Session 10 (2025-01-24) - Greg

Last time

Radovan rejoined us, and we crossed the big bridge with Nadia. We fought and defeated the orcs on the surface and freed the prisoners. The surface goblins gave us information about the tower and left.

We entered the lower levels of the tower, noting the elemental magic in the water. After fighting and defeating the Laguna-kin, we faced Mother Viola Laguna and the trapped shadow elemental. We managed to win the fight by placing artifacts on the statues, though Bikke, Hugh, and Kira were knocked out in the process.

Gavin allowed a shadow elemental to read his memory to find Bad Doric.

We witnessed Kira make a bargain with the shadow elemental to “release our third”.

We looted the temple, exited, and leveled up to 5.

White Skull Fortress

The party discussed next steps:

Bikke suggested that it was time to head back to the Lazaretto, kill Mother Verduna, get our payment from Dominico, and demand more from Armitage del Veign.

Hugh asked Kira about her plans and, after some discussion throughout the party, the party gathered together, rested, and headed toward the Lazaretto via Bad Doric.

On the way, we found the surviving orc child soldier, Nadia, Pocket, and the other stoica and released prisoners. We traveled with the refugees to Bad Doric

Bad Doric

2 days after we head out from the fortress, we reached Bad Doric. The ruins are just as we left them, orc and goblin corpses remain on the ground. Noting an opportunity, the party scalped the salvageable corpses to turn in to Dominico. They found another 20 scalps that the stashed in their bag for the payout.

Radovan was interested in what happened to Bad Doric. He thinks part of his quest is cleansing the spring and re-establishing the order’s headquarters in Bad Doric.

Kira volunteered to turn into a fish and travel once again to the imprisoned elemental under the water in the Order of Hospitalers Temple. Kira determined that the binding of the elemental to the Bad Doric temple is not really physical and, even if it were to leave the space, the binding would not be broken. Kira telepathically communicated with the elemental:

Kira asked, “Are you able to talk to me?” “Yes” “The other two sent me to free you. How can I do that? Do you know what binds you here?”

Kira determines from its behavior that this elemental is constrained or confused. Ironically for a shadowfell elemental, even emotion that it has. The lack of cohesion is a result of it being drained, tapped, or siphoned from. Kira detects that it feels violated and that it’s loathing itself because of this emotion.

Kira can tell it doesn’t understand how it’s held here.

“Does Verduna mean anything to you?”

Waves of rage from the elemental.

“What about Nightsong?”

No reaction from the elemental.

The elemental is reacting to the mental sense of Kira’s questions, not the words. Kira responds: “Maybe I’ll return. Maybe you’ll find me. Soon we will get you out.”

The elemental is sickened by its own feeling of hope.

After concluding our business, we left Bad Doric. Returning through the mirefen, we noticed that the emotional drain and apathy is gone!

The Lazaretto

Another two days of travel led us to The Lazaretto. For the first time, the fog is gone and the facilities seem active. The skies are clear and everybody is aware.

As we made our way to the center of the Lazaretto, we noticed Sister Nightsong in the center of town, no longer wearing her mask. She was joyful and ran excitedly to greet us.

Gavin greeted her back, “Sister Nightsong! How is Albrecht Moray?”

“He’s recovered! He’s in Port Maraisa with Mother Verduna”

Bikke: “Where’s Lepett?”

Nightsong: “In Port Maraisa with Lord Moray! You have found the cure, the miasma is gone and people are healing! You’re all miracle workers!”

Gavin: “Is Lepett well?”

“He’ll never lose his scars or look the same, but his vigor and life force are back and the disease has been arrested! We’re all so grateful, Mother Verduna is in Port Maraisa to make sure that Magistrato Falcone knows you’ve healed us and made it possible for us all to return to our lives! We have a boat waiting for you because we knew you’d want to return to town as soon as possible.”

We moved toward the docks with Sister Nightsong, receiving adulation from the recovering people in the Lazaretto. We boarded a larger rowboat staffed with people from the Lazaretto.

On the way, Kira asked, “When did you start feeling overjoyed?”

