Raizix, Jelena, Ember, and Darwin came into large harbor at Zoa mid-morning. The first sight they had of the city was a large statue on the harbor wall, and twin gates on the wall.
They entered through one of the gates and made for the dock. As Captain Wein didn’t have money to pay for docking, Raizix paid the 1 sp per foot of ship for the first day. Wein also had to forfeit a part of his cargo in lieu of a tax. At this point, the adventurer’s parted with Wein and the Hyperion, though Wein said if they wished to charter his ship or book passage, he could accommodate them at a fair price.
Raizix asked Stiruck to lead them to his friend, Purguld. Stiruck agreed, and they all disembarked. As they were leaving the ship and stepping onto the dock, a wolf ran up to them, apparently running from something. The wolf hid behind Jelena, a shortly a tall, disheveled looking man caught sight of them. “Wolf! Think you can hide behind a girl, eh? A tree-hugging elf girl too!”
“Want to say that a little closer?” asked Jelena.
“That wolf belongs to me. He’s cost me quite a bit of money, and I feed him, though he’s barely worth what I feed him.”
Raizix and Darwin walk over to the man, and Raizix puts his arm around him. “What seems to be the problem here?”
Eventually, the group talk the man out of the wolf, and give him a few copper coins, though they probably gained his animosity.
They eventually reach Purguld’s, which is in small town. Purguld agrees to pay back his friend debt by offering a discount on goods he can provide, and whatever aid he can provide. He buys their spare armor, and fits a suit of masterwork plate armor he has to Raizix. Jelena also asks him to create a suit of chainmail barding for the wolf.
I pulled a page out of Mr. Steve’s Accordlands campaign, and rather than providing a monetary award, I used a 90% buy, 60% sell percentage to give a small break to the players as a reward. Also, it makes sense for a craftsman to offer discounts and incentives rather than outright cash, as they don’t have much just lying around.
After that, they go search out Geolain the wizard. Geolain says that he can find the location of Halaan the alchemist, but they must return the next day, an hour before dusk. They agree to do so, and spend the night on the ship rather than say in an inn. As they leave the next day, a women cuts Raizix purse strings. She takes the bag, and passes it on to another before she is tackled buy Raizix. Jelena takes a shot at the mans hand, attempting to get him to drop the bag, and succeeds. The man runs away, and Jalena hits the woman hard in the face.
The city militia approach in less than a minute, and attempt to determine the situation. They let everyone go, but have taken note of the adventurers.
They then avoid the market square after that, and wait in small town until dusk. They find Geolain in his tower, and he tells them their task. The Sentinels of the True Way, an anti-magic group has taken several books of magic and will be burning them the next morning. Geolain asks them to recover the books and deliver them to him. He will then provide a map to Halaan’s location. The group agrees to help, but are concerned about a run-in with the law. Geolain says that the Sentinels often work outside of the law, so if there is any trouble, they should be able to rely on a defense of recovery of stolen property.
Geolain says he doesn’t know where the Sentinels are based or where the books are, but he knows someone who should know: Driscal, the owner of the Blind Beggar Inn. So the group goes to the Blind Beggar Inn. They enter, and Raizix asks if the barkeeper is Driscal. The barkeep says “No, name’s Helmit. Driscal’s at the Willing Maid, and won’t be back till the ‘morrow. Can I get you a drink?”
Ember doesn’t trust him, as he seems a bit nervous. Raizix asks for an ale, and put a gold piece on the counter. ‘Helmit’ goes through the backdoor, and is absent for half a minute. Ember follows in, as does Darwin. They can’t find him, and Raizix says, “Nothing to worry about here…we’re not here to cause trouble.” He then goes in the back room too. They find a door to a storeroom, which is mostly empty, and a door leading outside. Raizix goes back to the bar, and asks a man at the bar, “You come here often?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, I have something important to discuss with Driscal. But I need to talk to him tonight. Do you know where he lives?”
“Maybe I do. But it sounds pretty important. I don’t part with important information for free. What’s in it for me?”
Raizix goes downstairs and picks up a large cask of ale, and sets it in front of the patron. “Well, this is a start. I’d be happy to pay for this ale for you.”
“Oh, well then. It’s down the street, next to the weaver. Two stories, it overhangs the street.”
So the group head to the house. They see a light coming out of the second story window. Ember and her dog Fang say they will keep guard outside. Darwin, Raizix, Jelena and her wolf Amatasaru enter the house. They don’t see anyone on the first floor, but see a stairway leading upwards and a door presumably leading to a cellar. Jelena and her wolf stay on the first floor, while the other to go to the 2nd floor.
“Driscal, we have something to discuss with you, we’re not armed…Can you hear me?” asks Raizix in a loud voice. No response.
They reach the second level, and see ‘Helmit” packing a bag by candlelight.
They eventually intimidate him into telling where the books are. In his cellar. He neglects to tell them that it’s guarded, but they don’t trust him, so they ask him to lead the way.
As soon as Raizix clears the stairwell, and sees that the four are planning to attack him, he charges one, killing him quickly and follows through with his sword and kills Driscal as well.
A big battle ensues, with the three remaining guards, and then the other sentinals are seen approaching the house. Ember enters the house and closes and locks the door and calls down for help.
After fighting in the house and on the street, they kill or subdue the other sentinels as well. They leave them for dead, grab a few swords, a magic bracer, and all the books, and head to Geolain’s tower.
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