Session 44 | “Tabula Rasa”

Start [@Jura, @Linus, @Katar, @Cepheus, @Schroeder]: The room, fragrant with perfume and fresh blood, is furnished elegantly, with a large desk on the western wall overlooking the makeshift tent of the party below. The soon setting sun can be seen in the distant horizon, bringing rays of light into the room and casting long shadows on the walls. A pair of comfortable, high-backed chairs dominate one corner of the room, flanking the smoldering hearth that warms the space. Upon a desk along one wall, a basin of clean water and towels await anyone who wishes to wash the stink and worry of the day away. In a small armoire, a well tailored coat is hanging and beside it a satchel. A young woman, presumably the nobleman Sir Rowan Rocke‘s daughter, is in a full on rush directly towards the party. Tears rushing down her face, which is marked by both fear and desperation.
@Linus grapples “Damara Rocke” while @Schroeder checks to see if she is under any sort of enchantment, though he finds no evidence. @Jura asks the Lieutenant‘s guard that is with them if the noblewoman wanted to be there, and the guard informs the party that she came willingly and wanted to be married to the Bandit Leader “Otton Brookes”.
@Jura tells @Katar to go blow out the Xilstaar Candle, with intention. @Linus tries to knock out the noblewoman with the hilt of the Vorpal Sword, but cracks her skull instead, her eyes roll into the back of her head, she loses all resistance, falling dead in Linus’ arms. @Cepheus pilfers through the satchel within the armoire and finds (5) green gemstones along with a regal letter signed by Sir Rowan (it details that the gemstones make up the dowry). @Cepheus becomes entranced by the gemstones raw beauty and obvious (to him) value.
@Schroeder begins investigating the remains of the noblewoman to see if there is any sign of fowl play or less obvious coercion, while @Linus lays the two corpses together, holding hands. @Jura goes into a rampage against the Lieutenant‘s guard that is upstairs with them.
@Jura hits the first guard (nat 20), Undalak is a hooked pole still, the guard in taken aback, (more than half damage is done, he fails his morale check) and tries to run away down the stairs. The guard yells for help and the second guard, that is downstairs keeping watch at the back door, makes his way over to see what is going on. @Jura trips the first guard and during his return swing Undalak transforms into an battleaxe at @Jura’s desire and severe’ s the first guards head off of his shoulders, as his body falls down the stairs, his head lands plummets on to the other guard. @Jura jumps down the stairs and cleaves his axe through the skull of the responding second guard, before his comrades head even hits the ground.
Meanwhile, @Katar deftly makes his way out of the camp, though nearly slipping on the mud near the front gate. @Katar reaches the Xilstaar Candle and blows it out.
The party returns to the moment they originally lit the candle. The mesmerizing green gemstone disappearing from @Cepheus’ hand, the field autopsy being done by @Schroeder turns into a play in the dirt, and @Jura standing still in a final combat posture after engraving his glory within the flesh of the two human guards. @Jura, in dismay about the fate they caused upon Damara and Otton, begins to walk back to the Keep in remorse for what they had just done. @Katar walks back with him, his natural scout intuition knowing that @Jura might need someone with him, both as a guide and perhaps a friend. @Cepheus desires to go back into the bandit camp and steal the gemstone dowry, but do so while not interfering with the wedding or party. @Linus and @Schroeder decide to stay behind with the Warhorse, drafthorse, and Griffon and wait for @Cepheus to return.
Montage Mechanics: @Cepheus goes invisible and makes it all the way back to Otton’s room, but the door is locked and he is unable to find a way in without alerting the camp, so he returns back to @Linus and @Schroeder empty-handed, but safe.
Everyone meets back up at The Keep about the same time.
@Jura enters his temple and asks Undalak to transform into a whip so that he may flagellate himself, however Undalak informs @Jura that he is unable to do this as he is incapable of causing harm to any dwarf since this would be a violation of his oaths. (@Jura learns that Undalak does no damage to Dwarves). @Jura goes outside and finds some branches that he could use instead, then begins his contemplative ceremony. The rest of the party looks on as different emotions arise from the stoic, yet brutal display.
@Boaz walks in and is debriefed about what occurred at Brookes’ “Bandit camp”. (Derek plays as @Boaz the rest of the session)
They all visit Talbot to have him identify some of their items (notably the Vorpal Sword). Talbot reads the writing on the side of the blade and lets @Linus know it is extremely dangerous and is a relic from the ancient race of the High Elves (who are a bygone people). Talbot is surprised to hear that the High Elves have tombs so close to The Keep and requests the party to gather as much information about them as possible since he is very interested in both their culture and relics. @Linus agrees (Talbot: +1 @Linus) @Schroeder asks to see the finance ledger and Talbot obliges handing it to him, @Schroeder reads and investigates why the gold store is diminishing. Talbot informs that it is primarily the cost of goods which has changed in the last few months.
@Schroeder asks if he could borrow the book but Talbot asks to keep it in the Scriptorium. However, @Schroeder takes the ledger away anyway (to Talbot’s disagreement and fret) (DC10 for this to go well with Talbot, rolled 3 from @Schroeder) (Talbot: -1 @Schroeder). @Schroeder enters the Tavern and asks Frog why the prices of goods have gone up so much. Meanwhile, the remaining party observe Talbot follow after @Schroeder but stop at the door’s threshold of his Scriptorium, and he begins pacing back and fourth at the doorway, visibly concerned for the safety of the book having left the room. Talbot requests @Linus and @Boaz to bring the Ledger back since he is worried about it not being in the Scriptorium. @Linus and @Boaz follow @Schroeder into the Tavern to retrieve the Ledger at Talbot’s request. (Talbot: +1 @Linus, +1 @Boaz) @Cepheus, @Katar, and Talbot remain in the Scriptorium.
