Sidequest

As I mentioned in Session #134 one of the players went off on a world-hopping tangent courtesy of the teleport spell. On a trip to find some components for an enchantment, he visited the city where the character was born and discovered his mentor was imprisoned in a nearby city.

I figured it would not be long before he would want to break his mentor out of prison and I had a week to prepare so I came up with a prison map and a map of a secret entrance through a cistern. Then when the session occurred the party decided to use a completely different method to get the wizard out of prison. Not one that I had prepared for so I had to ad-lib a lot.

Session 136: The Hag of Ill Portents

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Domago (human cleric NPC), Brovin (human thief NPC).

The adventurers have put an end to the plans of the Twilight Coven and returned to their home in Edgerton. Everything appears to be peaceful and settled.

The next day Lakima heads over to the Red Leatherworks to collect the gloves he commissioned. Eathwund heads over to his tavern and enjoys sitting in the common room listening to the local gossip. The locals to a man are relieved to have finally gotten a good night’s rest. But they are unaware of the actions of the adventurers. Some still think that some evil fate awaits the town.

Lakima also heads over to the glass shop and picks up the special Lens he had commissioned. That afternoon Lakima successfully enchants the gloves to be magical Gloves of Dexterity. He also succeeds with the lens which he enchants with visual magic and christens Lakima’s Lens of Keen Sight.

Once everyone is together over dinner Eathwund tells the table that he would like to check in on the seer Tedeun to see if he still sees a grim fate for the town. The next day, Lakima, Eathwund, and Domago head to Edger’s Hold and ask to see the seer. They are led to the seer who resides in a prison cell beneath the Keep. Old Tedeun is just as crazy as the last time they met him. He rambles on about the dark fate of Edgerton. When he is told that the shadowstone was destroyed he decides that it was his doing through his disciples the adventurers. Growing tired of the ranting of the old man the group leaves.

Lakima asks if everyone is up for a trip to the magical Bridgeway. He wants to see if there is a portal to the towns of the Great Desert. The crew of the flying ship Cloudstealer are assembled and most of the group agree to go. Only Ian the squire stays behind to look after the manor. The group boards the flying ship and heads up and then south. On the way, they pass the flying ship that Lakima enchanted for the Merchant Adventurers’ Guild. Later in the day, they land in the forest gully near the Bridgeway.

Ezmeralden the custodian of the Bridgeway meets with them. When asked he does confirm that he has control rods for the Bridgeway that will open a portal to the three cities of the Great Desert. Lakima asks for a portal to the City of Glass and tells Ezmeralden to re-open the portal so they can return in an hour. The Bridgeway is set and the group travels through to a bridge over a dry channel passing through the City of Glass. Lakima has been here before in his youth and he leads the group to one of the markets. Here they purchase clothing that will disguise the group as merchants with mercenary guards. Lakima also asks the shopkeeper if there are any people from Turania in the City. For a fee, the shopkeeper tells them to go see the clothier, Dods Kory. On the way to the clothier’s shop street urchins beg the group for coins. Lakima stops and hands one brave boy a potion with promises that it will give him riches.

“Wait, is that what I think it is,” says Alrix, “you’re not going to…”

The boy drinks a potion of copper spewing and is soon racked with convulsions as he vomits up copper coins scattering them about. The children all run to pick up the coins. The distraction allows the group of foreigners to make their way across the city without attracting as much attention. They meet Dods who agrees to give them some information.

“Information has a cost,” Dods says.

Lakima tosses the merchant a bag of 100 gold coins. Sufficiently impressed by their wealth, Dods answers Lakima’s questions about Turania. He tells them about Emir Osman Al-Farouk the second. How his grandfather took control of the city from the old Council of Merchants. He tells them of his oppressive rule and about the Order of the Rose – a group of people in Turania trying to overthrow the tyrant. The Order helped to get Dods out of Turania alive after he ran afoul of the Emir. He offers to give them the name of a contact in the Order for another 100 gold. Lakima pays and Dods tells them to seek out the cloth merchant Azad Al-Hakir. He also shows him the secret hand signal of the Order.

With their time up the adventurers return to the bridge and step through the portal. They arrive back in the Kingswood. Lakima now asks Ezmeralden where the portal in Turania opens. Ezmeralden has never used it and does not know. But using the portal viewing mirror they see that it opens on a rooftop near a square. Lakima suggests they wait for dark before passing through. They can see that the sun is setting in Turania even though it is barely noon here in Kingswood.

