Tault, Clairis 25th, 868 ID.
After a night of rest, a young courier arrives with an urgent request from Regent-General Gurd Gnarlbottom, who has stepped in for the deceased Regent Bauerkroft until a suitable replacement arrives from Carbadi. Bulgoth answers the door and smacks the boy around a little, refusing to give him his tip. Luz accosts Bulgoth for his actions. The PCs learn that they have been assigned the task of retrieving an envoy named Kraalt Zu'ut from the tower of Mimresh, southwest of Floivin Province in the pass that leads to Sothos Karr and other hostile lands. This is to be done the following morning. Ogeir goes to fetch breakfast for the PCs at the Fiery Rat. Bulgoth doesn't like the soup. No one seems to like the soup.
Later, Mordecai decides to seek out information on who the best cook is in Floivin Keep, so he might buy a meal and present it as his own at the Seven Flood Inn, to Brand. It turns out the best cook already works there, so instead, Mordecai visits Odd Jon Stuckle with Luz and Lexxie, and asks the silly dwarf to prepare his best skunk-kabob for the evening's deceit. Odd Jon is also making skunkskin cloaks now, and Lexxie purchases one. Odd Jon agrees to Mordecai's proposal, and they arrange to meet back up in the evening. Lexxie promises to find a scribe that can write flyers up for Doorjamb & Stuckle's Skunk-Kabobs. She later runs into Dermias, a young scholar, who seems thrilled at her invitation to travel the Tooth Marsh the following day, where they can discuss business for Odd Jon while he tries to find some amphibious samples.
When evening arrives, Mordecai leaves with Lexxie and Luz to pick up the special skunk meal to present at the Seven Flood Inn. Shortly after they leave, 'Lt. Banghorn' and four guards enter the PCs dwelling and attack them! It turns out, these men are not what they seem, shifting into pale bluish humanoid creatures that strike with their claws. Though they waited until they had the numbers, the assailants are unable to defeat Bulgoth, Tundra Wolf, Ogeir and Mudghol. The creatures transform into giant-sized, necrotic severed fingers when slain. Mudghol can't figure it out.
Meanwhile the other three PCs arrive at the Seven Flood Inn, and Mordecai is told to find Brand in front. Lexxie and Luz sit at the bar until they are invited to Attican Vlad's table. Mordecai, after finding Brand, goes out back again and presents the skunk-kabob to Chef Greer as his own. She ends up liking it, but doesn't trust the elf, and tells him the following night he is to report and cook the dish again under her scrutiny. He agrees, then joins the Attican Vlad party on the balcony. After they eat, Luz stuffing himself with all the remaining food on the table, they return where Bulgoth refused to let them inside, thinking they might be more of the strange shifting creatures. Ogeir and Mughol explain what happened, after Tundra Wolf asks personal questions that only Mordecai could answer. Frightened, they set up watches through the night.
Varony, Clairis 26th, 868 ID.
In the morning, the PCs get up and split to get breakfast and supplies. Some hostilities are exchanged when they realize Lexxie has invited the boy scholar Dermias. Tundra Wolf is insulted that the druid would do such a thing, while Luz and others make insults that scare the lad. It turns out Dermias will not be joining them on their journey. Ogeir returns the guard uniforms the shapeshifters were wearing and learns that five soldiers had recently disappeared. Mudghol also goes to the Armory, to acquire the standard the PCs will need to signal the orcs at Mimresh to turn over their envoy.
The party travels for over three hours to Mimresh. Along the journey, Tundra Wolf spots a strange, fleshy gray humanoid up a tree, but it flees at the party's approach. They also run into a pair of orc deserters named Vishleg and Dropy, who startled, attack the party in defense. Dropy is knocked out and Vishleg surrenders. The pair are let go. A few hours later, they arrive at the tower of Mimresh, stopping a half-mile beyond the burned ground North of the stronghold. Mudghol is met by a griffon riding orc scout, who tells him he may approach the tower with one other. Mudghol brings Luz, since they both have orc blood. Kraalt Zu'ut joins them from the Mimresh, while orc soldiers sling insults at the half-breeds from the battlements.
Kraalt speaks only briefly to the players, and claims he does not know why he has been summoned to Floivin Keep. As the party travels back, they once more spot the pair of orc expatriates, and Kraalt makes condescending comments about them. As they grow closer to the keep, they are ambushed by a greatsword-wielding mercenary and several halfling archers. The man is Drado, who the PCs briefly met before (in particular Navan) at the inn in Hobfast. He informs the PCs that it's their time to perish, but that he hopes they put up a good fight. An explosion of summons and spells are sent at the mercenaries, but the PCs do not manage to down Drado before he arrives in their ranks. He injures Lexxie and Tundra Wolf seriously, and slays Mordecai outright. After finally downing him, the last halfling left alive flees. The PCs realize from the marks on Drado's neck that he is one of The Score...
PCs: Lexxie, Luz, Mordecai, Mudghol, Ogeir
NPCs
Chef Greer (human female): A built and stocky woman with a number of scars on her face, bushy eyebrows, a number of hairy clumps on several moles, and her hands and fingers covered in burns from the kitchen. Greer speaks in a manly tone, but despite the appearance she is considered the best cook in all of Floivin Keep, and potentially the province.
Dermias Sphinctis (human male): A boy in his late teenagers who studies the mating habits and reproduction of amphibian species, or so he claims. He's also a scholar and scribe, toting about a number of writing implements and notes. He has a blond bowl-cut and wears spectacles, and keeps a fine (but possibly) unused dagger in his satchel for back-up. When in the field, he brings sampling jars and other accoutrements, and wears more road worthy clothing.
Dropy (orc male): An expatriate of Sothos Karr, having fled the oppressive orc regime within the recent past. Dropy carries a hand axe and wears thick leather armor and a wide brimmed hat. With his companion Vishlag, he stalks about the Tooth Marsh looking for meals or whatever can be scavenged. Dropy is knocked unconscious when he encounters the PCs traveling through Tooth Marsh. But his life, and that of Vishlag, are spared.
Kraalt Zu'ut (orc male): An old ocr wearing spiked shoulder pads of glinting steel, but in a russet robe, while leaning on a gnarled cane of blackwood. He's got only his right eye (the left is missing in its socket), greenish tinted skin, a broken right fang and whitish strands of thinning hair tied back in three knots on the back of his skull. He seems to address only those who speak his language, primarily orcs and half-orcs, and seems to disdain others. Luz surmises that Kraalt must be a higher ranking cleric of Gruumsh, as it is customary that serious devotees tear out their eye. The PCs are assigned to escort Kraalt from the Mimresh tower to Regent-General Gurd Gnarlbottom in Floivin Keep, but the reason is not yet known.
Monch Gnarlbottom (dwarf male): A wealthy dwarf and acquaintance of Attican Vlad, often taking meals with him at the Seven Flood Inn. Monch is kindly and inquisitive, but also haughty and proud. He has light brown, close knit hair and a well groomed, light brown beard with flecks of gold. Monch is pretty close to the true bloodline of Gnarlbottom.
Vishlag (orc male): An expatriate of Sothos Karr, having fled the oppressive orc regime within the recent past. Vishlag carries a short sword and wears thick leather armor and a wide brimmed hat. With his companion Dropy, he stalks about the Tooth Marsh looking for meals or whatever can be scavenged. Vishlag begs for surrender after the PCs knock out his companion, and the two are spared.
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