wise to have her prettiest daughter move to the back of the wagon, out of sight.
Next to most of the other travelers on Rauthavyr's Road, this bunch stands out like a gold coin in a purse full of coppers. Quickly realizing this, the party begins to work on a new and somewhat more elaborate cover story. They will need to be able to move about Selgaunt without exposing themselves as Harpers -- which would be a dangerous thing to do, given the way most Sembians feel about Those Who Harp. Their trainer and principal Harper contact, the thistle-haired Agrafion, has tasked them with pursuing the Harper cause and code in Selgaunt -- and given them their first mission.
The last Harper to pass through Selgaunt, a woman by the name of Allekar, was able to secure an excellent contact within the city: Thissiken of Dracon Row. The majority of what the Harpers know about Selgaunt came to Allekar through Thissiken, and he has been an invaluable resource thus far. Before the party started their journey from Tasseldale, Agrafion received word by from Thissiken by feather token that his life was in danger -- and that he needed their help. Agrafion dispatched his newly trained recruits -- our charismatic party -- without delay.
As the party walks down the road in conversation, they quickly arrive at the notion of hiding in plain sight. This motley band is going to stand out everywhere, so why not deflect questions by standing out as much as possible? In short order, they have become Tuggle's Follies -- a troupe of traveling entertainers accompanied by their manager, porter and guards.
With their legitimate musical talents, Cupric and Jaehn fall into the role of the principal entertainers. They are backed up by Artemis, whose tumbling talents should be adaptable to the stage. Armed and heavily armored, Tal and De'lea become the guards. Strong, unarmed and possessing no talent whatsoever for entertainment, Vicktor is relegated to the role of porter. Lastly, Tuggle's prodigious charm makes him the natural leader -- the manager and face man for Tuggle's Follies.
Once they've settled on this course of action, the Follies waste no time spreading the word -- to be precise, spreading it to each and every person they pass on the road. Amidst strumming and singing, they announce to anyone who will listen -- which is, not to put too fine a point on it, everyone -- that they will be performing in Selgaunt. Cupric at last remembers a Rook's Night song he was trying to recall, and its merry chorus of "Ca-caw! Ca-caw!" accompanies many of their meetings with other travelers.
In this manner the Follies pass the time until dusk, when a thick fog begins to set in. They are close enough to the Sea of Fallen Stars to smell the salt on the breeze, and Cupric notes that fog is a regular occurrence in Sembia at this time of year. Nonetheless, with visibility limited to hundred yards at most, the group forms up into a proper column and begins actively scanning the terrain to either side of the road.
In the front is Cupric, who has ceased to sing and play music and instead scouts a little ways ahead of the rest of the party. Behind Cupric is Talishmere, the gleaming symbol of Torm on his breastplate beaded with moisture from the fog. De'lea brings up the rear, the metallic noises of her enameled plate sounding strangely loud within the mist. In the middle of the column are Tuggle, Vicktor, Artemis and Jaehn. Jaehn's bells tinkle merrily, while Vicktor slouches quietly along next to him. Artemis keeps a ready hand on the hilt of his rapier, and Tuggle walks near him off to one side, with the thicker patches of fog rising to his chest.
Not long after they've settled into this marching order, Tal hears a bestial grunting off to the right side of the road. The party fans out a bit, and Tal draws his greatsword and heads for the copse of trees where the sound seemed to come from. Facing the opposite direction, De'lea concentrates and detects evil on the far side of the road. Just as she senses the aura of evil's presence, a massive form lunges out from behind the tree Tal is approaching. Shaking leaves free as it shoulders its way around the trunk, this two-headed creature roars and swipes at Talishmere -- and in the moonlight, he can see that its arm is wrapped in thorny vines and spiked straps.
The blow connects, staggering Tal, and suddenly the other Follies are jolted into action. Tuggle creates the ghost sound of a swarm of giant rats off to one side of the giant creature, while De'lea approaches the underbrush wherein she detected evil. At the same time, feral-looking humanoids step out from behind trees and rise up from the bushes on either side of the road, sending several arrows zinging through the group. Vicktor moves up to engage the two-headed creature with Tal, while Cupric tries to get a bead on the archers. Jaehn prepares to assist the others with his spells, while Artemis takes this opportunity to flee down the road and into the fog.
A few short seconds later, Cupric has told the nine-foot tall two-headed humanoid a magically charged joke -- casting Tasha's hideous laughter and rendering it helpless. As bizarre as the spectacle of this giant beast clutching its sides and roaring with laughter may be, Vicktor and Tal waste no time laying into it with sword and fists. Across the road, De'lea is able to dispatch an archer, although she knows not what manner of foul creature it might be.
Looking like an unwholesome crossbreed of orc and gnoll, the archer's skin is oddly withered in some places, and scaled in others. Cupric notices this as he fells another one, catching it with an arrow in the throat despite its best efforts to stay behind cover. The remaining two archers let fly again, and again their arrows fail to find their mark. A heartbeat later, Tal and Vicktor have felled the laughing creature -- and at this, the two archers waste no time in bolting into the fog and fleeing the battle.
Searching the bodies reveals a few interesting details. The hybrid nature of the archers is made clear, and Cupric's store of bardic lore brings their name to mind: dogsbloods. They are apparently fairly common in Sembia, and are indeed suspected to be an orc/gnoll cross that breeds true. They wear ill-fitting clothes and dark leather armor, and wield odd horn bows. One of them carries a large brass whistle, which the party claims for their own. The larger creature is first thought to be an ettin, but it to has odd patterns and variations on its skin. Cupric is able to identify it as a war-ogre, but knows nothing of them apart from the name.
Examining the war-ogre's body turns up several very large nails that have been pounded into its back -- as well as one driven into the back of its head. These are not magical, but careful study that suggests they are used to control the creature in some way. Someone with sufficient knowledge of anatomy could insert them into specific areas of the body and brain to make the creature more docile -- or fiercer. When Talishmere pulls out the nail in the war-ogre's head, it is found to be at least eight inches long.
