Scales Of War - Adventure Log 2

Adventure Log 2 - Back in Brindol

Return to the City

Hawkday, 4th Bony Moon

• We returned to Brindol late in the afternoon, and spent the evening giving our report to Rocc.
• We suggested that Rocc use our intel to send a more suitable and prepared force to Broken Spire Keep.

Downtime in Brindol

Serpentday, 5th to Bearday, 9th of Bony Moon

• Rocc sent Heti and Dani on a diplomatic mission to Hammerfist Holds, while the rest of us took the next few day off.
• I spent most of the next five days liaising with the Lion Guard, gathering information for our next mission.

Into the Sewers

Drakeday, 10th of Bony Moon
(Cold, windy, wispy cloud)

Vitkin's journal

• We had an urgent new mission, given to me from Commander Verdalkin of the West Gate Garrison. Poppof, a wizard and known associate of the Black Knives had gone missing, and the Black Knives were planning to raid his house. Our mission was to pre-emptively raid it in order to keep valuable and dangerous magics out of the hands of the thieves’ guild.
• We decided to sneak through the sewers so as to avoid tipping off the Black Knives.
• We went to the West Gate Garrison to get the key, however, Commander Verdalkin was absent (probably gone fishing).
• The Soldier on duty, Tomilor, issued the key because he knew it was the right thing to do. He is apparently also very lucky when it comes to finding loose coins on the street. Not so lucky when it came to asking Nel for a date.
• (Another guard, the half-elf Varia, warned Celorin of the 'sewer beast').
• Rin, Vini, Wolf, Nel, Koss and myself entered through the gate, Kaz stood guard at the gate.

• I do regret that I do not wear shoes…
• We heard growls, but ignored them.
• Guided by Vini, we navigated the tunnels. Wolf fell in, we all laughed. I was very glad that Nel carried me though the deeper parts.
• I can’t believe that the city allowed the goblins to do as they please down here, such a mess.
• Vini eventually found the underground entrance to Poppofs.

Plundering Poppof's

• We entered the basement to find undead dogs ready to welcome us.
• We finished them off without too much trouble, and Koss went upstairs to scout.
• I found out that invisibility does not work when undead sense life force. Opps.
• We moved through the kitchen, into the front room.
• Some undead cats attack, but they bounced off of Nel’s frosty armour.

• I swear I saw the armour near the front door move, but noting revealed itself on inspection. Wolf covered the head with a bag.
• Koss, after inspecting upstairs, comes racing down, still invisible, and Nel crashed into him in a painful collision.
• On the landing upstairs were some skeletons. They started to move as we approached.
• We defeated them after a brief fight, with Nel dealing the finishing blows to most of them, and myself sending one up onto the ceiling, and dropping it back down for Nel to smash.
• Nel, Rin and myself go through a door into the main study, and start identifying all valuable items. Koss and Vini go through another door and search the bedroom. I feel those two are sometimes more concerned with filling their pockets than following the mission…
• I found a valuable spell book on a shelf, I recognised it as the Ebony Grimoire! Best to keep this out of the hands of the Knives…
• In the centre of the study was a large spell book chained to a pedestal, Koss unlocked the chain, as it is a book we did not want it to fall into the wrong hands.
• Nel finished casting detect magic, in order to determine the nature of the potions on the shelves.

• Nel detected something from above, and Rin saw a door in the ceiling.
• There was another level, but time was running out, the black Knives could arrive any minute.

