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Cliffshadow Freelancer Records

Buzzsaw Buzzards at Pirates Dream River

Submitted by dracon on Tue, 05/09/2023 - 20:54
Petraag, 4th prime post-Fulcrum 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
9 days
Archive Entry
  • Murai, Dominic Holyarm, Aranel Neras-Dumaren, Tim Jolly, and Shimni Ioelena Qinyarus accepted the ongoing mission from the wizard Gwidion to explore the Pirates Dream river and remove any abominations they find.
  • The Freelancers do not cut cross-country directly to the far end of Lake Mossey, but follow the roads to stop in Cliffgate and Lakeview.
  • Once in Lakeview, the Freelancers check the area of the dam before retiring for the evening.  Aranel and Dominic chat with some local hunters to learn about "nasty birds" that interfere with hunting and require sneaking past.
  • The next morning, the Freelancers depart in search of these "nasty birds".
  • Once in the indicated area, Dominic uses speak with animals to find out from other local birds where to look.  The birds mostly insult him in couplets, but a helpful crow points Dominic on the way, while his compatriots amused themselves by hassling Murai's dire corgi, Dudley.
  • Dominic led the Freelancers to a meadow with a large buzzard nest, where the buzzards had mutated to spin like saws.  After a brief battle, they killed these abominations.
  • Tim investigated the large nest to find the birds were collectors.  The Freelancers retrieved these items and returned to Lakeview for Planting.  Acquired:  151 eagles' in assorted coin, pair of engraved bone dice, copper chalice with silver filigree, spell scroll of 2nd level shatter, healing potion.
  • After another night in Lakeview, the Freelancers headed back to Cliffshadow.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Chaostag, 1st prime post-Planting.
Loot
  • Potions
    • Aranel - potion of water breathing
    • Dominic - potion of fire breath
    • Murai - potion growth
    • Shimni - potion of cold resistance
    • Tim - potion of growth
    •  
  • Buzzard Nest Loot:
    • 151 gp
    • 25 gp art objects:
      • Pair of engraved bone dice
      • Copper chalice with silver filigree
    • Spell Scroll (2nd Level) of shatter
    • Potion of Healing
  • Mission pay 100 eagles (10% cut to Freelancers)
Tags
large bitey creatures
Storyline
Pollution Consequences
Session Dates

Grblin Negotiations Northwest of Marshfork

Submitted by dracon on Sat, 04/29/2023 - 14:20
Vrontag, 3rd prime post-Fulcrum 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
14 days
Archive Entry
  • Lorcan Puddingrass Pasternack Tuinstra, Minji, Dominic Holyarm, Maghris Bloomfield the 18th, Peb Pebbles, and Kairos Greybeard accepted the mission from Casimir Lightforger, Mayor of Marshfork, to locate the grblin settlement northwest of Marshfork and take steps to reduce the risk of raids.
  • The Freelancers rode flying mounts, and after four days of long travel arrived in Marshfork.
  • After consulting with the Mayor about the desired outcome, the Freelancers traveled northwest directly to the cave they had raided in early Periastron of this year.  The cave was still abandoned, leaving no clues.
  • The following day Lorcan led them along the path he'd chased a fleeing grblin, until they reached the Little Brother River.
  • Peb noticed tracks of wolves with riders, so the Freelancers travelled slowly upriver, watching the tracks.  From time to time, Dominic cast locate animal for dire wolf.
  • The next day, the Freelancers encountered a roving band of grblins, with a leader in an orange hat.  Minji and Maghris parlayed with them while the others remained hidden in the woods.
  • From the leader, Minji learned that at the upriver fork of the Little Brother River, the grblins had a fort.  Also, they were under pressure from unknown large people to the west, and that pressure was the reason they had started raiding.
  • Minji perhaps foolishly promised Freelancer help to relieve the pressure from the west.  She had the other Freelancers reveal themselves, and the grblin leader told her the 6 of them would be insufficient for such a goal, noting the people to the west were larger.
  • Nonetheless the grblins agreed to hold off raids, to give the Freelancers or townspeople a chance to take action.
  • Upon their return to Marshfork 2 days later, the Mayor was displeased at this news, but paid the Freelancers their mission fee of 150 eagles.  He also entrusted the Freelancers with a scroll for Arnari Rilynn’sithek.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Sieratag, last prime post-Fulcrum.
Loot
  • Mission pay:  150 eagles each (10% cut to Freelancers)
Tags
grblin
Storyline
Grblins
Session Dates

