We found ourselves without our usual venue and Cleric as that player is looking for a new place to live as well as his own game preps so Villister will be running more in the background
In attendance were;
Susan the Human Universalist Wizard
Tiberius the Human Paladin of Sarenrae
Thaddeus Whisperheart the Gnome Prankster Bard
Kumak Morudall the Half Orc Bloodrager
and GMPC'd Villister Craig the Elderly Human Cleric
The party left the blacksmiths with Thaddeus requesting Kumak join him at the Mayors. Tiberius and Susan follow after a short side conversation. At the Mayors Thaddeus tests her by tossing one of the robes found in the crypt at her but is unable to glean any reaction. Requesting that she consult with the towns tailors to see if it can be traced the group leaves. Tiberius petitions the group attend a bar together and asking around finds 2 establishments that pique his interest, The Pixies Kitten, a local brothel, and Fat Man's Feedbag, a rougher style of bar. Tiberius chooses the Fat Man's Feedbag.
Upon arriving, the establishment is dirty and mostly vacant with only a large heavyset bartender and one early patron mostly passed out in his cup. Tiberius orders ales for all but only pays for his then moves towards the sleeping patron to inquire about him. Upon getting no response for a minute the barkeep waves him off bothering a customer. Thaddeus takes one sniff of the liquid and requests something palatable in a clean glass which elicits choice words from the barkeep and an insulting back and forth between Thaddeus and the barkeep until the barman reaches under the counter and prepares to take a swing at the gnome. Kumak reaches across the bar to grab the burly man and takes a restrained swat across the arms from his club but manages to lock him in a hold for a moment before he breaks free. Thaddeus continues to jeer at the man while Tiberius, and Susan watch, and Villister naps at a table. Kumak takes a restrained swing with his hammer connecting with a solid blow, but the burly man proves to be a tougher opponent than expected and after trading several solid hits Kumak collapses. The barkeep orders Thaddeus to leave and take his half-orc garbage with him, and after a lengthy and awkward time the gnome manages to drag his unconscious companion out the front door while Tiberius looks on.
Susan wakes Vilister, who administers some aid to Kumak bringing him back to consciousness but still heavily bruised. Rubbing his jaw Kumak mumbles out a swollen "Good Fight" as he picks himself up off the street. Tiberius wishing to visit the Pixie's Kitten offers for others to join him but Kumak feeling the fresh sting of failing a challenge elects to visit the Hagfish, a tavern known for its seldom accomplished feat of drinking the tank "water" of the owners aquarium. The remainder of the party follows Kumak and when entering they spot Gris the full-orc met earlier sitting at a table surrounded by several locals laughing, drinking, and arm wrestling. Kumak saddles up to the bar, asks for an ale and inquires about the challenge. Told that competitors must pay a silver to the purse, then manage to drink down a pint of the "water" and keep it down Kumak slides a sliver across and asks for a go. The bartender, an old salt with one wooden leg, rings a bell to signal a competitor at which Gris looks up and sees them. Kumak grabs the pint and rage chews it down easily managing to fight his body's natural instincts to throw up, chasing it down with the ale. The barkeep congratulates him and tosses Kumak a purse of 3 gold, to which Gris pipes up saying they arrived too late and he had already taken the better purse. Kumak tells him that he did it for the challenge, not the reward. Thaddeus hypes up Kumak and persuades Gris to wager purse against purse in an arm wrestling contest to which the orc agrees. Setting his 3 gold winnings against Gris's 70 gold purse Kumak sits down and on 3 the half-orc taps into his orcish heritage and surprises Gris with his strength, slamming the full orcs hand into the table. Giving Kumak an appreciative look Gris smiles and says the purse is his, the two orcs clasp hands and Kumak distributes some of the wagered gold to Thaddeus and Susan.
At the Pixies Kitten Tiberius tries to charm the ladies but they are professionals at hospitality and rebuff his advances, at least until they see some coin. A runner comes bursting in to the brothel having heard Tiberius was inside and tells him that there is trouble at the Rusty Dragon, it seems the local Sczarni gang has filled the room and are awaiting the groups return. Tiberius tells the runner to find the rest of the party at the Hag Fish and tell them to make haste to the Inn then leaves to do the same. Walking into the Rusty Dragon Tiberius finds about 20 or so rough looking men filling the common room. All are wearing weapons but they seem content to leave them hooked to their belts for the moment. Tiberius takes Amieko to the kitchen to get the lay of the land. She tells him the Szcarni boys came in an hour ago, chased everyone else out and have just sat at the tables nursing drinks, clearly waiting for the group. At this point the leader of the the Szcarni gang a man named Jubral walks into the kitchen and admonishes Ameiko for leaving him and his men unattended. Walking back into the common room the front door opens and in walks the rest of the party accompanied by Gris whom they had asked if he would care for a bit of a tussle. Jubrayl seems ecstatic that he can begin to showboat, while his men are less sure with the addition of an even larger and meaner orc than Kumak. Jubrayl feigns despair that Amieko's lovely Inn might see some damages and motions for one of his men to move behind the bar and damage her drink wares. As one of the men does both Kumak and Gris move to opposite ends of the bar pinning the man inside. Just as blades are about o be drawn there is a female voice from the door and all turn to see a blonde elven woman standing in the doorway leaning casually on a longbow.
"Jubrayl, what exactly do you think your'e doing here?" The newcomer asks
"This is none of your concern Shalelu" he counters. "You'd best sod off"
Standing upright and notching an arrow the elf levels a stare at Jubrayl, "It's about to become my concern, last chance for you and your boys to walk out of here."
