3 Ardor 508

At the Dusty Cartwright, Mõrvar has arranged for everyone to have rooms and a meal tonight. He and Furfur go upstairs to get cleanup and then return to the common room. Once there, Mõrvar scopes out the room, looking for Seela. He spots her sitting with another man at a table. The man looks to be an adventurer, beefy but with a pretty face. He orders Seela a drink and has it delivered to her table.

Finally, Surm, Rilka, and Savaric return from selling off the party’s goods and conducting business. Rilka arranges for a runner to take her clothes to a nearby laundry, an idea that Surm and Savaric use as well. They then arrange for hot baths to be drawn for each of them. Eventually, they come to the common room, clean and no longer in their soiled travel clothes. In fact, Surm has purchased new courtier’s clothes in the latest Eacenian fashion with new jewelry to go with them.

Mõrvar buys a bottle of whiskey for the table and another bottle to be sent to Seela’s table. They discuss various topics while at the table, eating and drinking. Mõrvar brings up, yet again, using Magrathar’s keep as a base of operations. He also brings up the possibility of using his share of the proceeds to invest in a tavern. The party discusses Seela and her new beau (or “john” according Surm) and whether or not Mõrvar should go and talk to them. They also discuss their plans for heading back into Jossia and visiting Rilka’s home village. The debate is whether to sail to the Leilioran highlands and then travel into Jossia (which would be the shortest route), or to go by land and take work along the way. They consider taking a the pass at Wycliff thorough the Slayt Mountains. They also consider visiting Surm and Mõrvar’s uncle Thormax while they are in Jossia. Finally, they decide to go by land through Wycliff. Surm says that they should plan on leaving in a couple of days, giving time for preparations and such.

At this time, Seela and the young man approach their table. He puts out his hand to Mõrvar and says “Thank you for the bottle.” The two men shake hands. Mõrvar asks him what brings him to Jenna, that he looks to be the adventuring sort. He answers that he’s here for some rest and relaxation between journeys. The man wishes them all a good evening and departs upstairs with Seela.

“Took what’s yours,” Furfur croaks.

“I’ve already had it,” Mõrvar remarks.

Rilka excuses herself and heads to bed. The three men then discuss the possibility of going to the fight club, maybe betting on Savaric again, like they did last time they were in town. Savaric doesn’t want to fight, he’d rather just watch the fights and bet on them. Discouraged from the idea, the men decide to head to bed as well. Before heading up, Mõrvar manages to convince a woman named Davra to come to his room with him, ensuring he doesn’t spend the night alone.

4 Ardor 508

The next morning, the party arranges for another night’s stay with meals and then heads out into the marketplace to make preparations for their journey.

Surm wants everyone to get courtier’s clothes like him in order to boost their reputations with the upper class. The rest of the party grudgingly decides to go along with the idea. The tailor they choose seems uncomfortable with fitting the half-orcs, prompting a decision to outfit Rilka and Savaric as accompanying soldiers with impressive uniforms.

They then go shopping for horses, saddles, and other supplies for the journey. Ilona expresses excitement to be traveling again.

The party then visits Danu Berstrom, a purveyor of magical potions, trinkets, and the like, to discuss selling their magic scrolls and to perhaps buy another. He welcomes them to the shop and remembers them well, though not being dressed so well as now. Surm negotiates the sale of some potions and scrolls to Danu and then brings up the fact that he would like to buy a scroll of Animate Dead.

“Why would you want that?” Danu asks, distaste clear in his voice.

“I find that it comes in handy when fighting an aberration from another plane and when you need to carry a lot of goods,” explains Surm. “Is it illegal? Or merely distasteful?”

Danu explains that it is merely distasteful and that he doesn’t carry such a thing. However, if they insist upon finding one, they might try the night market. Mõrvar asks if he can recommend a magical weapons dealer and Danu suggests Aethel Troos. Rilka recalls that this was the person with whom they dealt last time they were in Jenna. With that, the party makes their way from the shop.

At the shop of Aethel Troos, Savaric inquires after composite longbows. She has one available, but not a price that Savaric is willing or able to pay. Mõrvar would like to see her greatswords, of which she has two. Mõrvar decides against the purchase. Savaric sells back the magical longbow that he had bought from her the last time they came in.