Although they may be waylaying travelers along Rauthauvyr's Road, it is clear to the Follies that these are not mere bandits -- rather, part of some much more organized and powerful group. Before they have a chance to leave the ambush site, however, they are subject to a strange visitation.
Practically in the middle of the party, a glowing orb appears in the air -- popping into existence under a small tree by the side of the road. The Follies scatter, taking up various hiding places in the immediate area. As they look on warily, the ball of shimmering light expands slowly -- from a mote into an oval, then a larger oval, then a doorway with a rounded top. When the bottom touches the ground, Jaehn creates a minor image opposite the doorway, mirroring it exactly as it continues to grow. Artemis returns at this point, lingering just at the range where he can observe the light.
A moment later, the sparkling door coalesces into a shimmering humanoid form. This form appears to walk through the doorway while at the same time pulling himself together from its substance. As the image mimics this action, the being steps completely through the doorway -- which is now gone, as all of the light has gone into giving depth to his form. The shimmering man seems poorly resolved, and no details can be made out. He stands there, impassively surveying the area without seeming to notice the image or those members of the party who are still visible. After looking from side to side, he reaches up with his right hand -- as if to grasp a staff that is not there -- and seems somewhat surprised. With his hand still up, he says, "Shauuuuuundaaaaaakul" in a sonorous voice, and then disappears without fanfare.
Although Jaehn and Cupric both have knowledge of portals, neither they nor any of the other Follies have ever seen or heard of this sort of thing. Baffled, the party presses on for Selgaunt with all haste.
They arrive at the Statue Gate in short order and without incident. A scattered crowd is gathered under the twin armored warriors that are carved around the massive gateway arch. The statues are thrown into sharp relief by the light of several torches at ground level, and these also illuminate the more mundane guardsmen who are letting people into the city. There appear to be two groups of guards -- one group clad in luminous sky blue capes, the other in functional black tabards. The guards in black seem to be doing most of the actual work, and the Follies approach them. Tuggle spins their tale, describing the troupe as Vicktor brandishes the cage of ravens. Satisfied that they are here for Rook's Night, the guards let them pass with only a cursory inspection.
Having asked about finding a place to stay for the night, they were directed to the Flags -- a large district of inns and taverns down one fork in the road and not far from the Gate. The street itself is bustling with activity, even this late at night, and people with cages of ravens are everywhere. As the party quickly finds out, most businesses in Selgaunt don't use wooden signs or representative objects to advertise themselves. Instead, they hang large colored flags over their doors, depicting their wares and services. Divining this, the Follies wander down the crowded street looking for a flag that suggests musicians and is hung from a decent inn. Only one building in easy view fits the bill, and they decide to go inside.
Noise and light spill out as they open the door, and they step into an equally crowded common room. At one end are two small stages, with a troupe of untalented minstrels on one and a dancing bear on the other. The common room is packed nearly wall to wall with people, and a long bar runs across the back wall. Thinking that this might be a good time for their first public performance, Tuggle begins casting glamour to make himself more charming -- and before the spell is even cast, the head bartender has begun shouldering his way through the crowd, glaring at Tuggle.
The barkeep is a short, stocky man with a bald head and craggy features, and he's brandishing a cudgel in a businesslike manner. Before any of the Follies have had a chance to react, he growls, "We'll have none of that in here!" Tuggle begins to apologize as Cupric steps in and tries to mollify the barkeep. Between Cupric and Tuggle, the barman is convinced that they meant nothing by it -- and even agrees to give them a chance to perform on the spot. By way of explanation, he whispers conspiratorially to Cupric that if they start using magic openly, the Skyclads will be all over the place in no time. Cupric's honeyed words also pry out the fact that the bartender -- Frango, actually both head barkeep and owner of the inn, which is called Farry's Port -- makes regular bribes to the guards to avoid their attention.
The minstrels seem somewhat resigned to being shooed off the stage by Frango, but the dancing bear troupe is a different story. Led by a dwarf with a massive handlebar mustache, this group shoots dark looks at the Follies as they make their way offstage and out the front door. Once the stages are clear, Tuggle begins introducing the group as the other Follies confer about the precise nature of their act. After borrowing a mandolin from Jaehn, Cupric and the outlandish wizard strike up a merry tune. Artemis, despite being urged to perform feats of strength, settles on a vigorous kicking dance he learned among the Storm Horn barbarians. On the smaller stage, De'lea begins posing seductively in her plate armor, making eye contact with attractive men in the audience. Meanwhile, Tal stands near the stage in case his blade is needed, and Vicktor lurks by the exit.
Within moments, the crowd is caught up in the performance -- people are clapping in time with the Rook's Night tune being played by Jaehn and Cupric, and several men have moved to the front of the audience to dance with De'lea. Although improvised on the spot, the Follies' performance far outshines the average tavern fare -- so much so that people are stepping outside to bring in passersby. It's not long before the common room is more full than before, and the bartenders are busy keeping the wine and ale flowing freely. Seeing that things are going well, Tuggle begins working the crowd: a combination of charming the ladies, taking song requests and spreading the word about the Follies.
The Follies play and perform for around half an hour, at which point they bow their way off the stage. Frango is thrilled at their performance -- and the business it brought in -- and offers them room and board until Rook's Night is over, in exchange for daily engagements at dusk. The Follies agree in a heartbeat -- they've just covered their expenses for a short while, and found a perfect way to begin building their reputation. In combination with the gold and silver that was tossed into Jaehn's upturned hat during their act, they made out quite well. Ready for sleep, all but Jaehn, Cupric and Tuggle retire to their fine rooms upstairs, one at each end of the hall on the second floor. The remaining three linger for a bit to mingle with the crowd, establishing that everyone enjoyed themselves -- despite missing the dancing bear -- and would like more bawdy songs tomorrow night.
After the common room empties out and all of the Follies are upstairs, everyone is asleep in short order -- with the exception of Vicktor. Their rooms are good enough to have glass in the windows, and Vicktor stays up for some time looking out over the main thoroughfare. Sometime after the street has more or less cleared out, he sees a figure emerge from an alley opposite the inn. Cloaked and hooded, Vicktor can't make out much about him except that he's fairly short in stature. After a few moments spent glancing around, the figure fades back into the alleyway and out of view.
