The Westgate Campaign Chronicles - serial

[Carlo-One]

The first underground chamber they found themselves in had a large bloodstain on the floor – an old, dried-up one, which however still didn’t bode well, as Darrow said. Shanni’s expert eye noted that the both the pull chain leading to the surface and the sewer gate at the chamber’s exit had been operated recently. Rahnee said she would take center in their marching order, telling Dermot and Darrow to wing her, as they moved deeper into the sewers.

Dermot inched the first gate open and then slowly advanced, along with Rahnee and Darrow, the dwarf trying as best as he could to be quiet in plate armor. The ranger heard something chittering ahead as they reached an already-opened door. Entering the next chamber, they ran into several giant spiders, but successfully avoided being bitten by quickly dispatching the creatures. Shanni hung back during the encounter, complaining afterwards that she did not have her bow with her.

The petite rogue then investigated a passage with an old spiderweb which fell apart at her touch, leaving her unsure if their quarry had passed that way. The party followed it until they reached a closed doorway with vines covering it, which struck Shanni as weird. Dermot confirmed that nothing appeared to have moved through the door recently. Darrow, checking the door, thought he saw a trap.

Returning down the passage, they found another walkway out of the spider chamber, as Rahnee lit a torch and Dermot moved to check the closed door at the end of it. The ranger checked the handle and the floor, also running his finger along the ground in front of it. Shanni observed that the light would shine under the door, but Dermot said it couldn’t be helped. The scene was repeated as they moved down the dark, smelly sewer walkway to the next door grate, but this time Dermot waved away the torch, trusting his senses.

In the chamber beyond, the ranger confirmed that the trail had come to an end, with its exit door untouched. A pull chain to the surface, pointed out by Darrow, offered another exit and Shanni quickly climbed up. Rahnee mentioned that she had been down there previously, but did not remember where they would come up.

She and her two other companions followed Shanni up to street level, where they read a sign informing them they were in the Harbor Loop – the same district they had started in – which provoked some curses. Nearby lay the Bleth noble, naked and unconscious with a large lump visible on his head. Rahnee took off her cloak and covered him, as Dermot and the others fruitlessly searched the area around them for any sign of the attackers.

 

[Carlo-One]

Rahnee’s ministrations managed to rouse the now partially-clothed lordling, who clutched Rahnee’s cloak to him instinctively. Darrow, looking out for his companion, handed over his own non-magical cloak to the still-woozy man, so Rahnee could take back her enchanted one. Rahnee asked the noble if he was Anubin Bleth, receiving a slow grunt and an affirmative answer. She told him that they had found his man knocked out, as he leaned against a wall for support and moaned about his head.

Despite his poor condition, the embarrassed Bleth noble refused Rahnee’s offer to accompany him back to his quarters; his main concern was that they tell no one about what happened to him. Questioned by Rahnee and Dermot about the circumstances of his kidnapping, Anubin admitted that it had been the first time he had met the woman used as bait. He also confirmed that his guard had been hit by a spell.

Rahnee flatteringly encouraged Anubin to further tell his tale. To the accompaniment of Shanni’s snickers, he described how he manfully battled at least a dozen ruffians before being knocked unconscious. Wrapping the borrowed cloak around his midsection with as much dignity as he could muster, the Bleth noble thanked them for rendering assistance before striding a bit unsteadily off into the night.

The four adventurers debated what to do next, then decided to see if they could turn up any more information about the gang that had taken Anubis Bleth. Darrow bantered with a nearby House Ssemm guard, who mentioned that a group had come by a while ago, looking like they were carrying a passed-out drunk friend home. However, it was too dark to get a good look at them, or where they went off to, the guard said. Darrow nonetheless gave him a gold piece for his trouble. Meanwhile, Shanni chatted up a prostitute on a corner near the Rosebud Outdoor Tavern, trying to find out more about the woman with the Bleth noble.

 

[Carlo-One]

Later that evening, after exhausting their leads in the Harbor Loop, Rahnee, Darrow, Dermot and Shanni arrived at Aerikoth’s house outside West Gate. As Darrow started banging on the door and calling for the wizard, they spotted Aerikoth’s raven familiar Zeluth outside. The bird flew down and perched on the doorsill, squawking a greeting, or possibly a challenge.