Realizing that with this latest addition the odds have shifted too far out of their favor, the Szcarni's file out while Kumak and Thaddeus send barbs at their retreating backs. Amieko takes her hand away from her sword and runs up to Shalelu thanking her old friend and surprised that she is back in town so soon. The two women begin to catch up, Gris seeing he will be having no sport here makes his leave. The party retires to their rooms, Tiberius makes another play to spend the night in Ameiko's room. He is once again shot down but Ameiko offers him a normal room. The following morning the group heads off to Broderick Quink a local scholar of all things Thassalonian. Susan goes upstairs to meet with him and show him the book that Kumak found in the Goblin Warren while the others wait outside. Susan and Broderick come to an arrangement that she will aid his research and in return he will allow her to use his facilities for her own studies. Waiting outside the team is met by Aveika and Erika Averton - Sisters that run a cart for Sandpoint Savories bakery. Recognizing the heroes from the Swallowtail Festival they offer the group a basket of pastries which Kumak immediately takes and dives into, passing one up to Thaddeus. Before Susan rejoins them the teacher from the festival walks up to them and reintroduces herself as Shayliss Vinder. She runs up to Kumak and stroking his arm remarks about his bravery and strength during the goblin attack, to which both Kumak and Thaddeus remind her of the gnomes contributions. Shayliss smiles in a conciliatory way and moves the conversation towards a problem she is having at her fathers store with a large dangerous rat in the basement. Kumak tells her that once they collect Susan they should be able to come assist to which she assures them that Kumak can handle the problem himself. Confused Kumak promises her they will see to her problem when able. With a kiss to the cheek and a wink, Shayliss skips away reminding Kumak to come by the shop later while Thaddeus teases a confused Kumak.
Susan translates some of the page from the book and makes her way down. The party spends some time around town and upon returning to the Red Dragon for lunch are met with the noble they met during the goblin attack, Alderan Foxglove. The "eccentric" noble takes an immediate shine to the four members he met during the raid, and is contemptuous of Thaddeus, believing him to be someones man servant. Offering to sponsor a boar hunt Alderan takes the party shopping and buys riding horses, longspears, and longbows for all. Riding out to the Tickwood Alderan makes conversation with Tiberius, Kumak and Susan, praising their skill at arms, bravery, knowledge and beauty. Alderan proposes they split into teams, with Kumak and Thaddeus on one and himself, Susan and Tiberius on the other. Kumak and Thaddeus find a fresh set of tracks first and manage to track a boar to a clearing but thanks to Kumak loudly biting into a raw turnip the boar bolts with Thaddeus loosing a quick arrow that misses. Tiberius, hearing the boar crashing through the woods runs up and fires an arrow which goes wide and into the brush. Alderan puts one arrow into the beasts flank as it comes charging towards their group but it is Susan who lines up a perfect shot and takes the boar down with 1 arrow to the neck. Alderan proclaims Susan one of the finest hunters he has ever laid eyes on and the boar is brought back to town for Amieko to cook a heroes feast for dinner.
The following morning, Kumak asks Thaddeus if he would care to join him in taking care of Shayliss's rat problem and the gnome agrees. Upon arriving at the general store however Shayliss is less than thrilled to see the gnome accompanying the half orc and asks him to watch the rear entrance while Kumak joins her below to flush out the rat. In the cellar below Shyaliss points towards one corner of the basement and proclaims the rat can be found there. Advancing forward Kumak spies a small cot set up behind some barrels when he hears fabric thrown to the ground behind him and turns just in time to see Shayliss without a bodice throw herself at him. Her hands flying about the half-orc a confused Kumak tells her she is making hunting the rat much more difficult like this when she explains there was never a rat. Kumak alas lacks the time to puzzle over this development as heavy footfalls can be heard heading their way. Shayliss exclaims her father is coming, gatherers up her clothing, and makes for the stairs. Thaddeus having long ago divined her intentions also hears her father and manages to distract him long enough for Shayliss to slip upstairs unseen and Kumak to depart with a confused look. Shayliss promises to find Kumak again to which he replies, "But why? You don't have any rat problem?" That night Susan hears a woman's scream and rouses the party who run out to see what the problem is while Tiberius begins the long arduous process of donning his armor. The woman clutching a babe in her arms, claims that one of her children had been complaining of a monster in the closet and tonight her husband finally went to check it out only to end up being attacked. The party minus Tiberius run towards her home and quickly enter. They find the one child still in his bed panicked at the sight of his father laying face down in his closet, body occasionally twitching. Kumak pulls the body back to see bits of flesh missing, having been torn off by something, when a single goblin leaps out of a hole in the floor and swings wildly at Kumak, before anyone else can react Kumak flattens the goblin with one mighty swing of his hammer. Thaddeus keeps the lads gaze averted as he takes him from the house and Kumak steps out to see the local constabulary and Tiberius running up to join in. The word is put out that everyone should check their homes for any more goblins hiding and send word to the Swalllowtail heroes should they find any.
Notes: That bartender ended up being a level 6 fighter so there was never going to be a chance that I could have taken him. I could out damage him but he just had way too many hit points.
Susan scoring a critical hit on the boar was the highlight of the night for me. All these big strong martial classes and its the little mage that crushes it.
The bard and paladin are headed for a row I think. I suspect the paladin would prefer a fighter or even a cavalier but we will see how things go.
GM has said to expect our first dungeon crawl next session and I am looking forward to making the 20 AC Paladin stand front and center for a while.
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