“4 days ago the fog started to clear from the Lazaretto. It was a uniquely beautiful day. That morning, Sister Nightsong found a patient she was sure would die had woken, was breathing normally, and the lesions were receding. As the sun remained in the sky and the patients were tended, the symptoms were improving throughout the Lazaretto. Mother Verduna took the opportunity to develop a poultice that would arrest the progress of the disease and ultimately push it into remission. It will still take weeks to help everyone, but the results have been so promising that whatever you’ve done to remove this curse and Mother Verduna’s deep faith and herbal wisdom have saved these people.”

Four days ago we found Laguna’s corpse, but Laguna had died three days prior.

Port Maraisa

We entered Port Maraisa on the boat and disembarked at the dock. We were surprised that even strangers were coming up to greet us. We were also a little surprised that there were no halflings greeting us in the crowd.

(Aside: Halflings did not get the physical malady of the illness, though they did occasionally catch adeadly fever)

We made our way through the docks and into the town proper, showered with good wishes, sausages, and beer.

We entered the Night Market and see Dominico Falcone coming to us.

Falcone: “Welcome home!”

We greet each other excitedely and Falcone puts his hand on Barrick’s shoulder, “Port Maraisa owes you a debt that we can never repay!”

The Town Hall

Falcone leads us into the town hall, but even walking through people in the hall notice and whisper when they see us. Falcone asks if he can get us anything and Hugh held up the mug of beer and three greasy sausages in his hands, then said, “I’m great!”

Falcone says, “You could be better!” and pulls out a crystal decanter with a high quality scotch and offers it. Hugh says, “Too much!” but Bikke, Barrick, and Radovan take him up on the offer. It’s a fine Scotch.

Falcone: “When we last negotiated, I was not sure I was able to pay and I was not sure it was worth the effort, but I now understand how wrong I was. Tell me everything! What have you all done? Leave out no detail about how you have lifted this disease or miasma from our southern shore!”

Gavin was suspicious about how heightened these emotions are and tried to determine whether Dominico Falcone is under some undue influence. Gavin did not detect anything that seems like an enchantment or undue influence on someone’s behavior, but both identify the fact that Falcone is a politician aware of the changing fortunes of the city and our contribution to it.

Barrick persuaded Falcone to pay of his debts and put the city resources behind our efforts. Falcone made an offer, as a favor to him or our own good nature, “I want to speak with you in front of the town. I want to celebreate the lifting of the rot, our freedom from the threat of the white skull, and I want to do it publicly. I’ve already put it in motion and I hope, this evening, you’ll meet me in the night market and receive your reward.”

Falcone, “Here’s my requestion: You have rooms at the tavern. Relax, wash off the dust of the road! The town will cover your bill. Have a drink, have a bath, and meet me at the night market at dusk”

Hugh asked whether we had received a message. Falcone shared a small tube tied with a ribbon, he does not appear to have opened it.

Upon receipt of the message, we ask Falcone to give us some privacy to read the note. After he leaves the room, Barrick noticed a brass seal for the Auttencourt family on the Magistrato’s desk’.

Armitage is traveling to Riatavin Traveling incognito. Have news, won’t share by bird. Want to meet with Falcone. Discrete. If Falcone can be flipped.

Barrick tried to swipe a piece of paper and forge a note of credit. He didn’t do well, but Gavin wanted to see what happens.

The Big Tree

After we left the town hall, we went to Big Tree to talk with The Small Brothers. We’re greeted warmly on the way to Big Tree, but our reception with the halflings is a little less enthusiastic.

Hugh, greeting with small talk, “We came to pay our respects and see how the children are doing.”

Delridge: “The kids are doing well with their cousins”

“Mother verduna has been good to us, she’s advocated for our needs and offered aid to our people when we needed it.”

Gavin: “But…”

“Roses grow in bullshit, and I smell a lot of bullshit.”

Gavin: “From us or from Verduna?”

Delridge: “I’m not accusing anybody of anything, but it seems a little convenient to me how things have gone the last few days and a few folks have been acting out of character.”

Gavin: “We just walked in the door and everybody loved us?”

Berryroot: “Elaina Delphino would rip off her own nipples to save herself a copper, but her guild is opening their purse. The river guild and merchant guild have longstanding beef, but suddenly everything’s fine. I’m thrilled that the rot is gone. I don’t even like humans, but the disease going away is a wonderful thing. I don’t see the angles yet.”

