Post by Fernleaf on Jul 7, 2024 20:42:18 GMT
It sounds like a straightforward enough request, to show up at the office of the Daring Heights Watch to assist them with an investigation. I am still not used to working in a group, but at least this notice allowed for individual applications. The building is not far from Portal Plaza, so it wasn’t hard to find. Upon arrival it was obvious which of the waiting people were adventurers, since we wear no common uniform. I recognize the rogue Erron from my first adventure in Kantas, but don’t know anyone else. The six of us are called into the commander’s office and the dwarf brusquely states the facts of the case, giving us some locations from which to start. A halfling merchant named Annie Bach has gone missing, and a preacher named Julius Mapleseed reported seeing someone with “sinister airs” before her disappearance. Captain Moonstone suspects kidnapping. As we leave the Watch I look at the others with curiosity. It is clear that most of us don’t know each other. Three of the party are birdfolk, Tayz, Pyrin and Egg. Additionally there is an older gentleman by the name of Dr. Archie Halturh, who asks if my staff is magical (it is not, just useful on the trail) and I learn that he is also a wizard. There is discussion of going first to Annie’s shop in the Dawnmarket, but I suggest to the others it might be more expedient to start with the preacher. We are told he’s been living off Grave Road, and he may not be at home. Based on my tour of the city last week I feel we are closer to that location, but it would also be annoying to have to backtrack later to speak with him.
We reach the house in question without difficulty. Luckily there are others who are more skilled with conversation. We learn that the preacher hasn’t been in for a few days (not unusual) and had a tiefling visitor recently with whom they seemed to be on good terms. After some more conversation we are allowed in to investigate the preacher's room. Dr. Archie offers to flavor the homeowners tea in thanks for their assistance - such an interesting use of prestidigitation! With some magical aid we start looking for clues. At first the room seems normal. It is a tight squeeze with all of us in the room. Kneeling down I notice a clump of reddish clay near the door. I have not seen soil like this anywhere in the city, but upon conferring with the others, find that it is typical of Stoneside and the Dwarven Quarter on the city’s west side. Egg examines the preacher’s small shrine to Shaundakul and determines that the holy symbols have been deliberately desecrated. Pyrin notices soot above the door and manages to scrape some off with his dagger. Those with experience decide it is brimstone, but there is no way to determine if it is magical or alchemical in origin.
We leave the tiny room and reconvene on the street outside. I assume we will take a similar path to the one Keros showed me last week to reach the Dawnmarket, but Tayz has another idea. He pulls out a small statuette and uses it to summon a bronze griffon! The beast is called Joseph, and Tayz assures us it is friendly - as long as we follow his directions carefully and keep all body parts away from the beak. Dr. Archie, Erron and myself mounted the huge griffon, and the rest of the party flew on their own wings. We spiraled up out of the lane and were soaring over the city. It was exhilarating to be so high and to see Daring Heights spread out below! I never thought I could fly like a bird (apologies to the pigeons that became a snack for Joseph). Dr. Archie seemed less than thrilled at this mode of transport, but I let him know that I had Feather Fall prepared, so even if we fell we should land safely. I’ve only tried the spell once, but it worked as described.
We didn’t linger to sightsee, and were soon landing outside the Cornucopia. Annie’s employee helpfully took us up to her lodgings. While the preacher's room had been nearly bare this space was full of decorations, boxes of merchandise and personal belongings. The window had been left open, and Pyrin went outside to investigate the exterior of the building. Erron went to the bedroom while the rest of us started looking in the main room for anything that might help us determine a motive or deduce a location to look for the proprietor. I found more clay here, ground into the floorboards. Pyrin came flying back in the window and said it had definitely been forced in from the outside. Archie found a pair of fine white gloves, too large for a halfling. Erron discovered a prayer book to the halfling deity Yondalla under a loose floorboard. Pages have been slashed and torn and it has been marred with an odd symbol, that of a skull of an antelope (or similar beast) pierced by a sword. No one recognizes the icon, but Tayz thinks it is fiendish.
With no further clues and no better lead we once again take flight, this time to Stoneside, the only clue to a location that we have gathered. The flight is too short - I expect my mapping could improve if I could spend more time high above the city! Stoneside is, rather appropriately, filled with buildings that have significant masonry compared to other areas of the city. Dr. Archie, who lives in the area, almost immediately gets pulled into a conversation with an acquaintance. Since we were told that a tiefling was spotted with the preacher the rest of us began looking for someone of a similar description. Pyrin spots a fellow working the bellows in a nearby smithy and starts discussing how it could be determined if they are a person of interest. Having no desire or skill in speaking to people I move off the cobbled street to look for clay. Meanwhile Tayz, feeling a griffon might draw too much attention, has kept watch at the corner with Erron. They spot someone down the street a ways that better matches our leads. Pyrin decides to use flight to sneak further down the street and observe from a height leaving immediately. I suggest that Dr. Archie and I stroll down the street - as a local he could just be showing me around. Tayz will watch everything from above on Joseph. Erron decides to go down the street, appearing to casually inspect the wares of the many artisans and Egg will follow Pyrin. Before we set off Dr. Archie uses a ritual spell to connect the remaining five of us with telepathy. It is strange hearing others inside my head, but is undoubtedly useful as we try to not draw attention to ourselves.