When this process has been repeated twice more over the next several minutes, Vicktor trudges down the hall and wakes Talishmere. Watching with Vicktor, Tal's darkvision lets him pick out enough details to establish that the figure is none other than the dwarf who lead the dancing bear troupe, mustache and all. They watch for a little while longer, and then both Tal and Vicktor head for bed.
Hours later, the Follies are all awakened with a start by a tremendous BOOM -- distant, but so loud and powerful that it makes the floor shake. After leaving their rooms to confer briefly, the Follies decide that it's not an immediate threat and return to sleep.
During breakfast in the common room the next morning, the Follies find out that the sound was probably an explosion -- mostly likely one of the dracotechnics shops to the South going up. This is apparently not all that uncommon, and no one at breakfast seems terribly disturbed by it. A brief foray by Artemis, Vicktor and Cupric into the alley across from Farry's Port turns up an enormous bear turd, found near where the dwarf was seen during the night. This out of the way, the party sets out into Selgaunt to seek Thissiken of Dracon Row.
A bit of asking around establishes roughly where Dracon Row can be found, and the party makes its way over the Arkhen and deeper into the city. As they walk through the already busy and bustling streets, they notice that the guards dress in a variety of colors -- and each time a new color is spotted, the Follies make casual inquiries as to what each group is called. In this manner, they establish that there are nine groups of guards (plus the Silver Ravens), each associated with a particular merchant prince:
Black - Shalligh’s Black Capes
Blue - Ursmeril’s Skyclads
Dark Grey - Bright Slayers
Gold - Baric's Pikemen
Green - Daridon’s Ravens
Grey - Gurrom's Wheels
Pale Green - Calderro's Blades
Red - Alseyn's Rangers
White - Davisson's Legion
The areas of the Low City that they pass through are marked by taller buildings -- most are two stories, often more -- of widely varying ages and styles. In the smaller streets, construction seems to have been haphazard and frequently revisited. Buildings overlap, and the higher floors are braced against those on the opposite side of the street; some roadways are paved or cobbled, while others are packed dirt criss-crossed with wagon ruts. Most buildings seem to be quite old, and there are more wooden structures than stone ones. No matter what area they are in, however, people carrying caged ravens of all types are a common sight.
Arriving at Dracon Row, the Follies notice that quite a few things are different about this ramshackle little district. Passing under the iron entry sign that bears the district's name, they step from cobbles to sand. Before them stretches a maze of haphazard streets, all covered in sand -- piled into deep drifts in some places -- and flanked by stone and brick buildings. There are no torch brackets to be seen on any of the buildings, and there is at least one shovel by every doorway, as well as a prevalence of what look to be water barrels.
Walking a short distance down the substantially quieter street, Cupric enters the first shop he comes to -- a small sandstone building with a brass plaque over its door that reads "Garyid's." While Cupric finds out if the shopkeeper has heard of Thissiken, the rest of the party notices that all of the businesses in Dracon Row use lettered signs and plaques, rather than the colorful flags that are so common elsewhere in the city. After coaxing a squeaky halfling, Garyid, out of the half-sized door in the rear of his shop, Cupric is able to get precise directions to Thissiken's -- which turns out to be not far down the road.
The other thing that turns out to be not too far down the road is a large pile of rubble strewn between two buildings, accompanied by a pall of dust and smoke that has lingered and spread down the street. Small groups of onlookers can be seen around the rubble, and as the party approaches it is clear that this is the wreckage of a shop -- quite probably the one they heard explode during the night. Scampering about among the smashed stone, broken timbers, roofing tiles and other detritus is a frantic, sooty gnome. His wild white hair waving about, he is attempting to shore up the building on the far side of the blast site -- lifting scorched planks and beams and wedging them in against the wall.
The Follies step into the rubble and offer their assistance, which the gnome gladly accepts. Still trying to shore things up, he starts ordering the Follies around. Seeing that the building he's trying to shore up looks fine -- remarkably unharmed by the blast, actually -- and that his efforts are fairly pointless, they mostly try to look busy. While trying to convince the gnome that he can stop propping things against the wall, one of the Follies asks if he knows Thissiken.
"I'm Thissiken!" says the gnome. "Why do you want to know? Who are you? What do you want?" He delivers all of this almost without punctuation, "Whydoyou wanttoknow? Whoareyou? What doyouwant?" Trying to calm him down, the Follies assure him that they are friends, and that they were sent by Agrafion. At this, Thissiken insists that they go into his shop.
The shop, which is adjacent to the blast site, somehow contrives to feel cramped despite the fact that it's actually a sizable building. The interior is dark and cool, lit only by some sort of magical globe off in one corner. There are two gnome-sized doors on the back wall, and a hodgepodge of shelves and seating in the main area. Also noticeable is a large bell hung from the ceiling, adjacent to which is a round trapdoor of some sort.
A series of rapid-fire introductions and explanations ensues. Thissiken flits about, trying to explain things too quickly or not at all, and eventually disappears into the back to prepare some tea. When he returns, he insists that everyone partake -- ""Havesometea!" -- and settles down somewhat once a few Follies have done so.
Tal and De'lea do much of the talking, patiently explaining to Thissiken why they are there, and trying to find out exactly what it is that he needs. What emerges is this: the shop next door belonged to a fellow drakesmith, Algaer, and Thissiken knows that it didn't blow up by accident. Sometimes little accidents happen in the dracotechnics trade, but this wasn't one of them. Last night, he was up late and noticed flickering flames -- "Strictlyforbidden!" -- outside his shop. He rang his shop's blast bell and jumped into his blockhole -- here he gestures at the circular trapdoor, and explains that every dracotechnics shop has a bell and a blockhole. The blockhole is a thick-walled stone tube, much like the top of a well (only set into the ground) intended to protect the drakesmith from an explosion.
