Session 5 Log - To Market
Topic: Arc 1 - New Allies
Session: Session 5 - To Market
Session Date: 2022-09-30
In-Game Date: 07-25 -> 07->26
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Synopsis
- Got another message from the Torch
- Ran into some child pickpockets in Kaledorei
- Dealt with some kobold forgers, but two got away
Detailed Notes
The next afternoon, while Strix and Nilkas were inside discussing recent events, someone placed another blue torch outside the door to the farmhouse. Once evening had fallen, they noticed the flickering blue flame, and went outside to check it and retrieve the note. It thanked them for retrieving the Tuner, and asked them to look into a forgery ring in the Kaledorei markets, promising that they would meet soon.
After another night, they left to the markets, first questioning a member of Abadar's Scales they found about any forgery they might have come across. The man seemed to have a flash of recognition, but told them that he didn't know anything, and that they needed to move along as he had important things to deal with.
The pair began to search around, and after a little while came across a familiar-looking storefront - Gloom's Shrooms, though this one was a little worse for wear than the first. The door was locked, and through the broken windows, they were able to make a out a thick layer of dust, footprints, and mostly empty shelves, as though they had been ransacked. Following the footsteps through the window, Strix and Nilkas checked under the rug, and found a trapdoor - the same as the other shop. Below the shop, they found mostly dead mushrooms, all crusty and shriveled, unlike the ones they had come across earlier, but they did find a number of tunnels snaking off into the distance. They followed one for an hour or so, but after not seeing an obvious end to it, they doubled back and headed back out to the streets of Kaledorei, making sure to hide their tracks and the trapdoor.
After another few minutes of searching, Nilkas noticed a child reaching into Strix's pocket, and immediately entered a rage and grabbed the kid, chasing another child through the streets and cornering her in an alley before Strix caught up to him to calm him down. Still scared, the kids apologized, and begged Nilkas not to kill them. After tensions had gone down a little, and the younger brother had hidden behind his sister, she introduced themselves as Sylvia and Clerebold, telling the party that they were just trying to help their mom pay for food and their shelter - that she'd been having more trouble than usual recently, and that this was the best way they could think of to keep everything afloat. The kids looked a lot like Leif, and the party made their own conclusions after the Sylvia told them that they never knew their dad. Nilkas asked them if they'd heard anything about the forgery ring that was apparently operating out of here, and the kids told them about the location of some stalls that weren't well-policed by the Scales, and that a lot of the more suspicious dealers were there. They party thanked them, Strix gave them a few gold pieces, and they headed on their way.
Though a few back alleys, the group found another handful of stalls, and after talking to a few of the vendors and conducting some trades, they talked to a hunchbacked gem merchant and made a trade. Nilkas bit into one of the pieces they were handed and concluded that he was biting into a rock, before entering a rage again and throttling the merchant, who turned out to be two kobolds in a trenchcoat, with the lower one taking off toward a storm drain, but tripping after they looked back to see Nilkas quickly closing the distance between them. Nilkas grabbed that kobold by the tail and whipped them into a wall before taking off the cover to the drain and jumping down into a small room with a few more kobolds who were in the process of grinding down rocks and painting them gold.
Before they could really react, Nilkas had already killed one of them, and two sprinted through a door and down a tunnel full of levers. When Strix noticed that they were stopping to pull each one, she yelled out to Nilkas to stop, but he'd already run ahead and tripped a few traps. They carefully proceeded down the tunnel after that, Strix using a pole to trip the traps in front of her, with the last one just dropping a large slab of stone from the ceiling. By the time they had made it out the grate at the end of the tunnel and emerging outside Kaledorei's wall, the kobolds that had run off were long gone. They did make off with a little real gold though, after doubling back and combing through the underground room.
Strix's Notes
Our latest note promised that we would meet our mysterious contact soon. For now they wanted us to look into fake gold being used in the markets in town and find those responsible. Apparently Abadar’s Scales have somehow let this slip through the cracks.
While canvassing the markets I was nearly pickpocketed by two poor little children. Nilkas grabbed the younger boy and chased off after the older girl. It was easy to tell that they were Lief’s kids, looked just like him. They said that they were just trying to help their mother keep food on the table. I’m sure Lief isn’t much of a father figure in their life, but now I can’t stop thinking about these poor kids if we had killed their father, or worse, if Nilkas had gotten violent with them…. I still trust him so far, and he seems like his heart is generally in the right place, but he really scares me sometimes. I’m still shook up about the kids, maybe I can come back and find them again, make sure they end up alright.
A few streets away from the main market we found the source of the fake gold. A shadowy figure running a merchant stand ended up being a kobold, who had a whole gang of kobolds set up with a counterfeiting operation underneath the streets. Nilkas was quick to jump to violence as usual, but I’m sure the kobolds that survived won’t be coming back for a while, so that takes care of that. I didn’t get into this whole business for the gold, but its nice to have some fresh coin in my purse. Now to wait for further contact.
Getting rather long winded. Lots going on!
Nilkas' Notes
And it came but was asked to investigate fake gold being made. We took to the markets to investigate and got nowhere with the Abadar’s Scales. During more talks I saw a small hand reach for Strix’s coin purse. Caught the little bastard as his apparent sister started to run and yelled for him to run as well. Little late for that. I lifted the kid under my arm and took off after them. Street rats aren't good for much but they do have information most don’t know about. After chasing this poor girl who probably was horrified I was sprinting to her and was catching up and seemed to stop in an alleyway. Asked for us to not kill them, I forget how I come off to people sometimes, told them I won't, I just wanted to return her brother. Looks like that bastard Lief has some bastards of his own. They look like they are his kids. I told them I simply wanted information. Asked about the fake gold and we are sent to another street where the Abadar’s Scales don't work. Strix seemed wary of me. Probably should stop running headfirst.
Short guy asked for something to buy and sell and I gave him a small jewel to get some trade to check the gold. It was indeed fake, told him as such and grabbed the little evil bastard. Asked where the operation was and slammed the evil bastard on the wall and jumped down. They drew weapons as I drew mine. Cleaved one before the other ran. They won’t be coming back soon.