Session Recap
Game Date:
1172-7-12
Details
As we look around, we see five people in cages. We recognize Seraphina, Olivia, Marita, Agatha, and someone we don’t recognize. They don’t know where the keys are kept, but fortunately we have an Arada.
As Arada opens cages, Eugene searches the bodies.
The other person is a young boy. He is very eager and thankful. He grovels at us being big damn heroes. His name is Torik.
He says he’s been here a few days. He says there has been a parade of people coming in and out. He comes from a fishing village down the coast (Valtalar which is also where Turin is from) and stowed away on a sailing boat. Turin takes an interest. His parents were Frederick and Martha who ran a small general store. Turin didn’t know them well, but knew they had a boy.
Torik met some “friends” when he got to Haven only they jumped him, and put a bag on his head. He offers to be our house boy.
We also notice a second set of stairs going up. Which is a thing for after we get the captives to safety. We also find a black hand.
Olivia pipes up that she thinks the tower wants us to help us fix it.
We decide to take the captives to the Griffon and dispatch runners to their houses to get them. We also ask if any of them know why they were taken. Olivia and Seraphina think it has to do with the tower. Agatha and Marita have no idea but were taken separately.
Penelope’s “girlfriend” upstairs says the rest of the clerks ran away. We ask her to voluntarily come with us. Eugene and Arada check upstairs but everyone is gone. We also learn Ardielle is a sponsor of the unofficial watch in the Outlands (which is where most of the other races live.)
Martin goes to the nearby guard station to get a couple Watch to stand guard while the rest go back to the Griffon.
At the Griffon, Porky wants to know what is going on. When we explain, he gets the staff to help. He sends Alene to get Thom.
Arada reads the book she got from the basement. She is able to pick out some notes from the last week with corresponding dates:
7 - Clear out for the 10th
9 - Boy. Left over from last set (lot 32)
10 - Two women - worse for wear (Olivia and Seraphina)
- woman (Marita)
11 - Woman (Agatha, Marita’s friend)
Owner would have freaked out (we know she was confused about this set of people downstairs)
Also we know:
12th - Thieves’ guild tries to break in and realized the store wasn’t as expected
13th - We rescue the women (and boy)
Eugene conducts a communal interview.
Torik was the first there and was brought in with several others who were taken away after a day. Then Olivia and Seraphina together, then Marita, then Agatha.
Janie says she has been working at the shop for several months, most days. She had found the trap door a bit ago and thought it was odd. She hadn’t seen anyone coming or going.
We killed six bandits. They think there were four to ten more who all came and went. The leader we killed was the boss we think. There was a tiefling and a dwarf and at least one woman.
We also check where they got captured from. The one name we get from them is they heard someone mention someone named “Angel”
Eventually they all sign the document (Torik marks an X)
Georgio arrives to get Marita (we also spy Antonio who is not being subtle). They take Marita and Agatha home.
Meanwhile Martin gets a few guards. He also shows the sergeant the basement and they discuss Adrielle and how if someone was running a slave ring then having an independent guard would be a good thing.
Janie gives us an address near the docks. Olivia and Seraphina decide to stay at the Griffon for a day or two.
We take a short rest and Arada finishes the book. She finds the boy is the last of “Lot 32” and they had to get rid of some people to make room for some “special orders” (Marita and Agatha). Olivia and Seraphina were throw ins.
Also the thieves’ guild is cranky with the Black Hand.
Arada and Penelope go to talk with some of her old friends, and Turin, Eugene, and Martin go to the store. They take Torik because why not.
At the store, the sergeant is there and there are guards at the front and back. We go to the basement, with the sergeant and Torik in tow.
The stairs lead down and there is a twisty passageway. There is a pile of brush and shrubs. Outside we hear the sound of the river. Turin opens the entrance. We come out on the riverbank just upriver of the shop. It looks like long ago this was a legitimate place to tie up a boat. We can tell it has been used for that more often. It definitely looks like this is intended as a hidden entrance. During the day you probably couldn’t find it unless you were looking for it.
We decide to hide and see if anyone comes. Getting a couple live captives would be nice.
In another part of town, Arada takes Penelope to the guild house. They go to the Blue Moon Tavern. The barkeep used to be active until he aged out of the business and now runs the bar.
Arada chats up the barkeep and tells him she wants to talk to someone about new events with the Hand. He goes to find a muckity muck
He says Arquephus (Keeper of Records and the right hand of the guildmaster) wants to talk. Penelope comes with her. She tells him that the Hand has been running a trafficking ring and shows him the log book. She tells him the special package was two wealthy people in the Heights. The Keeper is concerned.
She speculates the Hand has been using the owner of Fine Silks and Fabrics as a stooge. There is a reference to the Speedy Blade special commission. (Speedy Blade is totally not Swiftsword). Arada lets it slip that Swiftsword might be the head of the Black Hand….
Back on the river bank, Torik is bored. Turin tells him he can go play in the Plaza. Martin gets him a rock for tracking purposes.
At the Thieve’s Guild, they ask Arada what the Irregular’s plans are.
- Make sure the slave run stays shut down.
- Ask for the Guild’s help watching to see any unusual boat traffic.
Arada and Penelope go back to the store and decide to follow to see where we went. Turin hears a noise from the tunnel and notches an arrow. Turin sees a light in the tunnel. Arada and Penelope sees something outside the tunnel. Eugene and Turin who have darkvision recognize them. Crisis averted.
We compare notes. Especially the Swiftsword conjecture. We would have expected a shift change by now. We decide to go back to the Griffon and talk to some of the nobles in the morning. We have decently good connections with three noble families and at least one merchant family.
As we go to grab Torik, he has gone wandering, probably into the woods. Turin and Eugene try to locate him through tracking and magic. He went into Erenhir which is known to be off limits-ish. It is also 2-2:30 in the morning. Martin and Turin decide to crash at the local barracks to pick up the search in the morning.