Session 3
Session 03 (2024-07-21)
The session begins at midnight on the morning of 25-Eliant.
Last time: Session 2
Next steps:
- Meet with Delridge Berryroot at The Big Tree and head to the boat
- Take the boat across the river Ith River
- Restore the Southern Beacon
- Talk with Mother Verduna
The Big Tree Tavern
After midnight, we meet Delridge at The Big Tree to head to the boat. He’s wearing a sexy dad leather jacket and hurries us downhill toward the halfling quarter harbor at the eastern edge of Port Maraisa. Delridge has booked us a ride with Dander, the best river navigator for folks our unusual size. Dander’s boat also has a cover, so we won’t be obvious on the river as we cross.
We see Dander on his 20’ fishing boat wearing some cutoffs and preparing to embark. Dandy is not an attractive man, but clearly competent if a bit dim. Delridge mentions that Dander “spends a lot of time in the sun and sea, so take what he says with a grain of salt.”
Hugh sits in the center of the boat to keep it balanced, [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] turns into a fox that Bikke can carry. Dander is initially confused when he notices [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira-as-fox]], but no major incident past that in the initial embarkation. We departed from the southeastern edge of the city, near the forest along the eastern edge of Port Maraisa.
Crossing the River Ith River
The initial part of the journey is uninteresting, but there are clearly strong currents and eddies suggesting a rough subsurface. Dander is rowing us east into the river to let the current bring us down.
- Dander asks us, “You all wizards or cripples?”
- We answer, “Both”
- Dander mentions that ships aren’t coming in because Port Maraisa is the last stop on the route and nobody’s coming up through the drought.
- Gavin betrayed some lack of insight around geography and boats.
- Dander mentioned “Wizards” heading to the south bank.
- Barrick asked why wizards are going to the south bank
- Dander mentioned Tethyr has no laws against wizardry and that wizards find magical plants/reagents on the south shore of the river.
- Barrick asked about whether specific plants are sought
- Dander is an expert in vines and ferns, clams mollusks, and snails. Others know other plants or creatures. Dander does not go inland. Don’t touch plants that are pointy, moving, or aren’t green.
- Dander has never been sick and hasn’t met a halfling that was sick.
- Dander says the fog is unpleasant: easy to get lost, smells bad, and very cold.
- Bikke asks whether Dander’s been fired because Delridge told Dander not to call him boss.
- Gavin asks why the halflings are watching us.
- Dander answers that coming in with halflings is weird if we were merchants we’d have left the kids on the road.
- We shouldn’t be surprised that people are interested when we do weird shit.
- Dander points to the dock as the lantern comes closer and says we have just the one proper dock on the south bank.
- Dander will not wait for us, but he’ll return for us in one day. We must be back on the dock by midnight tomorrow, Dander will leave at midnight if we aren’t there.
- To get to the Southern Beacon, follow the road. We’ll come to a fork. Keep going south at the first fork to go to The Lazaretto. Take the other branch to go to the beacon. Stay on the road, stay out of the mist. Watch out for the shortthe water will pull you down and shred you on the rocks.
- Bikke asked if Dander could come back a second night
- Dander is willing to come back a second night if we miss the first night at the cost of making sure Dander has a whole weekend with Port at The Vintner’s. Boblin watches.
- Bikke tossed Dander a silver coin as a tip and thanks.
The Southern Bank
Dander drops us off at the only proper dock on the southern bank of the Ith River, across from Port Maraisa. The southern bank is marshy, obscured by a gray mist with twisted trees and branches blocking the remaining view. There’s a 5’ wide muddy trail leading south from the dock toward the lighthouse and the Lazaretto.
Dander tells us to follow the road south, then west to the lighthouse. The beacon is along the southern fork. He also tells us to stay on the road and stay out of the mud. Dander then left us at the dock to return the next night. As he drifted into the dark, his boat disappeared. We could not see the lights of the city across the river.
- Bikke asked [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] whether we’re likely to get this disease.
- [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] is aware of other diseases that can affect the skin and that can come from swampy environments, but she’s not familiar with any diseases that start with a fever and become a skin lesion from any source.
We follow the right fork along an unused, rural path. About 45 minutes later, a mile from the main path, the mist grows thicker and the path widens as we approach the Southern Beacon.
The Southern Beacon
We’ve been traveling for about 1.5 hours, so it’s about 1:30 AM when we arrive.
