[DH] The fall of Stoneleaf – 19 Feb. 2019 – Heret
Feb 26, 2019 13:00:14 GMT
mattwilkin and Milo Brightmane like this
Post by Heret Velnnarul on Feb 26, 2019 13:00:14 GMT
21 Alturiak, 1396 AR
at the Gilded Mirror, Daring Heights
Afflicted by the unusual malady lately affecting DH. Weak, sluggish, cold. Town Council has forbidden both entry and egress, so cannot seek physic from Amn, must rely on local healers. Their ordinary medicaments and magics seem useless. I am particularly affected because of my old injury: breathing is often very difficult and must rest after any activity.
Yesterday in the evening, returned from quarry town of Stoneleaf, W of DH. Captain Thundercog had offered employment to those willing to investigate the town, which gave opportunity to map the area and see the state of stone-mining there.
Also taking this commission:
Z, P, B went to Stoneleaf in Nightal last year and found it infested with undead creatures, many of which they destroyed. Hearing their reports, T lately sent half a dozen guards to investigate. They failed to report, and so T asked us to go (his other guards being presently occupied with unrest around town caused by the stirrings of this sickness). He immediately agreed my request for 100gp each as a fee – does nobody in this town negotiate? NOTE: ask for more next time. BB wisely asked for healing potions in addition, but here T drew the line and gave them to us on loan, to be returned or the value to be deducted from our fee (at a discounted rate of 20gp however). Also provided us with an official seal of the town to prove ourselves to the guards should we find them.
Leaving DH by north gate we passed by a poor settlement without the walls where it seemed the ailment had struck many. Some dogs had been butchered and their heads set on stakes there, perhaps a superstitious ward against the malady. Children were playing among the corpses, and a young bard followed us a way playing a dirge until P bought his silence with a few coins.
Rode ~6 hrs on the quarry road, camping somewhat outside Stoneleaf. By this time several of us were feeling sickly. Perhaps infected by BB, who recounted that she had caught something from the stable-hand in DH when hiring a horse for the journey. Sleep did no good, but K and B made some poultices that eased the discomfort a measure.
Stoneleaf itself was entirely deserted and looted. In an abandoned trading post I found an accounting ledger and took away the written pages to study later for any insight into local commerce. TASK: study ledger pages.
P impatiently flew away and by and by we found him in the quarry, just about to enter a tunnel in the rock. As I followed, P was advancing down the tunnel, passing safely and obliviously through a crowd of shuffling living corpses. The far end of the tunnel was dark but a voice was entreating P to help open a magically sealed door. I tried to advance but the undead creatures attacked me and I was soon surrounded. P was heedless and B was nowhere to be seen but K and Z came to my aid. Beyond the bodies I glimpsed a glowing crowned figure talking to P, when of a sudden the crown rose up from its head and it, and all the other walking cadavers, fell to the ground. B, it seems, had become invisible and snatched the crown. Z looted the corpses and reported that 6 of them were dressed in the uniforms of DH guards – the party we had been sent to find.
There were three stone arches, carved with old letters, each sealed with some shimmering magic. The crown seemed the key. As we discussed what to do, P simply took the crown and used it to open the gateway to the left, whereon the crown itself merged with the rock, leaving no clear way to open the other gates. The choice made, we ventured down the corridor and found a room protected by pits of spikes. Leaping across, I found that the floor between the pits was impossibly smooth and I could not but slide into the pit, badly injuring myself – indeed I might have died had not P revived me. After recovering, I devised a grim counsel, which we all together took up: we dragged the corpses from the previous chamber to fill the pits so that we could walk across. All aside from Z, that is, who was determined to traverse the room using pitons and rope even after we had filled the pits.
The room contained some valuable and ancient things: a great tapestry depicting a human warrior in battle, and a display case containing a shield, a suit of chain mail, and a helmet. These things we took and, feeling weak and sickly, agreed to return to DH, though the corridor continued beyond and we might have explored further had we been in good health.
Arriving at the gate of DH, we were at first barred from entering by the guard, who said that in our absence the town had been closed to all entrants. Seeing the official seal given us by Captain T, the guard allowed us to enter but warned that we could not then leave again. We did so and took the items for identification by a local mage.
Own conduct:
Gained:
5 x 100gp
1 enchanted helm (val. ~440gp)
1 suit of enchanted chain mail (val. ~17,000gp)
1 enchanted shield (val. ~600gp)
1 antique tapestry (val. ~200gp)
The word ‘Gladstone’ was wrought in the tapestry, apparently naming the warrior. This name I know not, but P has faint memories of tales of this man in the history of Kantas. The armour may have belonged to him, for the shield at least resembles the one held by the warrior in the tapestry. With more research into this history and provenance, the whole set could have sold for much more than their decorative value or usefulness alone would merit, but Z in particular was very eager to use the armour for himself and could not persuaded otherwise. We therefore agreed to share everything by unprovenanced value. On behalf of the Company, bought a number of potions of rest from Z so that he could then distribute the gold among the rest of the party in recognition of the great value of his share. Thus—
Distribution of gains:
(Z has a plentiful supply of these potions of rest, having gathered huge quantities of the restorative liquid from a fountain on an island near Port Ffirst. P had made a map of the location which he spontaneously gave me!)
TASK: when recovered, research ‘Gladstone’.
TASK: sketch plan of quarry tunnels.
TASK: in due course return to tunnels for further exploration.
TASK: in due course investigate fountain of rest for possible bottling and export.
at the Gilded Mirror, Daring Heights
Afflicted by the unusual malady lately affecting DH. Weak, sluggish, cold. Town Council has forbidden both entry and egress, so cannot seek physic from Amn, must rely on local healers. Their ordinary medicaments and magics seem useless. I am particularly affected because of my old injury: breathing is often very difficult and must rest after any activity.
