It's always bittersweet when an adventure wraps up for me. A lot of effort goes into it and there are times I can only hope the party is having a good time. Not looking and never looking for sunshine to be blown up me ass, but there are times I'm not convinced that this was as good of a time as everyone could have.
There is a little clean up to happen after this at the next meeting and then they will roll into the 4th adventure which is punching K'Morat scum in the face and taking their stuff. The last adventure was a bit heavy on Avulstein and the next one will have some Darius-centric stuff for a bit.
Write up follows:
Once out of the Temple we took stock of the time and location, Darius noting terribly that he was very late for his dinner with Meg the Florist and Negan was pissed all of his belongings had been taken by the Temple of Loki, including clothing. Connal took off his baladrana and gave it to Negan to wrap around himself. The half-ogre was going to head back to the Pennywhistle, grab his money, and then go off and but some replacement clothes, belts, and shoes. We watched his broad naked back as he walked away, the oil-skin wrap around his waist held firmly in his hands over his midsection.
As for Darius, he motioned for a runner to come forth, gave him a few coins, and gave him the message to take to Overcliff and Meg that he was coming but would be late for now. He then wished the rest of the group a good evening and also ran back towards the Pennywhistle.
As for the last of us: Einar, Avulstein, and Connal, they were heading towards the Randari Quarter to meet with Vanil the apothecary and try to get an antidote for Connal for the Poison he had ingested during the Temple of Loki experience and that Negan had been Delaying for the time being.
Darius was stopped at the gate OUT of the Central Quarter mainly because he was so startling looking. He was covered from the top of his head to his waist with ½ white hairs from the carpet, sticking out of his skin, his clothes, even interspersed in his own hair. The guards were convinced he was ½ gorilla or some sort of freak. He did drop the Diamondcutter name and they did let him through, but flagged his name and description and was going to send it to all the other gates to keep tabs on him.
He ran to the Pennywhistle, went up to his room amidst strange looks, and changed out of his clothes into his other and only clean set. He then looked at himself in the looking glass and realized he couldn’t go to the date looking this way. He took the wine bottle he had purchased for tonight and went out of the room, down to the Common Area, and then off to the barber on premises. The barber laughed at Darius’ appearance but the friendly dwarf did offer to give him a wash and shave, wrapping a hot towel around the fighter’s face. He was also offered a leeching but Darius demurred saying another time; keeping his eyes closed as the dwarf’s straight razor began shaving the softened hairs off around his nose first and then radiating out.
The other 3 members of the party had gone through the gate without issue and were making their way through the Randari Quarter, Connal starting to get a tickle in his throat as the party arrived at Vanil’s Apothecary. We were allowed in even though it was late, and Lummox once again threatened to shoot the group if they “so much as breathe in a way that makes me feel like I have to shoot you!!” We were checked over and then told to deposit our weapons along the wall.
Vanil meanwhile was checking Connal out who was beginning to relapse, the monk doubling over and choking for minutes at end until Vanil was able to finish concocting a tincture for him and Connal was able to choke it down. His coughing subsided and he fell back into his chair exhausted but able to breathe freely again. Vanil informed him that he would be better after a night of full rest. We thanked him, paid for the treatment, and then gathered up our stuff in order to leave.
Darius, pleased with his revised appearance, made his way out of the Pennywhistle and started the 15 minute trip to his date. He was stopped and harassed at Central Gate and again at Upper Gate for his name being on the list and the shave he had. Once he finally made it to Meg’s place, almost 2 hours late, he knocked on the shop door to have it be opened by…Meg’s Daughter Filora and Darius’ former girlfriend.
It was a strained meeting and full of false “how are you” and then Filora had mentioned that it was nice of Darius to come for her mom’s dinner as she was upset earlier but a runner arrived and set her at ease. Filora would spend some time down here in the shop “to give you both some free time” and to not worry. Darius thanked her, went upstairs, and was let in to the living area by a recently upset Meg. A flower was passed along with the wine, followed by the explanation of “It’s been a crazy day” and then Dinner and Darius sharing his adventures today and his subsequent appearance.
