South Province Campaign: Session 85 Notes

[As I vacate all my files from old Yahoo!Groups, a variety of them will find their way here to this old blog. And not remotely in order. This is a write-up from pretty late in the campaign, so don't feel bad if you have no idea what's going on in this one. Earlier ones are coming!]

85th Playing Session Notes
Alex
Fireseek 20, 582.  Earthday morning, 10 am.
Alex is interviewing three new employees contracted through the Blue Salamander Guild – Miro, Milen, and Dimitris.  They all seem passibly fluent in lawful speech, but Andel has not divined their true nature yet.  Miro and Milen will be added to the estate guards, while Dimitris is to head north, check for Oaklock in Arogaz Avon and then move to Crossroads to contact Alex’s other informants there.

While on the estate, Depello Vargus is escorted to see Alex.  Depello serves Freiherr Yuliana Kurkulas.  Yulilana is responsible for overseeing the ritter sub-class while in Hexpools and Depello is to be his liason to her.

Fireseek 21, 582.  Freeday morning, 10 am.
Depello is on the estate trying to make plans with Alex to attend a ball held at Rheingraf Mehdi’s estate on next Moonday.  Kullin Kostova arrives, representing Laird Daridus, wanting Alex to appear at city hall and accept an award on Sunday.  Three more couriers are waiting at the gate, first among them carries an invitation for a banquet at the Artisan’s Guild Sunday evening, and a gift of a silver brooch (worth 10 gp).

Fireseek 22, 582.  Starday.

On this day the whole band talks about the “Big Picture.”

Fireseek 23, 582.  Sunday afternoon, 4 pm.

Alex is meeting with Desinail Oeskos, half-Suel Treasurer (7^th level, age 55) of the Church, at the temple.  Desinail relates that Voldran Mardov is on his way to Kalstrand with an entourage to present Alex’s argument to the Grand Acquisitioner.  However, the Church is concerned about the likely perception tha the Church stands to gain from this, especially if their chief witness is politically active.  Desinail asks what chapel Alex has sworn his life to defending and when he last served guard duty there.

Fireseek 23, 582.  Sunday morning, 3 am.

Alex wakes Joseph, who had arrived just last night, and makes him groom and saddle Zephyr in the dark to show him that life as a ritter’s page or squire is not easy.  Joseph does well, but is slowed down by asking Alex questions about adventuring.  They are interrupted by the sound of elvish singing.  Sure enough, Oaklock is on the villa grounds, having arrived late last night and not wishing to disturb anyone.  Oaklock did run into Dimitris, and relates that Freiherr Gorova will allow his engineer, Filip the White-Knuckled, to come to Hexpools for only 2 weeks of consultation if 300 gp are paid in advance for security.

Fireseek 24, 582.  Moonday evening, 5 pm.

Mehdi’s ball is underway and Alex arrives with Kesley on his arm.  Julius Weathermay is working the crowd and hits on Kesley (“You’re beautiful, charming, elegant – let’s ditch your bodyguard and go paint the town!”).  Mehdi arrives and gently chastises Weathermay for party crashing (JW:  “I had nothing in writing that said not to come.  When I snub you for parties, I always end you a warning to stay away.”)  Weathermay is here looking for Alex.  He offers to hire the BoGG for 100 gp a month.

Rains in the night.

Fireseek 25, 582.  Godsday afternoon, 1 pm.

Godsday services were performed by Tramir Rovos (played by Wilford Brimley), canon of the church.  His slow, plodding sermon was highlighted by the announcement of Voldran Mardov’s safe arrival in Kalstrand for a “very important summit.”  Afterwards, Rovos agrees to talk to Alex, but has no news of the summit itself, nor even knows its purpose.  Tramir agrees that the church will watch his villa and handle all requests for Alex alone and not the full Band.  Alex announces he is leaving for Aragoz Avon the next day, but in the meanwhile, leaves funds behind so the Church can commission the creation of an Amulet of Prot. From Fear (1,000 gp?).

Fireseek 26, 582.  Waterday afternoon, 2 pm.

Alex is on the road to Inamark, leading the way on Zephyr while Joseph drives the Band’s wagon, with Kesley in back.  They just encountered two wagons whose horses and passengers were being accosted by 5 huge (2’, ½ HD) squirrels and 1 giant (4’, 1 HD) squirrel.  A passenger slays a huge squirrel with a Magic Missile, Zephyr tramples a giant squirrel, and the rest flee.  The wagons hold refugees from Porton, who have seen their town transformed into an army base since the BoGG’s “attack.”

Vlad

Fireseek 19, 582.  Waterday afternoon, 4 pm.

First day of scribing.  Benus Steinus has questioned a class of four and dismisses all but Vlad as being unworthy of this level of study.  Benus leads Vlad to a door to a ruined mausoleum, locked from the outside.  Through that door is encounter 1 of the Crypt of Lyzandred (the mourners can become 4 zombies and the coffin holds a ghast).  Benus explains that real risk makes the puzzles more challenging.

Fireseek 20, 582.  Earthday morning, 5 am.

