Session 36 - A Dragonborn Family Reunion
In-game timeline: Start of session: 1489DR Uktar 04. End of session: 1489DR Uktar 04
Our "Heroes" awake to find they have been robbed, and a handsome pirate is sitting before them, sharpening his scimitar.
He is pleasant enough, introduces himself as "Blue", short for Bluespot, which our group of switched-on adventurers completely fail to link to the name given by pirate Skull back on Shadow Isle. After some spluttering introductions, where all the hardened "pirate-Heroes" seemed to have already forgotten their own, and each other's, pirate names, they come up with some really convoluted waffle about why they are here and who they are. None of their stories match, and our intrepid adventurers decide it's a good idea to tell a member of the Radiant Sisters that their floating island base made of volcanic lava has not only burnt down, but also sunk. Oh, and rather than build upon Blue's assumption that they are here deliberately to rescue the group of pirates that remain on this island, they decide instead to report that they were reluctant pirates, and were fleeing from Shadow Isle and just decided to stop here to see if there were any pirates left behind. But that they were more interested in a slave named Tamara.
And so our group of "Heroes" really manage to capitalise upon Blue's assumption that they were committed pirates here to save him and his group. Remarkably, Blue didn't just kill them on the spot.
Instead, he said that he and his group (of unknown number) would wait for them to complete their "mission" - whatever that may be, and then join them to escape the Abbey Isle on their ship (which shifted in size during the recounting of their tale from "big" to "small"). Blue did keep half their coin, but returned half their potions and their weapons. He also kept the note containing what the group now realise was a safe route through the skeleton-infested dunes, being created by the now-dead halfling Joy (who was a member of this pirate band). The route only covered a certain distance, however. "Magic Derrick Boy's" assertion that at the end of those instructions is a definite path did not seem to convince Blue, who wondered how, if there was a definite path, Joy managed to get herself killed.
Luckily Blue seemed to put their ramblings and incoherent and inconsistent stories down to extreme incompetence. The group seem to be good at giving that impression.
They do manage to get an indication of where the Abbey remains are - to the north - and where a small group of slaves could be found - in a chintz quarry to the east. They decide to head east, hoping to find Jaxii's mum amongst the slaves.
After an hour or so of walking they arrive at a large, but shallow quarry that seems to have been abandoned. They make their way to the bottom, where there are some tunnels leading off into the hillside. While Jaxii and Karoshi focus on one of the tunnels, creating a 'worrying smell' in that tunnel hoping to drive out anyone who may be in there, Derrick and Iwee keep an eye on the other tunnels.
And suddenly, from one of the other tunnels, comes running a thin, straggly form of a female human dressed in only a loincloth, who runs towards Iwee screaming and cursing and seemingly blaming them for the death of her child. She seems distressed, unarmed, unthreatening and somewhat mad.
And so Derrick hits her.
She falls to the ground, unconscious. From the tunnel comes running a human male, similarly dressed and emaciated, who runs to the fallen woman and cradles her in his arms.
Karoshi, glaring at Derrick in a manner that is becoming all too familiar, casts a Cure Wounds on the woman and the others make Derrick go and stand in a corner and think about what he has done.
The man introduces himself as Bart Holmdew, and the woman is his wife, Helen. Jaxii immediately asks about a dragonborn woman, and they are all really pleased when Bart replies that Tamara is indeed here, and he heads into the tunnel to fetch her.
There follows an emotional reunion between Jaxii and her mother, Tamara, who rushes from the tunnel and gives Jaxii a big hug. Lots of tears, hugs and introductions and everyone eventually calms down, even Helen, though she still seems to mumble incoherently in Barts arms.
The party are introduced to the small group of slaves, and find out a little more about the clerics and the Abbey. They are also warned about harpies, who attack from above. Rosa, a female dwarf, seems to take her job of "Harpy-lookout" very seriously.
Our "Heroes" find out that Helen and Bart's daughter - a pretty young teenager named Clarice - discovered a large, red chintz crystal about a week ago. Knowing that these crystals are very sought after by the Clerics of Shar, she took it upon herself to take it to the clerics at the abbey in the hope to exchange it for food. She has not been seen since, and her mother, Helen, has been driven mad with worry. Bart has had to remain to look after Helen, but a dwarf named Hosgrun Rockseeker ("Rockseekers!") went off a few days ago to look for her - he has not returned either.
Our "Heroes" decide to head to the Abbey to try to find Clarice and Hosgrun (and Karoshi is keen to find out more about the Eye of Kronos, too) and they set out straight away.
Taking the north path from the Big Rock, the group are cautious - looking up and around and conscious that Harpies could be around any turn. Iwee is desperate to use her Minor Illusion cantrip and is disappointed when she realises that cantrips are not super-powerful. And so it was that they came upon a female humanoid bent over the unmoving body of a dwarf and trying to fend off a group of Harpies that were attacking her.
Derrick stands and challenges the Harpies to a fight. The rest of the group think they ought to join in. Iwee decides to make Derrick sound like a wounded animal, just in case his challenge is not enough to get their attention.
For all Derrick's posturing, he is the first to succumb to the Harpy's song, and both he and Iwee start wandering towards the Harpies, with no intention of attacking them. Jaxii gets attacked and Karoshi uses his Channel Divinity to make his warhammer more magical. Iwee recovers from her charm but Jaxii succumbs to the song of a different Harpy and she runs into the middle of the group of creatures. Before Jaxii can go into a rage she starts to take damage from the claws and clubs from the Harpies around her.
The four Harpies swoop in to attack the group, and Iwee and Jaxii bear the brunt of the attacks. Jaxii and Derrick decide to stuff bits of bread in their ears as protection against further singing. Spells start to fly - Iwee heals Jaxii, Karoshi hellishly rebukes one of the Harpies, Derrick booming blades one of the Harpies attacking Iwee. That Harpy has taken enough damage to scare her off, and she tries to fly away, taking damage from the booming blade and also enabling Iwee to have an opportunity attack, which Iwee takes full advantage of, and the little gnome is the first to bring down one of the Harpies!
At this point, the young woman who was initially fending off the Harpies stands up, turns towards the battle and transforms into a screaming Harpy - large, black wings sprouting from her back. It was a trap! She flies in and attacks Derrick before flying away again - Derrick manages to get an opportunity attack on her as she retreats.
Karoshi manages to hit the Harpy on him, and he uses another spell slot to Divine Smite the Harpy, taking it down. Jaxii, not to be outdone, takes out one of the Harpies attacking her. The tide of the battle is turning!
The remaining 2 Harpies fly off, attempting to disappear around the dunes, but Derrick and Jaxii between them manage to take one of them out as she flies off. They do hear the song of another Harpy coming from behind one of the hills, but the 'matriarch' Harpy manages to get away, and they see no visual sign of the last one who started to sing recently.
They had survived the Harpy trap, taking four of the beasts down, but allowing two of them, including the matriarch, to get away. Karoshi dishes out 20 points of health to Jaxii and Iwee.
Checking the body they find it to be a dead dwarf, with the remains of a "Rockseekers" tattoo on his arm. He has been dead a few days, and is somewhat 'eaten'. They had discovered what happened to Hosgrun Rockseeker! Derrick and Karoshi bury the body in a shallow grave and Derrick is surprisingly respectful.
And so we leave our "Heroes" having survived a tough fight with some Harpies, looking forward to progress to the abbey and face the clerics! Derrick and Jaxii still have bits of food stuffed into their ears. Karoshi and Iwee seem to enjoy being able to talk about them behind their backs without them being able to hear.