In attendance were;
Kumak Morudall: Half-Orc Bloodrager
Susan: Human Universalist Wizard
Thaddeus Whisperheart: Gnome Bard
Tim: Halfling Ranger
Kronk: Human Haunted Life Oracle
(Kronks player was late arriving so Thaddeus took over the negotiations)
Thaddeus and Tim elicit as much of an agreement from the lamia as they feel they can that she wont run and begin questioning her. The lamia tells them that she is just a pawn of her sister, Luccrecia, who is plotting a massacre in Turtle Back Ferry. She offers to aid them in killing her sister and Tim and Thaddeus take her at her word. Capt Tiernay joins them and he is elected to drag the unconscious half orc below where they will further question the lamia Xenisha.
The jostling wakes Kumak up, with Tim swiftly moving to explain that they were in the process of talking and there was no current need for violence. Kumak looks around at the others and unable to sense any magical domination on them stands back warily while he collects his weapons. Once Thaddeus and Tim each felt that their questions were answered to their satisfaction they turned to Kumak and invited him to ask anything.
"Just one question I guess"
he grumbled as Tim noticed the blood vial that dangled from the end of his weapon suddenly deplete, as Kumaks figure swelled,
"Ow many orphans you reckon you've made?"
Xanesia recognizing his intent bolted to the edge of the tower and began slithering her way down the wall while Kumak having pulled out the Ranseur he had taken from the statue below Sandpoint jumped after her and with all his might and gravity drove the blades of it straight through her body, separating her human torso from her serpent lower half. Susan and Kumak eventually rejoin the others, Kumak throwing the human torso to the floor
"We don't negotiate with murderers"
Collecting whatever intelligence and spoils they can find the group returns to their expensive lodgings to find the Mayor has taken up residence in one of their quarters.
Thaddeus discusses with him the implications of what they have found and upon discovering there was a plot to assassinate the mayor himself, the man gasps and faints on the spot. Upon rousing he gratefully gifts the Redeemers 6,000 gold for their work, Kumak tries to throw in a parade and Knighthood for Sir, Tiny Nuggets but Thaddeus gladly takes a counter offer of a statue in his likeness being erected in the city.
A page arrives to the room that evening informing them that 2 guests are looking for them, and the Redeemers are met with Shalelu and Orik again. Shalelu laughs and claps their backs telling them of all the wild stories shes heard. Asking about Tiberius whereabouts, Thaddeus bluntly informs her of his fate. Her expression somewhat saddened she recovers and introductions are made to Kronk and Tim. The party mention that they have business at Turtle Back Ferry, which she considers for a moment before requesting to accompany them. Orik seems taken aback but one look from her lets it be known that he still followed her lead.
The mayor hearing their destination asks that they check in on the Order of the Black Arrow that is headquartered nearby as he had not been receiving letters from them as of late. Kumak remarks that generally couriers get paid, to which the mayor hastily agreed and threw in 500 gold each, even for Shalelu and Orik.
The destination set all that remained was how to get there. Kumak was adamantly against horses which left either walking or boat. Thaddeus decreed that only boat would do and the mayor agreed to book them passage leaving dawn the next day. Using the staff at the manor-inn to sell items and make purchases the group settled in for the evening with Susan finally completing a headband for Kumak which the half orc had requested almost a week ago. At dawn the group boarded the ship headed down the Yondabakari River, a journey the captain insists will only take 2 days to reach Turtle Back Ferry
(That travel time seemed way off to me, I've checked on travel in the area from prepping for Curse of the Crimson Throne and either the Captain is full of it in game or the GM just pulled an arbitrary number out of his ass)
The first day aboard Kronk alienates himself by conversing with the spirits everywhere, soon no one wishes to be near him except one man who asks that he try and contact his son who passed years ago. Kronk agrees to try at a later time which seems to satisfy the sailor. Tim spends the day throwing a ball against the deck or to Kulai to fetch. Thaddeus busies himself in an attempt to organize a secret fight club on the ship. Susan seems to have caught the eyes of several deck hands who all vie for her affection and their attempts to win her over result in an impromptu dance off, which Orik joins in and impresses all with how limber the stocky man is without all his armor on. Kumak is eating stale ships biscuit when the first mate sits down across from him,
"You look just like him, only smaller, but I'd know that look anywhere"
"What you on about then?"
"Yer pa, whats 'is name?"
"That'd be Brekket"
"Tha's him alright, Brekket the Butcher he was called. Slaughtered people by the handfuls"
"You got the wrong man then, my pa's no butcher, e's a farmer"
"Naw, I don't think so"
"Right then, this Brekket yous talkin' about, is he human or half orc?"