Yesterday in the evening, returned from quarry town of Stoneleaf, W of DH. Captain Thundercog had offered employment to those willing to investigate the town, which gave opportunity to map the area and see the state of stone-mining there.
Also taking this commission:
- Zig (see record of 5 Alturiak, now showing ever more plunderous inclinations, though also flashes of acuity)
- Keriss (see record of 15 Alturiak)
- Pieni (see record of 5 Alturiak, a very useful scout in the open air but impetuous)
- BB, a firbolg, another arcanist, quite shrewd
Z, P, B went to Stoneleaf in Nightal last year and found it infested with undead creatures, many of which they destroyed. Hearing their reports, T lately sent half a dozen guards to investigate. They failed to report, and so T asked us to go (his other guards being presently occupied with unrest around town caused by the stirrings of this sickness). He immediately agreed my request for 100gp each as a fee – does nobody in this town negotiate? NOTE: ask for more next time. BB wisely asked for healing potions in addition, but here T drew the line and gave them to us on loan, to be returned or the value to be deducted from our fee (at a discounted rate of 20gp however). Also provided us with an official seal of the town to prove ourselves to the guards should we find them.
Leaving DH by north gate we passed by a poor settlement without the walls where it seemed the ailment had struck many. Some dogs had been butchered and their heads set on stakes there, perhaps a superstitious ward against the malady. Children were playing among the corpses, and a young bard followed us a way playing a dirge until P bought his silence with a few coins.
Rode ~6 hrs on the quarry road, camping somewhat outside Stoneleaf. By this time several of us were feeling sickly. Perhaps infected by BB, who recounted that she had caught something from the stable-hand in DH when hiring a horse for the journey. Sleep did no good, but K and B made some poultices that eased the discomfort a measure.
Stoneleaf itself was entirely deserted and looted. In an abandoned trading post I found an accounting ledger and took away the written pages to study later for any insight into local commerce. TASK: study ledger pages.
P impatiently flew away and by and by we found him in the quarry, just about to enter a tunnel in the rock. As I followed, P was advancing down the tunnel, passing safely and obliviously through a crowd of shuffling living corpses. The far end of the tunnel was dark but a voice was entreating P to help open a magically sealed door. I tried to advance but the undead creatures attacked me and I was soon surrounded. P was heedless and B was nowhere to be seen but K and Z came to my aid. Beyond the bodies I glimpsed a glowing crowned figure talking to P, when of a sudden the crown rose up from its head and it, and all the other walking cadavers, fell to the ground. B, it seems, had become invisible and snatched the crown. Z looted the corpses and reported that 6 of them were dressed in the uniforms of DH guards – the party we had been sent to find.
There were three stone arches, carved with old letters, each sealed with some shimmering magic. The crown seemed the key. As we discussed what to do, P simply took the crown and used it to open the gateway to the left, whereon the crown itself merged with the rock, leaving no clear way to open the other gates. The choice made, we ventured down the corridor and found a room protected by pits of spikes. Leaping across, I found that the floor between the pits was impossibly smooth and I could not but slide into the pit, badly injuring myself – indeed I might have died had not P revived me. After recovering, I devised a grim counsel, which we all together took up: we dragged the corpses from the previous chamber to fill the pits so that we could walk across. All aside from Z, that is, who was determined to traverse the room using pitons and rope even after we had filled the pits.
The room contained some valuable and ancient things: a great tapestry depicting a human warrior in battle, and a display case containing a shield, a suit of chain mail, and a helmet. These things we took and, feeling weak and sickly, agreed to return to DH, though the corridor continued beyond and we might have explored further had we been in good health.
Arriving at the gate of DH, we were at first barred from entering by the guard, who said that in our absence the town had been closed to all entrants. Seeing the official seal given us by Captain T, the guard allowed us to enter but warned that we could not then leave again. We did so and took the items for identification by a local mage.
Own conduct:
- Once again laid low, this time by a trap and my own recklessness rather than by combat. NOTE: more caution and thought next time.
Gained:
5 x 100gp
1 enchanted helm (val. ~440gp)
1 suit of enchanted chain mail (val. ~17,000gp)
1 enchanted shield (val. ~600gp)
1 antique tapestry (val. ~200gp)
The word ‘Gladstone’ was wrought in the tapestry, apparently naming the warrior. This name I know not, but P has faint memories of tales of this man in the history of Kantas. The armour may have belonged to him, for the shield at least resembles the one held by the warrior in the tapestry. With more research into this history and provenance, the whole set could have sold for much more than their decorative value or usefulness alone would merit, but Z in particular was very eager to use the armour for himself and could not persuaded otherwise. We therefore agreed to share everything by unprovenanced value. On behalf of the Company, bought a number of potions of rest from Z so that he could then distribute the gold among the rest of the party in recognition of the great value of his share. Thus—
Distribution of gains:
- OMTC: 14 potions of rest, bought from Z at 1,000gp each
- Zig: chain mail + shield + 14,000 - 13,852gp (distributed to rest of party) = 3,748gp in value
- Keriss: helm + 3,308gp = 3,748gp in value
- Pieni: 3,748gp
- BB: 3,748gp
- self: tapestry + 3,548gp = 3,748gp in value
(Z has a plentiful supply of these potions of rest, having gathered huge quantities of the restorative liquid from a fountain on an island near Port Ffirst. P had made a map of the location which he spontaneously gave me!)
TASK: when recovered, research ‘Gladstone’.
TASK: sketch plan of quarry tunnels.
TASK: in due course return to tunnels for further exploration.
TASK: in due course investigate fountain of rest for possible bottling and export.