Before he made it into his blockhole, he caught a glimpse of several figures in red cloaks carrying torches -- one of them extremely tall -- who were running down the street, away from Algaer's shop. He relates that he had seen this same group twice in the last two tendays, and that he sent the message to Agrafion after the second time. While explaining all of this, he keeps telling the Follies that he fears for his life -- and appearing to mix up his facts at the same time. De'lea concludes that he's hiding something, while Tal and some of the other Follies think he's telling the truth.
Wondering why the fact that strangers blew up someone else's shop makes Thissiken think he's next, the party keeps pressing him for details. In due course, he explains that it seemed like they were casing Algaer's shop -- "WhywouldI wanttocall theguards? Noguards comedownhere." -- and that at one point they came into his shop and started asking him all sorts of questions about paintings. Further probing into this topic reveals that Algaer had quite a few paintings, and that he had even shown them to Thissiken on occasion. Thissiken also recalls that Algaer had returned from a long trip just yesterday, and that he had been carrying something large and flat wrapped in cloth -- perhaps a painting?
Realizing that Algaer may still be in his shop -- possibly even trapped in his blockhole -- the party asks Thissiken if he's looked for Algaer. He seems surprised that they would ask this, and says that no one has looked for him.
The Follies return to the rubble pile and begin searching around in earnest. While some try to uncover the blockhole, others scan the outlying areas for clues. They turn up several items of interest: a torch stub, which smells strongly of smoke and ash and faintly of honeysuckle; shreds of canvas, some still bearing paint; and a tiny rune, crisply etched into one of the remnants of Alger's door. In addition, they also clear the area over the blockhole -- but Algaer is not inside. The blockhole is not empty, however, and Cupric uses a bit of sleight-of-hand to retrieve a leather pouch that was half-covered by sand. While this is going on, Vicktor identifies the symbol on the door, which looks as though it were etched by acid: it is a mark of death, often used by thieves and assassins.
Peeking into the pouch while screened from view by the other Follies, Cupric finds several wooden tokens, a carved brass object and a letter:
Hail and Well Met, Lockmyre. My regrets, but I do not have the work you’re looking for. I deal in the fire of dragon’s breath, not in the flames of artists' brushes. Perhaps one of the many fine shops that line Avent Row will have what you seek. (Signed, Algaer of Dracon Row)
Returning to Thissiken's shop, the Follies ask exactly what he'd like them to do for him. What he wants seems fairly straightforward: find out who blew up Algaer's shop, and keep him (Thissiken) safe. In exchange, he will set them up with lodgings at Selgaunt's premiere inn, Pub, for two tendays. Yes, just "Pub" -- "Roomsarevery difficulttoget!" Also, he can provide them with information about the city. Sensing that this might not sound attractive enough, he asks the Follies when they entered the city and at what time of day. When this is related to him, he says, "Then the guards on the gate would have been Skyclads and Blackcapes -- and I can tell you that for any time of day." Pleased with this sample and with his offer, the Follies agree to help Thissiken.
They give him one of their feather tokens, which he has used before, and tell him to use it to contact them in an emergency. Some considerable effort is spent making him understand exactly what is meant by "emergency" -- for example, people asking him questions about paintings is not an emergency. They also arrange to meet him at Pub one hour after dark that same day, so that they can get their room keys and begin learning about the city from him. Still distraught, Thissiken insists that they walk him back to his shop, and they agree.
At this, Thissiken returns to the back of his shop, closing the small door behind him. Cupric takes this opportunity to send a brief message to Agrafion, who had requested that they contact him within ten days of reaching Selgaunt, or once they had made contact with Thissiken -- whichever came first. Cupric accomplishes this by opening the door and pretending to have lost the sleek raven that darts from his hands and streaks off into the sky. While he is doing this, Jaehn uses detect magic to establish that the peculiar brass token -- a small, flat object on which is carved some sort of fire or wind emerging from a doorway -- radiates very faint conjuration magic.
After sharing what was found in the rubble, and discussing some of what Thissiken told them, the Follies arrive at their plan. Since Thissiken mentioned that another drakesmith, Martooth Battlebrow, had also spent some time with Algaer, they want to try and track him down. As the wooden tokens in the pouch from Algaer's blockhole turned out to be tavern tokens for a dockside bar, the Copper Cup, that also seems like a good place to visit. Lastly, Cupric needs to acquire an instrument -- and of course they have a performance at dusk at Farry's Port.
With all of this in mind, Tuggle's Follies step out of Thissiken's shop and prepare to do some detective work.
A quick aside before we get started: character backgrounds, a full introduction, changes to the Realms and other info can all be found on the website for this campaign: http://3d6.org/. These Story Hour entries are also posted there, accompanied by photos and artwork (in the Journals section). Enjoy!
[size=+1]Tuggle's Follies[/size]
(In the Realms: 4th & 5th of Kythorn (June), 1372 DR, The Year of the Rested Serpent)
The Road South
The party's attempts to stay undercover ended the moment they stepped out of Vars' wagon and found everyone staring at them. Behind them was the Dalesouth path, leading back to their training ground in Tasseldale. Ahead, the last leg of Rauthavyr's Road -- and Selgaunt at it's terminus. All around them is the dust and noise of dozens of people passing through the small and squalid town of Essiar, the closest settlement to the North of Selgaunt.
Their journey to this point had been by wagon. Specifically, a cramped and strange-smelling wagon belonging to an amiable spice merchant, Vars. He spoke of only one thing of consequence on the entire trip from Essiar: a recent spate of bandit attacks around Selgaunt and the River Arkhen. As a result, our merry band is alert, but not terribly worried -- they are seven in number, and only a long day's walk separates them from Selgaunt's gates.
Bidding farewell to Vars, they begin marching Southward.
The road is busy at this time of year -- and all the more so because of Rook's Night, which has provided them with a cover story thus far. Among the items that their principal contact within the Harpers, Agrafion, gave them is a small cage containing four ravens. As people from all over Sembia travel to Selgaunt to celebrate Rook's Night -- an annual festival commemorating the nation's most illustrious bird, the raven -- a few more will hardly stand out.