They then go to see a more mundane weaponsmith about crafting a masterwork greatsword on order for Mõrvar. It will take eleven days, but it can be done. The sword will have a black tongue, a silver crossguard, and a pearl handle with the name of the blade etched upon it.

The group then discusses the possibility of hiring a professional valet/porter to watch over their goods while they explorer various places. Various scenarios are presented, but in the end, it is decided to forgo the hireling. They also discuss the dispensation of their group funds.

That night, the party goes to the night market. It is a seedy place, with darkened stalls and many shadowy corners. Asking about for a purveyor of scrolls, they are directed to Zanu. Zanu’s shop is small, comprised of a small building with a stall affixed to its front. The man himself is a shady-looking character in dingy, black robes. Surm asks him for a scroll of Animate Dead. Zanu responds by asking if he wants an arcane scroll or a divine one. Surm says that he wants an arcane scroll. “It’s a pricey proposition,” the man says carefully and names his price—eight hundred gold pieces.

The group discusses whether or not it will be paid for individually or by the group. Everyone ends up chipping in for the scroll. “Bloody bones, bloody bones,” Furfur cackles.

5 Ardor 508

Rilka looks into the possibility of placing her money in the Bank of Eacenia. The man at the banking hall does explain the way that the process works to her: a one-time 1% fee for depositing and the multiple branches in cities in Eacenia at which one could withdraw with the proper writ and proof of identity (signet, signature, etc.). However, she is told that her prospects are “very discouraging” for being able to do business with them. She makes her way out.

Savaric and Mõrvar discuss the possibility of investing in various ventures in the city before deciding to wait until they get to Leilior.

Surm conducts his own business in town.

15 Ardor 508

Finally, all business in Jenna has been conducted. Mõrvar has his masterwork weapon and the party is ready to depart. In the interim, they decided to go via the pass at Riverton as opposed to Wycliff since they had already lost so much time in Jenna.

This morning, the party heads out of Jenna on Scribner Way East and leaves the city en route to Riverton. There is traffic this morning on the road near the city, but that soon gives way the further the party travels east. The day is warm and uneventful, and, at sundown, the party makes camp off the road. They prepare a fire and set guard shifts: Surm, then Rilka, then Savaric, and finally Mõrvar. The night passes without incident.

16 Ardor 508

That morning, in the camp, Savaric speaks to Ilona about Furfur, asking her opinion on the strange bird. She says that he’s “very crass.”

As the party continues down the road that morning, Savaric and Surm spot something in some nearby brush. Savaric is able to identify it as a body. Savaric stops to investigate. The rest of the party stops as well. He finds a man in commoner’s clothes, covered in blood, with a slit throat. Looking around the area, he finds goblin tracks.

Savaric wants to hunt them down, while Mõrvar couldn’t care less and just wants to move on. Savaric and Surm examine the body and determine that the man was probably killed a few hours ago. Surm brings up the possibility of a bounty on goblins in the next town. At the very least, they know that they are in the area. They could take them out with a preemptive strike or wait and see if they are accosted later by the foul creatures. It’s decided to pursue the goblins.

Savaric tracks the goblins into the forest to a large hedge of brambles. Mõrvar, Savaric, and Surm stalk stealthily forward toward the brambles while Rilka waits behind with the horses. Furfur is invisible on Mõrvar’s shoulder.

Inside the brambles, which catch on all of their clothing as they try to stealthily make their way through, the three make their way toward a clearing in the center. They all see still forms through the brambles in the clearing, but Savaric notes that the forms are actually six goblins—5 prone and sleeping with the sixth sitting up with his back to them, picking his nose. Savaric slowly and carefully changes out his weapons and draws his bow, hoping to take out the one that’s awake. Surm and Mõrvar position themselves to deliver coup de graces to two of the sleeping ones.

Savaric fires two rapid arrows at the goblin—and misses with both. Mõrvar and Surm slay their sleeping targets and the goblin that is awake turns, its finger still up its nose and screams incoherently at Savaric. Furfur flies off and Ilona comforts Savaric on his missed shots.

