We introduce two new characters this session: Bristol Tumbleweed, an eladrin avenger who is somewhat of a burgeoning loose cannon; and Athena, a sparok druid.
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The afternoon began with a walk to Dalia's former residence, willed to Ella when the elderly psion passed away. The party heard groaning coming from a water barrel next to the Cauldron and the Sword tavern. It turns out that Bristol, fresh off a the ship (the town guard was able to stop the latest galleon from sailing past the keep and the ship's captain had passengers ferried over) the previous day had been mugged by a notorious human named Norrik. The surprised eladrin was drugged, separated from his remaining funds, and summarily shoved into a barrel. The party had witnessed the crime but thought the assailant to be Ylrish. Unconscious, Bristol was not able to speak out and since he was fresh from a sea voyage, his scent was masked by the surrounding salt air. Talek would not have been able to sniff him out under those conditions.
Norrik is notorious for being able to get in and out of the city despite the best efforts of the city guard. From time to time he gets in, mugs someone, robs a shop, or performs some other act of skullduggery without being caught. The local stable master, Ramis, has been under surveillance for years since he is Norrik's uncle. Nobody has been able to catch Ramis aiding Norrik's entry or exit from the city. It was confirmed that the sewer system/lower tunnels out to Thorne keep had been purposely collapsed ten years ago after Frinain rushed to the aid of the keep during the Goblin Uprising.
Shortly thereafter, the sole survivor of a hunting party, one Athena, glided down next to the group. She was badly injured with a sprain wing and in pain. Through the help of the party's healing skills, she was back to normal (though with a still sore wing) at which point she explained what had happened.
Athena had been assigned to a hunting party in order to preserve the delicate balance of the surrounding wildlife. Due to the inability of ships to bring supplies from sea, the surrounding forests were nearly depleted of wild game. The local temple of Avandra has been assigning agents to hunting parties to either provide aid with healing if there were injuries, or to ensure over-hunting did not occur.
During the hunt, her party was ambushed by an odd group of people. A large, yellow-furred bugbear seemed to be the boss of two orcs who in turn were commanding a pair of owlbears. Athena was not at the front of the group but that didn't stop the orcs from pelting her with sling bullets as she took to the air. Her comrades were already torn asunder by the pair of owlbears and the bugbear. Nearly broken, Athena did everything she could to stay aloft, out of the reach of the orcs' slings and she somehow got the strength to get back to the safety offered by New Unswich's walls.
The party took respite at the Cauldron and the Sword while Athena reported in at the temple. Bristol (Bris to some) discovered the wonderful bread that is baked daily by the followers of Melora at the nearby temple of said goddess. He paid his respects and began a search for work to replace his stolen gold. During the course of his wandering from shop-to-shop, residence-to-residence, he stopped by the stables to retrieve his horse Adrian. Without the gold to pay for the stable fees (fifty gold for the month) to retrieve his mount, Bristol attempted to liberate the animal using stealth. Suspecting tomfoolery, the stable master watched as Bristol attempted entry to the stables without the aid Ramis' aid. Bristol was let in to see his horse and the stable door locked behind him. Ramis then fled to the city guard for help. Bristol, suspecting as much (or that he was being trapped for some other purpose) attempted to break free of the stable. When that didn't work, he tried jumping up to the window a full floor up, only to miss and slam into the wall. By this time, the city guard had arrived and took the eladrin into custody. The night spent in jail was torture, not only for Bristol, but for the guards on duty. After repeated shouting of his horse's name, a guard (by the same name) got tired of hearing his name shouted. Choking this up to "another one of them crazies," the guards ignored Bristol until morning when he was brought before the captain of the guard. Bobo was keeping an eye on this one due to the possible entertainment he could derive from the eladrin's antics...
Meanwhile, Ella, Athena, and Talek investigated Dalia's shack. They found a sack of fifteen gold in a hidden nook in the wall, a very comfortable chair, and a painting of the deep forests of Marglith (most likely the north western forests and possibly from the island where the faerie-sprite war has been occurring). While searching the shack, Ella noted that whenever she faced northwest, the amulet she wore glowed slightly stronger. This happened outside the shack as well as the walk back to the party's house.
Gellac's bout with Dire Rat Filth Fever had ended that night and Squiggy made it a point to check in on the feverish paladin. After the fever had broke and Gellac finally able to properly rest, the paladin began talking in his sleep, "I can't eat any more cheese, Talia! Well, okay, maybe a few more bites...ohhhh, I'm so full..." at which point Gellac awoke to find Squiggy staring at him in amusement. The dream, however, had faded.
Bristol had been released upon the condition that he pay the stable fees to retrieve his horse. Any other attempts to do so otherwise would land him on a chain gang outside the city walls. Bobo took the eladrin under his wing in an attempt to steer him towards adventure and helping with the clearing of the slums of the old city. Bristol is now taking residency (at least for the night) int he room adjacent to Ella's.
And, everyone has leveled up to 2.
