- got 100gp in a bag on a mantle when we woke up… from therlissa but snuck in overnight
- Nidalru used contact to find halfling woman to get info about what to do with ‘bodies’, she said she’d find someone and send them to nidalru
- Travon Orcslayer approached Nidalru saying he had info re: Aerto… he wanted 5gp but Nidalru paid 2gp
- scarlet y’las is the tavern keeper of the squirming mermaid
- found aerto at bar negotiating with dog-faced human
- Aerto says he pays btween 10-15gp/corpse
- he had heard about the abandoned Brewery
- Also heard the dreammaster is no more, and it was a ‘rag-tag’ group of adventurers
- soon as Nidalru suggested she might MAKE bodies, he backed away, saying he didn’t mind a ‘desecrating a grave’ charge, but bailed at the suggestion of Murder for Hire
- Aerto agrees to meet at midnight next night at docks
- Heroes decide to go to deadvaults to get bodies… Odessa the priestess agrees anxiously to offer minion bodies
- Silvershield oversees loading of bodies into cart purchased from our cart ‘contact’.
- Aerto says bodies are of no use to him if they’ve been through a consecration ritual yet
- 13gp/piece, and nidalru says 40 for all 4 as a deal, he offers 50gp for the bodies and the cart
- bong sneaks under cart and follows until stops at a building where he sees Aerto leave the cart, grab a package at the foot of the door and leave
- legion empowers his shade to follow the cart and act as GPS so they can follow it afterwards
- Heroes track back to the building and force entry through barn doors
- Abyssal dog meets heroes as they enter.
- Heroes descend into the basement and discover ritual being performed by diabolist/crusader ritualists
- elders performing rituals, initiates try to stop us
- heroes unable to delay/stop ritual, doors open to reveal Frenzied Demon and cult leader inviting heroes in to help ‘announce’ their presence to the city
- ….. pause for next session!
When the heroes wake up, on the desk of one of their rooms is a pouch of gold and a note that reads:
“To assist you in your investigations in Eldolan.� If your investigations are complete, and you instead need magical assistance, spend it within the city.
Signed, Therilsa Stormhand.”
Milo received a vision from The Great Gold Wyrm of the image of the person who hired Nightshade; the rogue that attacked us with Samuel the night before.
- sever looking woman, high cheekbones, long thin dark hair, clearly wearing wizard robes, but not one of the 3 schools of magic
- in fact, the robe looks like a variation of the lamplighter wizard robe… not the same, but with a slight variation in the pattern… maybe a different rank
- she’s sitting at a mahogany desk, many books behind her, curtains drawn… writing something in a book
- looks like some form of schedule, but Milo‘s not sure what it is
- she looks like she’s constantly very focused… a woman of intense focus like she doesn’t suffer fools easily
- Then as she’s continuing to write, she’s wearing a pair of jade thumb rings, and a hairpin looks gold and in the form of a bat
- she gets up and closes the book and she pulls on a sleek pair of black leather gloves and as she turns, Milo can make out the same brand of The Lich King on her pale, white chest
- Milo is certain he’d recognize her if he ever saw her again.
