Things went…sideways in our last session. Pop had gotten himself into quite a predicament as the Gray Maidens took him into the hospice. When checked on later by Isabella, she was told that Pop had died. Fortunately, Aimar had slipped a tracking gem on Pop and was able to spot that he was on the move within the building. The party came to Pop’s rescue, but they killed members of the Gray Maidens (Queen’s Guard) and possibly individuals working for or on behalf of the Queen. The party was fleeing the Hospice as we ended the session. We will pick things up there after the break.
All were in attendance for this session. There are potential spoilers for elements of the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure path. Although we are not playing the adventure path, I am borrowing elements and locations from it. As usual, my GM comments are in italics.
16 Pharast
- The party was fleeing the Hospice, hoping to get away as quickly as possible. Pop was still badly injured from their encounter with the priestess of Urgathoa. With Darcy leading the way, they make their way along the rooftops in the hopes of not being spotted by anyone. Spells from Pop and Aimar aid the less agile members of the group.
- The group makes it most of the way to the Old Fishery in this fashion until they need to drop down to go across a wide street. Mac, the least battle-worn looking of the group, scouts out the location. It still looks abandoned after they “evicted” Gaedren Lamm and his little group a few weeks prior.
- As the group makes their way to the Old Fishery, Fede spots Darcy carrying Pop. The old streetwalker mentions (yet again) how much Pop reminds her of one of her children. As she walks with Darcy and Pop to the Old Fishery, she also says that she’ll make some food and bring it to them.
- Fede also shares that no one has moved into the Old Fishery since Lamm left. Noises are often heard from within at night and so many believe the place is haunted. Some of the noises sound like chomping or chewing (foreshadowing???).
- The group makes their way inside.
- Everything is pretty much as it was when they were last here with one exception. In the lower level, the vat containing the chum has been crushed on one side. Bits of the old chum are scattered about. The group immediately thinks about the old crocodile that Lamm kept as pet.
- Darcy spots some remains that were crocodilian in nature…bits of a tail and others. They look as though they were ripped apart and not cut or bitten. There is a trail in all of the viscera and debris that clearly leads to the opening in the floor to the river.
- Mac remembers hearing rumors about someone having found some creature resembling an octopus with many tentacles. That would fit the kinds of wounds on the bits.
- The party settles down to rest for the night.
- During Darcy’s watch, she hears something try to open a locked door leading to where the party is resting. She alerts the group and they investigate. A creature looking much like the thing from the rumors Mac heard comes up from the river to attack. Two of its tentacles are longer than the others and one ends in a stinger. It is defeated.
- The party (fitfully?) sleeps for the rest of the night.
17 Pharast
- The next morning, Mac messages Divo to find out more of what happened and what is the fall out from the group’s attack on the hospice. Divo’s response is that Pop is wanted for killing the Queen’s personal physician and that they should turn him in. Divo doesn’t want to be contacted again.
- Isabella and Darcy (the two members of the party who blend in with Korvosa’s population the best) make their was to Kneadful Things in the Thief’s Camp. (They had visited before hoping to get some healing potions, leaving some items the value of which Lucia would have determined.)
- Lucia is more cordial this time. She hands a box of special pastries and wishes the pair the best. Back at the Old Fishery, they find that there is a potion of greater healing and two potions of healing.
- Aimar heads out to see if he can find out additional information. He approaches a boy on the street who is handing out flyers. The flyer has a drawing of Pop, his full name, and a Queen’s reward and her favor for anyone who can turn in this murderer. The Queen will be quite “generous” with rewards for bringing to justice the killer of her personal physician.
- Aimar heads back to the Fishery.
- As the group ponders their next steps and Pop is about to drink the greater healing potion, there is a knock at the door.
That is where we ended the session.
Needless to say, there was a lot of discussion about what the group will (and can) do to get out of this predicament. I don’t think we resolved any of it outside of getting to the Old Fishery to rest and recover and possibly buy just a bit of time before they make their next move.
With the winter holidays and folks having to miss different sessions, it will have been a few weeks before we play this campaign again. Perhaps with the time away, folks will have come up with something brilliant or at least approach it with a fresh mind. We shall find out soon.