The Hag with Honeypots

Submitted by dracon on Sat, 04/15/2023 - 13:50
Vrontag, 2nd prime post-Fulcrum 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
11 days
Archive Entry
  • Maghris Bloomfield the 18th, Petrichor, Shimni Ioelena Qinyarus, Carmen Granau, Damian Galanis, and Colt Cunningham accepted the mission from Korfel Goltorah, leader of the Children of Āhua in Mantzur, to track down the giant bee that flew off after Freelancers freed the bee tree far to the south.
  • The Freelancers travelled to Mantzur to discuss the mission with Korfel, and decided to check the old hag's hut prior to revisiting the giant bee hive.
  • After two days of rough cross-country, the Freelancers found the valley of interest, in which the hag used to live.  Colt noticed a small fire at the far end of the valley, and the Freelancers decided a friendly visit was in order.
  • The Freelancers approached the fire and met a half-elf hunter named Trom, but Maghris and Carmen initially stayed back to observe.
  • Before he joined the conversation, Carmen cast detect evil and good, and from that spell learns Trom is actually fae.  Carmen announced this discovery, and Trom became upset.
  • Despite Petrichor trying to play peacemaker, a fight ensued with Trom, who brought forth 4 rabid wolves as allies.  The Freelancers slew a wolf and also Trom, who was revealed in death to be a hag.
  • Searching the hag, Colt and Petrichor found coins and mementos on her person.   Maghris, harvesting herbs for alchemy from the garden, found the old hag's bones.  Behind the remains of the hut, Damian and Petrichor found a broom of flying.  Acquired:  160 eagles, 2 gold bracelets, bone statue, broom of flying.  
  • Carmen charmed the other 3 wolves, who were not at all rabid, and cast speak with animals to talk to them.  Thus he learned they are addicted to the honey the hag was providing, and where the honey was.  He cured one wolf, promising to cure the others in the morning.
  • The next morning Carmen cured the wolves as promised, and the Freelancers spent the day making sure the honey, the two hags, and the hut was turned into ash, without burning down the rest of the forest.
  • Upon their return to Mantzur the Freelancers reported these events to Korfel, who paid their fee of 100 eagles each.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Chaostag, 3rd prime post-Fulcrum.
Loot
  • Coin:  160 eagles in assorted coin
  • Mundane valuables (sold for 100 eagles):
    • Small bone statue
    • 2 small gold bracelet
    • Copper chalice with silver filigree
  • broom of flying (Shimni)
  • Materials: 80 eagles' worth of poisonous plants (Maghris)
  • Mission pay: 100 eagles each (10% cut to Freelancers)
Tags
wildlife
Storyline
Mantzur & the Haven Hills
Session Dates

Housekeeping note

Submitted by dracon on Sat, 04/15/2023 - 14:11
Chaostag, 2nd prime post-Fulcrum 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Archive Entry
  • Trained bald eagle gryphon added to Freelancers Stable, Dominic Holyarm's mount "Wilson".
Tags
mounts

Peregrine Gryphon Eggs for House Liona

Submitted by dracon on Sat, 04/15/2023 - 13:16
Sieratag, 1st prime post-Fulcrum 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
9 days
Archive Entry
  • Lorcan Puddingrass Pasternack Tuinstra, Minji, Dominic Holyarm, Peb Pebbles, Petrichor, and Shimni Ioelena Qinyarus accepted the standing mission to hunt gryphon eggs for House Liona.
  • The Freelancers travelled to Lakeview, bringing Peb's cart, and learned from tavern gossip where best to look for gryphon eggs.  The Lakeview residents were happy to tell Freelancers about anything weird or hostile they'd encountered in the surrounding area.
  • Following the directions from the tavern, the Freelancers located a gryphon nest on an eastward-facing mountain ledge slightly less than 2 days' travel west from Lakeview. 
  • After leaving the cart in the woods, the Freelancers stole 12 eggs out of 17 in the nest before the gryphons' return, and discovered they are peregrine gryphons.  One gryphon gave chase, and the Freelancers knocked it out, then hid in the woods before heading back to Cliffshadow.
  • House Liona paid an extra 30 eagles per egg for peregrine gryphon eggs, and provided a bald eagle gryphon, and covered the Freelancer fee.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Chaostag, 2nd prime post-Fulcrum.
Loot
  • Mission pay:  Bald eagle gryphon (Dominic), 360 eagles (split)
Tags
eggs
Storyline
House Liona
Session Dates

