KC's Age of Worms

Game Master Kobold Catgirl

As a clarification for those who didn't read the spoiler, the Apostolic Scrolls were the most recent sale of the lot, occurring about ten months ago. The sale of the sword to the Constable was the "years ago" one.

Fixed.

Wait, Etin Derecs? Did they really name an NPC the reverse of "Night Scared?"

Astraden frowns. "Hm . . . it does look rather lifelike. What do you propose we do with it, then?"

"Do you know anybody that can fix it?"

"Yenaver, the priest at the Kord shrine, might be able to. He had some pretty powerful magic."

"It sounds like we've got our next lead", Tanith says after Farrukh finishes his report. "We'll need to learn what we can about those guys and how connected they are to all of this. Why would this Rakian want us killed or converted? Have we ruined any plans of his lately? I don't think I've ever heard of him."

"I think he's the 'friend' Zyrxog said he was working with before he got interrupted. The one who supposedly also wants to stop the Age of Worms from occurring."

"Well, I know I can't. And spellcasting's expensive, man. Maybe you could use it as a lawn decoration."

Astraden nods to Tanith. "Yeah, we should ask around for anything anyone's heard about him and that constable guy. Maybe talk to those guards we saved? Are guards the same as constables?"

"If he wanted our help stopping the Age of Worms, why put out a hit on us? That whole thing smells like bullshit to me."

"Gattel works for the city right? After what he went through I hate to put him in the line of fire again but maybe he can help point in the right direction."

Gah. I keep getting things backwards on this whole ordeal.

"I don't know. Maybe I got it backwards, he did say it right before he scrambled my brains for a full minute."

"That makes more sense I suppose."

No big. It's kinda my fault for letting things get so slow; it's easy to forget things that happened months ago. :P

Carina ponders the question of who this 'Raknian' person is.

Knowledge (Local): Do I Know The Guy?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

The name is minutely familiar to Carina—she might have heard it once or twice in a crowded pub—but she can't think of anything.

So, anything to do before you head back up to the surface?

I too, have the Local Knowledge: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Wah waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Carina snorts in frustration and stomps her foot. "Dammit. I know I heard the name 'Loris Raknian' somewhere before..."

She rests her head in her hands. "Oh well. Come on--let's get back topside. We've got things to identify, preparations to make, and questions to ask of Eligos."

"I wish we had a way to cave this place in", Tanith muses. "But yeah let's get back to the surface."

Carina takes a look around at the walls as she begins to leave the room. "Have you considered punching out a few key points? I mean, you DID shatter marble with your fists..."

That last sentence gives her chills. ...and those are the same hands that can be unimaginably gentle with me... She shakes her head and refocuses. Tired. Hungry. Need rest. Go.

Tanith chuckles and digs a shard of marble out of his bloodied knuckles. "I couldn't come up without anything else to do after Zyrog undid Astraden's spell that let me fly."

The big man pauses to consider Carina's suggestion but shakes his head a moment later.

"We could give it a shot but I'd be worried about bringing down the street above us too. Maybe we should let the city watch know so they can make sure nobody else moves in."

Carina looks down at her feet, one of her hands moving to her neck and rubbing it. There's still a dark ring around her throat from the chokers.

"...good point." Is all she says. She moves next to Tanith and hugs him, her fatigue catching up to her.

Also, Astraden, the chokers' suits of leather armor are magical.

"So what are we going to do with that "Strahd" thing?"

"Also, we forgot something, one second."

Farrukh slits the Vrock's throat with his klar.

Coup de Grace.

2d6 + 32 ⇒ (2, 2) + 32 = 36

"I think we should just leave Strahd here, honestly." The undine looks over at the serrated dagger. "I'm not entirely sure that it's safe to move without its curse affecting us in some way."

Would its curse activate if we swaddled it in cloth and stowed it in a backpack? Or would it only activate if someone actually picked it up and wielded it as a weapon?

"It just seems like we should melt it down or something. I dunno."

"And I'm still curious about that magic pool."

Tanith wraps an arm around Carina's midsection and squeezes her back.

"I don't like the idea of just leaving it here. What if some beggars wander down here and find it. I could probably smash it up with that adamantine dagger we took from the drow alchemist. Do you think that would end its curse? I've found smashing is usually a pretty effective way to deal with evil magic."

Okay, I'm not going to double-check Astraden's whole list, but a few things she left out that are magic are the scale mail and chain shirts from the drow.

"If we need to move it, I can volunteer. I'm probably easier to take down than Tanith if it comes to it."

"I think we should just leave Strahd here, honestly." The undine looks over at the serrated dagger. "I'm not entirely sure that it's safe to move without its curse affecting us in some way."

Would its curse activate if we swaddled it in cloth and stowed it in a backpack? Or would it only activate if someone actually picked it up and wielded it as a weapon?

Spending a night with it could be problematic, but if you unload it on someone who knows what to do with it, you'd probably be okay.

Would trying to physically destroy the dagger work?

Assumedly, though it could conceivably have consequences—it's a somewhat unique cursed item.

After giving the dagger one more suspicious look, Carina relents. "Alright. Just... just be careful when you pick it up, alright?"

Tanith frowns. "Let's just be quick with it. I don't know where we're going to take that thing. Maybe the druid that brought Astraden back?"

