Session 7
Session 7: Port Maraisa and the White Skull Fortress
Returning to Port Maraisa
After considering our options, we decided to return to Port Maraisa. We noted the key figures and issues at play:
- Orcs: The White Skull orcs, including their Laguna-kin shamans, are fortified in the Omlarandin Mountains. We believe they can be tracked from Bad Doric.
- Riatavin and Etienne Auttencort: Albrecht’s target, Etienne, is linked to the White Skull through his interest in chattel slavery. He operates outside Aurelian territories.
We identified stops that may be interesting in Port Maraisa:
- Magistrato Falcone: An Auttencourt agent with access to Humboldt’s Ravens for secure communication with Armitage.
- Albrecht Moray: Currently in a fever-dream at The Lazaretto.
Visit to Magistrato Dominico Falcone: We briefed Falcone on our discoveries without revealing too much about The Wool Merchants slavers or Albrecht. We sent a raven to Armitage del Veign. Falcone was persuaded to place a bounty on orc scalps and rewards for proof of routing the orcs out of the area. Gavin managed to negotiate better terms, emphasizing the orcs’ threat and political implications.
Contract details with Dominico Falcone:
- 400gp for incontrovertible proof that the white skull are gone.
- 5gp for every white skull scalp.
- Tell everyone when asked that Falcone talked us down from 500 gp.
Supplies and Preparations:
- Barrick secured health potions from various merchants.
- We purchased five health potions (one each) for 15gp each and Gavin got fishing line for scalps. The party gold pool of 75gp was exhausted, but we intend to earn more than enough from orc scalps to make up for it.
Party gold is 0GP at this time.
Journey Through the Mirefen Swamp to Bad Doric
We traversed the Mirefen Swamp to reach Bad Doric and from there, tracked the White Skull into the Omlarandin Mountains. Our tracking led us through rugged switchbacks with sparse signs of habitation up the mountainside.
Encounter in the Omlarandin Mountains
Upon hearing suspicious noises, we discovered a dwarf, Radovan Rytir, hiding from orcs. A battle ensued, and we defeated the orcs, acquiring their weapons. Radovan informed us about the matriarchal structure of the orc group and the shaman matriarchs’ control. Radovan had escaped from an orc prison deeper in the cave.
Strategizing and the Orc Fortress
We debated our strategy—whether to attack the group of orcs or the matriarchs first—and chose to engage the orcs in the nearby cave.
Kira summoned a fey familiar, a black and white striped meerkat.
We chose to assault the orc fortress through the nearby cave. A stealthy approach helped us in the first few rooms, but an orc and goblin soon raised the alarm in the rest of this section of the fortress, resulting in a pitched battle. We were victorious, but tired and drained after the fight.
During the fight, we discovered a smithy, an guardhouse armory, a larder, and some sleeping quarters. We disabled some orc youth and took 24 orc scalps and 7 goblin scalps, adding up to 155gp worth of bounty. This is enough to cover the 75 gp we used to purchase potions of health.
Bikke discovered an interesting sabre and a shield in the armory.
Radovan Rytir found a shield and a mail shirt to improve his ability to survive further fights.
Hugh discovered 3 potions types in the armory:
- A large, muddy-brown potion that an orc used effectively as a potion of giant size
- A smaller, clear potion that, when thrown, explodes into a 10’ diameter pool of flame (effectively a molotov cocktail)
- A smaller, clay red potion that had no apparent effect when thrown, but that Kira may still try to determine the value of
Treasure recovered from the armory horde:
- 225GP in assorted coinage
- Chrysoprase (50GP gem)
- Bloodstone (50GP gem)
- Quartz (50GP gem)
- Quiver of +2 arrows (x12)
- Potion of Mind Reading
- Chime of Opening - Gavin picked this up
- Potion of Superior Healing
- 2x Potions of Healing (muddy red) (2d4+2)
- 4x Alchemist’s Fire Potions (clear)
- Long sword +1 (non-enchanted) - Bikke picked this up
- Quaal’s Feather Token, Anchor
- Orb of Direction - Hugh picked this up
- Assorted martial weapons, light armor and shields of various quality
Treasure recovered from the corpses:
- 155 GP in assorted coinage
- 3x Potions of Healing
- Various martial and ranged weapons of various quality.
Summary
In essence, we successfully briefed Dominico Falcone, secured supplies, tracked The White Skull, and made significant progress in the orc stronghold. The road ahead is perilous, but our determination to dismantle the White Skull and return victorious is unwavering.