Several hours later, Ezmeralden opens the gate, and the adventurers step through silently onto a rooftop in Turania. Strange stars light the night. The adventurers quickly make their way off the roof to a side street and then out into a square. Lakima successfully convinces a passing merchant that he is a merchant from the City of Veil. The merchant points them in the direction of a tavern. A guard stops to question them but Lakima convinces the guard that he and Alrix are merchants, and the rest of the company are mercenaries. The guard does question whether there are any magic users in the group. They learn that all magic users in Turania belong to the Order of the Eternal Flame and are beholden to the Emir. Foreign magic users are expected to turn their spellbooks over to the Order for safekeeping while they are in the city.

The adventurers spend a few hours in a tavern before asking about a place to sleep. The mistress running the tavern tells them that Ufa Baba across the street has a room they can use. The group pays for a room from Ufa and stays the night. The next day the group heads out to find their contact. They find Azad Al-Hakir at an outdoor stall near the Fountain of Dolphins. Azad is hesitant to speak with them at first but once Lakima gives him the secret hand signal, he whispers to them to meet him at his home at dusk. He tells them where it is located.

Lakima tells everyone to be on their guard when they head across the city at dusk. They arrive at a modest home and are let in by Azad. His wife serves them some food and drink. Lakima questions Azad about the Order and learns that they are not very successful. They have operated this network of confidents and spies for five years with little success. Lakima assures Azad that now that the Company of the Black Dragon has arrived things will change quickly. They learn that the Order of the Rose has an informant in the Palace of the Emir. They also learn about the location of the prison under the Palace. They ask to see the spy in the Palace. Azad agrees to let them meet him the next day.

The next day Alrix spends some time spying on the palace while invisible. He learns that there are about 40 guards and they change posts every hour. He watches the Palace for a few hours and then returns to their rented accommodations. Meanwhile, Lakima spends some time polymorphed into an old hag and tells children in the market about the Legend of the Princess and the Frog.

That night the adventurers meet Saajid Al-Salameh a servant in the palace. He tells them that he does not have access to the Royal Quarters. Lakima asks him a lot of questions about his access and his knowledge of the location of the Emir’s son (Prince Hamadi). He learns that Saajid enters the palace through a servant’s entrance and that there are no special passes.

“You might not like this,” Lakima states to the group. He pulls out a blue gem on a chain and concentrates on it. Suddenly, Lakima goes limp and collapses to the floor. Domago rushes to check on him. Meanwhile, a change comes over Saajid. Lakima has used Magic Jar to steal the servants’ body. A confused Azad watches as Saajid starts speaking like Lakima and then leaves the home.

“I had better watch over him,” Alrix says and turns invisible.

The pair make their way across the city to the palace. Lakima enters the servant’s entrance while Alrix waits outside. Lakima makes his way through the palace corridors until he arrives in a waiting room. Guards stand before a pair of doors. Several well-dressed men and women stand around waiting. Lakima takes the potion of human control out of his bag of holding and drinks it. One of the guards questions what Lakima is doing but then his eyes go blank as Lakima takes control of all of the men and women in the room.

“Take me to the prince’s chamber,” Lakima commands.

The guard nods in agreement and takes Lakima into a well-furnished hallway. Some guards stationed there give them puzzled looks but they make their way down another corridor and upstairs. Soon they stand before the door to the prince’s chamber. Lakima knocks and then enters. A young boy in noble clothing sits on a bed in the chamber

“Who are you?” the prince says. Before he can do anything, Lakima touches the Quill of Laiminae to the boy’s wrist and he turns to dust and is drawn into the Book of Monsters. The guards stand and look on without concern. Lakima then takes a frog out of his pocket and places it on the bed. This is the polymorphed giant carrion crawler encountered a few days earlier. His task done; Lakima makes his way back out of the Palace leaving the dominated guards behind. Lakima and Alrix make their way back to the home of Azad Al-Hakir.

Lakima immediately uses the Magic Jar to return to his own body. Saajid regains control of his body as well. He immediately shrieks and runs from the home. Alrix follows him for a short distance to make sure he does not run into any trouble. Lakima fills the adventurers in on what he has done. Domago is displeased and Azad appears to be frightened. The adventurers say their goodbyes and leave to return to their rented abode.