Rahnee spoke to the bird, asking if his “friend” were home tonight; in response, the raven moved its head from side to side. She then asked the bird if he would take them to his “friend” and got a squawk of avian laughter in response. Losing patience, Darrow pounded on the door and continued loudly calling for Aerikoth, as Zeluth peered down curiously at the group. After some debate, Rahnee scribbled a quick note for Aerikoth and left it in the door jamb. The four then headed back out into the night, with the weather turning for the worse. (Evidently the wizard was not home, as I cannot imagine him putting up with the door pounding and general ruckus outside his home. Did he sneak out to enjoy the revels anonymously, without his companions? Or have some other appointment to keep on this festival night? --C)

By this point it was near midnight, although the city-wide revelry was still in full swing. Having heard rumors about disappearances from the nearby Shore district, the four adventurers decided to head there after wandering around for a bit, to see if they could catch someone in the act. The thundering and lightning became worse as they found themselves in Westgate’s poorest quarter, looking for a place to set up an ambush.

Dermot pointed out a sputtering, abandoned campfire near some huts, so they started to spread out around it. The ranger pulled out an empty bottle of booze to use as a prop and Rahnee set about mussing her hair after removing the hood of her cloak. Meanwhile, Shanni pulled her own magical cloak around her and became one with the shadows.

The petite rogue had barely settled into a hiding place, when suddenly she gave out a loud shriek and started running back to the campfire. A tall skeleton warrior wielding a greatsword followed her and was engaged by her surprised companions. Darrow and Rahnee closed with the skeleton and after some hard fighting were able to return it to being a pile of bones. Rahnee caught her breath as Shanni led Dermot and Darrow around the corner of a nearby building, where the rogue had originally seen a pile of bones and the sudden appearance of the undead fighter.

As the three were examining the bone pile, a patrol of thugs accosted them, saying they had received reports of a group of adventurers sneaking around the area and that a loud shriek had been heard. Darrow and Dermot managed to bluff the patrol, denying there was anything amiss; Shanni caught herself just in time from mentioning the animated skeleton. The patrol departed with a veiled warning that they would be around, in case of any problems. The three adventurers then returned to Rahnee, who joined them in searching the wet and muddy area for any more bones.

 

[Carlo-One]

Having found the original skull pile, but nothing more in terms of evidence, Rahnee insisted on trying to track any movements associated with it and the skeleton warrior. Darrow, Dermot and Shanni were not very optimistic about this, but let Rahnee pursue her goal. Instead, they found a local Shore resident to interrogate. Fearful at first, the man relaxed a bit when promised some gold. He mentioned the Shore Patrol gang had been in the area for as long as he knew. However, lately the residents had stopped going out alone at night, as those who did disappeared, sometimes leaving blood but no body behind.

Making a circuit of the area, the three adventurers found a cave entrance set back on top of a hill. Dermot thought it led to the sewers, so they decided to enter it. Inside, they found a relatively fresh corpse with multiple stab wounds. They presumed that this was a more mundane kind of victim than what they were looking for, so departed the cave.

The three went looking for Aerikoth again at his home and at the Gatereach Inn, with no luck, so headed to the Rosebud Outdoor Tavern once more. The bartender denied having seen a wizard that evening, so they again reached a dead end. Nevertheless, they did not give up and returned to the area outside West Gate to see (again) if he was home; he was not. With nothing better to do, apparently, they found a nearby sewer entrance and descended into it. After some further wandering around and more than one encounter with denizens of the sewer, they chose to call it a night and headed back to the Gatereach.

 

[Carlo-One]

The morning of Ches 20, Aerikoth entered the Gatereach Inn and stood quietly by the doorway, letting the rainwater drip from his cloak. Jandrico Swift greeted the wizard and informed him that his companions were in the other room. As he walked over, Rahnee turned to him and asked when they would be meeting with the folks in red, as she put it. Aerikoth greeted her, Darrow and Shanni, noting that Dermot was not present; apparently the ranger had another meeting. Shanni, pouting a little, said that Aerikoth wouldn’t know, since they hadn’t seen him since they found the Scarlet Company. The wizard confirmed that he was not aware they had a meeting with the adventurers.