Theft investigation at the Wolfkiss Construction Site

Submitted by dracon on Sat, 04/15/2023 - 12:57
Chaostag, 1st prime post-Fulcrum 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
3 days
Archive Entry
  • Ka Kekoa, Maghris Bloomfield the 18th, Aranel Neras-Dumaren, Timmy, Kairos Greybeard, and Vinegar Tom {Vin} accepted the mission from Ismay Wolfkiss to find the materials stolen from his construction site between Cliffshadow and Cliffgate, and stop the thieves from future thefts.
  • The Freelancers travelled by flying mounts to the travel stop, and learned from Ismay the details about what was missing.  They mingled with other travelers and vendors there to determine these others were not experiencing thefts.
  • That night the Freelancers kept watch, and Maghris used magical tinkering to cause a bag of mortar to shout if touched, but the night passed without incident.
  • The following day, Ka stayed at the inn construction site and kept watch.  Timmy and Aranel spoke to various vendors, spreading a rumour the Freelancers were departing that day.
  • Vin, Maghris, and Kairos took their flying mounts to investigate the woods around the inn construction site.  Kairos spotted four figures, keeping parallel with the road, but staying in the trees.
  • That evening, Maghris applied the magical tinkering to a new bag of mortar, and the Freelancers kept watch again, to be alerted when it started shouting as four persons availed themselves of building supplies.
  • The miscreants split up and fled, but the Freelancers chased them down and apprehended them.
  • Upon questioning, the four revealed they were stealing the supplies to fund purchase of that vile lotion made by the Daystar cult.  Furthermore, they learned that the leader, Injerto, had been a temple guard at Church of Storms up until Bright Thunder had been stolen.
  • The following day, Ismay paid the Freelancers their fee of 100 eagles each, and they returned to Cliffshadow with their prisoners, bringing them to Church of Storms.
  • The Typhoon was not present, but upon the return of the errant temple guard, Adrian Bryant paid the Freelancers a reward of 100 eagles each and took custody of the prisoners.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Nemostag, 1st prime post-Fulcrum.
Loot
  • Mission pay:  100 eagles each (10% cut to Freelancers)
  • Church of Storms reward:  100 eagles each
Tags
investigation
apprehend
Storyline
Daystar Worshippers
Session Dates