Gavin: “Strangest thing in the world is that it seems like everything’s wonderful, even though we haven’t finished the job. You ever get that feeling?”

Berryroot: “My take? I’m a practical man. IF the world offered me fuck off money, I’d probably fuck right off. The hardest part of that idea for me is that it’d be really difficult not to know why the world was encouraging me to fuck off. Maybe it’s worth it, can’t blame a guy for taking his reward when a fish jumps on his boat.”

Gavin: “Would be a damn shame if we fucked off and two weeks later the fog rolled back in.”

Barrick: “You said Verduna came through, you know what happened?”

Berryroot: “She checked in on the orphans, checked in on our people, checked in on old man Berryroot, tended the people who needed help. She told us the good news about the rot, she told us (on the sly) that it would probably be a lot easier to explore the southern shore for harvestable trade. She also told us she’d be leaving.”

Kira: “Have you seen the orphans since Mother Verduna came through?”

Berryroot: “Have I had eyes on them since Verduna came through? No, they’re with families who live outside the town. Folks who come and go from there haven’t reported any problem.”

Kira: “How far out?”

Berryroot: “About 2 miles out of town.”

Hugh: “Would it be ok if we checked in on them?”

Berryroot: “Big tree isn’t named for the tree in the building. We aren’t well loved here and our fortunes aren’t kind. Many of us live quietly and through a network of trees. There’s one two miles to the north, on the edge of the forest, just off the road. If you know what you’re looking for, it can be a good shelter for those in need. I trust you, so I’ll tell you where that is. That’s where the children are staying. If you betray that trust, it would mean the end for a lot of us.”

Hugh: “If it would make you more comfortable, can we get in touch periodically to learn whether you need help for the orphans?”

Berryroot: “Sure. These trees, Mother Verduna doesn’t know about them. Please keep it that way.”

Gavin offered to perform a daily sending whenever he has a free spell slot.

Kira and Gavin: “There’s a celebration for us tonight.”

Hugh: “Should we wear our armor?”

Berryroot: “My guess is that tonight you will get a lovely invitation to take your reward and be somewhere else.”

Bikke: “You have eyes on gates. Has Verduna actually left town?”

Berryroot: “Last I heard, she was at the merchant consortium with Elena Delphino”

We thanked Berryroot and left.

The Merchant Consortium

Barrick knocks (assertively) on the locked door to the Merchant Consortium. It takes a moment to recognize Lepett answering the door, better put together and clearly much healthier. He is still scarred and discolored, but he is stable and hale. When he sees who we are, his hand comes off his sword and a smile squirms to his lips.

Barrick greeted Lepett as an old friend that we wanted to check in on now that the illness is on the mend. He asked whether we could also see and greet Mother Verduna.

Lepett is genuinely happy to see us and, though he’s connected to the Hesse Family, he’s less interested in the intrigues than the execution. He’s a professional who likes and respects us. He’s receptive to Barrick’s greeting.

Lepett: “I hate to disappoint you gentlemen, but she’s not here. I came with Albrecht and Verduna. She had nothing but good to say about you, but then she left. I’m not sure where.”

Barrick: “Oh, where’s Albrecht?”

Lepett: “He’s at The Gold Coin”

Bikke and Barrick: “You were supposed to watch Albrecht, what’s he doing there?”

Lepett: “The disease is mended. Between the fog lifting and the poultice, he is almost entirely recovered.”

Gavin: “But he should still be in the Lazaretto, right?”

Lepett: “Before I took sick, I was committed to the Hesse family. Now that I am no longer sick, I’ve returned to that commitment.”

Bikke: “You should be watching him.”

Lepett: “I don’t need to follow him like he’s a toddler. I know Albrecht, we’ve spoken, you don’t have a reason to be concerned. If anything, I think you’d find Albrecht interested in your positions. I don’t think your goals are misaligned.”

Barrick: “Why are you here at the consortium?”

Lepett: “I came here with Albrecht, he’s at the inn now.”

Gavin: “How has Verduna seemed over the last few days? I understand that this is a bit of a weird question.”

Lepett: “She seems like somebody ready to put down her burden. She’s a healer, a follower of Ilmater and an old woman who has spent her life caring for people and running the lazaretto to look for a cure and fight this disease. That work seems to have reached its conclusion. Seems to me that she’s ready to stop doing it now that the job is done well enough for others to carry the work forward.”

