Birthmonth the 8th, 11:30 AM. We talked to Govaine, he escaped 9 year old slave boy, about the layout of the west side of the Temple of Grummsh. The way he got out. Where Karraway might be, and the portcullis. We felt pretty good about our chances and rested for the day. About 7 PM we are well and then after curfew had been called, about 8ish, he left the Temple of Uller and west went down Temple Way. We snuck behind the Temple at the top of the refuse trench and walked the length of it again.
At 8:30, we had come to the back of the Temple Grounds, stepped through the broken wall, and made it to the Temple of Gruumsh again. Once here, Sylas bundled our now 3 sets of rags into hobobundles to take out with us when we leave, Carl summoning some water to wash the ranger’s hands and gloves clear.
We followed the west side of the grounds along to the front and looked over from the woodcutter’s shed to the front door. Portcullis was down, couldn’t see the send set. Rhareli used his ring of invisibility and snuck over to the area to look in. 25’ x 25’ space between the bars, 2nd set was currently up about 5’. Could see a cart and some tables in the gloom of the courtyard. Orcish voices.
He snuck back and shared what we learned. We came up with a plan to loop rope between a few of the bars in 2 places and used a crowbar to twist the ropes, making the bars bend. Before we tried it though, we had Rhareli call to Garl to silence the area. Then Hrimvir and Rhareli worked the bars and ropes, bending them over and making a space big enough for us to sneak in.
Sylas snuck up to the 2nd set, braced a length of wood there in case the portcullis drops, and came back to share. 10 orcs, at least 2 more on either side of the entrance but hidden. We figured on Atlas firing off a sleep spell eventually but wanted Gun and Rhaerli to flip around the corners and take out the orc’s in the winch rooms – prevent the portcullis from being dropped on us. Then we run in.
9:05 both the gnome and halfling snuck around the corner and entered the winch rooms. Gun had 2 orcs in his, one with a sword pointing at the other, swearing that he is NOT his friend. Rhareli had a single orc wearing a chain shirt in his. Both snuck up and Gun struck the orc with the sword first. Wrist dagger pierced his neck and he went down dead. The other orc looked at Gun, thanked him, picked up the sword, and then shimmered – turning into Gun! Doppleganger! He started shouting. As for Rhareli, he lined up his backstab and hit – but the orc here was not some common orc, and was instead a skilled fighter. He rolled with the stab, and stood up, whipping his spear around, giving the gnome a solid stab in the thigh.
Battle on.
In the courtyard, the orcs nearest the tables dumped them over and propped up crossbows, shooting at Yandr and Hrimvir running towards the battle. The ones nearest the cart with the barrels on it started working a bellows on it while two other were untwisting hoses and ready to point them at the group.
Rhareli was outgunned and was calling for help. Yandr, Hrimvir, and Carl converged on the closest table, attacking the crossbow orc’s beyond. Sylas heard Gun’s calls and ran around the corner – seeing 2 guns! One had crossbow’ed the other and they were struggling now. Both were arguing that Sylas should kill the other when the ranger asked one “wait, you can understand me?” It replied of course and Sylas killed that one. “How’d you know that the right one?” the assassin asked. “Because it was able to understand my works through my heavy accent.” Gun looked at the ranger and frowned. “What, boy?”
As the pump orcs were about ready Atlas crumbled up some rose petals and let them fly, putting 1, 2, 3…and 4. All 4 orcs at the cart to sleep! Nice. The cart had some barrels attached to the mantlet made of brass and bronze. Pressure was running through, the smell of gas and oil was strong. Gun took a shot at the cart, hitting a barrel but nothing happened.
Cara got close enough to help out, hurling her enchanted spear and hitting where she could. The orcs near the front were down to 1 and Rhareli was about half hit points when Yandr finally cleared enough of the battle to enter the winch room and slide the gnome behind him. The paladin and the orcish fighter were evenly matched, trading strokes and blows in rapid succession.
Sylas could see Gun shooting at the barrels so joined it, the ranger firing at the pressurized barrels. And then finally, it happened. One of them punched through, raised sparks…and the entire pump cart exploded setting the courtyard there on fire and sending a plume of fire and smoke 30’ into the air, shaking the courtyard, and alerting everyone left that we were here.
The orc fighting Yandr gave him a shove backwards out of the winch room and slammed it closed. “No more fight with you!” it said with a growl. “Alright…we’ve done enough! Let’s go!” In the distance we could hear the night guards yelling fire and the clang of alarm bells were growing more numerous and louder.
We ran for the main gate, 47 minutes after we had originally entered the grounds, Sylas dragging the dead doppleganger behind him, Atlas urging him on. We hit the main road and ran eastward to the Temple of Uller, entered the gates, and then the main temple where Father Falder was surprised to see us again. So soon.
We wrapped up the body in some cloth and tied it closed, discussed what we did and what went wrong, and figured we’d lie low for the next 3 days for the Dragoons to eventually move on and the situation at the Temple of Grummsh to calm down.
