H&Y Infinite Open Table Session 7 Notes (Tower at Sedgemarl and the River Fort)
Context for this session: Between sessions 5 and 6, Flamagio got a letter from someone in the region, the text enclosed below:
"Flamagio Delecino:
We have heard word of your quest for knowledge via our mutual friends in the Redmountain clan. You and any companions you wish to bring are cordially invited to tea at the Tower at Sedgemarl at your convenience. I look forward to discussing your future and possible partnership with our order.
The Tower is currently located south of Fairvane, to the east and upstream of Circlebrook. Please find a drawing of the Tower enclosed to assist in locating it.
Sincerely, Archmage Ariadne, Order of 8"
Houtgrout also received a local map of the region as part of their starting careers and shared it with the rest of the PCs, giving context for where this tower was:
In Attendance:
- Flamagio Delecino (Reeves) [elf 2] + Vincent Venigni [human 1]
- Arthur Underbone (Punz) [human 1]
- Valerian Cobblewald (Tom) [orc 1]
Starting Date: Summer 12, 6023
Valerian Cobblewald the orc rolled into town, the newest Delver on the block. He was a thiefcatcher for the Redmountain orc clan but chose to move away from that as events in the region started to heat up. Flamagio recruited him and Arthur as companions to visit the Tower at Sedgemarl, as both of them were also magically inclined and wanted to see the archmage as well.
Arthur and Flamagio both hired some mercenaries, Fondue and Eclair. Flamagio also bought a few fishing poles and hooks to see if the party could fish for rations during their journey. Sufficiently supplied, the party boarded the S.S. Eggbert and sailed upriver towards the tower.
Summer 13, 6023
The party stopped for lunch at the edge of the Puddlegrass and started fishing (they didn't catch anything). Arthur took out his gold pan and tried his hand at panning for gold. While they were fishing, a goblin coracle drifted over from upstream. The goblins traded some fish for a cask of mead Flamagio. During their conversation, the goblins mentioned that someone had garrisoned the old river fort upriver and had shot a ballista bolt at them when they got close. Hearing this, the party chose to leave the boat here with Eclair the mercenary and started walking overland with their mules and Fondue the mercenary towards the tower.
They came to a road heading east, and from there a crossroads with a road heading north-south. Floating at the crossroads was a large red jellyfish the size of a human, equipped with a multitude of eyestalks poking out of its luminescent body. The party really did not want to even start to mess with the jellyfish and so they skirted far around it to the north, cutting through the tall grass.
The party got to the tower pretty quickly after that, a huge hulking stone structure with 8 metallic spider legs that it used to walk across the earth. The tower lowered itself for the party once Flamagio explained that he had a letter of invitation and the party climbed aboard, leaving Fondue and the mules outside.
An armored battlemage named Gatekeeper checked their credentials then took them past a room full of scrying pools into a formal dining hall. The archmage Ariadne from Flamagio's letter met up with them after a short wait, explaining that she had heard of the exploits of Flamagio from her friend Rolof Redmountain.
Ariadne went on to explain that she had two requests of the party:
- The tower was willing to buy any unique pieces of Gnomish "magic" (technology) that the party found, 1000 per piece.
- The tower was concerned about the goings-on between the towns of Sedgeport and Quillbury to the east. The Tower at Sedgemarl had initially been very nearby Sedgeport but they had noticed a disturbing new leadership at the port that had caused them to move the tower for its own safety. Ariadne was specifically concerned that the vulnerable refugees that were settling in Quillbury were being taken advantage of and being kidnapped by dark forces in Sedgeport.
Regarding either request, Ariadne was willing to formally induct anyone who sufficiently answered or resolved them as journeyman members of the Order of 8 and issue them magic robes and a magic staff to boot. As journeyman members, they would also have access to the order's library. Hearing this, Flamagio resolved that he would definitely be investigating further.