The Southern Beacon is on some flattened ground and looks worn through centuries of service. There’s a small house, more of a bunker, attached to the structure. The lighthouse is about 60’ tall and has no lanterns, illumination, or any other signs of life. There is a small boat tied off at the water just north of the lighthouse on the shore. It’s too small to fit all of us comfortably, and certainly wouldn’t support us crossing the river.
Hugh isn’t able to detect anything with his Divine Sense.
The front door to Southern Beacon is hanging open with steps leading up to it. Gavin searched the grounds for footprints, but found nothing useful. Hugh’s Divine sense also failed to detect anything inside the threshold of the house.
The main floor smells like stale alcohol. It hasn’t been maintainedthere are spiderwebs, stains, and spills all over the room. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] notices that Bikke’s shouts are muffled or falling flat, no echoes from the stairs or walls.
We find handwritten letters that were flung into the fireplace, but didn’t burn. Letter to Julietta from Agostino Barlucci. Barrick grabs letters and book, follows everyone upstairs. Hear unhealthy grinding noise coming from center of lighthouse. We head up to the top of the lighthouse. Still can’t see Port Maraisa nor North Beacon from here.
At the top of the stairs, there are rope barriers on the perimeter of the Southern Beacon and the mechanical machinery that makes the lighthouse function. The mirrors are dark and the gears are stationary. The machinery is still making a grinding noise. There are tools and bottles scattered about, suggesting Agostino was working on this at some point. The apparatus occasionally ticks as though it was about to move, but clicks back. Gavin realises that the tick of the machinery comes 1.5s after waves crash against the shore - the lighthouse is driven by the currents / water.
Barrick examines one of the control wheels. The wheels work with the contraption of the ring of gears driving the lighthouse mechanism. After some investigation, Barrick realizes that the southernmost control wheel connecting to the gear would pivot the lighthouse. The eastern wheel would allow the lighthouse to be tilted. Together, the controls would allow adjusting the angle and direction of the beam. There is a broken pipe and spring mechanism on the roof as well.
Looking down into machinery, smells swampy drifting up from machinery. We can’t see if something fell off the lighthouse. Lens, mirrors, center area that could be lit - all open to the weather. Find pipe /shaft and spring that looks damaged on the ground. Skilled blacksmith to fix it - beyond Barrick. Tools have started to rust a little.
Hugh spotted a trap door in the bedroom and called out for Barrick to check it out. When he does, a bottle of liquor falls off the shelf and rolls to his feet. Hugh’s Divine Sense picks up that there’s a presence of some spirit here. He feels a coldness and a muted sense of apathy.
Barrick steps into the room and throws back the blanket covering the hatch. The hatch was once intended for access, but at some point the hatch was clamped and and nailed shut, closing the hatch off. It would be trivial to open it, but it seems shut for a reason.
Bikke and [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] scouted around the path on the outside of the beacon. At the end of the southern path, they found more tools and a cave that the tide enters beneath the lighthouse. There are chains across the cave opening, most likely to keep large debris from impacting mechanisms in the cave.
Bikke lights a torch and steps into the river cave. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] follows.
The water in the cave is shallow and the cave is curiously thick with mist. There are mushrooms and lichen as Bikke and [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] explore the cave. They find a rusted, well-built grate set in the wall that’s functioning as a filter for debris. There is no clear way to move through the grate. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] becomes a mouse to get through the grate and returns immediately to elf shape to avoid drowning. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] pounds on the hatch she discovered.
Hugh, Barrick, and Gavin break open the hatch after hearing [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] pounding on the other side. The party is reunited at the base of the ladder under the hatchway once Bikke comes back around the outside.
There is a body floating in the water near the water clock mechanism that drives the lighthouse. It seems to be about the right age to line up with the beacon going out. Agostino Barlucci died here.
Water clock mechanism - feat of engineering. Find a body. The body is bloated, thin white hair, white beard, heavy wool coat. Down here for maybe 2 weeks (the lighthouse went out 10 days ago).
The clicking we heard from upstairs is happening down here. Center vertical shaft isn’t moving when it should. Natural cave, cave celing - rough cavern roof. Brass band in roof, seal around shaft. Valve in ceiling. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] takes the notes and book from Barrick.
The Banshee
Gavin moves barrels in the main room that are by the tower. Hatch slams shut hard. Party has been split for 15m. We hear rush of the river - wall of water ripping through the cave.
Bikke sees hatch closed, nails driving themselves back into the boards. Smashy from below, but oak planks slam back down. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] casts heat metal on the metal parts of the hatch. All the bottles that still have some liquor in them start moving, rushing toward Bikke.
