The Bazarr and Tidings of 2 Fathers of the Red Water Fellowship

The RedWater Fellowship stand once again in the bazaar near Noose's guild of thieves.

As some of the party start looking about talking with merchants, Kantif goes up to Hagrahoc once he’s alone. “Since we finished this mission successfully, I’d like to discuss what you had in mind with finding Advull (Kantif’s father).”

The large dragonborn looks down at the 1/2 elf with a toothy grin. He asks the rogue/monk for some treasure and would supply the details,

"I think we should get clean before we take Ms.Crakin home, hate to smell up the place," D

oc says as he tries to wipe grime off himself. The party are all covered in sewage so head off to a side cavern where they find a small natural stream and waterfall. There the heroes clean up. Gothi's pet dinosaur (?) Qtyp - seems to have become a scavenger and goes out looking at night or when the party rests. Finds a broken spear, but the spear head seems to be majicked.. Vencer is able to detect the magical aura on a number of spoils of battle the party had gathered and then with Graxusas spell-use able to determine what they are. Entering the bazaar, the party find some unique items barters with a number of strange merchants and even find a gate to another plane..(?) Cedric can feel the souls or spirits of a large host from a black gate or door. Declining to pass through even though he felt a pull from the portal.

Doc Holliday gets some nice clothes, while others acquire some new items. The party then encounter a strange tiefling.. Thurr Tynne (DM: pronounced "13". This merchant the players had encountered before - Laughing Moons campaign )

A number of the party acquire the green flaming red pickles and enjoy their effects. Graxusas the rotund sorcerer becomes quite athletic. Gothi cooks one, and gets thrown around like a rag-doll. Kantif eats one and a duplicate/clone of Kantif appears!  After some discussion and persuasion, Clone - Kantif-2 decides to stay with the group now going under the name Kaleer.

Meeting up with Noose - guild-master of the Scarlet Spider Syndicate, a pleasant meal and drinks are had.The Master is pleased with the outcome and the removal of the rat cult. His plans to expand further under the city could now continue.

He agrees to the provide the guide to the Green where the heroes can continue their quests to find Thograa as well as the member of Doc's tribe. The party decides to take Ms. Crakin back to the Crakin estate first, and then go to the Green. Noose tells Hagrahoc he will accompany the heroes to the Green. The dragonborn does NOT seem to be happy about this.

Kantif learns his father was working for the Black Runes.. possibly an assassin or a scout or undercover espionage over a month ago in Wayberry early on in the invasion. He may be moved on West or Southwest if still with the BlackRunes. It seems he reports - most likely - to the Inquisitor Darakus that rules the local area.. which the party had met previously.

Leaving town, getting some gear and their horses, they leave town for the Crakin estate. They arrive at the estate, under guard by some Crakin escorts. Meeting some of his childhood and teen years enemies: Dunbirk, Tyler and Kristin. and the patriarch of the Crakins, Ophelia Crakin.

After some tough and go negotiations, Doc and the fellowship learn that Doc's father and Ophelia's husband went out to together and she holds a extreme grudge.. as her husband perished. This was to find the plague that was affecting the Duress estate. So it seems Doc's father is held in a church or monastery to the North, once a rival winemaker as well.

Doc had a deep urge to go find and hopefully save his father so that was the next step after the party votes.

Traveling the party crosses a massive canyon with a long rope and wood bridge. The horses get restless and then skeletal hands burst out of the ground, pulling a horse down and the party is attacked by undead. After an eventful battle, the undead defeated, the Fellowship bind wounds and take a breath.

Next time, the old monastery..

Rest, treasure and an interesting turn of Events

 As the RedWater Fellowship rest and recuperate, they search for treasure and wake the remaining skaven. It did not seem the ratman spoke common so they set a guard on him and started searching further.

Kantif turns to Doc, upset from the recent events. “You were too reckless in that fight. We almost lost you and we almost died trying to save you too. You have to be more careful next time.” Doc lays in a pool of his own blood heaving and smiling "My time came for me, that rat had to die and I would have gone down either way. I have accepted my fate, it's coming sooner rather than later I know that. All of us aren't going to make it through this war." 

