Summary
Tarsakh 12
The adventurers have arrived in Phsant in Thesk, each travelling their separate ways. Andre is on a pilgrimage. Caeli is returning to Telflamm from Two Stars after delivering a message for the Harpers. Kiri is also travelling from Two Stars, headed for the coast. Mirag has come south from his mountains and is looking for a city with arcane knowledge. Risa has left her monastery and is heading for Telflamm as well, following a clue. Thorn has had the longest journey. He followed the Tabaxi traitor, Cadence of Water, from Aglarond by ship to Telflamm and then has traced Cadence heading up the Golden Way to Phsant and is finally within hours or even minutes of his prey.
Andre, Caeli, and Kiri are in the Drunken Kobold's common room. Thorn enters, he is checking all the inns in town. As he does, he can smell another Tabaxi, Cadence is here! He approaches the innkeeper and starts to question him about another tabaxi and Cadence comes down the stairs and freezes at the sight of Thorn. Thorn draws his rapier and lunges across the room, stabbing Cadence! Cadence tries to shove him back with a Thunderwave spell, but Thorn resists. He tries to stab Cadence again, but he blocks with a Shield spell. Cadence runs outside and sprints away, and Thorn stabs again and misses. Andre steps up and heals Thorn and tries to talk to him. Thorn runs outside and pursues and Caeli and Andre follow to see what is going on. Kiri stops to check for injuries from the Thunderwave. Outside, Risa and Mirag are walking down the street, looking for an inn. Cadence comes running down the street with Thorn, bloody sword in hand, in hot pursuit with Andre and Caeli behind. Risa turns and runs along side Cadence, trying to question him. Mirag tries to grab Cadence, but he slips away. Andre and Caeli move forward, Caeli shoots Cadence with Magic Missile. Cadence runs up to a bystander, who is somewhat surprised by all this and Cadence speaks to him and hands him an item that looks like a black stone icicle. Caeli tries to slow him with Ray of Frost. Kiri runs out help.
Seeing all the adventures pursuing Cadence and closing in, the "bystander" becomes angry and casts a spell that's like a fiery Thunderwave, but it explodes outward in a circle of flame that scorches the ground and burns them! Cadence is thrown back on fire and collapses. Mirag swings his stone hammer at the "bystander" who blocks it with Shield. His illusion fades away, revealing a bald, bearded human male, wearing red, orange and yellow, with tattoos on his head. An arcane symbol decorates his robes. Thorn stabs him, and is blocked by the Shield. Cadence is killed by the magical fire and his body collapses into ash! Caeli tries Magic Missile, but the Shield absorbs it. The wizard casts Teleport and disappears with the Obsidian Fang. Kiri arrives and helps Mirag heal the wounded. They return to the inn to confer.
Thorn explains he was pursuing a thief and a traitor, but now he has lost his lead. Risa is on an investigation and is headed for Telflamm. Kiri is also headed for Telflamm. Caeli says she is headed back to her home in Telflamm, she has contacts that might be able to help. Mirag is also looking for information, Telflamm may be able to help him as well. Andre is traveling where justice takes him, he will help Thorn. The party decides to follow Caeli to Telflamm.
The party leaves Phsant the next day, headed down the Golden Way to Telflamm. Despite it being mid-Spring, they struggle with late snow storms and make poor time. They notice Caeli seems less bothered by the cold, as is Mirag, but he has thick fur, so that's understandable. After almost a week, they pass through Phent and over its bridge, headed for the ferry crossing on the River Eth. Mid-morning, they spot crows and vultures circling over a side road, there may be a village there. They move up the road and come to an empty village. There are three dead, two old men and a middle aged woman, killed by weapons, sometime in the last 12 to 20 hours. The houses look broken into, but not looted. But there are no other people. One of the old men looks like a scarred old soldier. Before he died, he drew an arrow in the ground with his dagger. Following the arrow, they find tracks showing people were herded into three wagons and led away by eight horsemen. The party pursues as fast as they can and late in the afternoon they spot the wagons and horsemen. As they approach, six of the riders turn back to attack the party. Evan shoots and kills one with his bow, Kiri casts Bless. The party engages them closely and starts to take them out. The last two horsemen turn to join the battle and the wagons try to speed away. The party cut down more raiders and the leader spars with Risa. He breathes a poison cloud on her and her horse, causing it to panic and try to throw her, but she regains control. The party mobs him and slays him. They take off after the wagons, and the men driving surrender. Inside the wagons are about two dozen villagers; old folk, women and children, but no men. The villagers explain a nearby village was raided by goblins and their men went to help, the raiders arrived several hours later. The party thinks it's suspicious the kidnapper arrived after a goblin attack took away the town's defenders.
Silly Quotes and Smart Remarks
Evan signs on to Discord and he still has the tropical island cartoon background from when we played Cyberpunk
Evan "Oops, I didn't know it would do that"
Thorn is a Tabaxi (cat person)
Brittany "Are you Puss 'n Boots?"
Jim "He does have a rapier"
Thorn attacks the the other Tabaxi, Cadence, in a "cat fight"
Sam "Get the water bottle"
Brittany "I use Prestidigitation to spray them with water"
Nick "I wade in and pick them both up by the scruff of their necks"
Thorn is injured and Andre heals him
Nick "I Lay on Hands"
Brittany "Are you going to pet the cat?"
Nick "This group seems in need of moral guidance"
Evan "Thanks, dad"
The weather is cold
Katya "This is an opportunity to fortify my body"
Jim "With brandy"
Jack "They say you can't find happiness at the bottom of a bottle, but I found power instead"
Jim "You see crows circling"
Brittany "Did I do that?"
Jim "Not Urkeling"
What to do if Jack's bearfolk dies
Jim "Don't worry, we'll taxidermy you"
Jack <affronted> "You can't make me into a bear skin rug!"
Jack "Druids are just clerics of the woods"