Shanni explained that they had found the halfling fellow named Slipster at the Empty Fish. In response to a question from Rahnee, who also apparently had not been told about it, Shanni said she was almost certain he said the meeting would be at sundown back at the inn. Darrow, who along with Shanni had apparently been drinking at the time, seconded the (slightly fuzzy) recollection. Aerikoth remarked that the company had previously met with Jamal there.

The wizard then began to mention that he had been informed about their seeking him the previous night, when Shanni interrupted, complaining about being tetchy from being assaulted by walking skeletons and having wet clothes from fishing for skulls in the river. Speaking of skulls, she asked Darrow if Dermot left him the one they had found. The dwarf scratched his head and declared that the ranger must have held onto it, which made Shanni even more irritated.

Rahnee, aside to Aerikoth, explained that they had been down to the Shore district, where they had been attacked by a skeleton with a “bloody great sword” that appeared near a pile of skulls, as Shanni described it. She and Rahnee then recounted the rest of their expedition, including searching for the skulls in the water after Shanni had kicked the pile of them into it. Darrow was more sanguine about the affair, declaring that it got the blood flowing, anyways. Shanni ended the tale by describing the encounter with the Shore Patrol thugs, who according to her just told the group not to do anything naughty and buggered off.

The petite rogue, still fixated on the skull they had found, dug out a piece of charcoal and some parchment. She then drew a facsimile of the pattern of indentations on the skull and passed it to Darrow. The drawing showed four indentations on each side of the skull, spaced roughly evenly apart in a shallow semi-circle. The dwarf slid the paper on the table, spun it a little bit, then plunked his hand on top of the markings, pointing out how the finger marks matched – almost like somebody had taken the skull in their hands and squeezed it like an overripe turnip.

Aerikoth mentioned that it was not the first time the company had encountered something like this. The wizard explained to Shanni that when they had battled the lich Asknakzeroth, one of his towers also had skull piles that when approached would summon a skeletal warrior. Rahnee also recalled the incident, being the only one remaining of the original company, besides Aerikoth, to have been there. Aerikoth declared that it took some skill in the Necromantic Arts and was intrigued by the fact that the skull had been left in a public area. The group then indulged in various speculations about why that had occurred.

 

[Carlo-One]

Just as Aerikoth was saying that he would like to see the part of the Shore district where the skull had been found, Shanni gave him a strange look and asked if there was blood on the collar of his robe, gesturing at a small dark red stain by his neck. As Rahnee leaned forward to look at the collar herself, the wizard reached up and grabbed his collar, pulling it out so he could get a better look at it. Rahnee, grinning, cracked a joke about his raven familiar Zeluth dribbling his breakfast on Aerikoth. The wizard, seemingly taking it seriously, arched an eyebrow and said that he did not recall.

Frowning, Shanni looked at Aerikoth and pointedly said that the others had been all over the place looking for him the previous night, when the wizard evidently was not at home. She then bluntly asked him what he had been up to. Taking a deep breath, Aerikoth replied that he had been informed of their looking for him; he had been summoned away for a time, perhaps the stain was from then.

Shanni followed up, still suspicious, telling him that they had found someone who had been robbed and said he saw a wizard with the group who did it. A cryptic reply from Aerikoth about individuals in the area who wished a word from him was all she got in response. He apologized about not going into details; the wizard termed it not a prudent endeavor at that time, asserting it was for the benefit for all of them. This hardly satisfied the rogue’s curiosity, but Rahnee reacted with a smile, teasing her longtime companion about his always enigmatic ways and saying that she would always have his back. Darrow seemed to care little, just asking that Aerikoth let them know if his business was going to bite them in the arse.

