11th of Planting
When last we left our heroes...
“I suggest we try to find some place to buy supplies and magic items. We don’t know when we’ll back in civilization. Unfortunately though, I don’t have any money.” Faust suggests.
Vencer pats the few coins left in his measly coin purse and says " I am the same my friend. We will perhaps use the funds of our group and the money lent to us by our employer."
Rox looks about and sighs. “I wish I could help or come with you all.” She has one of the kobold’s shortswords polished to a shine and the the blade was jagged and worn it looks deadly sharp now. A shortbow and quiver of barbed arrows sits nearby repaired and ready.
Eldeth rests under Skrit’s medical care now, looking to be sleeping peacefully.
"If things go bad we need someone to be able to return what information and funds we have gathered to our employers. We also need someone on the outside and this isn't a job we can't have filled." Vencer says and traces his fingers across the new spells in his spellbook.
Roxx sighs nodding in agreement.
Around 2 bells in the afternoon, Gruuulin the winged serpent was asleep wrapped around the chandelier chain then with a flash of blue light disappears. Vencer - and now Faust - know this is when a Master of the familiar unsummons or sends the creature back to its home plane..
Vencer does some research into the access/contact cards the Jade Sanctuary gives out to guests. A combination of illusion, divination and alteration magic is involved in the creation. Vencer determines that a laboratory and further extensive research and ingredients will be required to duplicate.
Faust is interested in getting some adventuring gear, magic and other. So they speak with Xirra whom advises that magic items are not readily available since the war started or previously. Other gear - related to wilderness or mountain survival is, a number of shops and stores sell this as it is a mining town. The topic of healing potions is raised or holy water. There were previously 2 temples in the town. A goddess of luck called Miss Fortune - Roxxberry raises her head at this, seems she is a worshipper of the goddess. Vencer have taken a course in lesser deities has heard of the demigod -
The other temple is a temple to Zuoken. physical and mental mastery, monks and other martial artists worship him and follow his monastic way. It closed when the forces of IUZ were far away but heading towards this frontier.
The party makes ready and Xirra summons a carriage for the group. The rain is pouring down at this point. A young male human driver pulls up and takes them into the slums. The area looks to have had a fire here, many if not all are charred shards and ruin. There is a single standing building unaffected by the fire. A sign showing 2 coins flipping into the air hangs on one corner. The building definitely does not look like a standard temple, more like a tavern or casino.
The driver is not required to wait and horses and carriage roll off into the pouring rain. After some surveillance and covert investigation - Mephisto the imp is very experienced in this area as well as Vencer's familiar - the party note some eyes following their movements from a 2 story building the majority burned and fallen away. Heading around back, the party uses Pyra's rogue skills and more to gain entry to a 2nd floor window. The party all enter and start to explore. No one is encountered on the 2nd floor as the adventurers move through what appears to be a storage room and office. They move to a stair down that opens up into a large area with gaming tables, and sitting areas. A casino. They hear some movement in a bar area and encounter a worker - a dwarf.
Surprised but not afraid, the dwarf tells the party that all the priests, casino master, are out of town since the takeover by IUZ forces. He is a caretaker. Faust and Vencer inquire on purchasing potions and holy water. The dwarf declines.. but then suggests a wager. rolling dice. Vencer and Faust wager and bear the dwarf gaining minor healing potions in the wager.
Taking their leave - through the door this time - the party then walk up the other temple to Zuoken in a upper class area of town, more patrols walk these areas. This large building is multiple stories tall no windows until the 4th floor. The doors are firmly closed.
A passing old man holding a piece of canvas over his head to keep some of the rain off yells at them the temple is closed and none are there.. the party discusses breaking in and other options. Vencer thinks back to his studies, the wizard did a project on this in his final year. The god is one of law, punishing law-breakers, monks and martial artists. Likely the party thinks the Zuoken priests departed much before IUZ's forces came close. AS the god diametrically opposes IUZ. At this, the party decide to return to the Jade Sanctuary.
The Mission Starts
The party prepare. Vencer's familiar still in spider form in the mansion note a gnome - short and wizened - casting a spell on each statue or bust in all the rooms. This causes some great concern..
Faust visits the library in the Jade Sanctuary on Githyanki. The warlock finds minimal information. Dwellers on the astral sea, they look to have a primary enemy of the illithids.
Closing on 7 bells in the evening, Vencer and Irakul - now disguised as the Merchant of Shiboleth, a swarthy, greasy haired man - with Irakul at his side - no longer hooded but masked as a body guard and Mephisto the imp on the wizard's shoulder. His cover being a merchant formerly to Wayberry now looking for new ventures in iron for weapons and other works in the forges in Shiboelth. Vencer casts flock of familiars and has two more spiders in tow.