Using the golden scarab to find treasure, it scuttled into a crack in the wall. Kantif investigates and is able to find a secret door. After dealing with locks and traps, they are able to enter the small room.


 What looks to be a bedroom is quite well decorated, there are three tapestries, show the 3 Elvish brothers continuing their quest.
One tapestry shows the second brother defeated by a large 3-headed scaly creature. Another tapestry details the third brother was falls to a host of infernal minions. The 3rd tapestry shows the last of the four brothers walking up a long path to black castle with two towers, with a sea of bones surrounding. The Fellowship decide to take the 3

tapestries for future study and possibly selling or display in the flying tower.
Some interesting items are found, and the Fellowship decide to take a rest and recover as all are tired and wounded.
The 2 captives recover and speak with the party.   
One is named Vencer, whom is a wizard and had been captured by the skaven. The other.. a young woman named Penelope Crakin, daughter of one of the three Crakin brothers Doc Holliday knew

well and the party had met outside the Duress estate. (DM: see blog entry: Reunions, old friends and enemies) She is Tyler Crakin's daughter.
 

Doc Holliday and the rest of the party look at each over in shock and there are many plans forming as the Crakin clan are merchant opponents and enemies as of late.. There looked to be some possible evidence that Doc's father was being held by the Crakin clan. The young woman does not seem to recognize Doc or the name of Holliday, and seems oblivious to the war between Duress and Crakin.

The prisoner is interrogated and they determine the rat warrens where the creatures lived. The party lets the skaven leave as it had fulfilled the bargain to point out the way out and the rat warrens. Searching they find some more treasure amongst the rooms. They are able to find some of Vencer's gear as well as Penelope's. The party decides it is prudent to get Penelope back to the Crakin estate, thinking there may be an option to negotiate.
Leaving the former rooms of the Rat god, they encounter what seems to be traps that would have hindered any coming into the rooms. Passing those, the party come across a number of false doors, and old storage rooms. These lead out to a different secret door entrance into the sewer near the underground bazaar. Hagrahoc, is quite certain these new ways into the complex will be very useful

to the thieves guild.. his grin is toothy and wide.
 
(DM: a short session this time due to technical difficulties)

Temple of the Galixtik the Spiny Rat God

Our Heroes barter with the strange gnome tinker whom paddles with sewers under Wayberry. The party trade for a number of interesting items. Eli, seems to have minimal to no interest in gold.. mumbling in his high-pitch voice "Got lot's of that!"
He is quite interested in a number of the monstrous body parts and fluids the party has acquired, as well as magic items they have. Mumbling and exclaiming as Gothi pulls out giant spider eyes and then Doc Holliday shows the gnome: remorhaz blood and fins.
He shows the party how to use a few of the seemingly technology and magic fused devices, they decide to trade for.

Doctor Holliday, offers the gnome artificer a welcome at his family tribe stronghold, hoping the small gnome - he is just over 2' tall - a job and describes the wondrous flying tower. Eli's eyes light up at this and the RedWater Fellowship think they may have another joining the ranks of the ragtag crew..

Taking their leave, the party moves off into the gloom and starts exploring more towards the thrumming and murmuring sounds of the rat god cult to Galixtik. The sewers continue, the putrid smell no better here than before. Tracking the skaven, they are able to determine the creature has taken a tunnel where the flow waterfalls down into the gloom. Successfully traversing the slippery and dangerous space, the party moves on. Passing a large flow whirlpooling down a drain, the murmuring and thrumming is getting louder as they reach another waterfall of

sewage coming down into the passage.. Doc Holliday and Gothi climb up - trying to stay dry but are soon covered in filth - to a large grate where the flow of sewage pours down.
A massive room comes into view as the murmuring as now chanting in a strange squeaking tongue that ends in this heavy thrum.
A shiver runs up heroes' spines as they gaze into a large chamber. A strange glow that lights up a vast room does not seem to emanate from any one point. There are 6 massive pillars, 3 on each side. Dominating the room is a shimmering yellow 1/2 translucent (one can see through it) giant statue on a steep set of stairs at the far end - now you know it is an idol to the Spiny Rat God, Galixtik. Standing over 70  feet high, the lifelike statue hunches over a group of worshippers.
A swirling amber and green putrid fluid pours out from the

