DDAL #01-03 Shadows Over the Moonsea [5e Adventurers League] (Inactive)

Game Master Aeshuura

Ander glares at Eilren. "That's how you treat a man already so broken?"

"Now that we know more we can better avenge this man. He just needed reminding of what happened to him. I think I helped yes?" Eilren responds to Ander with a blank but curious expression wondering why he's glaring at him

Well, that was fast. The others of you, feel free to do some retro RP, if you like, but I will post this so that I can keep the momentum that we have generated. :)

With only the slightest of effort, you are directed to a harried looking human woman, wearing the uniform of the Black Fist. Steaks of gray in her blonde hair frame a face with the hard-won lines of advancing age and a violent life. Turning a stern gaze upon you, she offers, "I understand that you have been looking for me. How may I assist you, citizens?"

(madman) "The eyes, the eyes of the dracolich, it sees me... It is coming... yip! YIP!" Sizzle says. (Elden)"A knight of the Black Fist came by to interrogate this man, perhaps she has uncovered some further information in her investigation that may shed some light on these events."

Uriah admonishes Eilren You didn't have to do such a damned good job of it. Madmen are always so difficult to add to a tune, the rhyme scheme...oy.

"If I understand their terminology correctly, a Knight of the Black Fist would be a knight of Torm." Explains Shoun in regards to the terminology.

Once they reach said Knight, Shoun will answer her question by saying "We are looking into the attack on a village several nights ago by some sort of ghost ship. we understand that you interrogated the survivor and that you might know more about the subject. Would you mind sharing what you've found with us? I would like to hear your information first, to see if it fits with several of my theories, and then I will be happy to share what information we've gleaned on the issue."

Ander sighs slightly. "To clarify," he interjects after Shoun's request, "He's talking about the madman under the care of the acolytes. Doomguide Elden asked us for help, and gave us your name, Lady Burral." Ander ends with a polite smile.

You can tell us how to dispose of a Dracolich the easy way.

Oh, that's easy. First, recruit a Paladin. Second, get them a fancy magic sword. Next, watch and write an epic poem. Uriah sighs Life's so easy when you have all the answers.

"If I understand their terminology correctly, a Knight of the Black Fist would be a knight of Torm." Explains Shoun in regards to the terminology.

Knight Burral looks at Shoun curiously, the barest hint of a pained expression appears before she responds, "Perhaps in other places, and it possibly had origins with The True, but he has long abandoned our order. We are naught but guards and thugs, now."

She listens to your explanations carefully before continuing, "Doomguide Elden? I do not know him, Glandon, perhaps? Regardless, if you are working with the Order of Kelemvor, then perhaps you can help."

"There have been four recorded cases thus far: 'Yip's' village two days ago,
Vig's Dock six days ago, a collection of farmhouses a tenday ago, and the Aleston brewery fourteen days prior to today."

Knight Burral runs her fingers through her short hair as she hesitates, "While, I was able to talk my superiors into letting me investigate, they are unconcerned. They believe that since the attacks targeted small settlements, that Phlan's sheer size alone will deter attacks on the city... but I am not convinced."

"There have been no witnesses other than the madman, but it seems that by the time that the event has been reported, the attacks would appear to have occurred at night."

"You can tell us how to dispose of a Dracolich the easy way."

She shakes her head with a chuckle, "My scaled friend, I do not even know what a dracolich is, much less know how to defeat one." Becoming serious again, "If there is such a creature, it certainly sounds ominous."

While looking for the Black Fist "Draco...Lich, I'm not sure a Draconic Lich is something I'm quite ready to encounter. Hopefully it'll just be a skeleton kobold with delusions of grandeur."

"So, any discernable pattern to the attacks? if we have any idea where it may attack next we may have a chance at fighting it off - or at least getting some more information on it"

"Yes," says Eilren to Krissina, "If we know where they'll strike next we can travel there and find out what's happening. I wonder if they're just bandits? Do you know if these are just bandit attacks Knight Burral?"

"So, any discernable pattern to the attacks? if we have any idea where it may attack next we may have a chance at fighting it off - or at least getting some more information on it"

Knight Burral frowns a bit, "Only that each attack seems to be separated by four days, yet the distance between each location would only be one or two days apart. Something else must be determining the strikes, I just cannot nail anything down. If the pattern holds, we have less than two days until the next strike."

She looks out over the Moonsea and continues, "I do not know where the next attack will be, but it will be a day's ride from Phlan and somewhere along the coast. There are no villages there, but perhaps there is a cottage or farm that I am not familiar with."