Everyone spreads out. We are far enough up the street that it is hard to tell what is going on, but I don’t like how close Erron is to the target. It reminds me of how he looked when the goblin found him in the underbrush. Within a minute Erron is telling us we have been spotted, and the tiefling demands we meet with him in an alley around the corner. Tayz feels it is time to show our hand and assures us that we will be safe. After determining our quarry doesn’t know our precise number Dr. Archie hangs back and casts Greater Invisibility on himself. We meet up and go into the alley together, Tayz has cast Holy Aura. it is not a spell I have heard of, and causes us all to glow. The individual is aiming a crossbow at us, and wants assurances of safe passage out of the city before they will tell us anything. They claim that they will be killed for being caught, and wish to avoid that fate. There is some discussion and argument regarding this request. Tayz and Egg are particularly uncomfortable with the arrangement. The rest of us are more willing to make a deal, but still aren’t thrilled with letting someone who we are sure is behind the disappearances get away without punishment. A trade is a trade, and each side is getting something they want - but it doesn’t feel the way my past trades have. Annie Bach and Julius Mapleseed didn’t get a chance to negotiate.
Escape promised and our word was accepted, so we started asking questions. The tiefling doesn’t know if the people we are looking for are dead “doesn’t ask what happens afterwards” but expects them to be, and if they aren’t he says they are “much worse off”. He’s done it eight times, four with people but describes the rest as “separate matters” without elaboration, going to drop off points around the city. He gives us a list of locations. He works for an organization called Hekrati and they are represented by the symbol we saw in Annie’s prayer book. He says he serves demons, not devils, when questioned on the matter. He tells us religious symbols make him uncomfortable, when explaining the desecration of shrine and book. He will not give his name, but when I press he says we can refer to him as Killech. He silences his targets with a blackjack, but Annie gave him trouble. She is the only person asked for by name, the others were just individuals who wouldn’t be missed. He took the preacher to cover his tracks. After we have asked all the questions we can think of Dr. Archie opens a portal to Port Ffirst. It is interesting for me to see what a portal looks like after what I learned last week from Avakeel. I expect us to let this kidnapper walk through alone, but Egg insists on accompanying him to make sure he leaves. Tayz and Dr. Archie are clearly uncomfortable with this and go as well. I am sure this is to protect Egg moreso than to escort the individual. I do not know what Killech is capable of, but I expect that I do not know enough yet about magic, devils or demons to hold my own against him.
---
Eventually we all meet up near the Watch. The captain was not happy to hear what we found out, but paid us for our investigation. Erron let the staff at the Cornucopia know what we learned and Pyrin did the same for preacher Mapleseed’s host. Dr. Archie kindly let me copy a spell that I had heard of, Misty Step, from his spellbook. I must reread my notes and perhaps more books at Kora’s to see if I can learn more about the other spells used today.
DM: willemf
Adventurers: Dr. Archie, Egg, Erron, Pyrin, Tayz
We reach the house in question without difficulty. Luckily there are others who are more skilled with conversation. We learn that the preacher hasn’t been in for a few days (not unusual) and had a tiefling visitor recently with whom they seemed to be on good terms. After some more conversation we are allowed in to investigate the preacher's room. Dr. Archie offers to flavor the homeowners tea in thanks for their assistance - such an interesting use of prestidigitation! With some magical aid we start looking for clues. At first the room seems normal. It is a tight squeeze with all of us in the room. Kneeling down I notice a clump of reddish clay near the door. I have not seen soil like this anywhere in the city, but upon conferring with the others, find that it is typical of Stoneside and the Dwarven Quarter on the city’s west side. Egg examines the preacher’s small shrine to Shaundakul and determines that the holy symbols have been deliberately desecrated. Pyrin notices soot above the door and manages to scrape some off with his dagger. Those with experience decide it is brimstone, but there is no way to determine if it is magical or alchemical in origin.
We leave the tiny room and reconvene on the street outside. I assume we will take a similar path to the one Keros showed me last week to reach the Dawnmarket, but Tayz has another idea. He pulls out a small statuette and uses it to summon a bronze griffon! The beast is called Joseph, and Tayz assures us it is friendly - as long as we follow his directions carefully and keep all body parts away from the beak. Dr. Archie, Erron and myself mounted the huge griffon, and the rest of the party flew on their own wings. We spiraled up out of the lane and were soaring over the city. It was exhilarating to be so high and to see Daring Heights spread out below! I never thought I could fly like a bird (apologies to the pigeons that became a snack for Joseph). Dr. Archie seemed less than thrilled at this mode of transport, but I let him know that I had Feather Fall prepared, so even if we fell we should land safely. I’ve only tried the spell once, but it worked as described.