"Full Orc, and mean as ever been"
"Yeah, the one I'm talking about is full blooded human. You got anything else to add?"
The first mate gives Kumak a sharp look, then walks away. While the dance is reaching its crescendo there is a sudden crack and the ship lurches forward having struck something massive. Most are knocked off their feet but those not picking themselves off the deck watch in horror as a gargantuan snapping turtle starts to climb over the bow of the ship, razor sharp beak snapping a man in two and its fore legs find more purchase on the ship. The boat leaps into a flurry of activity, Thaddeus and Capt Tiernay make for the stern of the ship as the bulk of the turtle begins tilting the ship dangerously, Susan lets fly a blast of lightning while arrows mostly bounce off the hardened shell. Tim sends his dog to engage the creature but the hound barely makes it 10 feet before the turtle snaps it up in its jaws. Kumak stands up, enlarging himself and grinning makes his way towards a true test of his courage and strength but is unable to arrive in time to save Tims dog from the turtle swallowing it whole. Tim lets out a mournful cry and seeing the halfing scrambling to get to his pet Kumak sighs, nods his head, drains his enchanted blood vial again increasing his already impressive strength to an almost absurd level for the next crucial few seconds then strides forward trying to look as delicious as possible. The turtle easily snaps the bloodrager up and manages to choke down the larger morsel. Tim starts climbing up the side of the turtle in an effort to reach its maw. Shalelu and the others pepper the creature with arrows but few find any purchase. Thaddeus uses his arcane skills to trick the turtle into thinking its mate is calling out in pain but before the creature can respond there are 2 sudden and violent jerking motions from within and the turtle vomits out a gore soaked Kumak wielding a knife and the unmoving form of Tims dog. The turtle, either seeing to its mates care or deciding to find a less angry meal, quickly retracts into its shell and sinks beneath the waters.
Tim rushes to his dog, but finding it dead takes the magical equipment off it and thanks Kronk who says he can help repair it.
"............Yeah, you're welcome too I guess" Kumak remarks as he moves to help the crew who are beaching the ship to assess the damages.
Once the full assessment of the damages are done the captain calls for the ship to turn around and head back to Magnimar, Susans magical mending and Thaddeus's quick tongue convince him to continue to Turtle Back Ferry, though this will add another day to the trip. That night Kumak laying awake, pondering the fact that he supposedly looks like this Butcher who goes by the same name as his step-father, and his mother steadfastly refusing to discuss his half orc origins asks Thaddeus if he had ever heard of a Brekket the Butcher. Thaddeus answers immediately that of course he had, but when pressed on details lies and claims that he heard Slekket the Butcher which he alleges was a gnome ghost story. Kumak fascinated asks Thaddeus to tell it, which the gnome obliges, crafting a tale of a tall gnome that would collect the fingers of children who misbehaved, Kumak asks what Slekket does with the fingers when finally Susan, having enough of this yells at them both to shut up.
Thoughts
I had hoped that the talkers would have gotten better intel out of the lamia such as what abilities her sister had, what she looked like, other names of high ranking individuals but oh well. Once we had encountered a room in the saw mill where they were tanning human faces it was a foregone conclusion with this character that there was going to be no quarter.
Tim's character freaking out over his dog being eaten, then trying to climb inside so he would die too, then only caring about the gear he had just purchased for the dog and not even acknowledging the guy who just almost killed himself trying to rescue said dog did not sit too well. I have been having a hard time with that character, he has no discernible motivation for staying with the party since he complains about them but seems to go out of his way to not step up when he could endear himself, like protecting the wizard and oracle last session.
Jumping in that turtles mouth was a terrible idea.
1) I took a bunch of damage getting in there
2) Apparently the rule to get out is you have to do 10% of the total hit point damage to the creature and this particular one has a rule saying that it counts as having double the hit points in the stomach. I don't know if that is 10% in one hit or in a round but yeesh
3) You can only use a light one handed weapon while swallowed so it was dicey.
That blood vial really was the MVP of this session for me, almost guaranteed I hit the lamia and gave me the strength boost while swallowed to trigger a vomit. First hit was for something like 21, second was for 23
Kronk and Kumak pooled almost all their money and bought enough materials for 2 sets of celestial armor which Kumak has now begun to craft since he has his headband of Int (keyed to Spellcraft)
Tim and Susans players are out next week so Tim is going to be communing with nature to get a bear companion and Susan will probably be scribing spells or something.
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