In the Tavern, Frog offers drinks to @Schroeder, then @Linus and @Boaz (they all eventually buy a drink before leaving) (Frog: +1 @Schroeder, +1 @Linus, +1 @Boaz). Frog let’s @Schroeder know that he has little control over the prices that the merchants on the Northern Road give him, but that they have increased their prices due to how dangerous the road has become. Frog let’s @Schroeder know that the merchant he has contact with is named Micah, who can be met at the crossroads near the Dolmens, and that the Keep commoner Lamorac (the only Halfling in the Keep) is the one who usually goes out to pick up goods from him utilizing a single cart and horse. @Linus and @Boaz (try to) tackle @Schroeder to get the Ledger but are unsuccessful. (Frog: -1 @Linus, -1 @Boaz) They both stay in the Tavern as @Schroeder returns the ledger to Talbot. Talbot asks @Schroeder not to let his books leave the Scriptorium, to which @Schroeder tells Talbot to know his place and that he works for @Cepheus and the group and would have an org chart drawn up for him. (Talbot: -1 @Schroeder) Talbot locks the door when @Schroeder leaves.
@Katar whittles Talbot a small book and a book worm, which Talbot is pleased with and puts in his coat pocket. (Talbot: +1 @Katar)
@Cepheus asks if there are any more magic items in the Vault that they should know about. Talbot mentions the locked door in the Vault (which the gnome won’t let him pass), a golden skull, and three spell scrolls. Talbot also gives the name of the gnome as “Quotix” and that they don’t get along very well, also that the gnome(s) had been in The Keep almost as long as himself and Frog.
@Cepheus then asks and learns more about the Marauder’s camp to the SW (where Jaren and Malone were from). @Cepheus learns that they are about 25(?) men strong, though they have no leader and no permanent campsite. They are a nomadic group. @Cepheus asks why they were spying on The Keep, however, Talbot isn’t positive of their motivation outside of suggesting that the news of change in leadership might have brought about curiosity from the Marauders.
@Katar goes to his (3) scouts and requests them to travel out to the North to gather information about the status of the Northern Road. They split NW N NE (high rolls for scouting, 17, 18, 18, they will return in 3 days with useful information)
@Schroeder and @Cepheus go to the roof and find the “Moonwatch” guards Allon and Enan. @Schroeder says privately to @Cepheus that they are a waste of resources since they are doing nothing and not very smart. @Schroeder then suggests that they would be better used, and low risk if they were lost/killed, if they were to go out scouting. @Cepheus let’s them know they will be “promoted” to new positions without increase in pay, to which they are excited since they look up to the new @Cepheus (compared to the old) and want to impress him, but first they needed to go locate Lamorac in the SW quarter. (No more Moonwatch)(Allon/Enan: +1 @Cepheus DC:5 CHA/Deception to maintain)
Allon and Enan find their way to the Tavern and ask @Linus for directions on which way was Southwest, but @Linus ends up not helping them and sending them in a wrong direction (Allon/Enan: -1 @ Linus)(Frog: +0 @Linus Frog makes note, but no immediate morale change).
The party meets back up at the Stables area, and speak with Sir Rowan Rocke, letting him know that they did not retrieve his daughter and don’t intend to. He requests their help again but is given cold shoulder. (Sir Rowan: -1 Linus, -1 Boaz, -1 Katar, -1 Schroeder, -1 Cepheus) @Boaz then notices his horse is missing. The Stablehand lets @Boaz know the Griffon keeps eating the horses and it either needs to be killed or a proper Stables needs to be built (10,000 GP) to keep the horses safe. @Boaz begins to consider options (Stablehand: +1 Boaz). Sir Rowan rides away with his horse and cart. @Linus meets up with Sir Rowan and tells him everything that happened and about Damara wanting to marry Otton Brookes. Sir Rowan lets Linus know that he has a big problem with the Yoder‘s to the West, and that the marriage was supposed to bring peace between their two townships (Rocke’s vs. Yoder’s). Sir Rowan could not find a better way and did not truly want ultimately conceding to the arrangement). @Linus suggests The Keep may be able to assist in finding a solution and fending off the Yoder’s from harassing Rocke’s village but would they would require some men. Sir Rowan says he could spare (5) of (25) well trained soldiers to The Keep, but not to let the Yoder’s know that he was involved. @Linus convinces Sir Rowan to return to The Keep to discuss further (Sir Rowan: +1 @Linus) The party decides to go down to the Vault to gather money for the stables.
End [@Boaz, @Linus, @Katar, @Cepheus, @Schroeder]: Walk down into the Vault, (3) Ashlayan guards are frozen in mid-combat stances. Quotix (Gnome Abjuration, white robe) is standing amongst the chests and coffers with a grin on his face. As the party walks down the spiral staircase Quotix holds out a finger and points to Boaz and begins to say something. Boaz’s leg immediately takes 1d8 cold damage. (Stepped on Lesser Glyph of Warding, 5 ft. 1d8 damage cold, triggered on first person into the Vault. Quotix was trying to warn about the trap).