Date: 25th Harvester 609 CY Attendance: Wulrakas, Jareth, Virgil ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recap: The party awakens the following morning in The Lodge, the "tavern" they chose for the previous night's lodging (though the business is more of a brewery than a tavern). Jareth is up first, and he makes his way to Wulrakas' room to lay out his plans for the day. After some consideration, they decide to visit one of the local libraries in town. They unsuccessfully stir Alena and Cat from their slumber, so they proceed to set off without them. On the way Wulrakas starts to ask strangers where he can find a "magical shield;" he's given a location from a beggar, but Jareth can see past the man's obvious lies and informs Wulrakas of it. At the library Wulrakas is approached by an unattractive barbarian female; he asks her for treasure maps, and the woman eventually reveals that she might procure some... for a price. Jareth, meanwhile, talks to the head librarian, and he learns that special texts can only be accessed by members of the Sea Mage Guild. When he approaches Wulrakas to tell him this he reminds the Dragonborn to be cautious around strangers. Wulrakas drops the matter of treasure maps at that point, opting against paying the woman for one. They return to The Lodge and find that Virgil has gotten up from his massive drinking binge the night prior. He seems no worse for wear, however. At this point they agree to seek out the Sea Mage Guild, so once again they set off. This time they take a carriage through town, driven by a Balkunish man that nearly runs a small child off the road in his haste. Arriving at the Docklands District, the trio decide to get some lunch. They pick the most fancy establishment in the District -- The Pearl of Gradsul -- and after pretending to be a nobleman named Jack Anderson, Virgil and his entourage -- Wulrakas the silent bodyguard, Jareth the Half-Elf Servant -- step into an oasis. Inside is a small little piece of paradise, a sandy-floored room set up to look like a beachside bar. They order fine wine and shrimp for a whopping twenty gold pieces, and Jareth notices that one of the patrons of the establishment is an elder of a well-to-do family. His wife, a much younger woman, seems intrigued by Jareth. They later agree to meet that night in private. Finally leaving to visit the Sea Mage Guild/Academy, they notice black smoke rising from their destination.They hastily make their way there, only to find the Guild beseiged by Fire Giants. Many of the apprentice mages flee, while the braver ones attempt to battle the last remaining giant. Wulrakas charges the man-beast, Jareth takes position on a rooftop and snipes from afar, and Virgil slings powerful spells to fell the mighty creature. Eventually he's killed, and a high-ranking Elder of the Academy hobbles towards the group. Thanking them for their assistance (as most of the powerful magi have left the academy on a mission of "research,") the man invites them to his quarters in the center tower of the Academy. Here he reveals some information on what commoners are now calling "The Starry Morning" -- known as the Great Return by others. He believes that powerful creatures taken during the Days of Vanishing have returned, though not the same as they were when they left. He tells of a boy claiming to be Drawmij in the Wayward Dolphin, and of a powerful shapeshifter who has taken over the Thieves' Guild. Jareth trusts the venerable mage enough to give him the alien tome they found the day prior; the mage is intrigued, and promises to decipher it to the best of his ability. The party then says their goodbyes -- with Jareth heading towards a fancy Inn to meet the woman from the Pearl. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Experience: Alena – 0 XP (118,650 XP total) Wulrakas - 9,000 XP (200,750 XP total) LEVEL UP 16 Virgil - 8,000 XP (162,850 XP total) Cat - 0 XP (165,500 XP total) Jareth - 9,000 XP (151,500 XP total) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loot: On the fire giant - 320 gold pieces, foreign currency - modified Lion gold pieces of Keoland, from the March of Bisel. Three Bottles of Alchemist Fire Severed, Preserved Head of a Young White Dragon (trophy) Small rubies embedded in plate armor (worth ~120 gold pieces total) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: What Jareth learned from his "pillow talk" - The noblewoman's husband's fortune is in decline, after a series of bad investments. His health is failing as well. To save face, he has begun to spend exuberantly. He plans on single handedly financing a parade for the first day of Brewfest. Two days will pass in game before next session. Put anything noteworthy your characters do during this period here.