The goblin rushes forward toward Savaric and attacks, hitting him with the short sword it carries in its other hand. Surm turns and starts running through the brambles, yelling for Rilka. Savaric draws his sword and misses the goblin. Mõrvar, meanwhile, slays another two sleeping goblins in one blow.

The goblin takes another swing at Savaric and misses. Savaric misses the goblin. Mõrvar slays the final, oblivious sleeping goblin.

The goblin takes another swing at Savaric and misses, but this time Savaric hits the creature with Edgefrost. Mõrvar moves into a flanking position against the remaining goblin and swings, slaying the creature. Furfur flies back, cackling “Blood and bones, blood and bones.”

By this time, Rilka and Surm have met each other at the edge of the brambles. Surm explains that there are goblins in there and Rilka heads in, expecting trouble. She finds the clearing and discovers Savaric and Mõrvar searching it and the bodies of the slain goblins.

Savaric finds a bit of overturned earth at the center of the clearing. Mõrvar digs it up by turning his Traveler’s Any-Tool into a spade. Buried there, they find a sack of coins, gold and silver. Finally, everyone emerges from the brambles to load up and head back to the road leading east.

The rest of the day and night are uneventful.

17 Ardor 508

The day’s travel is uneventful and quiet. The road is in good repair and it is a warm, summer day in the forest. At sundown, the party finally arrives at Riverton. As the party reminiscence about their last visit to the town, they decide to pay a visit to the shrine of Wygulf Darkbane in the morning. Surm asks about for the most upscale inn in Riverton, and they decide on the Rampant Unicorn.

The party then enters the very spacious inn, filled with merchants and other well-to-do folk and their guards. They go to the innkeep who promptly lets them know that they can’t serve all of them. Everyone in the inn have been eying half-orcs since they came inside.

“Why not?” Surm asks.

“Because we have a reputation to maintain.”

Disgusted, the half-orcs leave.

Mõrvar asks if their money isn’t any good here, indicating the half-orcs. The innkeep responds that he doesn’t know how they came by that money, so no. Surm even offers to pay twice the rate for the half-orcs to stay, but the innkeeper insists that their reputation is on the line.

Mõrvar has had enough. He intimidates the innkeep into allowing Rilka and Savaric to stay, but at twice the rate. The crowd, who has been watching the spectacle, murmurs. Furfur sits on Mõrvar’s shoulder and cackles. Surm shakes hands with the barkeep, but instills in him the touch of the grave. The barkeep is shaken. Surm says that he almost made an enemy this night. He then demands that someone come and fetch their things. A boy is summoned and, once the half-orcs are retrieved from outside the inn, everyone heads upstairs. “It’s a shame,” Ilona says to Savaric, “I’m sure they’d like you once they got to know you.”

They arrange to have a suite. It is made up of a sitting room and three bedchambers. Everyone cleans up and dons their new courtier’s clothes and heads downstairs. When they hit the common room, they can tell that conversations become muted. Surm looks down his nose at everyone as they walk about to select a table, and chooses a centrally-located spot. He then summons a table wench to take their dinner order. He orders the banquet for everyone and Savaric gets a bottle of their best liquor, Acheran brandy.

Service is slow, but the banquet is abundant as course after course comes out. Rilka spends most of their multi-course dinner looking for threats while Surm tries to maintain a facade of gentility and class—a facade that Mõrvar ruins by announcing to the room that “Wine is for pussies”, noting the drink of choice for most in the room. Much to his chagrin, none of the women in the room seem to be interested in Mõrvar. The only one in the room who doesn’t seem to notice the party as something outre is a paladin of Barthal, who sits alone and minds his own business.

Surm eavesdrops on a nearby conversation, hoping to hear of someone heading through the pass. He does hear someone at one nearby table mention the pass and that arrangements have been made to stay in Glofthall. Surm politely inserts himself into the conversation, saying that he overheard that they were going through the pass and would they be interested in joining forces for safety during the journey. The merchant at the table allows that they are going through the pass, in the morning at that. As to joining forces, he simply shrugs and says “It’s a free road.” Surm is not encouraged by the conversation that the group actually wants to join with theirs.

After dinner, everyone heads upstairs to sleep. Savaric sleeps in the sitting room on the couch while the others take the bedchambers.