Session 3

Let’s Go Gambling!

In the mid-morning of the second Neumark in Vaelorn, a man and woman dressed in the attire of The Homestead gathered and collected the 6 adventurers from Rookwell and led them towards All-On-Red - a gambling hall with a focus on roulette wheels.

Upon entering, the two escorts left the party to their own devices for a short while. Aurevald attempted to play a hand of Fortunys’ Favour but lost 3 silver in the process whilst Jin and Morgyn attempted to win at a blackjack table. Jin suffered a small loss in the first game and decided to massively up the bid - from 3 silver to 10 gold. After doubling down and a bad final draw by the house - he managed to win 20 gold on the risky endeavour.

At the same time; Lady Snowblood noticed the two escorts join separate tables on either side of the gambling shack - taking a moment to speak with the croupier before playing a hand and and leaving the table promptly. Shortly following their return to the group, a large painting on the back wall shifted to reveal a hidden doorway on the other side. The party were swiftly shifted into this new back room which immediately overpowered their senses with the smell of boutique leather.

The room contained a split level with several luxurious roulette and gambling tables that were currently empty - the escorts made it clear to the party that they were not here as customers at the current time - blocking their attempts to break from the pack - as they moved towards the back of this new room.

Meeting Varg

The party’s focus is caught by a tall man wearing a long brown leather coat - some of them noticing his dark green skin from his neck. His gruff voice could be heard a moment or so before that wrapping up a conversation as he turned around to greet the 6 adventurers.

“Well howdy there folks! I’m Varg, it’s a pleasure to meet you…

I’m technically second-in-command here at The Homestead but since those goddamn Snatchers took our leader; Carmen Flint, I’m in charge round here for the time-being.”
- Varg introducing himself to the party…

A short conversation took place where Varg eventually offered a reward for the safe return of Carmen Flint and the 4 Rougue generals that had been snatched a few weeks prior. He offered them a reward for the successful completion of that request and 3 regular health potions as a down payment. He also shared additional knowledge about the settle of Forest’s Edge and about The Rouge.

Back At The Tavern

SHAI, Lady, and Morgyn headed back to The Drunken Delight whilst Graxious headed to speak with Pepper. During this moment of downtime; Aurevald spoke with Jin about his newly acquired blade and asked if there was a way to improve or alter it to better fit his needs.

“But can you make it better though?”
- Aurevald to Jin about his Sword

Jin protested that the blade was already perfect for the Goliath male and explained that he wasn’t able to make it any better for him. Aurevald thrust the blade into the ground out of anger and the pair watched the ice shatter - leaving behind a rustic yet elegant weapon. Confused - the pair returned to the Tavern to regroup with their commrades.

“It’s Tanked Tormark somewhere in the World, am I right??”
- Lady’s proclamation as the other party members returned to the tavern

Lady had rapidly begun drinking upon entering the tavern, as the others handed Jin and Aurevald drinks at their arrival. They all watched Graxious and Morgyn attempt and fail to beat the same Bugbear from the prior day at Darts.

Preparations and Plans

The adventurers resolved to make their way to the Shadesorrow Forest with urgency, quickly finishing their beverages before heading out. Krike Wildborn caught their attention as they moved to exit and offered information to them; for a price. Aurevald tipped him 5 gold pieces to learn that the Half-Orc male had heard rumours that The Snatchers’ hideout was located in the North Western region of the Shadesorrow Forest.

Towards the Shadesorrow!

Over the next 8 hours, the party made their way from Forest’s Edge towards the Shadesorrow Forest on foot. Conversations on this journey included Lady asking SHAI about his unique and alien terminology, Graxious and Morgyn speaking about the former’s reason for being in Rookwell, and a discussion about specific constellations in the night’s sky.

A Very Cuddly Night’s Sleep

As night set in - those without Darkvision found themselves unable to see very far - and even those with it could not peer beyond the entrance into the Shadesorrow Forest. Jin located a hovel in the ground that 4 of the party could rest in at one time - leaving two people to keep watch. Each paring took the time to observe their surroundings whilst withstanding the coastal winds as best they could - getting to know each other a bit better to help pass the time.

Morning came - marking the second Kynmark of the month of Vaelorn - with raincloud overhead as a light drizzle began to fall. The party tended to their morning routines - with SHAI magically cleaning everyone up after such close proximity the night before - as Jin managed to locate hoof prints heading into the forest. The party ventured forwards, mostly single file with Jin leading the pack.

Following Tracks

Jin’s enhanced optical prowess allowed him to maintain a consistent line on the tracks as he lead the party towards what he believed would be The Snatchers’ hideout. However, the long journey in the dark must have exhausted his focus for a moment - leading them to take a wrong turn.

The party found themselves heading towards a clearing where three slumbering monstrosities awaited them. Lady recognised these creatures as Owlbear but neither her or Jin could alert the Darkvision-less members of their party in time - one of the party members stepped too heavily on a fallen branch that snapped - sending a sharp echo throughout this region of the forest.

Lost Tracks, Found Owlbears

The three Owlbear quickly awoke - as SHAI rapidly deployed a web barrier to slow two of them down. The unimpaired Owlbear charged forwards and attacked Aurevald - landing a claw attack on the unexpecting Goliath.

The remainder of the party dealt significant damage to the other two Owlbears before Jin re-entered the fray and elegantly finished off the two adult Owlbears leaving only the late-adolescent one left. It was visibly aggressive and continued to attack the party - managing to bite through a weak point in Graxious’ armour. Once again, the creature was weakened by the other party members before Jin swiftly and painlessly ended the creature’s life with one slash of his blade.

Session Close

A peaceful silence filled the air as the surprise encounter with the Owlbears ended. The 6 adventurers took a moment to collect themselves and tend to any wounds they had sustained. Graxious felt a gust of wind that felt more intentional than the others - something he chose to take a symbol from The Bloom of Life that she understood the necessity for the brutality shown in this instance. He found it within himself to give the corpses in front of his a proper burial as he influenced the roots and ground around them to begin the decomposition process.

The session closed with the adventurers beginning a short rest before attempting to find their way to The Snatchers hideout.