"Yes," says Eilren to Krissina, "If we know where they'll strike next we can travel there and find out what's happening. I wonder if they're just bandits? Do you know if these are just bandit attacks Knight Burral?"

The woman shakes her head, "I do not think so, simple bandits would not shake anyone so much as Yip was. They also often leave their targets alive to rob from again in the future. No, I think there is something more. Problem is, I only have a gut feeling, no proof."

She gets called away by one of the Black Fist guards for a moment, leaving you to talk amongst yourselves in private.

"It seems that our course is clear then: We follow the river in the direction that the 'ghost ship' is coming from and when we get about a day outside of town, we prepare to attack said ship. Who else is excited?"

Enthused. Positively enthused. Uriah says. He draws his rapier with a flourish Many a foe have I bested, a Ghostly Ship is no match for my bared steel!

Uriah then loses himself in thought bared steel? bare steel? sounds like bear...not a good sound. Cold steel? Better...

Anyone who watches notices that Uriah's rapier looks like its never been used once...

Knight Burral thinks for a moment, "I visited the nearest site of the attacks. While investigating, I found several old bones. Taking them to a local healer, by the name of Fillistrom... Wunderkundoodle, I think. Gnomish names are so difficult sometimes. She said that they were likely human 'filla-something.' The oddest thing, though, was that the tracks that I could see were all small, like child-sized. Some looked like booted feet, but some were clearly skeletal."

She shakes her head, "That's all I got. If you are going to continue searching, be mindful of the law. I have seen far too many adventurers like you in the past. Almost every time, they have been reckless and have a complete disregard for the law that I have sworn to uphold. I like Doomguide Glandon, but there is nothing he can do to protect you if you put peoples' life in danger."

She sighs, as if the weight of responsibility threatens to crush her, "I am sorry about that. I know you are just trying to help. If you find any information at all please let me know. I want to stop this as much as you."

"thank you for your information and your warning. We shall endeavor to uphold the local law in all things."

Turning to the group, Shoun will add "We should speak to a local caravaner or guide and see if there are any small settlements or locations that are near our targetted area. There probably aren't that many."

"Well, without any further leads it sounds like the best plan we've got."

"Yes I'm excited. I'd like to get outside the city and on the trail. Let's be off with haste in search of these small marauders." says Eilren.
"Do we need a guide?" he asks Shoun as he moves a little towards the southwest (whilst staying with the party) and looks far down the iron road

"Not necessarily a guide, per se, but someone who travels the roads a lot. they'll best be able to tell of any small settlements or individuals living near the river."

Ander thinks for a moment, then comments to Shoun, "My guild might know. Merchants would travel the area, after all. We could go ask. Also, we should pay a visit to this gnomish healer as well."

"sounds good. We should probably also gather up any supplies people might need and make ready to head out."

Okay, so what is the plan? It sounds like Ander is going to speak with the merchants' guild to hook up with a merchant caravan going that direction, and that you guys also want to head out to talk to the gnomish healer (which is around the direction you are headed). Chime in with any corrections, and let me know what you will be purchasing, supplies-wise.

Since we're headed about a day outside of town, Shoun will get 3 days food and water.

Ren doesn't need any more gear and is ready to head out when the gang has finished the investigations

I'm good with the plan and nothing I need to purchase

Krissina will join Shoun in buying supplies, for 3 days rations, plus a waterskin.

Uriah is ready to lead this group to victory! and by lead he definitely means "take credit for"

Okay, so what is the plan? It sounds like Ander is going to speak with the merchants' guild to hook up with a merchant caravan going that direction, and that you guys also want to head out to talk to the gnomish healer (which is around the direction you are headed). Chime in with any corrections, and let me know what you will be purchasing, supplies-wise.

The idea with the merchant guild was not so much to travel with a caravan, but rather to ask them if they knew what settlements/homesteads might be in the target area.

Ok, that makes sense.

Ander checks in with the merchants' guild, and after an hour or so of talking to various merchants and poring over charts, it seems that the only settlement between the last attack and Phlan, that is near the coast is a small fishing village on a tiny island in the middle of Stormy Bay.

The weather has turned sour in the past few hours and traveling by road will likely be muddy and miserable. It will be just about a day and a half by foot, or a day via ship. Though you find that not many boat captains look favorably on Stormy Bay. Based on the estimation of every four days, journey by foot would be cutting it a little close, but should get you there in time, if you don't dally.

