Loose Ends

In The News

Sharn Inquisitive: Sul 15 Lharvion - Front Page
Karrnathi Royal Slanders Breland - Moranna, regent of Karrnath made some wicked remarks against our fair land last Far during a speech to a gathering of the Karrnathi rabble. She is quoted as saying:

"This is a time when Karrnath must stand strong on its own feet. We cannot depend on our neighbours who attacked us. Even those across the continent are not our allies. Did the Eldeen reaches help us during the Last War? No! Did Breland help us? No!"

Later in here speech she went on to specifically slander Breland:

"Breland is filled with nothing but elitist, self-righteous, gluttons. They sit in their resource rich land and preach peace and tolerance, as if they know best - as if they have it all figured out! But they feast on the spoils of war. They devour their neighbours, all the while saying that they rise above such things. Nothing but filthy hypocrites! The Brelish are no friends of ours!"

Later the royal family, headed by King Kaius III rescinded the statement, and issued a formal apology (at which Moranna was notably absent). The Karrnathi embassy has issued a statement confirming that Karrnath considers Breland and important ally.

Sharn Inquisitive: Sul 22 Lharvion - Editorial Pg 1
Sadie Wolfchild - A Danger to Sharn - I recently had the displeasure of meeting with renowned Sharn troublemaker Sadie Wolfchild. The notorious shifter has caused a great deal of mischief (and murder) around Sharn. She was intimately involved with the massacre at the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame and the murder of Varieny Knicknar - truly a great loss to our wondrous city. But her troublesome binge has not stopped!

Just this week the shifter was involved in a breaking and entering. After a run-in with some "insane shifters" (to use her words) she broke into a home in the lower city, from which a woman was forced to run out screaming. She then proceeded to rummage around in the house. The watch was called - but did they arrest this criminal?! No! Clearly the watch has been paid (or threatened) to stay off her back.

Sadie is a dangerous animal. I advise caution when dealing with her.

- Franz Hoofchild

Sadie’s Pamphlet

The world is full of monsters and it's necessary to unite and oppose them, unity with our civilized neighbors is sometimes the only way to survive against chaos. There are monsters slavering at Breland's borders, of course - I know all too well what sorrows have befallen our territory of Droaam at their hands. But that's hardly something that needs much insight to discover. Here in Sharn where so many people of so many different types come together, though, it's sometimes much harder to tell who the monsters are.

The monsters among us aren't whole races, not human or goblin or shifter or even warforged or minotaur. The monsters are only lone individuals, those few evil people who would turn us against each other with their treacherous provocations. They are people who try to unite citizens against their own fellow citizen solely for their own personal glory or even just to earn a fast copper. To oppose these sorts of monsters we must refuse their provocations. Deprived of their influence they are no longer monsters but simply pitiful thugs and liars.

Do not believe Gorebrute and do not believe the Inquisitive. We are all citizens of Breland and we must unite as one against the real monsters at our borders. I have gone to Droaam to fight with them myself and hope to return to a Sharn that has been bettered by my efforts.

Sadie Wolfchild.

Chronicle

The trio was recovering from their last adventure sitting around some steaming mugs of morinale in the Lizard's Mantle when a very tall and thin elf approached them. He said his name was Elgor and he was seeking the services of one Sadie Wolfchild. Upon recognizing Sadie he thrust out his long white fingers and grasped Sadie’s hand in an oddly limp grasp.

“I need your help,” Elgor explained.

“There is an artifact that you must fetch for me but it will involve a bit of a journey.”

Elgor explained that he was a contractor. He was hired to arrange for the completion of jobs of the adventuring sort but rather than complete such quests himself he organizes small groups of adventurers to accomplish the tasks for him. It was a highly risky business but occasionally the rewards (and his percentage) can be more than worth his while.

He explained that the artifact was to be found in the nation of Droaam and his employer was House Cannith. Unfortunately the trio’s slow response to his ad, and his difficulty tracking them down, meant that another group had already been dispatched to seek the treasure - from another source.

"I expect it will take several weeks for them to die horribly. Then you can have your turn."

The heroes agreed that if the position opened up they would take it. This meant that they have several weeks to “kill”. Surely this would be plenty of time to answer some of the questions which had been plaguing them over the last few months.

