Essel, Clairis 28th, 868 ID.
After the attack at Gnarlbottom Manor, Mudghol flees back to the headquarters, speaking nothing of the night's events to Bulgoth or any other. Lexxi flees Floivin Keep, after she decides they've gotten into enough trouble. Unfortunately, she's still got Trifful's pistol and several of the relics and magical goods the party was packing. Luz decides it best to hide out at Royal Leathers, where he is surprised by a knife at his back. Trifful has returned to his shop, and doesn't trust the half-orc, having not known what occurred in Belowtown. Luz explains, but Trifful pulls rank and orders him to gather up Slab and Anemone, plus his cat.
Private Langston is awakened in the early AM by an enraged Captain Kennel. There has been trouble at Gnarlbottom Manor, and Langston is to accompany the Captain to the scene. Once arriving, they find two unconscious men (Ymurf Gnarlbottom and Scorzus, the gate guard) and an enraged Monch Gnarlbottom, who describes the attackers. Kennel begins to track Mudghol and Luz through Floivin Keep. En route, the troops encounter a quintet of guards they don't recognize. When hailed, the guards instead attack. A savage melee ensues, but Kennel and some of his men are victorious. Wounded, he asks Langston to check one more report of a break-in at Royal Leathers. Langston leaves to stake out the place.
Meanwhile, Doorjamb is restless waiting at the Westermarch Concourse at Odd Jon's stall, so he wanders a bit, encountering Kalkan who mistakes the prospector for his charge: Bulgoth. Later, Doorjamb heads to the Armory Square to report troubles to the guard. He is given room and board for the night (Langston's bed, to be exact). Luz gathers up all the PCs from headquarters, including Bulgoth and Ogeir, and hurries them to Royal Leathers in small groups. En route, Ogeir and Mudghol are confronted by a soldier, Lt. Hoary, who has come to protect Mudghol from assassination until Doorjamb has arrived at the Keep. Ogeir has Hoary travel with the pair to Royal Leathers, where most of the group is assembled. Langston stakes out the shop from across the street, realizing there are men inside. Bulgoth notices him, and warns Slab and Ogeir, but no action is taken. Luz remains upstairs, a fugitive. At some point, they notice two more monocle wearing men in the street.
In the morning, Langston returns to Armory Square to file his report, and finds a dwarf sleeping in his bunk. The two make friends, and Langston decides to stick with Doorjamb when he learns the dwarf is to meet Mudghol at the west gates today. Ogeir, Langston, Mudghol and Hoary travel to the gates, where they meet a reunion of Doorjamb and Odd Jon Stuckle. Doorjamb is sad to inform his friend that he must close his business for awhile, since Luorn and Parodee might try to get at Mudghol through him. The group travels to the basement of Vondort, thinking it a safer hideout than Royal Leathers. When Langston realizes he's with one of the suspects (Mudghol), he remains with the group, especially after Lt. Hoary pulls rank over him. The courier Polk arrives, and the PCs think he must have The Score trailing him. In fact, he delivers a nondescript letter containing a threat to back down, and a full set of human teeth (supposedly belonging to Lt. Banghorn).
They send Polk out, and decide to gather once more at Royal Leathers. All the PCs and Stride survivors (with the exception of the missing elf, Ivellio) debate over what steps need to be taken. They decide the best course of action is to report all of the troubles directly to Captain Kennel, instead of searching Belowtown. They seal up the Lift as well as they can, and leave in two groups to Armory Square. Captain Kennel begins to interrogate Mudghol violently, while the other PCs watch. Mudghol plays stupid, but then the second group, including Luz arrive, and Luz comes clean about his activities. Kennel becomes extremely angry, demanding the PCs tell him everything that is going on. He learns of The Score's activities and the fall of The Stride.
Since Luz has come clean, and none of the Gnarlbottoms were actually killed, Kennel hatches a plan. He decides the PCs have been hiding out too much, and must take the fight to The Score. Lt. Hoary and Langston are assigned to Banghorn's unit, Hoary to share command with Ogeir the Hawk. With the exception of Anemone and Trifful, all the others are deputized, including Bulgoth, who is wanted himself! The unit is also to find a new headquarters, outside Floivin Keep. They debate either the Old Pager's Farm or Cheeky's Hollow, with the latter winning out, so they grab some supplies and trek to the Tooth Marsh. Anemone and Trifful decide to try their luck under the protection of Grandmother Hosspotch in Hobfast. As for Luz, he is to be 'executed' at Floivin Penitentiary, but much to the dismay of Monch and family, it will not be public. Luz spends a few hours at the Penitentiary speaking to the enigmatic Zinsk, then one of the Royal Leathers clerks is dressed up as his corpse, and Luz as a soldier. He makes it out of the Penitentiary without Ymurf noticing his disguise, and then he escapes Floivin Keep.
Once they arrive at Cheeky's Hollow, they find it empty aside from two orc squatters: Vishlag and Dropy, who they enlist, after interrogating them about Ironballs and Cheeky. The orcs do not know, but they do know Ironballs is somewhere in the Tooth Marsh. Luz has little idea where exactly the other PCs have wound up, so he travels to Hobfast, where he meets some halfling mercenary guards and Captain Reckon. Reckon leads Luz to Cheeky's Hollow, where they are confronted by the latest 'door guards', Vishlag and Dropy. Luz and Reckon kill Dropy outright, not realizing he's peaceful, and Vishlag is overcome with grief, while the PCs come out to sort everything through. Reckon is told of his brother's orders (Kennel), and tells the PCs he wants constant updates if they are to use the Hollow as a lair. The PCs develop a plan to track Ironballs to his source, through other denizens of the Marsh.
Late in the evening, a pair of goblins arrive with gifts of fish to trade with the orcs. They are threatened by the PCs to locate Ironballs, and they happen to know where he might be, the abandoned lair of a hydra, deeper in the Marsh. Langston, Ogeir, Luz, Mudghol, Bulgoth and Slab will trek to the Marsh to find the hobgoblin. Lt. Hoary, Odd Jon and Doorjamb remain behind. Hoary has other plans for his old prospector friend.
BlackOps, 'Horn Division: Captain Kennel (overseer), Lt. Banghorn (missing, officer), Lt. Hoary (officer), Lt. Ogeir (officer), Mudghol (Arkana Arkiva attache), Pvt. Langston, Pvt. Doorjamb, Pvt. Jon Stuckle, Pvt. Slab, Pvt. Bulgoth, Vishlag.
PCs: Doorjamb, Langston, Luz, Mudghol, Ogeir, Slab
NPCs
Lamontain (human male): A fairly fresh Eidolorn guard recruit, Lamontain is pasty and seems constantly nervous and unsure of himself. He can't be more than 20 years old, and is very hesitant to do anything important, making him a walking target for his direct superior, Captain Kennel.
Trifful (human male): A middle aged, bossy human male with auburn hair who wears his leather goods with pride. Trifful is the proprietor of Royal Leathers, and somewhat of a higher up in The Stride. With the uncertainty of Aslak's fate, Trifful takes command of what remains of the Stride (Luz, Slab and Anemone).
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