Unless, of course, those few are these seven peculiar individuals.
Here is what the average Sembian passerby -- a farmer returning from Selgaunt with his mule, or a trader heading there on a laden wagon, perhaps -- might notice, in approximately chronological order. There is a silver-haired elf, clad in an outlandish iridescent outfit bedecked with jingling bells. Oh! And look -- a worshipper of Torm in gleaming banded mail, whose mild-mannered expression belies the fact that he looks as though he stepped out of a stained glass window. Next to him, the most striking woman they've ever seen, clanking sleekly along in heavy plate shot through with enamelwork flowers -- who also looks like she might have emerged from churchglass.
Her radiant beauty is matched only by the blazing good looks and natural charm of another elven companion, who idly strums a lute and takes in the scenery with glittering eyes. The next two folks might look a bit out of place, but to a keen observer one's twitching gait and the other's fluid, loping stride make them equally hard to miss. The latter looks like a strange collision between a swashbuckler and a barbarian, while the former appears to be the product of a ruffian and a meaner ruffian -- unarmed, but appearing fully capable of uprooting trees with his bare hands. As these two are content to remain quiet, it is the silken voice of the final figure -- not his size or garb -- which draws the viewer's notice. Moving in and out through the group as they walk, this attractive gnome projects a certain something that makes the passing merchant think it might be wise to have her prettiest daughter move to the back of the wagon, out of sight.
Next to most of the other travelers on Rauthavyr's Road, this bunch stands out like a gold coin in a purse full of coppers. Quickly realizing this, the party begins to work on a new and somewhat more elaborate cover story. They will need to be able to move about Selgaunt without exposing themselves as Harpers -- which would be a dangerous thing to do, given the way most Sembians feel about Those Who Harp. Their trainer and principal Harper contact, the thistle-haired Agrafion, has tasked them with pursuing the Harper cause and code in Selgaunt -- and given them their first mission.
The last Harper to pass through Selgaunt, a woman by the name of Allekar, was able to secure an excellent contact within the city: Thissiken of Dracon Row. The majority of what the Harpers know about Selgaunt came to Allekar through Thissiken, and he has been an invaluable resource thus far. Before the party started their journey from Tasseldale, Agrafion received word by from Thissiken by feather token that his life was in danger -- and that he needed their help. Agrafion dispatched his newly trained recruits -- our charismatic party -- without delay.
As the party walks down the road in conversation, they quickly arrive at the notion of hiding in plain sight. This motley band is going to stand out everywhere, so why not deflect questions by standing out as much as possible? In short order, they have become Tuggle's Follies -- a troupe of traveling entertainers accompanied by their manager, porter and guards.
With their legitimate musical talents, Cupric and Jaehn fall into the role of the principal entertainers. They are backed up by Artemis, whose tumbling talents should be adaptable to the stage. Armed and heavily armored, Tal and De'lea become the guards. Strong, unarmed and possessing no talent whatsoever for entertainment, Vicktor is relegated to the role of porter. Lastly, Tuggle's prodigious charm makes him the natural leader -- the manager and face man for Tuggle's Follies.
Once they've settled on this course of action, the Follies waste no time spreading the word -- to be precise, spreading it to each and every person they pass on the road. Amidst strumming and singing, they announce to anyone who will listen -- which is, not to put too fine a point on it, everyone -- that they will be performing in Selgaunt. Cupric at last remembers a Rook's Night song he was trying to recall, and its merry chorus of "Ca-caw! Ca-caw!" accompanies many of their meetings with other travelers.
In this manner the Follies pass the time until dusk, when a thick fog begins to set in. They are close enough to the Sea of Fallen Stars to smell the salt on the breeze, and Cupric notes that fog is a regular occurrence in Sembia at this time of year. Nonetheless, with visibility limited to hundred yards at most, the group forms up into a proper column and begins actively scanning the terrain to either side of the road.
In the front is Cupric, who has ceased to sing and play music and instead scouts a little ways ahead of the rest of the party. Behind Cupric is Talishmere, the gleaming symbol of Torm on his breastplate beaded with moisture from the fog. De'lea brings up the rear, the metallic noises of her enameled plate sounding strangely loud within the mist. In the middle of the column are Tuggle, Vicktor, Artemis and Jaehn. Jaehn's bells tinkle merrily, while Vicktor slouches quietly along next to him. Artemis keeps a ready hand on the hilt of his rapier, and Tuggle walks near him off to one side, with the thicker patches of fog rising to his chest.
Ambush
Not long after they've settled into this marching order, Tal hears a bestial grunting off to the right side of the road. The party fans out a bit, and Tal draws his greatsword and heads for the copse of trees where the sound seemed to come from. Facing the opposite direction, De'lea concentrates and detects evil on the far side of the road. Just as she senses the aura of evil's presence, a massive form lunges out from behind the tree Tal is approaching. Shaking leaves free as it shoulders its way around the trunk, this two-headed creature roars and swipes at Talishmere -- and in the moonlight, he can see that its arm is wrapped in thorny vines and spiked straps.
The blow connects, staggering Tal, and suddenly the other Follies are jolted into action. Tuggle creates the ghost sound of a swarm of giant rats off to one side of the giant creature, while De'lea approaches the underbrush wherein she detected evil. At the same time, feral-looking humanoids step out from behind trees and rise up from the bushes on either side of the road, sending several arrows zinging through the group. Vicktor moves up to engage the two-headed creature with Tal, while Cupric tries to get a bead on the archers. Jaehn prepares to assist the others with his spells, while Artemis takes this opportunity to flee down the road and into the fog.
A few short seconds later, Cupric has told the nine-foot tall two-headed humanoid a magically charged joke -- casting Tasha's hideous laughter and rendering it helpless. As bizarre as the spectacle of this giant beast clutching its sides and roaring with laughter may be, Vicktor and Tal waste no time laying into it with sword and fists. Across the road, De'lea is able to dispatch an archer, although she knows not what manner of foul creature it might be.
