FRC Session 22…Pedestal…Where No One Knows Your Name

At the end of the last session, the party found themselves in a place that they learned was called the Great Grotto somewhere deep in the Underdark. They really have no idea exactly where they are in relation to Cagair Keep or Migdhal Yar…such is the nature of an Earth Node. Skarr and Dench had purchased a whole bunch of silk from a helpful and friendly duergar merchant named Bruthwol and had learned just a little bit of information.

This recap is from RJ. Todd and Thomas were both missing. Muse played Skarr while Rachel played Verrak. My GM comments, as usual, are in [brackets and italics].

There are spoilers below for the module, The Sinister Spire.

After purchasing two bolts of silk, Skar comes and gets the rest of us. We make cloaks out of the silk for all of us and start heading towards Pedestal.

We go about a half a mile down the road and hit some paving stones. The paving stones turn into a bridge crossing a deceptively calm water. There is also what looks like a blue glow a way out in the water closer to Pedestal. We cast light on a stone and throw it into the water and it appears very murky. We assume that this is the Oceanbridge [mentioned by Bruthwol as he departed] and start to cross. The paving stones start to get worse, some are broken and some of the stones are missing. As we start to cross carefully most of us notice some movement in the water except for Skarr. Five humanoids pop out of the water and onto the bridge. The humanoids are bloated and we attack them. We put two down quickly, Dench falls into the water trying to get to another enemy; there is more movement on the water and a fish/octopus/spider thing comes out of the water. There is a presence trying to get in our minds, there is a voice in our heads telling us to jump into the water and serve. Then the voice is gone and the thing leaves. We pull Dench out of the water and continue onto Pedestal.

[The road became a “bridge” pretty quickly and the bridge extended a couple of miles to the opposite shore. Bridge is a bit of misnomer as it is really a series of stone pilings that jut a short bit above the still, murky water.

Most of the characters succumbed to the presence slithering its way into their mind and dousing their will to resist. Despite this success, it suddenly stopped and just went away to the relief and confusion of the characters.]

As we get closer, we see that the base slopes up towards the pillar [city sits on the sloping base of the massive pillar in its center]. We also see a wall (about 20-40 feet high) that is in need of repair, lots of holes and broken in certain places. The inhabitants have blocked several of the spaces and holes in the wall with rubble. On top of the wall are hundreds of rusted spikes with rotting heads on top of them. The walls are right alongside the water [only on the one side].

We decide to have Verrak act a slaver (since he speaks Undercommon and we shave his head to help with his disguise [as a duergar]) and Dench and Skarr act as his bodyguards. The rest of us will be tied loosely by a rope and dragged behind without our weapons or armor [stowed in the bag of holding]. We continue on and see the entrance. The entrance is an arch with rubble in front of it, like a low barricade. A Kua-toa comes out and starts toward us, we continue forward. Its skin turns red and yells ‘House Dusklorn scum!’ and attacks. Three more of his friends come out and we put them all down.

[There was much gnashing of teeth over how to get into the city and instead, they get attacked, they kill their opponents, and just waltz in with no one seeming to care. I guess Bruthwol’s description of Pedestal as a war zone on the best of its days might be accurate.]

We enter the arch and climb over the barricade. There are buildings and a road but no people. It’s eerily quiet we hurry down the road to the north in the direction of what we hope is the Dripstone Inn.

Up ahead is a three story building, lights and sounds are coming from the building. We enter in through the front door and all the conversations go quiet. There are different groups at different tables. There are gaunt figures in white linen around the room, some carry drinks and others are standing near tables. There is also a figure sitting in a chair with a crimson robe and multiple complex eyes on the robe. No one is close the figure and most tend to avoid going near him/her. [Actually, there were tables with folks at them about five to ten feet from the figure.] We sit down at an open table and one of the humanoids in white linen comes over to the table. Verrak asks for ale and the figure nods and turns to the bar. It comes back with the ale and is waiting. Verrak offers a gold piece and the figure points to a cup and holds up five fingers. We eventually figure out what it is telling us [which was that each ale was 5sp and so it was asking for three–not five–gold pieces to pay for the six mugs]. Verrak asks about rooms for the night, the figure doesn’t speak but we do get three keys to three rooms and we head up to talk about our next move. [And more pantomime indicated the cost of the rooms and how many could stay on a room.]

We decide to go back down together, since we don’t see many people (duergar, dwarves, drow, ratboys, derros, and others we don’t know) by themselves and make the decision to stay together. Verrak goes over to one of the tables and tries to speak to one of the dwarves and asks if he knows where this arrow came from [meaning one of the arrows with the snake motif that was found sticking in the duergar around the earth node]. He offers to buy them a drink but they tell him to ‘go f@ck yourself with a rusty spike.’ He keeps his cool and tries again but the dwarf tells him to ‘get out of my face and we will be seeing you outside’. The rest of the table stands and walks out of the inn.