Gavin: “Has she seemed -”

Lepett: “Joyful. She’s been joyful. She wept when she saw my scars recede.”

Hugh wonders whether she wept with joy, or with anger at the end of whatever profitable graft she had in place.

The Gold Coin

On the way to The Gold Coin, Hugh stopped off at Jorand’s Forge and had a discussion with the smith. He handed over his halberd and picked up a loaner spear for the session.

While Gavin played his Lute of Calm Winds for the inn, Bikke walked up to the tavern keeper and asked after Albrecht. Bikke then asked for a bottle of wine to bring to Albrecht as a “glad you’re feeling better” gift.

We went up to Albrecht’s third floor room, 2nd door. When we knock on the door, it opens, so we push it open further. We see Albrecht shaving after a bath.

Gavin: “Apologize for interrupting, but I think we need to chat.”

Albrecht: “Judging from your patience, I think we can find time now. That bottle for me?”

Bikke: “Sure is”

Bikke pours out the wine and introduces us to Albrecht.

Albrecht: “Pleasure, why are you here?”

Gavin: “We just spoke with Lepett and he suggested our goals may be aligned.”

Albrecht: “You’ll have to forgive me. I know one of you from my sickbed, the rest of you are new faces. When a group of strangers walks in and tells me they’re friends, I’m a little suspicious.”

Aside:

Our guidance from Armitage is to find out what Albrecht is doing and why.

Our moral imperative is that Etienne is a piece of shit.

Our conundrum is whether we can trust Albrecht with this kind of information and determine whether the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

We still don’t know what the Corsi interest is.

Kira telepathically told Albrecht we’re here on behalf of the Corsi.

Barrick: “Let’s cut the shit. Do we want to fuck up Etienne Auttencort?”

Albrecht: “Yes, yes I do.”

Bikke: Where’s Verduna?

Albrecht: “Probably arranging your payoff.”

Gavin: “Why doesn’t she want us here?”

Albrecht: “That’s what you can offer me. You tell me that. I didn’t understand that cleric had that kind of influence.”

Gavin: “We think she’s a night hag.”

Barrick: “Explain more about your plan to us. It was good, but we don’t understand who was going to get hurt. Could you explain it to us? What was the end game between the children, the slaves, and the rage potion?”

Bikke: “Is Etienne Auttencort the one who plays with kids, or whas there another target?”

Albrecht: “Etienne looks like a rich prick with red hair and a white streak. He’s engaged to Ottillie Rhindaun of the Tethyrian royal family and a monster. If he is given that much power in Tethyr, the Auttencort connection to Tethyr is a threat to the entire region. My goal is to break Etienne’s connection to the Rhinduan, and the most effective way was to blame him for the death of Ottilie. Etienne Auttencort is not a slaver, he’s a vampire. If he drank the blood of the potioned children, he’d be enraged and kill his fiance, ruining any potential alliance between the Auttencort and Tethyr.”

Bikke tried to dance around convincing Albrecht to help us kill Verduna, but Kira just spoke up, “I made a deal with a shadow elemental to kill her. The creature that was powering the rot in the mirefen is seeking its second half, and to do that we must kill Verduna.”

Gavin: “Dealing with Mother Verduna is the payment for us continuing to help with Etienne Auttencort.”

Albrecht: “Why are you here?”

Barrick: “Your half-assed plan didn’t work, I need a drink.”

Albrecht: “Why does Armitage Del Veign send you?”

Bikke: “We were ordered to.”

Gavin: “You’re not nothing and you know how to get shit done, so Armitage wanted to know what you were up to.”

Bikke: “I assume the Del Veign are poorly positioned.”

Albrecht: “If the Del Veign are interested, it’s because they’re in the dark, they want to see my effort succeed, or they want to see my effort fail.”

Albrecht: “If you’re here for Eldred Corsi, I don’t see how this works.”

Hugh: “We were on campaign with Richard.”

Albrecht: “I have not met the man, but I understand we may have shared values.”

Bikke: “We know we’re pawns, but we need more info to move up. Options in front of us are Verduna or Auttencort.”

