13.01.2250 NG
ThruthStag. Raining Heavily.
The party drank the dreamstalkers brew (despite the multiple warnings on the labels) and entered the Dream Eaters dreamscape. Throkk stood guard over their sleeping bodies.
During the battle the beast summoned crystals which seemed to materialise from the substance of his dreams, and in doing so weakened himself slightly with every new crystal. Noticing him weakening, and thinking back on the poem the party realised
“…the world he shapes is his quarrys soul ,
and when stalked within his own domain,
he consumes himself, his powers drain…”
Likely referred to the dream eater using their victim’s own essence as fuel for its powers, allowing the creatures to control the dream they were visiting. When attacked in their own dream however, the only fuel must be the creatures own essence. The party emerged victorious after the gods of random numbers smiled gently on them and both 3d6 breath attacks managed to cause 5 damage in total.
Before waking the party found themselves standing in a woodland glade, witnessing a dream of Celestes. They were invisible spectators, unseen by Celeste, but aware of each other. An enormous bark covered humanoid figure, easily 60ft tall approached Celeste and asked her to try to remember who she was, and to remember her Oath. He seemed familiar and friendly to Celeste, as if they had known each other for a long time and acted concerned about her lack of memory. Celeste seemed somewhat defensive however and accused the figure of not helping her enough and claimed her power didn’t come from him. This comment seemed to amuse and sadden the creature slightly. As celeste began to ask more questions she was woken by Throkks bell ringing and the ceremony of the severed heads.
Celeste didn’t seem keen to discuss this dream and Ernodal and Gritgoz seemed to both acknowledge they were present to witness this. The party harvested scales from the creature and took a horn as proof of the kill. They explored the temple to find a room of debris and loot (see update log). The final room contained a sculpture at an ancient altar- a vile and misformed horned face, which had more than a passing resemblance to one of the two figures on the ripped parchment found earlier ( in journal). The party were not able to decipher the runes surrounding this face.
Leaving the temple, the party encountered a deranged old farmer, quite mad but friendly – the party then identified themselves as the “Walrus Tusks” and learned this farmer was the original owner of this land and excavated the temple. He had warned the family that the party encountered in episode 1 (whos journal Erndodal still has) not to sleep near here due to strange deaths in sleep. The family had seemed to be taking a strange and circuitous route around the area when Ernodal asked about their travel. The party learned a mysterious hooded figure with grey hair, claiming to be a water diviner had passed through some months back and offered his services for free – and advised to excavate at this exact spot. The farmer claimed to have no way on contacting him and promised to fill in the site when he had enough coin. Celeste cured his sciatia.
At Vicetina the party received payment from Tilda (1000g) who was deeply grateful and exhausted after days of not sleeping and promised Ernodal to help fill in the excavation site. Luca happily nodded off knowing he was now safe to do so.
A visit to Lorenzo found Gritgoz explaining his theories of skulduggery and deceit and the Goblin advised the leader to stockpile fire weapons and be wary of the Church of Namthar. It seems Lorenzo has no love for the church and didn’t invite them here – they had arrived en mass under the pretence of discussions for troop movements/ security due to the increasing tensions between Namburg and Kossos. Gritgoz asked that Lorenzo tell his niece Sofia(guard captain) of the suspected “Fake Dave”.
Lorenzo brought the Tusks into his confidence and asked that they help him track down a very close friend – Denis the Alchemist. Lorenzo felt Denis would know what to do about these Risen, as he was a colourful man with a checkered past (a supporter of the anti-Namtharite group “The Road”, something of an arsonist, a trader in illegal antiques, illegal potion (A glamour potion for the potions shopkeeper for example but a good man Lorenzo insisted). His only leads were that he is missing some weeks now, he gave the location of his house (which Gritgoz has previously pillaged) and said he was close friends with Gregory the Baker also.
Erndodal enquired with the city steward about the Grave-Digger pay offs from last night, to learn that the shift pattern is a week on, week off (6 staff). Thus, it seems likely only one was paid off to allow the graves be disturbed shortly before the Throkk + co disturbed things.
Tulip asked around about the disturbed graves and learned they belonged to a middle aged couple who had died separately some months back, and the other 3 were unrelated to them. Nobody seemed to know or care much about them.
Finally Gritgoz, confronted Max, the doctor in the royal infirmary. Terrified of the Goblin, Max revealed she knew quite a bit about RedRot – she helped create it. She had help – Denis the alchemist and a strange robed man who used bring her reagents, decoctions and specimens. Goblins. She was tearful and remorseful for creating the plague, and claimed she had only done so as a means of creating a weapon against the Elves. The figure had convinced her such a weapon would save thousands of lives by avoiding an all out war, and the elves needed to be eradicated – she babbled about gateways and daemon armies in her fear, and indicated she thought that stopping this was a worthy goal. When pushed, she told Gritgoz there was no cure, and the plague was certain death … except for one atypical case. Specimen no.59 had seemed to recover and cure himself somehow. When she prepared to attempted further inoculation he escaped and fled. She wasn’t sure where he came from, but suspected he was from a Goblin Tribe in the South.
Bestiary updates: Dream eater, Carrion Crawler.
Important Character updates: Max
Materia arcana updates: Varaks ring, Gauntlets of the Emerald Brawler, Cu Chulainns revenge.