Verrak then decides to go to the bar and ask some questions of the bartender, who is also in white line but less guant. Before he gets to the bar a ratboy steps up to him and says, “buy me a drink and I will give you some information.” Verrak responds with “You mean that the group that just left is out there waiting to kill us? Yeah I know that all ready.” Ratboy responds, “Fine I was going to tell you where they are but…” and turns and walks away. [Ah…Verrak and his less than average Charisma.]

When Verrak gets to the bar, Verrak asks about the arrow and if the bartender knows who uses these kind of arrows. The bartender says in raspy voice “Es Sarch”. After Verrak asks some questions he realizes that the man in the crimson robes is Es Sarch.

Verrak turns and heads towards Es Sarch. As he goes up to him, Es Sarch says in a whispered voice, “Sun poisoned skin, you haven’t been her long. How did you get here?” Verrak is surprised by this and lowers his voice and tells him “through a tunnel.” Verrak asks Es Sarch if he knows who makes this arrow and tells Es Sarch that he is searching for revenge since the owner of the arrow shot his brother. Es Sarch says that he can find out but he needs a service completed. A favor for a favor. He asks Verrak “How do you feel about mushrooms?” He goes on to say that he needs mushrooms off of Rikaryon’s Island.

Verrak asks where the island is and Es Sarch says it is the blue glowing island on the lake [more like “inland” sea] and the mushrooms only grow in the center of the island. He says that most likely you have to steal a boat from the harbor to get there. He goes on to describe the mushroom as a small mushroom with a black cap and a red hand on it [well…not an actual red hand but a mark looking like one]. The mushroom is for staving off the plague. He says that most likely we are already infected since you have been breathing in the air here but it takes a long time to build up and the longer you stay here the worst it will get.

[That is not what actually Es Sarch said. He said that all the spores, which are rather concentrated on the island, are what become worse the longer you stay in the Great Grotto and is why the residents can’t go to the island to get the mushrooms.

The mushrooms ARE for the plague that caused the collapse of the city. Es Sarch did explain a bit about the plague and that the group should avoid the Plagueburst and the Plaguelost. The former being an area of Pedestal that is rather obvious from its greenish glow and the latter are the victims of the plague.]

Verrak asks about the fish/octopus/spider thing [from the encounter on the Oceanbridge earlier] and what it is. Es Sarch says that it is an aboleth [named Imaug], seems surprised we survived, and asks how we defeated it. Verrak tells him it just swam away. Verrak goes on and asks if Es Sarch would be able to find something for him, an axe. Es Sarch says it would require an additional service.

[This bit of the conversation was a bit more about the fact that someone would have recently come to Pedestal after having visited the surface and if Es Sarch knew of any such individual. The (if it hasn’t become obvious yet) information broker agreed to find out this. Such information would require an additional service.]

Es Sarch goes on to explain about the chaos here in Pedestal and how it has helped him gain a lot of influence. However, there is an alliance forming between House Dusklorn and the Assassins Guild [two of the three major power groups in the city…the other being the Inheritors] which would not be beneficial [to Es Sarch]. He asks that we kill the Matron of House Dusklorn, Elessara Nledoor. He says that he has a secret map that leads into her torture chamber. If she is found dead then House Dusklorn will blame the Assassin’s Guild for her death [actually that Es Sarch would somehow make sure that Dusklorn would point blame in that direction]. Verrak agrees and Es Sarch holds out a gaunt hand with a rolled up parchment in it […first time the creature had moved at all during the whole conversation]. Verrak takes the parchment and briefly touches EsSarch’s hand and it is very cold. Es Sarch says that when Elessara is in the torture chamber is when she is most vulnerable and only has her paramour with her, who is a talented in the arcane arts.

[Es Sarch also mentioned that his minions were watched and so he couldn’t have them fulfill this task for him. Instead, a group of outsiders would be ideal for such an assassination.]

Verrak tells Es Sarch that we will get the mushrooms first. He says that we need to head north to where the harbor is and to avoid the Plagueburst. When Verrak asks him about it he says that it is a crater with a green glow to it. Verrak nods his head and turns to leave when he realizes he was talking normal and that he couldn’t hear anything but Es Sarch’s voice […that while speaking with Es Sarch he couldn’t hear any of the other noises or voices in the tavern, just he and Es Sarch, speaking in a whisper, having their conversation]. Once he takes a couple of steps away, all the sounds came rushing back to him.

Verrak comes back to the table and tells us what was offered and the services we agreed to do. We stand up and start to head to the door. When we step outside an arrow comes straight in and hits Adran…

I never said the arrow actually hit but if that’s what RJ wants…