chest, oozing down the steps over 4 bound humanoid captives, tied down to shadowy black low tables struggling in their bonds. The ooze flows over them and then into many holes in the steps. This seems to then flow into the sewer.  A putrid and slow moving flow of sewage water flows from under the stairs and the idol, in a channel on each side of the room through each of the 6 pillars. It ends in a whirlpool in a central pool that the party assume further down to whence they came.
There are a probably 20 to 30 of the Rat like humanoids - skaven - in the room. Most seem to be kneeling or crouched in worship, swaying to the music and a strangely soothing voice..
The party note at the massive clawed feet of the idol, the female quarry! One of 2 skaven they have been hunting. She slowly dances facing out to the group as if in a trance, singing in a very soothing voice that seems to affect the rats..

The party prepares, and unleashes a mass of attacks on the skaven. Shots ring out, arrows fly, a Silence spell nullifies the female skaven. Her singing stopping seems to lessen the powers of the rats. Then a web spell holds her in place from Graxusas. The shot and blows of Doc Holliday pierce and cut down many, as he jumps forward into the thick of the rats prostrated on the floor with masses of rats at their feet. Cedric attacks a massive hulking rat that had been drinking from the sewer as well as skaven that are in full platemail, shield and sword. Kantif uses his sneak attack to deadly affect, Gothi, walking up the side of the nearest large pillar, shoots her bow hitting many of the rodent humanoids.
With surprise over, the battle is engaged. The massive hulking skaven attack and smite down on to paladin Cedric. Doc Holliday now fully surrounded is swarmed by masses of rats and skaven trying to bear the determined 1/2 orc to the ground.
Hargrahoc, is able to sneak attack as well, using his eldritch knight skills to good effect, as does Gothi's warlock henchman, Asagron, eldritch blasts hitting many skaven while the rangers mount, JawBone, tears into masses of the swarming rats.
The battle continues until the ancient priest appears and it looks bad for the RedWater Fellowship.
Then tragedy.. Doc Holliday falls to the ground a deathly pallor to his already greyish skin. Having already used his orcish endurance to battle back, the paladin lies dead.
The party is able to get a revivification potion to bring back Doc Holliday and the tide turns.. just in time. Seeing the battle turning, the high priest steps through the gate to the Shadowfell where the putrid essence is pouring forth from.
Standing over the masses of dead rats and skaven, the party takes a breath and binds wounds and

wipes brows covered in sweat and blood.
Realizing this is the location to do the ceremony to stop the rat gods coming, the 2 paladins work together to allowing Doc Holliday to pray and reach out to the Raven Queen to power the ceremony.

 For a moment, Doc Holliday sees a shadowy castle and a figure at a
window, as the figure walks by it briefly looks out at the paladin, then turns and walks out of view.
Cedric, feels as if a wave of fate washed over him, seeing his goddess Istus. As she fades from view,  Cedric sees a battlefield. It looks to have been a pyrrhic victory between a host of dwarves - dark skin even black - and a smaller contingent of humans and elves. Cedric feels as if he is floating above and sees a young soldier with heraldry of 2 tall trees wrapping around a large sword dripping with green blood.
The young soldier, multiple arrows in his back oozing blood looks up and Cedric is shocked to see the dying soldier seems to see the paladin.
One blood covered hand raises as the soldier says.. "Santislar".. then the soldier's hand drops the eyes glaze over and life fades.. and Cedric is once again standing in the temple to the former Rat god..



The Skaven and masses of rats are dead or scattered, except 1 skaven which slept through the whole battle courtesy of a sleep bolt from Kantif.  Of the four captives, two are dead from a last blast of a spell from the old priest skaven, but the party rescued two, still unconscious, but alive.