Albrecht: “I don’t give a shit about Verduna, but I will assist in your mission if you assist in mine. Candidly, Eldred, Humboldt, every duke of Aureltaran is over a hundred years old and needs to die.”

Bikke: “Yeah, we’re on the same side.”

We cleaned ourselves up, supped and drank, and finished preparing for the sunset event. As we all filter back into the common room, we find Lepett and follow him out of the inn

The Night Market

The town is beautiful as night falls. Paper lanterns are lit, the stars are beautiful in the sky, the city is cleaner than usual. Port Maraisa seems more charming and hospitable than we’ve seen before.

A small stage has been set up in the market and it seems most of the crowd has turned out. On the dais there’s a table with the town’s power brokers seated at it: Elena Delphino, Dominico, Lorenzo, all the major players.

Hugh does not see Delridge in the crowd, but he sees Delridge’s eyes doing their work around the periphery.

Lepett lead the party up to the stage where Dominico greeted us. We waved to the crowd as we stood up on the stage.

Dominico addressed the crowd as we stood up. He thanked everyone for coming to the celebration, we welcomed us each by name as heroes who provided invaluable assistance to Port Maraisa. He hands the speech off to the town’s power brokers. Lorenzo of The River Guild pretends to care about our assistance at the Southern Beacon.

Elena Delphino talks about how important and valuable it is that we put an end to raiders and the White Skull menace to the wellbeing of the town, pretending to take credit.

Mother Verduna then stands, comes forward, and with projected humility and a lower tone, she turned to us and said, “You’re going to hear a lot of praise tonight for what you’ve done for the town and its people. It’s well earned. I’m going to thank you personally. I’m an old woman who has been here for many years doing what I can for the people suffering from this disease. It’s been a privilege and a burden to serve this town, the most challenging work of my life. Through your work, I feel I can lay this burden down. The people in the Lazaretto will recover and reintegrate. Not through my work, but through yours, I can put this burden down and rest. I am ready for that. As Port Maraisa thanks you, I thank you for the opportunity and permission to leave and pursue my own interest for the rest of my years.”

She turns then to the audience. “While I am leaving and the Lazaretto will come to an end, you are not abandoned. You no longer need us and will thrive without us.”

Back to us, “Thank you my friends for making this happen.”

Gavin: “Can I ask Radovan to say a prayer for your travels?” and suggests Radovan cast detect good and evil under the guise of the praryer.

Radovan said he would be honored if she would like.

Verduna kneels and lowers her head in humble penitence. Radovan: “May the spirits and good wishes of those you aided be with you”, then he wove in Detect Good and Evil

Hugh uses Divine Sense.

Hugh and Radovan see Verduna’s physical body is an old woman barely over 100lbs and bearing quiet humility.

Radovan also sees a vortex of evil tendrils branching off from Verduna, snaking out and disappearing in every direction.

Hugh sees a similar image of a fiend, but not of fiendish energy. There are elements of Fae, the Hells, and Shadow. It isn’t clear what she’s from, but whatever the fuck it is it’s dark, evil, and widespread.

As Radovan finishes his prayer, she looks up at Radovan with a glint in her eye. She knows he knows and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Gavin hugs Verduna and she hugs him back, whispering, “Fuck with me and you die screaming.”

Falcone stepped forward, “Now, my friends, if I may, I’d like to show the generosity of Port Maraisa. In exchange for eliminating the White skull, not only will we honor our agreement for proof of their elimination. We will double it (including both scalps and the bonus). On top of that, the consortium wishes to extend you a gift in cooperation with the River guild of an additional 3000 gold. As further recognition for eliminating the disease that befell our town, we wish to offer you the title of “Guaritore del Port Maraisa” (Healers of Port Maraisa). With that title, these symbols of our appreciation.”

He lays out for each of us a gorgeous gold dagger (worth about 200gp), ceremonal more than combat ready, but beautiful art all the same.

Dominico: “And now, my friends, we celebrate!”

Barrick immediately goes over to Falcone to settle accounts because we have other places to be. Dominico Falcone is very understanding and supportive of our consideration to leave town.

After the Party

Kira glared at Isabel Verduna.

Bikke whispered to Albrecht that the crowd needs to go away. Albrecht said that she has us, the crowd is too big and will take too long to disperse.