Looking like an unwholesome crossbreed of orc and gnoll, the archer's skin is oddly withered in some places, and scaled in others. Cupric notices this as he fells another one, catching it with an arrow in the throat despite its best efforts to stay behind cover. The remaining two archers let fly again, and again their arrows fail to find their mark. A heartbeat later, Tal and Vicktor have felled the laughing creature -- and at this, the two archers waste no time in bolting into the fog and fleeing the battle.
Searching the bodies reveals a few interesting details. The hybrid nature of the archers is made clear, and Cupric's store of bardic lore brings their name to mind: dogsbloods. They are apparently fairly common in Sembia, and are indeed suspected to be an orc/gnoll cross that breeds true. They wear ill-fitting clothes and dark leather armor, and wield odd horn bows. One of them carries a large brass whistle, which the party claims for their own. The larger creature is first thought to be an ettin, but it to has odd patterns and variations on its skin. Cupric is able to identify it as a war-ogre, but knows nothing of them apart from the name.
Examining the war-ogre's body turns up several very large nails that have been pounded into its back -- as well as one driven into the back of its head. These are not magical, but careful study that suggests they are used to control the creature in some way. Someone with sufficient knowledge of anatomy could insert them into specific areas of the body and brain to make the creature more docile -- or fiercer. When Talishmere pulls out the nail in the war-ogre's head, it is found to be at least eight inches long.
Although they may be waylaying travelers along Rauthauvyr's Road, it is clear to the Follies that these are not mere bandits -- rather, part of some much more organized and powerful group. Before they have a chance to leave the ambush site, however, they are subject to a strange visitation.
The Shimmering Man
Practically in the middle of the party, a glowing orb appears in the air -- popping into existence under a small tree by the side of the road. The Follies scatter, taking up various hiding places in the immediate area. As they look on warily, the ball of shimmering light expands slowly -- from a mote into an oval, then a larger oval, then a doorway with a rounded top. When the bottom touches the ground, Jaehn creates a minor image opposite the doorway, mirroring it exactly as it continues to grow. Artemis returns at this point, lingering just at the range where he can observe the light.
A moment later, the sparkling door coalesces into a shimmering humanoid form. This form appears to walk through the doorway while at the same time pulling himself together from its substance. As the image mimics this action, the being steps completely through the doorway -- which is now gone, as all of the light has gone into giving depth to his form. The shimmering man seems poorly resolved, and no details can be made out. He stands there, impassively surveying the area without seeming to notice the image or those members of the party who are still visible. After looking from side to side, he reaches up with his right hand -- as if to grasp a staff that is not there -- and seems somewhat surprised. With his hand still up, he says, "Shauuuuuundaaaaaakul" in a sonorous voice, and then disappears without fanfare.
Although Jaehn and Cupric both have knowledge of portals, neither they nor any of the other Follies have ever seen or heard of this sort of thing. Baffled, the party presses on for Selgaunt with all haste.
Entering Selgaunt
They arrive at the Statue Gate in short order and without incident. A scattered crowd is gathered under the twin armored warriors that are carved around the massive gateway arch. The statues are thrown into sharp relief by the light of several torches at ground level, and these also illuminate the more mundane guardsmen who are letting people into the city. There appear to be two groups of guards -- one group clad in luminous sky blue capes, the other in functional black tabards. The guards in black seem to be doing most of the actual work, and the Follies approach them. Tuggle spins their tale, describing the troupe as Vicktor brandishes the cage of ravens. Satisfied that they are here for Rook's Night, the guards let them pass with only a cursory inspection.
Having asked about finding a place to stay for the night, they were directed to the Flags -- a large district of inns and taverns down one fork in the road and not far from the Gate. The street itself is bustling with activity, even this late at night, and people with cages of ravens are everywhere. As the party quickly finds out, most businesses in Selgaunt don't use wooden signs or representative objects to advertise themselves. Instead, they hang large colored flags over their doors, depicting their wares and services. Divining this, the Follies wander down the crowded street looking for a flag that suggests musicians and is hung from a decent inn. Only one building in easy view fits the bill, and they decide to go inside.
The Follies' First Performance
Noise and light spill out as they open the door, and they step into an equally crowded common room. At one end are two small stages, with a troupe of untalented minstrels on one and a dancing bear on the other. The common room is packed nearly wall to wall with people, and a long bar runs across the back wall. Thinking that this might be a good time for their first public performance, Tuggle begins casting glamour to make himself more charming -- and before the spell is even cast, the head bartender has begun shouldering his way through the crowd, glaring at Tuggle.
The barkeep is a short, stocky man with a bald head and craggy features, and he's brandishing a cudgel in a businesslike manner. Before any of the Follies have had a chance to react, he growls, "We'll have none of that in here!" Tuggle begins to apologize as Cupric steps in and tries to mollify the barkeep. Between Cupric and Tuggle, the barman is convinced that they meant nothing by it -- and even agrees to give them a chance to perform on the spot. By way of explanation, he whispers conspiratorially to Cupric that if they start using magic openly, the Skyclads will be all over the place in no time. Cupric's honeyed words also pry out the fact that the bartender -- Frango, actually both head barkeep and owner of the inn, which is called Farry's Port -- makes regular bribes to the guards to avoid their attention.
The minstrels seem somewhat resigned to being shooed off the stage by Frango, but the dancing bear troupe is a different story. Led by a dwarf with a massive handlebar mustache, this group shoots dark looks at the Follies as they make their way offstage and out the front door. Once the stages are clear, Tuggle begins introducing the group as the other Follies confer about the precise nature of their act. After borrowing a mandolin from Jaehn, Cupric and the outlandish wizard strike up a merry tune. Artemis, despite being urged to perform feats of strength, settles on a vigorous kicking dance he learned among the Storm Horn barbarians. On the smaller stage, De'lea begins posing seductively in her plate armor, making eye contact with attractive men in the audience. Meanwhile, Tal stands near the stage in case his blade is needed, and Vicktor lurks by the exit.