There were a few things that came to mind. What had killed all those Grimlocks in that strange room? Where was Gorebrute and what was he up to? And what in Khyber was up with that music box!?

After a few days of rest the group decided to return to the area around the vault to look around and investigate some of the mysteries therein. The trio found the vault itself just as they had left it, and the immediate area around it to be fairly safe.

They found the room full of the dead grimlocks to be as gruesome as ever, but this time they went up the rickety cast iron stairs to get a glimpse of what lay above. At once they were assaulted by nearly a dozen animated grimlock skeletons! This was a daunting prospect at first, but Thaspar sound found that it was easy work disposing of them, and everyone joined in to easily crush the horrors. They found a strange wand and some other treasures in the room.

The trio also solved the mystery of the music box. Within the room was a grotesque ogre which liked to listen to the music. Beyond that guard room was an entire complex of rooms filled with goblins and ogre. The group battled several of these creatures, but eventually came to the conclusion that they were basically raiding their settlement and decided to leave. That was when they ran into a ogre guard captain.

Accompanied by two goblins the huge and well armored beast crashed into battle with a bloody flourish. He was nearly the end of all three heroes, but some desperate attacks from within the cramped tunnels of the nearby rubble managed to fell him before he could rend anyone in two - though Thaspar gave him several chances.

Exhausted after barely escaping grisly death at the hands of the ogre captain, the party returned to the Lizard's Mantle, but not before stopping for some healing at the local House Jorasco enclave. There Cora worked her charms on the object of her affect - Liam. Liam was utterly taken with the mischievous halfling and it was agreed that a triple date would take place in a week’s time. Cora with Liam, Sadie with Merrin, and Thaspar with Vaneesha (a suggestion of Cora's).

The next loose end which had been bothering the group (Sadie in particular) was the location and activities of Gorebrute (who had masterminded the slaughter in the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame). Thus, Cora, with her considerable knowledge of the comings and goings of Sharn, and Sadie, with her vast experience with the lower portions of the city, set out to find word of Gorebrute.

The first person that they tracked down was the shifter Twitch. Sadie had met Twitch at the Reachrace. Twitch fell in Gorebrutes mob, but pulled out secretly when he realized what they were going to do. Twitch was even more nervous than usual, but he did provide them with useful information. One of Gorebrute's cronies was holding another meeting in just a couple of days.

Sadie organized her friends, including Merrin to hang around the area of the meeting. Listening at the door they discovered that the meeting was actually to organize an attack of Sadie at the Lizard's Mantle! All four burst into building to confront Gorebrute's minion. This lead to an intense battle in which Gorebrute and his new posse were subdued.

Questioning went quite well. At first the leader was reluctant to reveal anything, but eventually he let slip that he was working for another shifter and gave the address (fairly near by). When Sadie, Thaspar, and Cora went over to check it out they discovered a harmless old lady, and upon return they just saw the leader running from the scene (apparently escaped from his bonds).

The chase was on. Punching their way through the streets of Sharn the knot of Sadie and her friends ripped after the shifter. But he was too fast for their legs... but not their wits. Cora with here sweet talking charm managed to quickly follow a trail of witnesses that lead to a two story house nestled against one of the larger towers of the city.

As they approached a woman came running out of the house screaming for help and yelling that she had been attacked by a large shifter. All four rushed in to investigate - but they found the house empty. They turned everything upside down looking for Gorebrute's cronie. They didn't find him. Though they did find some other things.

Thaspar was the one who discovered a secret room full on various props and clothing. Sadie discovered a desk drawer - full of fake IDs. A theory was beginning to form in Sadie's mind when she saw something of great interest. One of the fake IDs belonged to Franz Hoofchild - the reporter at the Sharn Inquisitive who had published so many negative articles about Sadie since the shifter service massacre. A theory involving a changeling masquerading as Hoofchild, Gorebrute, and the lady running from the house came into sharp focus - a theory that needed to be tested.

Merrin decided to head home, but the remaining three pressed on to the offices of the Sharn Inquisitive. As usual they were met with unhelpful, rude, and uninterested employees. This time even the head editor was not interested in their "ridiculous story." - which was odd, given that the inquisitive normally had no qualms about printing ridiculous stories.