Vlad wakes to notice a glyph on the back of his left hand that looks like it was burned there.  It itches, but doesn’t hurt.  Jedidiah the Kilmoulis was there, and likely Mikhail, Ivan, and Maldrik.  None of them can explain it.  Benus cannot be contacted for 3 more hours.  The college is a building without doors or furniture – just a place where teachers and students meet and talk standing or sitting in one of five rooms.  When asked later, Benus says it is Vlad’s job to reason it out.  The glyph is really branded, not magical.

Fireseek 21, 582.  Freeday evening, 7 pm.

The cabal meets at Balagros’ villa (or elsewhere?).  Holian, Aria, Weiss, Vest, Wormer, Richards, and three more (1 2^nd lvl, 2 1^st) attend.  Holian is friendly to the idea of sharing spell research.  Aria is hostile and vanishes.  Weiss thinks the idea has merit, but wants safeguards to make sure no one is stealing or hording research.  Vest is uncertain because there is no precedent.  Richards is excited about it.  Holian alone can make scrolls.  Day 5 of Vlad’s spell research.

Fireseek 22, 582.  Starday morning, 7 am.

Vlad is stopped before leaving the warehouse by Metodi, who had an early morning guest – a gnome named Beryl has been there for an hour asking for Vlad.  Beryl is a 1 HD female gnome who brings apologies from Trosli that he could neither come himself nor send illusionists.  Instead, Beryl offers herself as an apprentice.  Trosli is on a secret mission to Idee and that’s all Vlad can coax from her.  Holian and Richards are the first to agree to Vlad’s proposal of spell sharing.

Fireseek 23, 582.  Sunday morning, 9 am.

Benus sends Vlad through a door to encounter area E5 (the ogre is an ogrillion, saplings at 1+1 HD).  The garden is surrounded by a 5' stone wall.  If Vlad hops the wall, he finds himself in a field with a greenish fog and unusually short grass scattered, odd-shaped trees and surrounded by hills.  There is a 3 in 6 chance of an encounter every 10 minutes (see p. 3).  It rains that night.

Fireseek 24, 582.  Moonday morning, 11 am.

Vlad goes to E6 after 3 hours of playing dragon chess with Benus) the 6 gnomes are I 2/T 2).  The door to the warehouse is stuck.  Outside is a farm with several other warehouse-like buildings around it.  20 green kobolds try to prevent Vlad from snooping.

Fireseek 25, 582.  Godsday night, 10 pm.

Metodi appears to need to see Vlad, but it is in fact a disguised Holian.  Holian reveals that 6 members of the cabal know Vlad and Metodi's secret, but had kept it to themselves.  He reveals that he has brought an invisible guest, and Davim of Dargvonessa appears.  Davim asks the cabal for sanctuary as he has a death sentence waiting him for impersonating nobility.  This is day 7 of Vlad's INT training.

Fireseek 26, 582.  Waterday morning, 11 am.

Vlad is sent to E8 (the steward is a F2 in black tabard over studded leather, the cook is a C2, also AC 7, the servants are illusion-covered zombies).  They fight to keep Vlad from leaving the kitchen.  There are 4 ghouls in the adjoining dining room and 3 more in the hallway.

Fireseek 27, 582.  Earthday afternoon, 4 pm.

After solving another math problem, Vlad fled into a village on the other side of the door.  The locals were slaves being supervised by a pair of big, shaggy monsters Vlad color sprayed.  Vlad has been searching the village for clues as to what's going on and only coming up with the occasional giant rat.  At first he kills some, but soon realizes they are at least semi-domesticated.  Then Vlad finds a skeleton in an old shed.  

Ivan

Fireseek 19, 582.  Waterday evening, 6 pm.

Ivan had another hard day. Dimitar Geshov was critical of Ivan's parrying skills, but never explained well enough what was wrong with his stance on the low strikes.  Ivan is having supper at the Fountain Inn with Boyan and brings up his desire to open a bowyer's shop.  Boyan thinks Ivan should talk to Beredik of the Arrow-Shot Boar Fletcher's Shop a block west of the guild hall.  If Ivan hurries, he catches Beredik closing his window for the day.  Beredik reveals that the best bowyers in the city are Khason, whose shop is in the Armory and is responsible for the city guard's bows, and Roza, his former apprentice (and rumored lover) who makes bows for the guild.

This is day 3 of his training.  Ivan has six +1 arrows already.  The javelin was verified.

Fireseek 20, 582.  Earthday afternoon, 1 pm.

Ivan has to incorporate all eight guards with the long sword into his defense against three attackers.  Ivan is attacked up to 5 times by a 1^st level f (Ivan is AC 8 fighting defensively), a 2^nd lvl f, then a swordsman named Zolam starts exploiting Ivan's dependence on overhand guards and striking low.  All damage is subdual.

Fireseek 21, 582.  Freeday morning, 9 am.

Geshov will only train a half-day on Freedays, from 11 to 4.  Ivan shows up early to look into dexterity training, but is intercepted by Zolam and two of the fighters who were talking about him the other day (Aleko and Cveti).  They (unconvincingly) act nice and try to find out how Ivan got the magic javelin.  

Geshov agrees to look into what the guild can do for him, especially in regards to goal #3.

Fireseek 22, 582.  Starday night, 8 pm.

Ritter Boudevska has Ivan summoned to him by Squire Lavel.  Samos Boudevska offers Ivan the position of Squire.