The next morning Lakima asks the servants for the latest news. Nothing out of the ordinary is reported. Once they head out into the market, they do notice a larger contingent of guards about and hear that the guards have offered a reward for the location of the servant Saajid Al-Salameh. Displeased with the results Lakima resolves to up the pressure on the Emir. Disguised as the old hag he spreads stories about the market about the frog prince first with children and then adults. He soon attracts the attention of guards who try to question him but he casts sleep on the guards. Alrix, who has been watching Lakima, casts control winds to raise a sandstorm in the town square. He also transforms to his couatl form crackling with lightning and in a booming voice threatens the god’s wrath should the Emir not be removed from power. The square is soon empty of people and the guards run away. Lakima turns one of the sleeping guards into a frog with the polymorph spell. Alrix changes back to his human form and the pair head back to meet their friends. The group heads back to Azad’s at dusk and speaks to him some more. When Lakima asks Azad who heads the most powerful merchant family in town he is told about Anwar Boutras. Lakima resolves to meet the merchant. Azad is confused as to why and expresses his concerns. 

The next day, Lakima polymorphs into an old hag again. He forcefully gains entrance to the Boutras family dwelling and gets a meeting with Anwar the head of the family. Lakima, disguised as a hag, suggests that Anwar will soon be Emir if he is a little patient. The gods are angry with Emir Osman. But once he is Emir, Lakima tells him he must perform an act of mercy to placate the gods. He must free all of the people held in Dar Al-Habs prison. That night Lakima writes out an ultimatum to the Emir on a parchment. Then he conjures a Glow Minion and sends it into the main market square holding up the parchment. Guards soon dispatch the sending and the parchment flutters to the ground. The parchment is picked up and read by the guards.

The next day Lakima again asks for any news and receives none. More than a little displeased Lakima goes to visit the merchant Anwar Boutras again disguised as a hag. He is received immediately and tells Anwar that he needs to prepare to take power. He tells him that the gods will shake down the Emir’s Palace tonight. Alrix who has secretly entered the chamber invisible hears the merchant planning with his underlings. He also learns that the polymorph spell on the carrion crawler was broken. They think that the prince has actually been turned into a giant worm. That night Lakima summons an Earth Elemental and sends it against the Emir’s Palace. The elemental bashes its way right through the wall. Out in the square, the adventurers hear rumbling noises and the explosion of a fireball spell. One of the minarets of the Palace topples into the square. After an hour he dispels the rampaging earth elemental. The group heads back to their apartments.

The next day no one comes with breakfast. The group heads out and finds that the city is a mass of confusion. Merchants talk openly that the Emir’s guards are either dead or have fled the city with the Emir and his retinue. Magistrate Boutras now claims to control the city government. Hired foreign mercenaries are attempting to keep order in the streets for the new regime.

Lakima asks a merchant if the prisoners below the palace have been freed. He is told that this did not happen. Lakima waits until dark and then summons a glow minion again. The glow minion is sent with another parchment to the market where it hammers the parchment into a post. Mercenaries quickly attack and dismiss the minion. But the parchment is found and taken. In the parchment’s message, Lakima has reminded the new leadership of their deal with the gods. The next morning, the adventurers learn that all of the prisoners have been freed. Some locals do not seem very happy about this. Some of the prisoners were dangerous criminals like the dreaded wizard Elken the Dark.

The Company looks for Elken and soon finds him surrounded by guards who are lying prone on the ground in a square. Elken has used a sleep spell on them. He also launches some magic missiles at fleeing mercenaries. Lakima comes forward addressing Elken. At first, Elken does not recognize Lakima confusing him with another apprentice. But he soon recalls Lakima the Grey. Lakima tells Elken that he is the one who secured Elken’s release. He is skeptical so Lakima brags to Elken about his powers and his magic items. This raises Elken’s interest and the magic-user demands that Lakima hand over his spellbook. Instead, Lakima gives Elken the spellbook he took from the Twilight Coven. Elken asks about his tower in the City of Veil and learns it is now occupied by squatters. Lakima suggests Elken come with his friends if he wants to get home.

The group heads to the rooftop and soon the portal opens. They step over an arched “bridge” between two rooftops and arrive back at the Bridgeway. Lakima introduces Elken to Ezmeralden. Then he asks the custodian to open a portal to the City of Veil. Before leaving Elken asks about the location of Lakima’s home. Lakima tells him about the manor in Edgerton. Elken nods and steps through the portal.

“I will be seeing you soon!”