Within moments, the crowd is caught up in the performance -- people are clapping in time with the Rook's Night tune being played by Jaehn and Cupric, and several men have moved to the front of the audience to dance with De'lea. Although improvised on the spot, the Follies' performance far outshines the average tavern fare -- so much so that people are stepping outside to bring in passersby. It's not long before the common room is more full than before, and the bartenders are busy keeping the wine and ale flowing freely. Seeing that things are going well, Tuggle begins working the crowd: a combination of charming the ladies, taking song requests and spreading the word about the Follies.
The Follies play and perform for around half an hour, at which point they bow their way off the stage. Frango is thrilled at their performance -- and the business it brought in -- and offers them room and board until Rook's Night is over, in exchange for daily engagements at dusk. The Follies agree in a heartbeat -- they've just covered their expenses for a short while, and found a perfect way to begin building their reputation. In combination with the gold and silver that was tossed into Jaehn's upturned hat during their act, they made out quite well. Ready for sleep, all but Jaehn, Cupric and Tuggle retire to their fine rooms upstairs, one at each end of the hall on the second floor. The remaining three linger for a bit to mingle with the crowd, establishing that everyone enjoyed themselves -- despite missing the dancing bear -- and would like more bawdy songs tomorrow night.
Night at Farry's Port
After the common room empties out and all of the Follies are upstairs, everyone is asleep in short order -- with the exception of Vicktor. Their rooms are good enough to have glass in the windows, and Vicktor stays up for some time looking out over the main thoroughfare. Sometime after the street has more or less cleared out, he sees a figure emerge from an alley opposite the inn. Cloaked and hooded, Vicktor can't make out much about him except that he's fairly short in stature. After a few moments spent glancing around, the figure fades back into the alleyway and out of view.
When this process has been repeated twice more over the next several minutes, Vicktor trudges down the hall and wakes Talishmere. Watching with Vicktor, Tal's darkvision lets him pick out enough details to establish that the figure is none other than the dwarf who lead the dancing bear troupe, mustache and all. They watch for a little while longer, and then both Tal and Vicktor head for bed.
Hours later, the Follies are all awakened with a start by a tremendous BOOM -- distant, but so loud and powerful that it makes the floor shake. After leaving their rooms to confer briefly, the Follies decide that it's not an immediate threat and return to sleep.
During breakfast in the common room the next morning, the Follies find out that the sound was probably an explosion -- mostly likely one of the dracotechnics shops to the South going up. This is apparently not all that uncommon, and no one at breakfast seems terribly disturbed by it. A brief foray by Artemis, Vicktor and Cupric into the alley across from Farry's Port turns up an enormous bear turd, found near where the dwarf was seen during the night. This out of the way, the party sets out into Selgaunt to seek Thissiken of Dracon Row.
Heading Into the City
A bit of asking around establishes roughly where Dracon Row can be found, and the party makes its way over the Arkhen and deeper into the city. As they walk through the already busy and bustling streets, they notice that the guards dress in a variety of colors -- and each time a new color is spotted, the Follies make casual inquiries as to what each group is called. In this manner, they establish that there are nine groups of guards (plus the Silver Ravens), each associated with a particular merchant prince:
Black - Shalligh’s Black Capes
Blue - Ursmeril’s Skyclads
Dark Grey - Bright Slayers
Gold - Baric's Pikemen
Green - Daridon’s Ravens
Grey - Gurrom's Wheels
Pale Green - Calderro's Blades
Red - Alseyn's Rangers
White - Davisson's Legion
The areas of the Low City that they pass through are marked by taller buildings -- most are two stories, often more -- of widely varying ages and styles. In the smaller streets, construction seems to have been haphazard and frequently revisited. Buildings overlap, and the higher floors are braced against those on the opposite side of the street; some roadways are paved or cobbled, while others are packed dirt criss-crossed with wagon ruts. Most buildings seem to be quite old, and there are more wooden structures than stone ones. No matter what area they are in, however, people carrying caged ravens of all types are a common sight.
Dracon Row
Arriving at Dracon Row, the Follies notice that quite a few things are different about this ramshackle little district. Passing under the iron entry sign that bears the district's name, they step from cobbles to sand. Before them stretches a maze of haphazard streets, all covered in sand -- piled into deep drifts in some places -- and flanked by stone and brick buildings. There are no torch brackets to be seen on any of the buildings, and there is at least one shovel by every doorway, as well as a prevalence of what look to be water barrels.
Walking a short distance down the substantially quieter street, Cupric enters the first shop he comes to -- a small sandstone building with a brass plaque over its door that reads "Garyid's." While Cupric finds out if the shopkeeper has heard of Thissiken, the rest of the party notices that all of the businesses in Dracon Row use lettered signs and plaques, rather than the colorful flags that are so common elsewhere in the city. After coaxing a squeaky halfling, Garyid, out of the half-sized door in the rear of his shop, Cupric is able to get precise directions to Thissiken's -- which turns out to be not far down the road.
The other thing that turns out to be not too far down the road is a large pile of rubble strewn between two buildings, accompanied by a pall of dust and smoke that has lingered and spread down the street. Small groups of onlookers can be seen around the rubble, and as the party approaches it is clear that this is the wreckage of a shop -- quite probably the one they heard explode during the night. Scampering about among the smashed stone, broken timbers, roofing tiles and other detritus is a frantic, sooty gnome. His wild white hair waving about, he is attempting to shore up the building on the far side of the blast site -- lifting scorched planks and beams and wedging them in against the wall.
The Follies step into the rubble and offer their assistance, which the gnome gladly accepts. Still trying to shore things up, he starts ordering the Follies around. Seeing that the building he's trying to shore up looks fine -- remarkably unharmed by the blast, actually -- and that his efforts are fairly pointless, they mostly try to look busy. While trying to convince the gnome that he can stop propping things against the wall, one of the Follies asks if he knows Thissiken.
"I'm Thissiken!" says the gnome. "Why do you want to know? Who are you? What do you want?" He delivers all of this almost without punctuation, "Whydoyou wanttoknow? Whoareyou? What doyouwant?" Trying to calm him down, the Follies assure him that they are friends, and that they were sent by Agrafion. At this, Thissiken insists that they go into his shop.
