Session 11 – A Sign of Things to Come?
Campaign II, session 11. Previous: Session 10. Next: Session 12.
It’s the festival of Crya! This is a short “month” (only 1 week long) at the end of each year, when Dal Quor – the Region of Dreams – is said to be closer to the material plane. Each PC had a particularly vivid dream on a random day, and observed some of the townsfolk’s rituals observing the occasion. Additionally, a new PC arrived – Zydell, a Valerian Reiver. He comes bearing news that the Lhazaaran elves are a threat to bastion, planning some kind of invasion, and some of their forces have already made a base in the Shadowmount Forest!
Cresilde and Vierath spend their time studying new spells. Fenmyra and Miyera spend some time foraging for herbs; Vezhka and Zydell tag along to protect them from any wilderness encounters. Over the week, they find one batch of horsetail (useful for treating mortal wounds), and a couple points of interest – once was a dead tree that collapsed onto Vezkha. Her savage resilience helped her recover with the aid of some magical healing, but she has internal damage to her reproductive system. The other was a scar in the land, rough grooves hacked into a stone edifice without care, walls blackened as if scorched by chemical fire. Pools of acrid runoff collect in the hollows, stinking of vinegar and rot, and the stone itself seems sickly—brittle, flaking at the touch, with a greasy sheen.
At the end of the week, Mireya tries to speak to a couple of city guards about the Lhazaaran threat, but they brush her off. In a fit of pique, Zydell waits for them to get drunk and follows them home. After checking to make sure there are no witnesses, he charges at them from behind! His first swing is diverted by the target’s helmet, giving the pair a chance to shout an alarm and strike back for a minor gash. Zydell follows up quickly and this time cleaves through the pair of them. He hears some commotion as people in nearby dwellings start reacting – but he is able to walk quietly away before any backup arrives.
The next day, news is spreading about the two guards that had been struck in the night. Thanks to a few quick-acting locals, their lives were saved. They knew only that they had been ambushed by “a pale-skinned elf.” The rest of the watch was dragging every elf in town to their recovery beds in an effort to get a positive ID. As the party is preparing to return to the Sunless Citadel, they are stopped and Zydell is escorted off.
“I’m happy to cooperate, officer. I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding; I heard what happened and I always knew those Lhazaarans were up to no good. I’m sure you’ll find the right ones.” The victims of course identify him as the perp, and, seeing the number of guards, he does not resist arrest. We agreed to fast forward his trial, so he is out of time sync with the rest of the party (whose next delve into the citadel will happen next session).
Before trial, though, he must languish in prison for 1d8 (4) days! He does not have enough money to attempt bribing the courts or to hire an attorney, but is allowed to present evidence in his favor. Zydell gives an impassioned speech to the magistrate about how he would never threaten the security of Bastion and is in fact only trying to help them by warning of the Lhazaaran threat! (roll 1d4 for evidence in favor: 3). The prosecution lays out their case – the positive id by the guards, but after seeing him in full daylight they confess the possibility they might be mistaken (roll 1d8 for evidence against: 2). Due to the severity of the accusation (battery), there is a further penalty to the trial roll, but after accounting for Zydell’s charisma, the net modifier is zero. A 2d6 roll of 11 means that he is acquitted! There is now a murmur of resentment against the Count’s tenuous peace with the Lhazaarans; they will be eyed with more suspicion in the coming weeks…
[Vaelor the astrologer also provided an alibi]