- Milo thinks about his vision and feels that things are not quite as they seem…
Nidalru uses her underworld contact skills to see if she can get closer to Aerto
- manages to speak with Malice Sureshot
- halfling woman thin, wiry, short-cropped jet-black hair with a hard edge about her. Dragon tattoos, about 30, form-fitting green leather jerkin with black leather pants and sharp blades on her bandolier
- she’s interested in you providing her some dreamleaf
- she’s ‘into’ Nidalru
- to get info about what to do with ‘bodies’, she said she’d find someone and send them to Nidalru
- Nidalru proposes a week’s worth of dreamleaf for information
- Malice says she’s looking to gut Aerto when we’re done with him
The heroes try to look casual in this area of town and a few congregating in a local drinking hole
- Travon Orcslayer approaches Nidalru 2 hours later
- crusty older dwarf – brown hair mostly white, a few nasty scars including one that took off right ear; looks like a LONG time mercenary
- “The halfling told me to speak to you… said you’d have good coin for I have to tell you…”
- he wanted “at least 5…” but Nidalru paid 2gp
- said he used to do some work with Aerto… carrying corpses… middle of the night… stuck around one night to watch… saw a couple big guys come meet ‘im, but they weren’t any wizards… big tough guys… took those bodies then one week he tells me we gotta up our quota but didn’t say we gotta ‘make’ the dead bodies.� Then different ‘wizards’ came this time… wearing rust coloured robes.� Asked Aerto how many clients we’re servicing, but Aerto said don’t ask and paid him more
- Aerto can be found drinking at the Squirming Mermaid drinking but doesn’t stay in one place for too long
The heroes decide to waste no time and head directly to:
- �The Squirming Mermaid
- it’s a shady, 2-story establishment that is frequented by black-market dealers and shady characters
- lots of little additions that have distorted the upper level and made it look like some sections are hanging precariously
- unique construction has resulted in many little rooms where clandestine meetings can happen easily
- 4 exits make it ideal for people wanting to make quite getaways
- known for overpriced and effective liquors & cheaper ale
- Scarlet Y’las is the tavern keeper of The Squirming Mermaid
- high elf woman behind the bar, tall and flaming red hair; hard and mysterious
- she warns Nidalru to be careful negoti ating with Aerto; he is probably taking the human he’s talking with now for all he’s worth…
- doesn’t want any rough stuff in her place; she’ll ‘toss you in the river’
- Aerto at a table in the back
- Aerto is half-dark elf, therefore lighter skin than Nidalru; like Legion‘s (but he breathes!)� long, long fingers, penetrating stare, dark grey hair, piercing violet eyes.� little on the thin side, strokes his hairless chin while Nidalru describes her proposition
- Nidalru sits and eases into a proposition that she can ‘serve’ Aerto better than Travon can
- Aerto says he pays between 10-15gp/corpse
- he had heard about the abandoned Brewery
- Also heard the Dreammaster is no more, and it was a ‘rag-tag’ group of adventurers
- soon as Nidalru suggested she might MAKE bodies, he backed away, saying he didn’t mind a ‘desecrating a grave’ charge, but bailed at the suggestion of Murder for Hire
- Aerto agrees to meet at midnight next night at docks
Heroes decide to get a wagon from Rolo and then head to The Dead Vaults to get bodies from Odessa who agrees wholeheartedly in order to right this wrong. Legion makes sure the Silvershield ordered to help at Dead Vaults doesn’t show his face outside.
Heroes go to meet Aerto at the prescribed time and place:
- Aerto reiterates that bodies are of no use to him if they’ve been through a consecration ritual yet
- 13gp/piece and Nidalru says 40 for all 4 as a deal, he offers 50gp for the bodies and the cart
Legion empowers his shade to follow the cart and act as GPS so they can follow it afterward, and Bong sneaks under the cart and stows away until it stops at a building where he sees Aerto leave the cart, grab a package at the foot of the door and leave.
- Heroes trackback to the 2-story building built into the cliffside and force entry through barn doors
- Abyssal dog meets heroes as they enter
INITIATIVE!
Wiping his blade, Idris recognizes the foul beast; abyssal guardians… part-demons used to guard unholy sites often used for rituals to the Diabolist.� The heroes descend into the basement and discover a ritual being performed by diabolist/crusader ritualists.
INITIATIVE!
Having learned their lessons, Legion directs his shade minion down the stairs first…
- flickering light ahead of us, a low, ominous chanting and the smell of something foul
- the tunnel ends at a long cavern with high walls
- hanging from hooks and chains throughout the chamber are humanoid limbs, heads, and chunks of torso; rotting away but covered in fresh blood
- Intricate patterns on the floor in blood and gore
- candles and polished blackened skulls light the room from the walls
- at the far end of the room, large iron doors sit closed
- 10 or so figures in robes are chanting, the ritualists’ voices grow louder, perhaps their ritual is completing
A crushing headache echoes in each of our heads… a diabolic warding trap has been sprung! A honeyed but harsh speech forms in your minds even though we don’t understand the words… we are loved but we are insufficient, we are great but we are unworthy…
INITIATIVE!
- elders performing rituals, initiates try to stop us
- Idris and Legion are unable to delay/stop the ritual
- Bong explodes in a ferocious torrent of criticals; savaging the cult elders and initiates
- Iron doors open to reveal Frenzied Demon and cult leader inviting heroes in to help ‘announce’ their presence to the city
… pause for the next session!