The party were dismissed at this point. They headed back out to Gatekeeper and had him handle some logistics for them (turned in a survival radio from the Lake Structure for 1000c, sold basilisk parts for 110c). Gatekeeper paid them and then had the tower drop them back off near their mules. As it was very late, the PCs decided to camp out here in the field as opposed to marching back a few hours to the boat.
Summer 14, 6023
The PCs headed back towards the boat, curving to the south around the jellyfish at the crossroads. They decided to take a look at the river fort and maybe check to see if there was anything dangerous there arming the ballista.
They walked right up to the gatehouse and heard some skittering movement from within. Arthur cast Sense Life and saw two 8'-long creatures crawling all over the walls and ceiling. Flamagio decided to peek into the room and was horrified to see that the two creatures were furry 8'-long mammals of some kind with hundreds of legs and a circular maw like a lamprey or a leech. The two creatures lunged at him but he was able to close the door just in time.
Arthur and Valerian used two doses of poison to coat some leftover fish from the day before. Valerian used his Spring Fling spell to fling himself past the gatehouse onto the bridge behind, midway between the gatehouse and the river fort on the southern bank. Valerian snuck up to the backdoor of the gatehouse and tossed in the poisoned fish, quickly slamming the door behind him. Arthur confirmed after a few moments that the creatures were dead, no longer appearing with his Sense Life spell.
The party entered the gatehouse at this point. They harvested several ingredients from the creatures, namely the hollow teeth, several of the dense quills on their back, one of their pelts and both of their musk glands. The party exited the gatehouse and walked out onto the bridge, towards the midway point where the ballista were mounted.
Arthur opened the door to the middle tower and immediately saw 4 ghouls. The ghouls lunged at him but he was able to backpedal quickly and cast Ghostlight, preventing them from getting within 10' of him. The ghouls scrambled backwards for crossbows and one began to climb the other side of the building. The party attacked back with crossbows of their own, though not before the ghoul that climbed the building leaped from the top and dragged Valerian outside the protection of the Ghostlight with a billhook. Flamagio and Arthur fought the ghouls inside while Vincent turned to help Valerian, shattering his hammer against the side of the ghoul's head.
Arthur and Flamagio were forced to enter the middle tower to attack the other ghouls and Arthur got a ballista bolt to the chest for his trouble. Flamagio, Vincent and Valerian swept the room after him, finishing off the rest of the ghouls before checking on their friend. Arthur survived, though he had shattered his breastplate and was grievously wounded. The party grabbed what loot they could and hurried back to the mules, where Flamagio treated Arthur's wounds with the small medical kit from the survival bag. Arthur was able to grab a sword from the room that had been untouched by the ghouls, a magic arming sword with a silvered edge.
After loading up the mules and licking their wounds, the party headed back to the middle tower. They crossed the second half of the bridge and peeked in the next doors. They saw a 32'-long furry creature like the ones they saw before and another jellyfish. After some debate over whether they could trap the creature in the middle tower and kill it with the ballista, they ultimately decided to just take the ballista bolts and flee, disarming the ballista over the bridge and accepting what they had.
They marched back to the S.S. Eggbert only to find that it had been ransacked and Eclair lying facedown in a pool of her own blood. The party quickly rushed to her aid and checked the damage, determining that some coins, bulk amounts of rock salt and the fishing poles were the main missing items. Eclair said that she recognized the thieves, it was the Eaglewing Bandits led by Palomo the elf. Flamagio knew these thieves, he had grown up in Croakpool and knew the leader well. The party cursed their luck and sailed back to Circlebrook, vowing revenge.
Summer 15, 6023
They finished their voyage and returned to Circlebrook. While trying to hawk their monster parts from the day before, they learned of an old monster hunter named Nervetti who lived in Croakpool who might be interested in them. Flamagio hired another mercenary named Sylvio to help keep his boat safe.
XP share: 528 per share, 1056 for each PC
Coin share: 197 share, 394 for each PC