--

With some direction, you find Fillistrom Wunderkundoodle's shop on the outskirts of town, almost on your way out of Phlan. A wooden board displaying a bandaged hand hangs in over a small storefront with window boxes full of flowers. A balding gnomish woman, or is it a man, it is difficult to tell, with a crown of limp white hair is carefully pulling herbs from between the flowers and placing them into a small basket near his or her feet.

As you approach, the gnome seems to size you up, "Five silvers for my time."

Ander tosses the gnome a gold piece.

"Keep the change," he says. "I understand you examined some bones for Knight Burral. We're helping her out, and she said you could tell us more than she could remember."

The little gnome bites on the gold piece and smiles brightly, "Yeah, I remember her, the lady with the toe-sy bones. Theys was from one of you humans, a fully-grown one. I gots them inside, come on in!"

He/she leads you into the shop, cramped with books lining the walls and various herbs hanging from the ceiling as they dry. Fillistrom heads to a chest in the corner of the room and begins tossing items out on to the floor.

"A-ha!" the little gnome cries in triumph and produces a jar with a few small bones. The bones are quite old, and are stained from where sinew holding them together rotted and dried.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

"There's seems to be some tree sap on these bones..."

Having spent many decades in the woods Eilren idly tries to identify the tree from which the sap came from or any other thing that might spring to mind about bones and sap

Nature: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

"It's pine sap but why were they gluing bones?" says Eilren with a perplexed expression

"Undead!" Sizzle yells, in an angry voice. His expression, however, is excited.

"From what I understand of the undead they tend to be bound together by a weave of magic, not tree sap, I suspect this is some kind of ruse. Perhaps someone trying to give the appearance of an undead attack?"

I don't see any reason to not take a ship, provided it's not more than a few gold, though I suppose it's the risk of getting wrecked vs the risk of getting delayed and being late.

You can also contact your factions as well, they may be interested. In particular, the Order of the Gauntlet members may contact Zern Xerkstil, the Hammer of Impiltur, a half-orc paladin of Lathander. Especially, because of the information regarding undead, in particular the Dracolich, the Order would likely be interested. Zern often prays at an abandoned temple called the Dawn Fane.

Members of the Emerald Enclave may contact the recluse known as Seranolla the Whisperer, a female forest gnome that seems to reside in the wood outside of city. The Enclave would likely be interested because of the seemingly unnatural weather patterns (storms particularly) that are coming up in regular patterns. The Emerald Enclave also bears no love for the undead, believing it an abomination of the natural order.

Finally, the last faction that might be interested in these occurrences would be the Lord's Alliance, simply because of possible threats to the city and trade routes. The Alliance contact would be a hill dwarf by the name of Dornal Whitebeard. He can often be found at a festhall called the Velvet Doublet.

"So you reckon someone was wearing the bones? Like armor?" Eilren replies to Krissina

Eilren is with the Zhentarim so I'll wait for the others to contact their factions. Also, I'm happy to take the ship too- whatever is quickest

I think we have a few Order of the Gauntlet characters, not sure if we have any Enclave or Alliance, though.

Not I. I'm a Zhent.

"I don't pretend to be an expert in Necromancy, but some skeletal undead from hundreds or even thousands of years ago have been discovered in ancient ruins. I doubt that simple glue would have held them together that long. Maybe it's part of a costume, or a puppet? I'd not rule out a magical effect, perhaps a simpler spell to simply make an object move, such as an invisible servitor or something?"

Krissina seems like she could keep up the theories for hours, but has little in the way of useful information to add.

I would contact my faction, but how far away would I have to go to reach this dwarf, are we talking a couple of hundred miles or like a mile or two? I know someone who can help, but let me doublecheck the distance to reach him.

"Glue, eh?" Ander muses. "That probably means the 'dracolich' is a trick to inspire panic in the victims and make them easier to overcome. Probably a costume worn by some chubby guy in a wheelbarrow with a holocaust cloak."

I would contact my faction, but how far away would I have to go to reach this dwarf, are we talking a couple of hundred miles or like a mile or two? I know someone who can help, but let me doublecheck the distance to reach him.

He is within the city limits, in fact it will only be a half hour or less to the Velvet Doublet.

"Holocaust cloaks are hard to come by."

Balyzar, are you heading there by yourself or taking anyone with you? No one else is Lord's Alliance, right? Just checking if I need to spoiler the exchange and include anyone else.

Not in the lord's alliance, but I could fake it if need be.

Oh, what a song could be written about "Lord George, Neckbearded Knight of the Dracolich! Uriah quips after hearing Ander's funny remark.

Right, Uriah is Lord's Alliance too. :p I'll do it like this.

EDIT: I believe that Ander is Order of the Gauntlet.