The shop, which is adjacent to the blast site, somehow contrives to feel cramped despite the fact that it's actually a sizable building. The interior is dark and cool, lit only by some sort of magical globe off in one corner. There are two gnome-sized doors on the back wall, and a hodgepodge of shelves and seating in the main area. Also noticeable is a large bell hung from the ceiling, adjacent to which is a round trapdoor of some sort.
A series of rapid-fire introductions and explanations ensues. Thissiken flits about, trying to explain things too quickly or not at all, and eventually disappears into the back to prepare some tea. When he returns, he insists that everyone partake -- ""Havesometea!" -- and settles down somewhat once a few Follies have done so.
Tal and De'lea do much of the talking, patiently explaining to Thissiken why they are there, and trying to find out exactly what it is that he needs. What emerges is this: the shop next door belonged to a fellow drakesmith, Algaer, and Thissiken knows that it didn't blow up by accident. Sometimes little accidents happen in the dracotechnics trade, but this wasn't one of them. Last night, he was up late and noticed flickering flames -- "Strictlyforbidden!" -- outside his shop. He rang his shop's blast bell and jumped into his blockhole -- here he gestures at the circular trapdoor, and explains that every dracotechnics shop has a bell and a blockhole. The blockhole is a thick-walled stone tube, much like the top of a well (only set into the ground) intended to protect the drakesmith from an explosion.
Before he made it into his blockhole, he caught a glimpse of several figures in red cloaks carrying torches -- one of them extremely tall -- who were running down the street, away from Algaer's shop. He relates that he had seen this same group twice in the last two tendays, and that he sent the message to Agrafion after the second time. While explaining all of this, he keeps telling the Follies that he fears for his life -- and appearing to mix up his facts at the same time. De'lea concludes that he's hiding something, while Tal and some of the other Follies think he's telling the truth.
Wondering why the fact that strangers blew up someone else's shop makes Thissiken think he's next, the party keeps pressing him for details. In due course, he explains that it seemed like they were casing Algaer's shop -- "WhywouldI wanttocall theguards? Noguards comedownhere." -- and that at one point they came into his shop and started asking him all sorts of questions about paintings. Further probing into this topic reveals that Algaer had quite a few paintings, and that he had even shown them to Thissiken on occasion. Thissiken also recalls that Algaer had returned from a long trip just yesterday, and that he had been carrying something large and flat wrapped in cloth -- perhaps a painting?
Realizing that Algaer may still be in his shop -- possibly even trapped in his blockhole -- the party asks Thissiken if he's looked for Algaer. He seems surprised that they would ask this, and says that no one has looked for him.
Clues in the Rubble
The Follies return to the rubble pile and begin searching around in earnest. While some try to uncover the blockhole, others scan the outlying areas for clues. They turn up several items of interest: a torch stub, which smells strongly of smoke and ash and faintly of honeysuckle; shreds of canvas, some still bearing paint; and a tiny rune, crisply etched into one of the remnants of Alger's door. In addition, they also clear the area over the blockhole -- but Algaer is not inside. The blockhole is not empty, however, and Cupric uses a bit of sleight-of-hand to retrieve a leather pouch that was half-covered by sand. While this is going on, Vicktor identifies the symbol on the door, which looks as though it were etched by acid: it is a mark of death, often used by thieves and assassins.
Peeking into the pouch while screened from view by the other Follies, Cupric finds several wooden tokens, a carved brass object and a letter:
Hail and Well Met, Lockmyre. My regrets, but I do not have the work you’re looking for. I deal in the fire of dragon’s breath, not in the flames of artists' brushes. Perhaps one of the many fine shops that line Avent Row will have what you seek. (Signed, Algaer of Dracon Row)
Returning to Thissiken's shop, the Follies ask exactly what he'd like them to do for him. What he wants seems fairly straightforward: find out who blew up Algaer's shop, and keep him (Thissiken) safe. In exchange, he will set them up with lodgings at Selgaunt's premiere inn, Pub, for two tendays. Yes, just "Pub" -- "Roomsarevery difficulttoget!" Also, he can provide them with information about the city. Sensing that this might not sound attractive enough, he asks the Follies when they entered the city and at what time of day. When this is related to him, he says, "Then the guards on the gate would have been Skyclads and Blackcapes -- and I can tell you that for any time of day." Pleased with this sample and with his offer, the Follies agree to help Thissiken.
They give him one of their feather tokens, which he has used before, and tell him to use it to contact them in an emergency. Some considerable effort is spent making him understand exactly what is meant by "emergency" -- for example, people asking him questions about paintings is not an emergency. They also arrange to meet him at Pub one hour after dark that same day, so that they can get their room keys and begin learning about the city from him. Still distraught, Thissiken insists that they walk him back to his shop, and they agree.
At this, Thissiken returns to the back of his shop, closing the small door behind him. Cupric takes this opportunity to send a brief message to Agrafion, who had requested that they contact him within ten days of reaching Selgaunt, or once they had made contact with Thissiken -- whichever came first. Cupric accomplishes this by opening the door and pretending to have lost the sleek raven that darts from his hands and streaks off into the sky. While he is doing this, Jaehn uses detect magic to establish that the peculiar brass token -- a small, flat object on which is carved some sort of fire or wind emerging from a doorway -- radiates very faint conjuration magic.
After sharing what was found in the rubble, and discussing some of what Thissiken told them, the Follies arrive at their plan. Since Thissiken mentioned that another drakesmith, Martooth Battlebrow, had also spent some time with Algaer, they want to try and track him down. As the wooden tokens in the pouch from Algaer's blockhole turned out to be tavern tokens for a dockside bar, the Copper Cup, that also seems like a good place to visit. Lastly, Cupric needs to acquire an instrument -- and of course they have a performance at dusk at Farry's Port.
With all of this in mind, Tuggle's Follies step out of Thissiken's shop and prepare to do some detective work.
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