Introduction
Thomas
Patrick
Mason
Messer, three-fifths, Charlos, Bulwark, Boris, Griffon (Hench)
32 men at arms including 1 Sgt Borislav, Lt Seraphina
Seraphina has recruited 6 new men at arms and a scout, brought them to three-fifths for an interview. Three-fifths is concerned that Seraphina seems to have rounded up a bunch of “her old army buddies”.
The party, still without an idea for a company name, sets out for the borderlands, with a vague idea of investigating the Ghost Town once again. After crossing the river at Samichi they head west, travel for a daily total of 8 hours, and make camp.
During the night they are attacked by a group of Gnoll Raiders!
They fought fiercely, but the party managed to kill all 16 Gnolls and only lost four of their own men at arms.
As Seraphina and the Scout, Vole, were th only ones mounted, they went out to recon in the early morning light. The party had a quick meal, broke camp, and followed, about a mile behind.
Vole found a trail leading off to the SW, and the two scouts waited for the rest to catch up. They decided to follow the trail back and found the grisly camp of the gnolls (4 Hours). They had found a wagon, and eaten the horses and passengers.
In the wreck of the wagon, they found a strange, symbolic map, an odd tool, a quill and ink, a spyglass, a locked chest with 300 GP, two silver candlesticks, and a short bow with 8 arrows.
They mucked around with the map for a few minutes, and figured out that the tool was a sighting jig, with one marker pointing to the Egg of the Earth Dragon and the other at some “blue light”.
Unable to reach a consensus over the meaning of the map and the labeled landmarks, they decided to go north and see what was happening at the Ghost Town.
It took two hours to the stream, which they followed W for 4 hours to a small forest at the mouth of a valley. They pushed and pulled their wagon across the stream (it was in a four-foot-deep gully) and went around the forest to the north and west. By circling around this brought them to a line of low hills, marking the north edge of the valley.
Shortly after cresting the top of the ridge, they were spotted by a mounted patrol and the horsemen quickly intercepted them. The patrol were men at arms of the Sons of Mithra, and there was a brief exchange.
An armored rider in the squadron of Lancers rises in his stirrups and shouts across the 60 yards or so that separates the two groups:
"By order of the Sons of Mithra, you are unwelcome. Fall back, do not seek to return. You may contact our office in Kastav for an appointment."
Seraphina tells Three-Fifths this is probably the group of mercs that's been going through Samichi every week. At this, three-fifths walks forward with one hand raised in greeting.
The other group of riders, about a dozen, pull bows from their saddle quivers and string them, then nock arrows.
The SoM patrol repeats their statement about being unwelcome. A minute later a larger group of horsemen arrives, coming up from the SW. More archers and lancers. The archers form a line and nock arrows.
Three-fifths and his companions start backing away, trying to move in reverse yet maintain dignity. At the bottom of the hill they turn around and march out of the vale. At the top they turn the wagon around and march back down toward the stream. The horse archers follow at about 60 yards, while the lancers, 20 strong now, ride in a line just in front of them.
Rather than waste another half hour under the shadow of the archers, they decide not to cross the creek here, and keep moving east. The patrol follows for two miles, then stop, waiting for the party to move out of sight.
When the party finds a place they can cross they do so, luckily not breaking an axle in the rocky stream.
They take the ferry across to Samichi and return to Sojenka, arriving just after dark.
Part Two
The party returns to the Yellow Bottle for the night.
9 July 1023 - Downtime activities
Charlos goes to the Academy of Ancients to see about getting some Potions of Water Breathing. There are five bottles available, good for 12 hours, or can be spilt in two for six hours. Charlos buys them.
Boris resumes his mission to recruit more Dreenoi henchmen. He plans to spend 10 GP/week for three weeks.
Three-fifths has a long talk with Seraphina about recruiting more troops and finding 4 or 5 that are very trustworthy to send to Kastav and infiltrate the Sons of Mithra. Seraphina says that sounds like an interesting plan and she believes she can do it. Three-fifths gives her 100 GP to recruit with. Any she doesn't spend can be her “bonus”. Seraphina returns to Samichi with Vole, Heinrich, Gustavus, Daniel, and Magnus.
Bulwark and Torrent go to Xathok to visit Emmerich and learn more about the Temple of Lumoch.
Emmerich - Research on the Temple of Lumoch
For years the Temple of Hades kept watch. As you know, 50 years ago, Imperial Calendar (IC) 973, there was a tribe of Gluk (Crab-men with heads of Anglerfish) allied with Deep Ones who built a temple to their horrible fish-goddess Lumoch under the shoreline between Xathok and Drenoba. Fishermen disappeared, the inhabitants of an entire fishing village were taken, and eventually, there was a battle on the shore and the Gluk were defeated.
The temple guardians, Deep Ones, were defeated by a group of heroes and clerics of Hades. The clerics were sore-pressed to lay to rest all of the Drowned Ones.
They broke the altar in two, and took the holy vessel, likely meaning this bejeweled amphora.
When they were leaving the temple complex, the ground began to shake, and a great wave washed over the shore. Afraid that the amphora was the cause of the Sea's anger, they hid it in the cave near the temple.
A small shrine of Hades was constructed nearby, maintained by a small monastic brotherhood of Keepers of the Keys. In this way the Keepers could provide for the spirits of the lost fisherfolk and keep watch on the temple of Lumoch. For 40 years the Temple of Lumoch lay quiet and the Keepers decided to close the chapel.
For the past ten years, I (Emmerich) have been keeping watch. The Temple Guardian is defeated, but I fear the broken altar is leaking dark Chaos energy into the waters, and another will be drawn to it.
This amphora must be returned to the Temple, and the altar must be put back together!
.
I have procured a potion from the dwarves that will give one person the ability to mold and re-shape stone. Once the altar has been reassembled, the amphora can be restored. Only then should this holy symbol of Hades be embedded into the altar and a Blessing made upon it.
He gives you the potion and holy symbol.
**18 July 1023
A letter is delivered to the Yellow Bottle for Scribbles or Three-fifths.
XP LOG 6 July 1023
Boris - 1
Griffon - Hench
3/5 - 1
Messer - 1
Charlos - 1
Bulwark - 1
LOOT
Map
Odd Tool
Quill and Ink - 5 GP
Spyglass - 100 GP
2 x Silver Candlesticks - 100 GP
Short Bow & 8 arrows - 3 GP
LIQUID TREASURE
300 GP
COMBAT
15 x Gnolls - 300 XP
Total = 808 XP
Griffon = 73 XP
PCs 147 XP each
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