After dinner there was blueberry cobbler and some light making out, followed by more and Darius who was suffering from constitution loss, numerous painful wounds, being tired, and having just narrowly escaped the Temple of Loki – was able to get the deed done and Meg and him spent a wonderful night together. Boot scene.
As the other 3 left Vanil’s a gang of orcish toughs had stopped the party and thought they had gone to the apothecist to get some drugs – hoping to shake the party down and score some. Connal and Avulstein were treated poorly, Einar (being a half-orc) was chided for hanging out with them and when Avulstein did talk – they were all shocked he could talk. Eventually they offered to buy the wolverine for a few hundred coins and thinking they were going to put one over on the half-orcs, agreed to it.
Avulstein was even dancing to show his skills and get the price jacked up and Connal snuck down a side street, ducked down an alley, and ran out of the Randari Quarter back to the Pennywhistle. It was when they put a leash on Avulstein from one of the dogs that the thug leader went to take the bag off Avulstein. The two of the party members then went on that the bag wasn’t part of the deal and that it should be returned. Then it was a bartering of costs for the bag and the thug was looking inside, thinking the flasks within (with the Midnight Water) were something to drink.
This had gotten out of hand so Einar and Avulstein tried to make a break for it. The necromancer jumped up on one of the orcs with the lead and was savaging his chest and hand, tearing into the orc who was screaming in pain. Einar hacked at the leash, cutting the thick leather, and then engaged the thug as he was wrestling to get the bag back, while the bag holder was beating Avulstein with it.
The other people on the streets ran off and eventually not wanting to be a part of this anymore, the last two orcs nursing their wounds ran away and Einar and Avulstein grabbed the precious bag and returned to the Pennywhistle to rest up and get their heads on straight. Once there the party went up to their rooms to rest and be ready for tomorrow when we would be going to the Vault of the Heorot.
The next morning Darius woke up, had breakfast with Meg (and her daughter) agreed he would be seeing her again (Meg, NOT her daughter) and then made his way back to the Pennywhistle where everyone had woken up, gotten ready, prayed and prepared themselves and then made our way to the Third Reeve Theros’ office. We had to wait only a little while before one of the adjuncts let us know that the contract with House Illytch would be completed either tonight or tomorrow and we were all satisfied.
From there we all went off to the Vault and temple of Hel where we had to endure the candle lighting ceremony once again before making our way through the temple to the 2nd floor and then presented to the Speakers for the Dead – Parylis, Marcia, and Paduntosis. We presented our collection, Avulstein doing most of the talking (it was his mission) and Parylis was guiding the show, asking Avulstein to release each item as it was called with an imperious cry of “Present!” foe each item.
Marcia had them all (the ingredients) gyre and levitate in place, the proofs each wavering around one another but never touching. Finally the last one was presented and Parylis then told Avulstein he would have to control the forces of necromancy to show he was a true adherent of Hel and there was an inrushing of air and the materia all compressed and then blew out – turning into the zombie version of Centius – the Half-Orc who had pledged himself to Avulstein and Einar in this life and the next for their efforts on helping him to cure his mother.
Centius stalked towards Avulstein who stood his ground, commanding the zombie to obey. A massive morning star was held up…and crashed NEXT to the wolverine. The Death Speakers informed Avulstein that Centius was his and that he would be accepted as an apprentice to Parylis for a period not to be less than 3 years and a day. He was charged with going out and facing the powers of death wherever they might be, helping it along and supporting the order of things in his travels. There was an investiture and Avulstein arose marked with the holy symbol of Hel on his chest.
Besides that, he was given some spells to add to his spell book and then the other members who were still here came forward when they were called – a gift given to each of them for their efforts. Darius was given an ensorcelled sling made from a celestial stag and a new holy symbol to Loki, Connal was given a checkered headband in the monastic style that while worn, would allow him 3 times a day to know if someone had just lied to him, and Einar was given a rod that one time only would resurrect a fallen companion from the dead.
We thanked the Death Speakers while Avulstein was getting some new spells for his book and then made our way to the streets.
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