Metal starts glowing red, wood starts to steam, char in the wood. Water hits us, fills the chamber. Machinery shakes and jitters. We hold on to ladder, and ladder hangs on to the wall. Hatch jumps up and slams itself down again, pushes water back down.
Barrick and Hugh hold on. Hugh starts to drown. Bikke opens an inch and half gap in the wood. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] shapes water to make a gap around Barrick, and Barrick pulls Hugh up higher on the ladder into the gap so Hugh can get a breath. Bikke smashes up the hatch. Water starts to rush out. Ladder breaks loose. Barrick tries to grab a few fingers into the hole in the hatch. Barrick holds onto the hatch, Hugh ripped away with the ladder, and is slammed into the portcullis and takes damage.
Hatch goes inert again. Bottles start flying around at Bikke. Hugh and Barrick use the ladder to get out. Agostino Barlucci body was smashed up, dragged around, broken by the water.
[[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] looks through the book and letters. This is Julietta’s diary from the Lazaretto. She wasn’t able to bring any of her things with her - they were all burned because of the disease protocol. She misses her sister in Riatavin. She mentions that her sister Corina returned, and is working for The Vintner. It also mentions that Mother Verduna has told her that her father was working at the Southern Beacon. She was told not to visit her father, that her father may not be able to handle the disease’s affect on his daughter. Letters addressed to Agostino Barlucci appears to be the response to correspondence. These letters are cruel & vicious - he is a useless drunk, killed mother, daughter now a whore. Diary seems like she is sweet and scared. Letters might be forged - very different tenor.
The last entry of the diary is Julietta Barlucci pondering following the path to the lighthouse and observing him unnoticed.
The letters are correspondence from Julietta Barlucci and written in Julietta’s hand, and addressed to Agostino. It appears to be half of an ongoing correspondence between them. The letters are viciously cruel to Agostino, accusing his drunken behavior of driving one of his daughters to be a whore and killing their mother.
Discussion:
- Did Mother Verduna send letters as Julietta Barlucci?
- Did Agostino Barlucci go down below to die intentionally or was he killed unintentionally
- How did Julietta’s diary get to the light house?
- Who is controlling the water?
- What is behind the barrels?
- Theory: Agostino kills himself by trapping himself in the basement, Julietta goes to the lighthouse and waits for him to appear, doesn’t see him, and goes inside, leaving the journal
Hugh knocks back some liquor and sees an apparent glimpse of an old man. Barrick and Bikke see him too. The ghost of Agostino looks ashamed and confused.
Bikke moves the barrels. The two on the bottom are full. One on top is nearly empty. Masonry in the wall looks fresh while rest is old and dry.
Barrick and Hugh start drinking to observe the ghost of Agostino Barlucci while Gavin and Bikke break through the newly plantered wall behind the barrels. When the way is opened and the bricks come down, the mechanism is revealed and a human corpse with a waterlogged mattress damaged and blocking the mechanism. The face of the body is like rough fingernails, thick and calcified keratin, disfigured on a teenaged girl, Julietta. Guilt, shame, or misery related to Julietta’s death is what’s keeping Agostino here.
Theory: Julietta hid in the mechanism room and was killed by the mechanism, possibly after leaving the journal to let Agostino know she did not hate him.
Barrick goes in to remove the corpse. Barrick hears a ping like from radiator as the clockwork ticks. Glass gauge with yellow oil. Spark appears in gauge and fuel bursts into flame. Fuel is not empty. Some malevelont energy (not Agostino Barlucci) makes the fuel explode, splashes Barrick, Hugh and ignites. Oil sprays out, Barrick minimizes damage, dodge rolls out of chamber. Chamber is on fire.
The windows and doors slam shut and we see smoke take motion as invisible arms and feet dipped in burning oil, then an invisible person covers its arms and legs in fire. Corina Barlucci is a banshee.
We attack the Banshee.
The fight is close, but we emerge victorious after Gavin, Barrick, and Hugh being incapacitated by the Banshee’s scream. [[Pedestrian Wolves/PCs/Kira Fe’lorin|Kira]] uses medicine to stabilize those of us who were hurt, we evacuated the fiery lighthouse room in a hurry. ^BansheeKillers
From outside the Southern Beacon, we see the beacon starting to slowly ramp up again.
It seems that Corina returned from Riatavin to work at The Vintner’s Frolic, but we don’t know much more. Many questions remain:
- What happened to Corina Barlucci?
- How did Julietta Barlucci die?
We’ll conclude with a short rest and heading back towards the dock and/or Mother Verduna to have a conversation.