We didn’t linger to sightsee, and were soon landing outside the Cornucopia. Annie’s employee helpfully took us up to her lodgings. While the preacher's room had been nearly bare this space was full of decorations, boxes of merchandise and personal belongings. The window had been left open, and Pyrin went outside to investigate the exterior of the building. Erron went to the bedroom while the rest of us started looking in the main room for anything that might help us determine a motive or deduce a location to look for the proprietor. I found more clay here, ground into the floorboards. Pyrin came flying back in the window and said it had definitely been forced in from the outside. Archie found a pair of fine white gloves, too large for a halfling. Erron discovered a prayer book to the halfling deity Yondalla under a loose floorboard. Pages have been slashed and torn and it has been marred with an odd symbol, that of a skull of an antelope (or similar beast) pierced by a sword. No one recognizes the icon, but Tayz thinks it is fiendish.
With no further clues and no better lead we once again take flight, this time to Stoneside, the only clue to a location that we have gathered. The flight is too short - I expect my mapping could improve if I could spend more time high above the city! Stoneside is, rather appropriately, filled with buildings that have significant masonry compared to other areas of the city. Dr. Archie, who lives in the area, almost immediately gets pulled into a conversation with an acquaintance. Since we were told that a tiefling was spotted with the preacher the rest of us began looking for someone of a similar description. Pyrin spots a fellow working the bellows in a nearby smithy and starts discussing how it could be determined if they are a person of interest. Having no desire or skill in speaking to people I move off the cobbled street to look for clay. Meanwhile Tayz, feeling a griffon might draw too much attention, has kept watch at the corner with Erron. They spot someone down the street a ways that better matches our leads. Pyrin decides to use flight to sneak further down the street and observe from a height leaving immediately. I suggest that Dr. Archie and I stroll down the street - as a local he could just be showing me around. Tayz will watch everything from above on Joseph. Erron decides to go down the street, appearing to casually inspect the wares of the many artisans and Egg will follow Pyrin. Before we set off Dr. Archie uses a ritual spell to connect the remaining five of us with telepathy. It is strange hearing others inside my head, but is undoubtedly useful as we try to not draw attention to ourselves.
Everyone spreads out. We are far enough up the street that it is hard to tell what is going on, but I don’t like how close Erron is to the target. It reminds me of how he looked when the goblin found him in the underbrush. Within a minute Erron is telling us we have been spotted, and the tiefling demands we meet with him in an alley around the corner. Tayz feels it is time to show our hand and assures us that we will be safe. After determining our quarry doesn’t know our precise number Dr. Archie hangs back and casts Greater Invisibility on himself. We meet up and go into the alley together, Tayz has cast Holy Aura. it is not a spell I have heard of, and causes us all to glow. The individual is aiming a crossbow at us, and wants assurances of safe passage out of the city before they will tell us anything. They claim that they will be killed for being caught, and wish to avoid that fate. There is some discussion and argument regarding this request. Tayz and Egg are particularly uncomfortable with the arrangement. The rest of us are more willing to make a deal, but still aren’t thrilled with letting someone who we are sure is behind the disappearances get away without punishment. A trade is a trade, and each side is getting something they want - but it doesn’t feel the way my past trades have. Annie Bach and Julius Mapleseed didn’t get a chance to negotiate.
Escape promised and our word was accepted, so we started asking questions. The tiefling doesn’t know if the people we are looking for are dead “doesn’t ask what happens afterwards” but expects them to be, and if they aren’t he says they are “much worse off”. He’s done it eight times, four with people but describes the rest as “separate matters” without elaboration, going to drop off points around the city. He gives us a list of locations. He works for an organization called Hekrati and they are represented by the symbol we saw in Annie’s prayer book. He says he serves demons, not devils, when questioned on the matter. He tells us religious symbols make him uncomfortable, when explaining the desecration of shrine and book. He will not give his name, but when I press he says we can refer to him as Killech. He silences his targets with a blackjack, but Annie gave him trouble. She is the only person asked for by name, the others were just individuals who wouldn’t be missed. He took the preacher to cover his tracks. After we have asked all the questions we can think of Dr. Archie opens a portal to Port Ffirst. It is interesting for me to see what a portal looks like after what I learned last week from Avakeel. I expect us to let this kidnapper walk through alone, but Egg insists on accompanying him to make sure he leaves. Tayz and Dr. Archie are clearly uncomfortable with this and go as well. I am sure this is to protect Egg moreso than to escort the individual. I do not know what Killech is capable of, but I expect that I do not know enough yet about magic, devils or demons to hold my own against him.
---
Eventually we all meet up near the Watch. The captain was not happy to hear what we found out, but paid us for our investigation. Erron let the staff at the Cornucopia know what we learned and Pyrin did the same for preacher Mapleseed’s host. Dr. Archie kindly let me copy a spell that I had heard of, Misty Step, from his spellbook. I must reread my notes and perhaps more books at Kora’s to see if I can learn more about the other spells used today.
DM: willemf
Adventurers: Dr. Archie, Egg, Erron, Pyrin, Tayz