Session 11
Ambush
Ambush
Visiting Karlen in his shop to sell some of the trinkets they retrieved from the Face in the Stone the group learns a bit about events since they have been gone. They learned that House Shom is searching for the artifact recovered from the Face in the Stone.
Near Karlen's place is Bloodletter's. A weapon shop run by Mong One-Eye. At this place the group found a location that can produce high-quality weapons. The weapons produced are quite pricey and require a pre-order as they are made to order and not mass produced.
Shank and Morhen went to a nearby tavern and grabbed some food and drink. While taking in sustenance they listened to the gossip and learned that the people are nervous about the standing of the army in the field against Urik. They also heard that the city council has made little progress into the attacks by the group known as The True.
Shiv and shred visited the Elven Market looking to get ahold of some magical items. They identified that the market was full of these things but their mistrust of the elves and their lack of coin at the market meant they left empty handed.
While back at Magnamus' Estate and discussing what to do next The wals of the estate were rocked as three cilops knocked down the wall and attacked the group. The cilops were led by two templars who mentioned that Senator Verrasi sends his greetings. The group were able to defeat their foes but it was dicey at points as one cilops was able to drop Shank.
Morhen and Shred headed into Tyr to do some preliminary scouting of Senator Verrasi's location in order to attempt a revenge plot. They soon learned that House Minthur is quite secure. In an attempt to get a better view they headed to the center of Tyr to try and climb Kalak's Ziggurat.
It was then that Shred was struck with inconceivable pain. People around them panicked and a Templar mistook Shred's pain for Kalak coming back to life. Morhen dragged Shred across the rocky ground in an effort to place him first further, then closer to the Ziggurat and both neither seemed to help.
Morhen then cast fog cloud to obscure his efforts and tried to cast some healing on Shred which also did not work. He then decided to search Shred to try and identify the source of this pain. He located an Agony Beetle underneath his friend's leather armor. Someone must have placed it on Shred while they were trying to scout.
It was at this time that the town guard showed up. It was clear there was magic afoot. Morhen surrendered himself but Shred attempted to escape and used magic to help. Alas he was apprehended and they were both hauled off to jail.
Morhen was released shortly afterwards but Shred faced judgement by a justicar. The trial could not proceed until they had someone who could test whether or not Shred was a defiler. But the next day when he was tested he was found innocent and let go with a 1 SP fine.
Shank had heard from one of the farm hands on Magnamus' estate that there was someone named the crone, in the Warrens, who could help relieve him of this curse. So off he went.
In The Warrens Shank narrowly avoided a trio of elves out looking for trouble. He then spoke with some children playing but they misled him and ended up stealing his coin.
Suspiciously there was a small mute girl that stood out and Shank ended up following her deeper into the labyrinth that is The Warrens to a silent area. Inside a dilapidated building he found a blind old woman claiming to be the Crone.
She offered to rid him of the curse but for a price. Shank was hesitant at first and wanted to leave, but when he learned that the curse will spread to his brothers he changed his mind and paid the price, his last breath by blowing into a vial from the Crone.
The Crone explained he would have to 'Walk the Dream' to break his curse by finding the 'Gold inside him.' Confused by her meaning Shank decided to play along. She gave him something to smoke and before he realized it he saw his body fall from beneath him and his spectral self was floating away.
While walking the dream he found himself inside the heart of a volcano, with hot magma all around save a small piece he was on with some sort of fire lizard stirring a man in a boiling pot. The man gave Shank a riddle,
No nose to smell,
No Hands to hold,
Never hears a sound.
Never sees with its eyes,
Hidden underground.
It wasn't easy but he solved the riddle with the answer potato. As he thought of a potato one appeared to him in his dreams and upon giving it to the fire lizard the volcano began to shake. The magma pools bursting and overflowing before finally exploding. Shank rode the magma up and out of the volcano where he found himself on top of the volcano with other peaks all around him as far as the eye could see. Fiery lava still flowed from the top of the volcano.
Recalling the words of the crone to 'find the gold inside him' he felt that he was the volcano and needed to search inside so he dove into the volcano heading back down. He found himself again inside the volcano but this time there was a giant fiery snake guarding a clutch of eggs. The eggs shimmered with golden light. He at first tried to negotiate with the monster but soon realized he would have to defeat it in battle. It was toughly fought but Shank prevailed.
Upon grasping one of the eggs, he woke up back in The Warrens. The Crone was heating a pan and reached out her hand towards him when he realized he was holding the egg from the fiery snake. She cracked it open and gave it to him to eat. Relieved, he felt the curse leave him. But he could not stop shaking his head on his long walk back to Magnamus' estate.