The next day while Cora and Thaspar went back to the meeting place for the anti-Sadie rally, Sadie went to the Inquisitives offices again to see if Hoofchild was there. She didn't meet with much success at first, but then she managed to catch Hoofchild's eye from the waiting room. He motioned her in. She told him the whole story and he suspicions that he might be a changeling. He considered the suggestions ridiculous, but still took a copious amount of notes from the encounter.

Sadie decided to follow Hoofchild home and stake-out his house. On the roof she observed him all night and day - but the only person to leave the house was a delivery boy who had just entered it to deliver a parcel.

Cora was the one who came up with the plan. Once Hoofchild had left, she would distract the housekeeper while Sadie and Thaspar searched the house. While Cora played a disturbingly realistic lunatic the other two snuck in the back and rummaged through the upstairs of the home. They found nothing of interest, however, and had to make an expeditious retreat before they could search the lower floor.

The whole endeavor hit a dead end. They still held their suspicions, but there was no proof - yet. So they returned to the Mantle to pursue other interests.

Before long it was time for the long awaited triple date. The trio of couples went out for traditional Talenta Plains food in the little plains district. Over steamed iguana and various other delights some amount of pleasant conversation was had. Merrin and Sadie got on well, as usual - but the other couples faired less well. Cora was disheartened by Liam’s lack of an adventurous spirit and her infatuation fizzled. The blind, ungraceful, rosy cheeked, and immensely buxom Vaneesha was not Thaspar's type. He was not hers either, it seems. He managed to offend her enough times with comments like "Funny being set up with you on a blind date" that she left early. Thaspar was a great monk, and a master of mind and body - but his people skills could have used some work.

With numerous loose ends tied up the trio retired to the Mantle for a few days to plan for their next outing.

Timeline

• Far 13 Lharvion - Met with Elgor
• Mol 16 Lharvion - Return to the vault area
• Zol 17 Lharvion - Met with Twitch
• Zor 19 Lharvion - Anti-Sadie rally and Gorebrute chase
• Far 20 Lharvion - Stakeout at Hoofchild's house
• Sar 21 Lharvion - Triple Date

People

Elgor
A thin, elderly elf. Tall even for an elf, Elgor is ponderous and a bit absent-minded. He wants the players to travel into Droaam to retrieve an artifact.

Franz Hoofchild
Asinine reporter at the Inquisitive who seems to have a grudge against Sadie, or a least a desire to smear her good name.

Heroic Quotes

• "You're not an elf. You don't understand." - Thaspar
• "I was giving him advice... I think he died." - Cora
• "Ugh. I've got weapon finesse on my fists." (like weapon finesse is some gross thing) - Jon
• "Lets go to Liam first" - Cora
• "It wouldn't have been stupid if it had worked." - Sadie
• "I think the relationship is over" - Cora (about Liam)

Adventure Names

Session 1

• Robert - Owwwww / Instant Gelatin Mix
• Robyn - Bone Crushing
• Bryan - Cora Bites the Ogre's Head

Session 2

• Robert -
• Robyn -
• Bryan - Guest of Honor

Legends & Lore

Droaam is home to those creatures who can find no quarter elsewhere in Khorvaire. Most of them are either utterly evil, horribly twisted, or horrendously violent - or all three. The land is populated by all forms of monstrous humanoids - medusas, minotaurs, harpies, and goblins. It is the last above-Khyber vestige of many of the horrific aberrations which spilled forth from Xoriat. You will find mind flayers, dolgaunts and other twisted creatures in that dark land. Droaam is also the only place in the world where you can still find the occasional were-creature lurking on the fringes of society.

Even with all that Droaam is not as dangerous as it may seem. While humanoid races are generally despised there are enough wanderers and transients that most can get by beneath the notice of any danger. There are enough vagabonds that a traveler can usually survive unless he plasters his outfit with symbols of the Silver Flame. The biggest danger is brutal, random violence which happens frequently enough in the region.

Statistics

Session 1
Date Played: Dec 30, 2005
Session Length: 4 hours
Experience Gained: 1050/character
Foes Vanquished: 6 Goblins, 6 Skeletons, 2 Ogres, 1 Ogre Shaman, 1 Ogre Captain

Session 2
Date Played: January 6, 2006
Session Length: 4 hours
Experience Gained: ?/character
Foes Vanquished: 3 Shifters, Vaneesha