Page from Koss' Journal

• After unlocking the chain that held the Metal Book to its stand, I noticed Cannal rummaging around in the nearby shelves, after completing her task. She seemed to have rescued two strange potions and a helmet which did not suit her at all, I tried to tell her, but she remarked it looked……"Cool". Oh well, its her first impressions not mine.
• Meanwhile Celorin found a rope which connected to the Hatch that lead to the ceiling, after a quick tug it swung open revealing an entrance into the attic.
• He tried to convince me to jump up there to scout it out, but after my tangle with the skeletons before, I hesitated, he threatened to force me to carry the enormous heavy book which was still on its stand, i tried to explain that my small frame and similarly small hands couldn't hope to carry such thing…..not very well anyway, but he was having none of it.
• Thankfully (and to great relief), Vitkin took the initiative and leapt into Celorins hands and was prompty launched into the hatch.
• It was quiet at first, but then Vitkin called down he found a crate, nailed shut.
• He dragged the crate to the hatch, and pushed it down to our level.
• After having a quick look around this crate but noticing no dexterous way to open it, I went back to the room which kept the Metal Book, and scoured the shelves nearby noticing a suspicious green corked bottle, with quite an elaborate label of a skull and crossbones, I stashed it in my one of my cheek pouches, with no one none the wiser
• During this Wolf called up a warning that there was talking outside the building…close, and barely a minute went by when there was a loud knock on the door! With someone proclaiming us to present ourselves in front of the city watch.
• Vitkin at this time was back onto the same floor as us, swiftly moved downstairs to confront the guard, and quickly defused the situation as he was a city guard himself (I believe), I accompanied him, as I feel most comfortable in the with another of my kind.
• However, as much as I'd like to keep searching this place time was of the essence, as the Black Knives could be heading here right now.
• We swiftly re-entered the sewers of which we entered the building and made our way back to the entrance of the sewers were we left Khazus to watch our backs
• As we arrived, we saw him get assailed by several crossbow bolts, and was made a pin cushion before our very eyes as he crashed into the ground, we was killed instantly.
• We engaged the band of miscreants that assaulted our horned, hairy friend, and gave them no quarter, slaying a few within seconds and wounding others. Black Knives? However, i saw no knives only crossbows. They should be called Wooden Crossbows instead.
• I was impressed with Ervinias use of vines and plantlife which caught a majority of the bandits, a few managed to get free but were quickly taken care of.
• With not a very intimidating yell, and even wounded Cannal approached the group of bandits, demanding them drop there weapons, she then broke her potions she received and froze them all in place! A feat of which easily made up for her lack of appearance with that helmet.
• Not long after the Lions Guard came running, late of course, and Vitkin had the gall to give them honor of defeating the Wooden Crossbow bandits, when we did all the hard work, and costing Khazus his life
• I couldn't believe my eyes!, or my tail!, Khazus still lives, with the help of Ervinia he rose again, although I could guess in incredible pain.

The rest of the text on this page is illegible, as a large grease stain covers it

Vitkin's Journal

• After Unlocking the giant metal book, Koss went back to looting the bedroom with Vini, I worry about those two…
• Nel took some items from the shelf, then went back onto the landing to open a trapdoor, she had sensed some magic items up there.
• While Rin tried to convince Koss to climb up, I got impatient and jumped onto his shoulders and climbed up myself, into a very dusty attic.
• I found a sealed chest with strange markings (Nel later confirmed it was the source of the magic), and, after carefully checking it, dropped it down to Nel, following soon after myself.
• While Vini tried to look for ways to exit with the most amount of items, we heard knocking down below, the Lion Guard?!
• I knew this group wasn’t ready for a covert raid, I went down to work it out, Koss followed.
• It was Tomilor, the noise had been heard from outside, and the guard called to investigate. I tried to bargain for longer, but Tomilor was adamant we leave now, he was right, we had been there too long already.

• While Tomilor did an excellent job of pretending to inspect the house, I hurried everyone up, we grabbed what we could (I debated over carrying some large potions, but settled on some safer books. Note to Self: Next time we raid a wizard’s house, bring a padded bag for potions.
• Happy that we had got most of the more dangerous items, we headed for the cellar and the sewers.
• We made it back to the sewers and through to the river entrance with no problems, and no encounters with the sewer beast, however, as we came to the entrance, we saw the large form of Kaz fall over, as another, smaller form, kneeled over him!
• I was horrified, Khazus had stayed guard on with my leave, if he died while under my command…
• Wolf and Rin immediately ran forward, out into the open, the rest of us stayed in the relative cover of the entrance.
• There was a dozen attackers, we later identified them as Black Knives, they probably planned to use the river entrance and then load the loot onto a barge.
• I blasted the closest one with all my might, knocking them back from the entrance. Vini was able to heal Kaz, and he lumbered slowly over to the riverbank.
• Vini used some creative magic to trap most of the attackers in roots, while they focused their crossbows on Wolf and Rin.
• I rushed out and used my horn to call for help from the watch, at the very least it would limit their time.
• Nel then stood forward, fearless, to the group in the root, smashing two potions she had looted together, freezing all of them solid, leaving herself with a coating of frost. Powerful magic.
• We finished off a few stragglers, and one cloaked figure got away, yelling “I’ll get you Bluecloak” at me as they left, If I had a gold for every time I heard that… Still, better focusing on the guard than the Watchers.
• The Lion Guard, led by Tomilor, arrived, he seemed quite frazzled by the night’s events. If he wanted a quite night, he shouldn’t have become a guard.
• In exchange for the guard cleaning up the scene, I decided give them the credit for wiping out a group of Black Knives, in the public eye at least. Better to let the people see the guard as protectors and upholding the law within city limits than a group of adventurers, less questions that way.
• I will most likely get chewed out by Verdalkin for how I handled this mission, but the raid was successful, and some Knives are out of action, and the guard will look good, so he will consider it a success. Though I now owe Tomilor some serious favours.
• We returned to drop the loot off at the guildhall, then went for drinks. A good night’s work.