The wizard did go on to share one detail: he had been informed the previous night that House Cormaeril was no longer welcomed in Westgate, and he was promised that if the company undertook their complete removal from the city, they would be very well rewarded. Rahnee said she assumed this was from someone other than their current contract with Urdo, Aerikoth giving a small nod in response. Following some debate about the morality of such an endeavor, Shanni and Darrow then mentioned the fact that they thought they had found a back way into Cormaeril Castle. (So yet another - however brief - effort of the company to ascertain their wizard's outside activities passes by. This one even featured a bloodstain on his robe. On the other hand, certain other members were rather tardy with their own revelation that a meeting had been arranged with the adventuring company they were supposed to be removing from the city for House Urdo. Having boozed it up at the spring festival the previous day seemed to play a role in Shanni and Darrow's obfuscations, due to their somewhat hazy memories; I doubt this was the case with Aerikoth, given his abstemious nature. --R)

It turned out that during the previous evening’s sewer expedition, Dermot, Darrow and Shanni had stumbled onto a secret door in the sewers that went right into the Cormaeril's basement. Darrow and Shanni said they believed they could find it again. Darrow related that Dermot had slipped in and saw a bunch of red armored guards. Later, the group stumbled by the castle’s main gate and Dermot said he was pretty sure it was the same type of armor worn by the gate guards.

 

[Carlo-One]

The remainder of the daylight hours of Ches 20 were spent by the group cleaning up and otherwise preparing themselves for the meeting with the Scarlet Company at sundown. By late afternoon, Aerikoth, Darrow and Shanni had gathered in the back room of the Gatereach inn. Rahnee was out arranging various things for her "Veranbrok" project, while Dermot had decided to stealthily check the grounds of the Empty Fish inn, the designated meeting place, to see if anything was out of place. Shanni took the opportunity to mention that their upcoming meeting with the mercenary company was likely to be a trap, asking the other two how well they knew their counterparts.

Darrow referred to the fact that they had helped them out on a job some time ago. Putting it metaphorically, the dwarf said that he'd say hello to them on the street, but wouldn't let them kiss his sister – if he had a sister, that is. He also did not trust the hin farther than he could throw him. Aerikoth was relatively sanguine about them, recalling that Darrow had invited them to his bar fighting event. Shanni said she remembered two of them from there, the halfling and one “pleasing fellow”, the fighter Juril.

She then related that she had bumped into Juril the previous day while out fetching her dress. The fighter had asked her, specifically, to stay away from the meeting as he was fearful for her life should fighting break out. When pressed for more details by Aerikoth, Shanni shrugged and said that Juril was certain there would be trouble, which to her meant that the Scarlet Company were going to attempt to take them down. She knew that the mercenary company’s employers, the Cormaerils, viewed the party as an obstacle to their plans in Westgate. Aerikoth was less sure that their intent was an ambush, the wizard considering the Empty Fish inn an odd place to set one up.

As they were discussing the possibility of an ambush there or at a site on the way, Jandrico Swift approached them. The innkeeper politely explained that he did not pry into the affairs of his guests, but had noticed a certain unease among the group, citing Dermot’s determined mien as he headed out of the inn earlier. Noting that these were uncertain and dangerous times, Jandrico mentioned that if they needed any “insurance” he might be able to arrange some – for a price, naturally, since such things cost money. He said that he was sure that they were all capable of handling their own business, but felt that he still owed them a debt from their rescue of Janatha. He would need a few hours’ notice and some coin, should they wish to take him up on the offer. Darrow in response said that they might need insurance, and he definitely needed a drink, ordering an ale from the innkeeper.

(Jandrico's offer surprised me at first. After thinking on it some more, perhaps it is not so unusual for such a successful and at least moderately wealthy inn proprietor in Westgate to be able to arrange for temporary "insurance" for his guests. Such a service would naturally be appreciated by out-of-town merchants fearful of Westgate's reputation for thievery and could be another way to extract some coin, more or less legitimately, from his patrons. It will be interesting to see if the offer is actually taken up and in what form it would be. --C)

 

[Carlo-One]

After Jandrico departed for the inn’s common room, the three adventurers fell to discussing ways to mitigate a potential ambush. The general feeling was that the Scarlet Company was being misinformed by the Cormaerils about the past acts of Helm’s Shadows. Darrow recalled that during their previous meeting, the Scarlet Company’s rogue Slipster had mentioned a “nasty trick” performed by Helm’s Shadows, namely luring the previous House Cormaeril wizard out and killing him in an ambush. Then, just as Shanni was about to add something about the halfling, in walked Slipster himself.

He breezily greeted them, saying he had heard they liked to hang out at the Gatereach, so he thought he would come by and check it out for himself. In reaction, Darrow glanced over his shoulder at the halfling and put a hand on his coin pouch, before carefully stating it was not a bad place for an ale. After a bit more banter with Darrow and Shanni – Aerikoth remained silent – Slipster claimed he just wanted to make sure things were all set for that night. Shanni grinned merrily and quipped that they were just deciding what to wear.