The rest of the party - Faust, Skrit, Pyra and Roxxberry - will walk up to the mansion.
merchants, town council and more. Vencer socializes, although most folks stay away from Irakul. There is a strange music (?) coming from all the busts and statues - the aforementioned magic mouth spells. (DM: think 80s instrumental).
As the two with invisible Mephisto on a shoulder - mingle enjoying some appetizers and drinks, the outside party arrives at the Golden Bloom. There is a buzz of conversation and cheers and clapping is heard from the 2nd floor.
Vencer notes a robed drow that the spiders had noted before, it seems the male had cast a spell covertly but Irakul notes this and looks to be scanning all the guests as he weaves through the crowd.
Vencer and Irakul make their way upstairs. More guests occupy the 2nd floor and seem to be mainly gathered around a large model of an arena.
Arena battles. in the centre of the main landing is a miniature arena. Small figures - humanoid and monstrous - battle each other. It seems there is magic but not illusion here, study it looks to be real. An attendee, moves dead bodies out of the way and 2 new combatants engage.
A manticore looks to be fighting three dwarves, throwing spikes from its spiked tail. Defeating and starts to eat one of the dwarves as an attendant picks up the manticore with a thick glove as it tries to bite him. Lifting the roof of a outer building to the arena, Puts the creature into a cage.
The attendant then bring out two new combatants. An elf female carrying a short spear and buckler versus a insectoid creature, 4 arms and 2 legged. Carrying a glaive as well as what looks like multiple throwing 3 bladed star like weapon.
A number of guests laugh and point some making bets on the winner. A fat merchant pokes Vencer in the ribs and wagers 50 gold on the insectoid. Vencer agrees.
They square off, the elf does well at first scoring 2 hits on the insectoid. It then blurs and is missed. She is hit multiple times, her spear knocked out of her grasp. The insectoid disappears and the girl twisting around with buckler in both hands, exhausted. At this point, Vencer intervenes getting his spider familiar to enter the battlefield. This creates an up roar as it crawls through the outer arena and then through the miniature halls into the arena. It attacks the insectoid killing it and the spider disappears. The insectoid - a thri-keen - is dead.
The guests are in an up roar, some think this addition to be part of the entertainment. Others cry
out calling this to be a farce or rigged event. Some happy some sad at losing bets wander away. The attendee - a drow male picks up the dead insectoid and puts it in a case. He then delicately grabs the female elf avoiding the glaive as it struggles and a small outside building of the arena is noted. The drow lifts the roof and places the winner in a cell amongst a variety of other creatures.. a firegiant, a demon or devil covered in chains, a group of humanoid fish like creatures. Another building on opposite side of the arena perhaps holds more combatants.
Vencer confronts the losing merchant and agrees that the contest was rigged and takes no winnings. The merchant passes his card to Vencer: Frant Werks. Purveyor of the wondrous and unique.
At this point the drow wizard with spell still going - they assume - is now walking the 2nd floor intently looking at all. The magic mouths on the statues stop the strange music and announce 'Dinner is served." Tables are brought out and a large sumptuous buffet is served to all.
Vencer and Irakul continue to avoid the drow wizard and then the wizard is able to get his familiar to crawl under the door into the commander's room.
Vencer then summons another spider planning to distract the attendants and guards, Vencer and Irakul move down to the large statue to cast misty step. A wave of pain crashes into Vencer now with a splitting headache. He steps back from the strange statue looks around, gets his other spider familiar to appear in the arena - shouts of screams are heard to distract all. and the wizard misty steps into the commander's room. The spider crawls under the one door and notes a bathroom. A number of magical items are scanned in the room: a large ax, a statue of a demonic creature as well as a room to the South, the chest at the bottom of the bed, the door to the hall, a flask on the side table.
Vencer moves over to the fireplace and looks about the axe. Vencer steps on a board in front of the fireplace and hears a click.. a flight of darts shoot out from cracks in the fireplace, hitting both heroes. The wizard is feeling woozy and exhausted. Irakul is fine.
Mephisto is sent back to his home plane and then flies invisibly to the outer window to the commander's chamber. Vencer opens the window allowing Mephisto to enter the room.
Irakul steps up to cast identify on the axe, and the small demonic creature animates and twists its head to look at the goliath. "I wouldn't do that.." in a screechy voice.
The outside crew continue to enjoy some drinks and food at the Golden Bloom watching the rain
come down in sheets, then while Pyra walks around and sneaks to the base of the mansion and is able to scale the wall without issue.
The party look at the options, the chest the wardrobe the strange demonic statue, the flask on the side table, the fireplace, the axe. But where is the amulet..? How much time do they have?