Vitkin's Journal

• As we returned to the guildhall, we talked briefly with Eldremma Axeheft outside Axeheft Security. She made us an offer to join, we politely declined.
• As I discussed with Kaz on the way back, Axeheft do good work, but they serve their clients as the Lion Guard serves the city, limited by rules, allegiances and coin. The Watches gives me a greater freedom to protect the people of Brindol and the Vale
• We met with Rocc and Kul when we arrived back, we all went inside to examine our spoils.
• We examined our spoils, ensuring that everything was safe. The box I found contained a weird, partly animated puppet, but it was damaged upon opening the box…at least it seems harmless now…
• We decided to stay at the guildhall that night, for mutual protection in case the Black Knives decided to return the favour in kind.
• As we drank we discussed acquisition protocols.
• I tried to convince Nel to go on a date with Tomilor, but she refused, oh well, I tried. I don’t know what he sees in her, she doesn’t even have any whiskers!
• Had a bath, now time for sleep.

Downtime in Brindol

Thunderlizardday, 11th, to Drakeday, 18th of Bony Moon

Khazus' thoughts

• Hrmph! I tried to extend an olive branch toward Axenhaft Security after our tussle with the Black Knives, but Eldremma Axenhaft was having none of it. Apparently, while she understands the directives of strong leadership and the need in a civilized society for a mercenary group not bound to a single location, she missed the memorandums on cooperation and comradery between guilds!
• I do not remember much of the following night, only that the people of Axenhaft Security, while not the most formal, do have a proper sense of how to celebrate a well-earnt victory.
• If only this blasted headache weren't matching the knife-wounds from the night before, I might be able to remember why I have a sense of foreboding upon the idea of returning to their building. Fah.

Vitkin's Journal

• I spent most of the next week at the guildhall doing an in depth examination of our findings at Poppofs
• Kaz sept some time across the way at Axeheft, I can sometimes hear him form here…
• The others came in and out at times, but I focuses on my research, especially these magic tomes!
• On Ravenday, 16th of Bonymoon Kaylee of House Jarmaath stormed into the Watcher’s Guild Hall. Apparently accusing the Watchers of consorting with house Trask, their enemies…
• Rocc and I were singled out as bluecloaks. I must say, while I wear the cloak with pride, I see myself more as a servant of the people or Brindol and the greater Vale rather than house Jarmaath… While I was aware of the relationship between the two houses, I never saw accepting Lyntern’s invitation, nor helping Lady Dogra as a betrayal. I always felt I was gathering information and building reputation. In fact, I had written a long and detailed report on my dealings with House Trask, including conversations with their footmen on the march to Keep Dogra, and submitted it to Captain Verdalkin on my return… he probably hasn’t looked at it…
• Hopefully Rocc can sort it out with Lord Jarmaath. Convince them that we were turning Lady Dogra away from Trask? Perhaps we can even convince House Jarmaath to Support Dogra in searching for her Uncle? Thoughts for another day.

To The Witchwood

Thunderlizardday, 19th of Bony Moon

• A Ghost Lion entered the Guildhall! A companion of one of the old Watchers!
• Rocc asked that we follow the lion, to see if his friend was all right.

Here the adventure continues in the Scales of War Adv Log 3.