The hin, on a more serious note, told them he thought the Scarlet Company might have found a way to resolve the tensions between them – as Juril had put it, he said. Darrow approved of the idea. Slipster said he thought they were all right as a group – so no reasons for tensions and such – and his company would still plan to show up a little after sundown at the Empty Fish. Shanni stated they were looking forward to it, mentioning she might even wear her new dress. She also managed to confirm that Juril would be there. The hin then turned to depart, saying he had to get some things done before they could all drink together.

Just as Slipster was heading out the door, Aerikoth finally spoke, asking for a moment of time. The hin, a little nonplussed by the wizard’s late intervention, turned back and picked his teeth with a fingernail while Aerikoth questioned what he had meant by “tensions”, claiming that there was only a desire on their part to exchange information and clear up any misinformation received. In response Slipster commented he was sure, in that case, things would go swimmingly at the meeting. (For one used to the language and ways of rogues, Slipster's actions carry a double meaning, not necessarily concerned with calming tensions between the two companies. First, the fact that he just happened to come by Helm's Shadows' base of operations, demonstrating that he knew where it was - is that really a coincidence? Second, the halfling's reference to Juril's concerns about "tensions" - the exact same language used by the fighter in the private meeting with Shanni - would also have raised my guard. It might signify that the Scarlet Company member's bid to secretly warn Shanni off had been discovered, or perhaps was even planned deliberately from the start as a stratagem, in order to deprive Helm's Shadows of her presence in any confrontation. --R)

After the halfling’s departure, Shanni bickered a while with Aerikoth – admittedly not an unusual occurrence. The petite rogue felt that the wizard’s words had only served to put the Scarlet Company more on notice that the meeting arrangements were suspect; she thought this raised the chances of them bringing additional allies. The wizard denied that this was the case, asserting that the supposed conflict was just wasted energy and thought on the part of everyone. Darrow for his part was copacetic about the upcoming meeting, believing that if the Scarlet Company wanted to bring friends, they would bring them regardless. He also pointed out that a tavern setting would mean a constricted fight, if it came to it, so it would be easy to find a choke point and hold it.

 

[Carlo-One]

As the bickering was still ongoing, Dermot walked in and greeted them, asking for the latest word. Darrow and Shanni quickly got him up to speed on the potential ambush scenario at the Empty Fish, Jandrico’s offer for security assistance, and the Scarlet Company’s rogue Slipster dropping by. In return, Dermot related how he had looked over the meeting site and its surroundings. He described it as pretty typical, with some fields out back, some farms and fences to the front, streets and a well on one side and Cormaeril Vale on the other. If it came to a fight and they had to run, he said he would probably recommend the back door.

This fed back into Aerikoth and Shanni’s argument, as the wizard remained skeptical of an ambush. Shanni countered by emphasizing how adamant Juril had been that there would probably be a fight, along with the concern he expressed for her not to be there. Aerikoth took the point, but still did not believe the meeting would start with an ambush. As Darrow shrugged and continued drinking from his ale glass, Dermot cut to the central question of the meeting scenario, which was how many of them would go into the Empty Fish, and how many would hang back outside.

Darrow reckoned that at least he and Rahnee should go in, as the toughest warriors, which Dermot and Shanni seconded. Shanni, returning to the subject of the Scarlet Company’s intentions, then raised the idea that even if their counterparts meant them no harm directly, what if Cormaeril had decided to take matters into their own hands? Dermot thought she had a point, while Darrow approved of the chance to bash some Cormaeril heads as a bonus.

Discussion returned to tactical planning for the meeting. In response to a question from Shanni, Aerikoth indicated that he could take two of them, with all their equipment, along with him on a teleport. Dermot therefore recommended that the wizard enter the inn along with Darrow and Rahnee, ready to bring them out if necessary. Meanwhile, Dermot and Shanni would be watching the front and back entrances for trouble; if they ended up having any of Jandrico’s “friends” along, their allies could also hang back and wait for a signal. Since Juril was already expecting Shanni to try to come up with an excuse not to be there, she believed this would match his expectations. The three inside could explain she had come down with something horrible, she suggested, and that Dermot was administering healing poultices to her or whatever.