Restore Shrine of The Snake on behalf of Mazandyth

Submitted by dracon on Sun, 04/02/2023 - 19:46
Rochtag, 3rd prime post-Tumultuous 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
17 days
Archive Entry
  • Mazandyth, the green dragon who was parent to Karpalor, the "Fake Snake" slain by Freelancers in 1055, visited Freelancers Tavern to make plain his offense that Karpalor's head was on display like a common hunting trophy.  He demanded the head, and also that in recompense, that Freelancers assist him in restoring the shrine to The Snake at the fork of the Haven River.
    • In particular, nothing but snakes was to be left alive in the shrine complex.
  • Arnari Rilynn’sithek assented to this task, and dispatched Lorcan Puddingrass Pasternack Tuinstra, Peb Pebbles, and Petrichor to scout ahead, locate the shrine, and determine what materials were needed for restoration.  Evvie, Laki, and Aleki would follow with the materials.  Laki infused sending stones, so the scouts could report back.
  • Peb, Petrichor, and Lorcan travelled for a day and a half on flying mounts to the fork of the Haven River, and located the shrine, which was underground with an entrance framed in stone lintels.
  • Two ogres occupied the outermost rooms of the complex, and the Freelancers dispatched those.
  • A quick inspection revealed stone facing on worked natural caves, with the tunnel roofs reinforced by wood beams.  The Freelancers relayed this to Laki on the sending stone.  Aleki, Evvie, and Laki spent the rest of the day gathering what was needed.
  • The next day, Arnari dispatched Dominic Holyarm, Manu, and Kaladan Ophinshtalajiir to assist the Freelancers already at the shrine.  Laki, Evvie, and Aleki departed on the roads with carts of materials, escorted by Mia Taumata, Murai, Minji, and Tim Jolly.
  • Dominic, Manu, and Kaladan arrived to discover Peb had tried to compost the ogres, resulting in a horrific smell.  Petrichor had left, with the sending stone, to find/meet up with Laki et al.  Kaladan started clearing bones from prior kills and covering it up.
  • The ogres had blocked the passage deeper into the complex, and the Freelancers cleared it and started to explore.  The downward tunnel had various traps in disrepair, yet still dangerous.  They navigated past to find a large cavern for contemplation, with benches, carvings, and flagstones in disrepair.
  • The cavern was home to many colonies of bats, with some stirges.  Manu slew the stirges and the Freelancers slew most of the bats while trying to persuade them to leave.  Peb and Lorcan learned from the bats the next cavern had aggressive vines.
  • Broad steps led down to the main shrine, which was a very long natural cave.  The Freelancers opted to wait for the others to arrive before testing themselves against "aggressive vines", and busied themselves cleaning up the general area and increasing the safety of the main passage.
  • It was plain to the Freelancers that Mazandyth was checking on progress.
  • The supplies and its escorts arrived on Chaostag, last prime post-Tumultuous.
  • The next day, Kaladan and Petrichor helped out Laki, Aleki, and Evvie with cleaning and restoration, while the others went to explore the main shrine.
  • Lorcan stealthed in, using a torch held with mage hand to illuminate the cavern for the others to see.  A large statue of The Snake, missing an eye, dominated one end, with some sort of water behind it.  Plant life, mostly vines, covered the floor.
  • The others stealthed up to Lorcan, but Manu was overstimulated, so dumped a bag of ball bearings unceremoniously on the floor to the Freelancers' right.
  • Two shambling mounds of vines and four sets of awakened vines attacked the Freelancers.  The Freelancers prevailed, but not before the mounds had absorbed Peb and Mia, who had to fight their way out.
  • The Freelancers explored the area around and behind the large statue.  Lorcan found and restored the statue's other eye, and Murai discovered coins at the base.  The water behind it was full of dangerous snakes.  Minji found a smaller shrine, surrounded by water, and made sketches.  Peb discovered the snakes expected to be fed, and they & Dominic fed the snakes goodberries.
  • The Freelancers also found two side passages.  One led to a private shrine & altar, with silver accoutrements, the other to a living area with a dormitory and private rooms, with deteriorated regalia for priests of The Snake.
  • Mindful of the green dragon, the Freelancers did not acquire any of the items they found, but instead returned to the others and reported these findings. Laki looked at Minji's sketches with interest, then followed her and Dominic down to look at the ruined benches and bridges.
  • For the next 6 days, the Freelancers worked to clean out the vines and filth from the complex, restoring the collapsed timber supports, replacing bridges across the water, rebuilding benches.  Dominic and Peb fed the snakes goodberries.  Minji was sent to Cliffgate twice for supplies, with a bag of holding; once for cots for the dormitory, once for other items suitable for restoring the kitchen area.
  • The day before Fulcrum, Mazandyth arrived, with several priests and acolytes of The Snake, who thanked the green dragon for his care, and took charge of the shrine from the Freelancers.
  • The Freelancers took one day to travel directly to Cliffgate.  They got rooms at the Hippogryph's Wing inn and spent the morning of the Fulcrum Holiday celebrating, before departing for Cliffshadow.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Remitag, 1st prime post-Fulcrum.
Loot
  • Coin:  200 eagles (split between Lorcan, Peb, Petrichor)
  • Gems:  25-eagle gemstones: rhodochrosite & blue quartz (split between Lorcan, Peb, Petrichor), orange carnelian (Manu)
Tags
dragon
shrine
dungeon crawl
multisession
Storyline
Kobold incursions around Orderly Stones
Session Dates

Bee Tree Raid

Submitted by dracon on Wed, 12/28/2022 - 23:17
Okeanostag 2nd prime post-Tumultuous 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
10 days
Archive Entry
  • Murai, Sabah Banu, Dominic Holyarm, Carmen Granau, Tim Jolly, and Petrichor accepted the mission from Korfel Goltorrah, leader of the Children of Āhua town Mantzur, to visit the tree housing giant bees and reduce the threat to his community.
  • The Freelancers traveled to Mantzur in 2 days, and stayed the night.  The following morning they spoke to Korfel, who told them the priority is to take out the bee-animated armours patrolling around the giant bee hive.
  • The Freelancers travelled south for 4 days until getting to the tree in question, which they found easily since Sabah knows the area.  Dominic had Bee-opatra, the giant bee he'd befriended, scout the area.  Unnaturally, one giant bee circled above, as if to keep watch.
  • The Freelancers camped, then the next day they went to the big tree while the giant bees had gone foraging.  Murai proposed a plan to use their rope of climbing to snare an animated armour and drag it out of sight from the giant bee circling above.
  • The plan met with some success and one of the armours was separated from the other two.  The Freelancers defeated all three animated armours full of bees, but not before Murai was badly injured.
  • Dominic tried to engage the circling giant bee, but it disappeared and seemed to head northwest.  Carmen learned the honey is enchanted, and Tim took part of the honeycomb.  Petrichor tries to check out the hive, and discovered a Wild elf from Mantzur dead and preserved in the honey.
  • The Freelancers returned to Mantzur with the remains of the dead elf, three battered suits of plate armour, and the honeycomb with enchanted honey.  Korfel held a funeral, after which he paid the mission fee of 100 eagles each, and sent them back to Cliffshadow with a request for another mission to check for any hags in the forest southwest of Mantzur.
  • Returned to Freelancers Tavern Fysitag, 3rd prime post-Tumultuous.
Loot
  • 3 sets of very battered animated armor worth 750 eagles each
    • 2 sets were sold
    • Murai claimed one set of armor and paid the value to the others
    • Everyone else got 450 eagles
  • ring of evasion - Petrichor
  • Mission pay: 100 eagles each (10% Freelancer’s cut)
Tags
constructs
scouting
Storyline
Mantzur & the Haven Hills
Session Dates

