Session #2: Rewards and a Terrible Turn of Events  8/1/21

Day 3, Duvin 39 continued: Eager to receive a reward we made our way to the Town Hall.  On the way, I told them of my reluctance to join any side of the on-going war.  I had already declined that “opportunity” during my time at the Techno Diligent Academy and the Terdyr School of Wizardry.  I was relieved that the others were all in agreement

At the Town Hall, the guards refused to let Morchid inside while still in cat form, so he didn’t join us.  The royals were all there arguing about the events at the wedding.  Queen Avendear was trying to hold Tyrinal responsible, but King Phill Zine was not having it.  King Landronyn just looked bored.  We were brought forth one at a time, told to give our account of what happened.  My report was extremely thorough and detailed, probably more than what was needed but I was nervous.  Morchid showed up in Firbolg form and gave an account that I was certain would land him in chains due to his extensive use of the word “bitch”. 

Fortunately, no one took issue with any of our accounts, and they thanked us for our actions. Then they asked if we would be willing to travel south to deal with the Yuan Ti menace.  We declined and they said that the job would be posted to the Board in Redorn and we were dismissed. 

We collected a sizeable reward and decided to do some shopping.  I picked up a decent cooking set from Reok, the blacksmith (who had a rather intense fixation on maces).  Morchid sold him one of his mushrooms which made me feel very uneasy since they usually decay after a few minutes.  After that, we went to the tower of Ander the wizard.  Morchid knocked loudly and a marble slab opened up.   He and I went inside and bumbled around in complete darkness until the lights came up and the room began to spin wildly.  Ander appeared and though he was annoyed at first (especially since Morchid vomited all over the floor), he was interested making money.  I think using my magic to clean the mess helped.

We bought some items.  Squish and Morchid got Backpacks of Holding with a much larger capacity than my newly crafted satchel (No, I am not bitter at all).    I purchased a batch of healing potions.  Morchid and Elariel also paid to have some items made, a Bag of Tricks and a Never-ending Quiver, respectively and the items should be ready in a week and half.

Afterward, we went back to I Live to Zerv to get some supplies for the road back to Redorn.  During the walk, Squish told me that they really don’t like Redorn but reason is too personal for me to write here. (I don’t know who might be reading this in the future).  I wasn’t sure how to respond but I know that I will do whatever I can to help them, especially after what happened next. 

We entered the Inn and a man in Tyrinal colors was talking with Zerv.  Squish snuck in to get a better look at the stranger while the others went on alert for trouble.  Zerv noticed us and told us that the man was looking for me in particular.  It was my father!

Seeing him so far from home set off warning bells in my head and my fears were quickly confirmed.  A month ago, the Elderflower Taphouse burned down.  My mother was gravely injured and not likely to survive.  Though she was still alive, the clerics in Tyrinal wouldn’t even attempt to heal her without payment up front and my father could not afford it.

Immediately I remembered the job that we had turned down in the southern kingdom and I devised a plan to use whatever transportation the royals use in exchange for doing that job.  The others agreed without hesitation, so we headed back to the town hall.  We were given an audience with Vos-trin but unfortunately, the job had already taken by someone else.  Seeing my distress, Vos-trin asked what was wrong and I explained the situation.  He looked furious and he promised us aid in the form of one of the Durrells who could transport us directly to Tyrinal.

After gathering Father and meeting with the Durrell, we were suddenly, gut-wrenchingly, transported to a location outside the city gates.  I led everyone back to my home with no incident, and we found my mother in terrible condition, unconscious with burns covering most of her body.  Stelvor from the Taphouse had been watching over her.  The Durrell healed her and revealed a terrible scar on her chest.  Then he offered to allow me to see what happened through the use of magic.  In the memory, a dark figure had slashed her with a sword and then she began to burn which also set the building on fire.

I was relieved to know that mother was going to be okay but then father told me that a similar fire had broken out in Redorn just a few days ago, at the Hero’s Legacy.  Storg, the dragonborn who ran the orphanage, had been killed along with a number of other people (Children!).  I appealed to the Durrell and he agreed with the urgency of the situation.  After saying goodbye, we transported to Redorn, directly in the middle of Bobbilan’s Tailor Shoppe, where I happen to live!  (It seems that the Durrells’ odd armor had been crafted in part by Anna.) 

After introducing everyone to Anna I took them upstairs to talk, but as we were discussing everything that happened, we heard someone enter the store. It was a dark elf giving a cloak to Anna for repairs.  She said this person often came in with damaged items for repair but didn’t seem concerned, so we went back upstairs for some food.  Morchid seemed to really enjoy the stew that I threw together so hopefully I can get him to avoid more of Squish’s cheese.

A little later, there was a commotion downstairs and we rushed down to find a figure in dark clothes attacking Anna!  They slashed a rapier along her body and within seconds, flames engulfed her head and she fell to the floor screaming.  The others rushed to confront the attacker while I went to heal Anna.  The battle quickly moved into the street after some unfortunate difficulty opening the door by Morchid’s huge bird-like form.  However, I stayed with Anna.  I managed to heal her wound and smother the flames with my coat, but every time I lifted the cloth, the flames flared to life again.

Confident that she wasn’t in danger of dying, I left her sleeping with my coat suppressing the flames and I rushed outside to help the others.  I found a gravely wounded Squish outside with a large cloak wrapped around their head.  Down the street, I spotted Elairiel firing her bow at someone that Morchid, now in his massive cat form, was attacking at the mouth of an alley.  I turned back to Squish and cut a slit in the cloth so they could see and they rushed off to rejoin the fight.  Seeing no other threats on the street, I ran after them.  The battle moved down the alley and by the time I arrived, Morchid was on the ground, his feline head wreathed in flames.  I saw by his wounds that he wasn’t going to be able to maintain his cat form for long, so I waited, convinced that the poison or whatever he was inflicted with would go away, when he changed back.

Except it didn’t!  The flames continued to burn when he was back in his Firbolg shape.  Cursing at whatever hellspawn created this poison, I shouted for one of the others to give me their cloak.  As I wrapped Morchid’s head, I glanced up to see Squish and Elairiel finish off the assassin.  Elairiel collected the body and everything he carried and it was all stuffed into Morchid’s backpack.  Back the shop, I made sure everyone was settled comfortably to rest. Then I looked over the items from the assassin: a fine rapier, a vial filled with liquid, an earring and five rings (one of them magic), a sinister-looking spellbook written in a language I didn’t know, and most alarmingly, a letter. 

As I write this, I keep looking at the parchment: a kill order with three names: Tirney Prepsel, Storg Ravoch, Anna Bobbilan.  I need to find the people responsible and stop this order from being carried out by anyone else, but first, we need everyone to be safe and healthy.