With the departure of the druid, the group ponders their course of sction. To return to the Rotting Man, to seek the Vessel of Souls, or something different? In the interim, the church would like to set the group on a local matter of some concern. A string of seemingly unconnected killings in and about Baytown has raised concerns. There are apparently few details that can be corroborated, but the inability of the various thieves guilds to protect their high level members speaks to a well organized foe.
The group arrives after a short trek and tries to obtain some information. They plant the pair of Tormites in the town square to harangue the locals and act as a diversion while the unlikely duo of Goldpiece and Malchor, aided by the Lad and the ranger, scout about town, greasing palms and buying items…probably not stolen…maybe not stolen…not stolen locally for certain.
After some purchases are made the shoppers return to their rooms at an inn on the main square. The cleric and paladin take different rooms in order to maintain the ruse, but the group trades information and hatches a plan to cruise the docks at dusk the next day, as rumor has it you can get a good price for items, or find things that fell off the back of the barge for cheap.
As they begin to put the plan into action, a commotion breaks out at the end of the docks and the group spies a figure running into the alleyway near the scene. They split up and give pursuit through the small alleys and main thoroughfare in the area. While they aren’t able to catch up, they do see that the figure has entered a doorway and maintain their pursuit.
Entering the room feveals a short shop with a counter, beyond which a narrow trapdoor leads to a basement crowded with barrels, boxes, a table and a trio of pale, frail looking figures. Two are armed with wooden swords and the female in the trio carries a walking stick.
The group tries to engage, but treacherous footing and crowded conditions work against them by limiting posdible tactics. While ranger, paladin and elf tussle in the basement, the mage, fighter and cleric are attacked by two more pale assailants that enter from the street. The pincer movement is extraordinarily successful and the party soon realizes that the situation could be dire indeed. The wooden swords are used to deliver massive damage, and though frail, the figures apparently are imbued with unnatural vitality. The basement witch zaps the mage and he slides headfirst into the room, but soon begins to maneuver to try and slit her throat. Finally, one of the opponents is dispatched and the elf cuts both arms off the other, the witch teleports about and tries to kill the rest before being forced to flee. As she drops through a second trapdoor, the street-level attackers flee the scene.
Bundling through trapdoors, the group makes its way to a section of old sewers to be confronted by a curtain of green fire. Pushing through the curtain leads to an intersection. A figure is sprawled upon the floor and there is no indication of the witch’s presence. The intersection proves to be a trap, as some kind of spirit wafts through the wall and the floor ia apparently a gelatinous cube. The spirit solidifies into a strange creature thst unleashes a bladt of halitosis that lays party members low.
Deciding that retreat is the better part of valor, the group falls back and disengages, then flees the area. They return to the docks and obtain a description of the attacker that matches one of the wooden sword fighters engaged after the pursuit. Returning to the inn, they decide to stay a few more days to investigate further and try and make some sense of the matter. As it is likely that they were battling some sort of golem, the party ponders the implications of the information.
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