As for the body, Sylas and Gun had done some investigating around town, eventually getting a line that someone at the Pig and Whistle might know an arcanist or an apothecist who could make use of the Doppleganger’s body. Then wandered there and spoke to Herin, one of the bar tenders there. Herin was a bit disturbed when it was mentioned they might actually have a body, but told them that at the est end of the Warehouse district, there is an import/export person named Heimo who would be best to talk to.
They left, took the body from behind the Pig and Whistle, covered it with a cloak and walked to the Warehouse area. Checking the signs they felt this was the right place and came up, asking a burly looking stevedore sitting outside the warehouse doors, whittling a piece of wood. Pleasantries were exchanged as Sylas was mentioning wanting to talk to Heimo and we had a body. The Whittler was stunned. You had a body. A dead body? Here? Who sent you here. They mentioned Herin and the Pig and Whistle and the Whittler was unhappy, suggesting they leave and leave now as most likely the Dragoons were coming soon.
Gun wanted the whittler’s name but he refused to give it. This got Gun mad. The Whittler then put down the wood he was whittling and took a new one, looking at Gun’s face intently before whittling the new piece. “What’s that?” The Whittler pointed to other figures and faces near him. “Whittling of people who used to bother me and don’t anymore.”
We refused to leave, he told us to leave the body and go, and Gun was getting more and more cross with the whittler. Eventually Heimo was gotten and they were told to get off the street now. Inside we met Heimo and Ilvi, his assistant who works as a gravedigger normally but also works here with Heimo regarding preservation and corpse shipment. They have a friend in Seaford who buys such “fruit” from them and offered the two 20 crowns for the Doppleganger. Gun was seriously asking what the Whittler’s name was.
While we were knee deep in this, a violent knocking was at the door. Captain Vauli of the Highport Dragoons was here to ask questions about the transport of a dead body. He was eventually let in but not until Heimo had the doppleganger’s body brought to a secret coffin/crate with a drop away bottom and placed within. Captain Vauli and 6 Dragoons were here and the conversation did not go very well.
We have a ghast problem in town and Ilvi is slumming here, go to the cemetery now. Who the fuck are you two? Mr Smith and Mr Jones. Did you have a body? NO. Yes. It was a deer. I’m a hunter. Sure enough they pointed to a deer corpse in here and everyone agreed that was what was being transported through town. Heimo then took out 200 crowns and gave it to Sylas as payment for the “deer”. Unable to argue over the shortfall cost of the doppleganger, we took it. The Csaptain was not believing us. 200 crowns for a deer carcass? Where you staying?
At a hotel. Where? In the middle of town. Does this hotel have a name? I’m sure it does, I cannot read. Really? Fine, let’s go to this “hotel” and I want to talk to the proprietor that you are actually staying there. As we were leaving Captain Vauli was pissed off, we have a ghast issue and some dump fuck is moving corpses or killing people in town. Gun said that he knows some people who could help with the ghast issue, and the Captain offered to go with Gun afterwards to talk to whoever he has.
We came to the Two Seasons Hotel near town square and Sylas was like, oh yes, this is the place. Really? Let’s go in. They entered and Captain Vauli went to the desk clerk and talked to him about Sylas, pointing to him, Is this guy staying here? Behind the Captain’s back, Sylas lifted the bag of gold he had gotten from Heimo and made a begging face, showing some of the coin. The Desk clerk didn’t hesitate and backed up Sylas’ story. We left the ranger here (who overpaid for a room here to keep the desk clerk from alerting the Dragoons) and went with Gun back to the Temple of Uller.
He introduced the Captain to everyone, said he was Mr. Jones, said nothing about missing Sylas, and we listened to Vauli’s pitch about hunting the Ghasts. We agreed to go with them, he has an undead hunting ranger on staff and we agreed to go with them to find the lair. First 2 days were a loss, but we did find a ghast lair near the east end of town by the granary. The ranger doused it with holy water and they were setting up a new lair that would be attractive to ghasts elsewhere but lined with traps and falls to help catch and kill it.
Meanwhile Gun was spending 3 days following the Whittler, who he learned was named Sminki. His comings, goings, and patterns. Finally on the evening of the 12th as the Whittler was passing a dark alley on his way home, Gun lunged out and stabbed – hitting hard – but failing to assassinate him! The Whittler began yelling for guards and running away and Gun faded into the background, eventually making his way to the Temple. “Some other time, then,” he muttered.
By this point it was Birthmonth the 13th. As for the Temple of Gruumsh, an orcish paramilitary group run by a Karraway had been illegally squatting on the temple grounds and were arrested, eventually sent off to do hard labor at the zinc mines north of town. There was no other issues and eventually the Dragoons put a new chain and lock on the gate, reminding the populace that the Temple was off limits and to not enter the grounds again.
We were going to sneak back in tonight.
