Sunday 28 August 2016

North Corner - Loquista Session 2

Session recap. 25.7.16
Players:
Callie, Halfling Ranger.
Vaina Moinen, Half-Orc Fighter/Barbarian
Rear Admiral Durlin, Gnome Wizard/Spiderperson.

Our session opened at the Grand Masquerade: and adorned in fitting masks (Wolf, Reptilian-monster and Spider-monster, respectively), mingled in the Grand Masquerade. Rather than publicly discourse with the Council of Ten, they kept themselves abreast of the major rumours in Loquista:
- Naval men had been brawling with Army men in taverns across town, with the occasional fatal incident, as a result of the murder of several of Sejuren's finest the previous week.

- Incredulously, sailors claim to have seen an enormous dragon carry off a ship carrying wages into the mountains.
- Helgerig and Zamira's war of words has intensified. 
- A number of children have disappeared in Loquista.

To advance the revolution, the party decided to disrupt the food supply in Loquista. For several days they scoped out the grain supplies in the warehouses near the docks, purchasing accelerants. The party's ships were despatched to the city of Confluence to buy an enormous amount of grain to take advantage of the spike in prices, proving that no amount of fighting a fiend can diminish the Heroes of North Corner's mercenary instinct. They decided also, to frame Rasselas, the Pirate King and rival of Blind Agni Nine Fingers, to dent Sejuren's reputation.

The plan went off without a hitch, with an invisible Durlin and Callie using Pass Without Trace to easily infiltrate the warehouses and spread an accelerant. A rapid fire Scorching Ray quickly ignited the warehouse, and the party fled into the sewers. In the sewers they came across a hive of Carrion Crawlers and a strange, inhabited area of arcane books and a room full of the picked-clean bones of young children. Deciding that discretion was the greater part of valour, they emerged at the Broken Fang Tavern, cleaned themselves up and watched white-hot flames bloom over the city like a second moon.

Having precipitated an atmosphere of dissent, they went to meet with the finicky, overworked Ratcatcher-General Lomorit, to offer their services clearing the sewers of its infestation. Lomorit offered a paltry sum and barely acknowledged the Heroes of North Corner as they steeled themselves for more action-packed time in the sewer system.

The party descended into the sewers, and quickly surprised eight Carrion Crawlers in a large cavern they had bored out of the sewer network. During this battle, a constant tide drew all towards the centre, and there were a few moments of terror as paralysed Gnomes sank into the stinking mirk and were drawn inexorably to the horror in the centre of the cavern. Whilst the party made short work of the Carrion Crawlers, an monstrosity in the middle of the room hassled the party with Counterspell and consumed any slain Carrion Crawlers. Towards the end of the battle, it revealed itself: an eight-foot tall skeleton, wreathed in a mass of endlessly scintillating worms; a facsimile of life carved from worm-meat. Vaina recognised this creature as a Worm-That-Walks - the undead spirit of a great mage or sorcerer now possessing the very vermin that consumed their corpse.

The Worm-That-Walks offered parley, and revealed his story, and his need: he had once been Nicodemus, a Vampire of the Cult of Ouroboros - until his conspiracy was overturned by Teshei and he defeated in magical combat, his corpse lost in the bay. He desired to consume the flesh of Teshei's children, and if he did so he would gain all their knowledge. Hesitantly, and fearful of Nicodemus' power, the Heroes of North Corner agreed tentatively

They returned to Lomorit soon after, delivering some recovered Carrion Crawlers. Lomorit, amused, revealed his hand - asking why wealthy merchants who owned several ships, warriors who triumphed in the arena, magi of renown, owners of powerful magical items and those who had triumphed over the horrors of North Corner would be offering themselves for such easy work - he concluded this was surely a pretext or ruse or some kind to offer themselves for more subtle tasks. The party was then offered a cache of magical weapons, including Lomorit's sword-cane Whisper, in return for that aid.

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