At this point, the always-solicitous Jandrico Swift stepped into the room, mentioning that he had to be off for a while, until later in the evening. He inquired if there was anything they needed before he departed. Shanni immediately said that they thought they should take him up on his offer. The innkeeper indicated he would need to know the details of the situation – not all, perhaps, but at least what the “insurance” he could arrange would need to cover.

After some further questioning from Shanni, Jandico informed them that four “insurance agents” could be made available for them outside the Empty Fish starting an hour after sundown – for the price of 1,000 gold per hour. Darrow whistled at the figure and Dermot did a double-take in reaction. Jandrico further specified that for that price, there would be no questions asked regarding the targets; whoever engaged the party would be dealt with. (Looked at from the perspective of the "insurance" provider, in effect each "agent" is offering an all-you-can-kill service for 250 gold an hour - which for assassins seems a bargain rate. Of course Jandrico would be taking his cut off the top, so in reality it would probably work out to 200 gold received by each "agent" for the job. It is important to do the maths for these situations. --R)

Shanni, after a few more questions, sighed and mentioned that she had “a bit stashed for a rainy day” and that this was probably one of those. She was particularly concerned about the possibility of them being outnumbered. Ever polite, Jandrico told them he considered them capable individuals, so perhaps the arrangement would not be necessary. Yet, he was willing to make the offer out of trust and gratitude for their previous actions.

 

[Carlo-One]

Dermot asked Aerikoth and Darrow what they thought of the offer of additional protection, before committing himself. The wizard tersely stated that it was unnecessary in his opinion. Darrow was more open to the idea, saying that if “Beast” – his pet nickname for Shanni – thought they needed it after talking to her boyfriend, he would cough up half a thousand. This statement caused a bit of spluttering in response from Shanni, who insisted that Juril wasn’t her boyfriend. The dwarf just chuckled and sipped his ale.

The ranger somewhat reluctantly agreed to pay a share, muttering that there had better be an ambush after all, as he started counting out gold trade-bars. Shanni and Darrow also pulled out their purses, ending up splitting the 1,000 gold cost three ways; Aerikoth made no move to contribute. Jandrico collected the money and told them that their “insurance” would be at the meeting site in two hours, starting at hour 19. In response to a question from Shanni, he informed her that if all went well, the party would not even know they were there, as no direct contact would be made. He explained that any enemies who attacked them outside the building, however, would be engaged. Jandrico then excused himself, wishing them a pleasant and peaceful evening.

Dermot commented that if there was a fight, the plan should be to lead it outside, so they could get their money’s worth. Shanni felt that she would look a right twit, as she put it, if there wasn’t an ambush, promising that Juril would then feel it too. She mentioned he had told her that one of their group had informed the Cormaerils about the upcoming meeting; though reportedly angry at first, they then said to go ahead with it. This smacked to Shanni of House Cormaeril having made their own arrangements regarding the meeting, even if the Scarlet Company did not start anything. Both Dermot and Shanni feelingly expressed their willingness to take on any Cormaeril forces.

Darrow, after glancing at the bottom of his empty ale mug and chuckling ironically, made the observation that they had just spent twice as much gold on "insurance" as they were likely to get for doing the job of removing the Scarlet Company from the city. Shanni said the thought had occurred to her as well. The petite rogue then brought up the problem of communications at the meeting site, between those inside and outside the building. Aerikoth confirmed he did not have a spell that could assist in the matter. Shanni expressed some concern about there being innocents in the place, which Dermot pointed out was another good reason for drawing any fighting outside.

Darrow, practical as ever, summed up his understanding of the plan. Rahnee, Aerikoth and he would go inside and "chit chat" with the Scarlets, as he put it. Assuming the Cormaerils attacked them inside, they would head outside - where Dermot, Shanni and their insurance would deal with the problem. Shanni suggested they have Aerikoth get them out, maybe to his place nearby, then return to the scene. Darrow thought it sounded workable. After thinking a bit, Shanni also asked if they could try to take the Scarlets alive. Darrow agreed that should be assumed, since he didn’t expect the mercenary company would start anything themselves.