Farrukh wraps his hand in a piece of cloth and gingerly picks up the dagger.

Nothing explodes.

Good start.

Last call for folks to check out the magic pool before we exit.

The party embarks from the lair of Zyrxog and backtracks back through the sewers. When they emerge into the open air, they are momentarily dazzled by the shining sunlight. The foul stench of the sewers is replaced with the ordinary stench of the Free City of Greyhawk, which isn't even that bad in the Artisan District.

And where to?

Who might know how to destroy Strahd?

Also, SOMEBODY CHECK THE SASSAFRASSIN' POOL DADGUMMIT

To the shrine to Obad-Hai to talk to Anlathi.

Are you referring to the spawning pool that Tanith smashed or something else?

A church of Boccob, Wee Jas, Moradin, would likely know how to destroy it, while one of the more proactively good gods (Pelor, Heironeous, Pholtus or Saint Cuthbert) would definitely have ways of keeping it safe. A mage or craftsman specializing in magic items would work as well.

He's talking about the magic pool in the chamber you guys passed that led to the balcony.

Oh, I'd forgotten about that one apparently. Is Gark around to give it a detect magic/spellcraft? Or are you good with retconning that whenever he's around?

Which of those temples are nearby? I don't think we've been outside the Muddle.

Spellcraft on choker leather armor: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Spellcraft on drow scale mail: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Spellcraft on drow chain shirt: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Spellcraft on Smenk's cloak: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

As the party ascends, Astraden exposits on all the items she was able to identify. "We've got wands of paralysis and healing, a ring to soften falls and one to protect from blades, enchanted shortbows, hand crossbows, and falchions, a little chime for opening doors, potions for hiding, barkskin, agility, and endurance, powerfully enchanted studded leather, a jade statuette worth 300 gold or so, and about two thousand gold worth of demonic offerings, on top of everything else. Notable among that being bags and bags of money."

She looks around as the group comes into the light. "Hey, does anyone remember which way the prisoners went? I mean, still think they could've made it out on their own, but the threat is gone so we have time to take care of 'em now."

Eben spends a few moments while everyone else is discussing other matters entertaining himself with the dragon head. He clearly doesn't quite get the limitations of the item, however; he seems to think he can get it to interact and talk. "No, no, when I say 'knock, knock', you're supposed to say 'Who's there?' Got it?"

He looks up at the mention of Loris Raknian, though.

Do we really need to make Knowledge checks here? The guy's name has come up in conversation before...

"Look, the dagger may bet 'evil' and 'cursed', and we sure don't want to keep it, but I'm willing to be there's some poncy collector out there who won't mind taking it off our hands to put on display with other creepy art objects. Or maybe a museum might want it. It sounds like it only gets nasty if you try and 'wield' it."

Astraden already tried to identify the pool.

"...knockknock..."

The party sets out for Anlathi's shrine, laden with new and somewhat disturbing riches—and a few disturbing secrets, too.

As they draw near to Midnight's Muddle, a young boy darts past, rushing about posting flyers on every tree, wall, and message board he can find.

Do we really need to make Knowledge checks here? The guy's name has come up in conversation before...

I remembered it as well, but Astraden's missing a few memories, now, and in character would NOT remember a detail like that. But Carina's on the right track, mentioning Eligos.

"Oh, and by the way, I couldn't work out what that pool did. Didn't seem to hurt me when I washed my rapier, though," Astraden remarks as the group's passing through the blasted fungus section.

On the walk to Anlathi's shrine, she stops and takes a look at one of the fliers.

She looks around as the group comes into the light. "Hey, does anyone remember which way the prisoners went? I mean, still think they could've made it out on their own, but the threat is gone so we have time to take care of 'em now."

"Farrukh might be able to follow their tracks. Did anyone get their names?"

"Look, the dagger may bet 'evil' and 'cursed', and we sure don't want to keep it, but I'm willing to be there's some poncy collector out there who won't mind taking it off our hands to put on display with other creepy art objects. Or maybe a museum might want it. It sounds like it only gets nasty if you try and 'wield' it."

"Were you not listening to Red's explanation? That thing brings bloody ruin wherever it goes. It's too dangerous to be out there on someone's shelf."

The flyers read, “The Free City Champion’s Games are coming!” Just below is an illustration of the Free City arena, and at the bottom,

“Loris Raknian, Director.”

Eben shrugs. "And were you not listening to what I said? Someone might want it just because of that. Some people like their hobbies to have a bit of danger. Hopefully someone with a magically warded display case, but I can't really bring myself to care if they can't be bothered to take precautions. Caveat Emptor. 'Let the buyer beware.'"

Carina takes a closer look at the flyer the young boy put up with Astraden.

"Wait--Loris Raknian?" She snaps her fingers. "I KNEW I heard that name before!"

Oh, almost forgot...

On the way out, Eben stops and looks at the unfortunate livestock. "Way too tired to deal with herding these guys through the sewers today. I'll come back and take care of them in a day or so." He tips some feed into the pen for the cow, and throws a dead drow in for the pig to snack upon, in the meantime.

"They should have gotten out alright. The woman leading them... tall, gorgeous, lots of muscles... said she works at a smithy. I was planning to check up on her tomorrow, too."

He blinks at the poster. "So... why is the director of the arena trying to kill us? Ebon Triad?"