Froggoths Return to Pirates Dream River

Submitted by dracon on Wed, 11/30/2022 - 20:52
Remitag, 2nd prime post Tumultuous 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
8 days
Archive Entry
  • Sabah Banu, Dominic Holyarm, Vinegar Tom {Vin}, Carmen Granau, Shimni Ioelena Qinyarus, and Petrichor accepted the ongoing mission from the wizard Gwidion to clean up altered wildlife along Pirates River.
  • The Freelancers travelled to Lakeview along the roads in 3 days' time without incident.
  • From Lakeview they proceeded to track up the south shore of Lake Mossey, intending to follow Pirates Dream river upstream to Pirates River.
  • The first night they camped, the Freelancers were attacked by three froggoths and two chiminimerae, which they destroyed.
  • The following morning the Freelancers searched the area and located the nests of these creatures, confirming there were no more.  They also found a stash of uncut gems the froggoths had apparently been collecting.  Acquired:  2 lapis, a hematite, a rhodochrosite, a tiger eye, and a moss agate; all were uncut.
  • The Freelancers retraced their route back to Cliffshadow to bring news of the return of mutants along Pirates Dream river.
  • Since the mission was satisfied, Arnari Rilynn’sithek paid each their fee of 90 eagles and a potion: Vin and Sabah each got a philter of love, Shimni got a potion of water breathing, Petrichor got a potion of fire breath, Dominic an oil of slipperiness, and Carmen got a potion of poison.
Loot
  • Uncut gems, worth 10 eagles each: 2x lapis, hematite, rhodochrosite, tiger eye, moss agate
  • Mission pay 100 eagles each (minus 10% Freelancers' Cut); philter of love (Vin and Sabah); potion of water breathing (Shimni); potion of fire breath (Petrichor); oil of slipperiness (Dominic); potion of poison (Carmen)
Tags
mutants
Storyline
Pollution Consequences
Session Dates

Press Gang Mitigation: Capture Helias

Submitted by dracon on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 17:27
Kenostag, 1st prime post-Tumultuous 1056
Log Entry Type
Archivist Entry
Recordkeeper
Nyls Ardeni
Days in Game
1 day
Archive Entry
  • Minji, Ka Kekoa, Dominic Holyarm, Aranel Neras-Dumaren, and Peb Pebbles accepted the mission from Wymar Adelard to capture Helias, leader of the press gang plaguing the Cliffshadow docks district.
  • The Freelancers started their search at the cellar Helias had been using as a staging area, and followed the escape tunnel to an alleyway in Trade District.
  • From the alley, the Freelancers split up to check nearby businesses and taverns if the proprietors had seen anything of note.  They had not, but Ka questioned a resident who lived along the alley and learned that Helias often frequented the Gilded Barrel.
  • The Freelancers went to the Gilded Barrel and formulated a plan to extract Helias and two cronies without causing mishap.  Unfortunately Helias spotted Aranel, and cast invisibility on himself.
  • Ka and Peb apprehended the two cronies while Aranel, Dominic, and Minji cast faerie fire multiple times, but failed to negate the invisibility.
  • Helias finally shattered a bar window and fled, but Dominic cast hold person so all were apprehended.  Dominic relieved Helias of 158 eagles and two instruments: a shawm and a flute.
  • The three press gang leaders were delivered to Wymar, who paid the Freelancers their mission fee of 150 eagles each.
  • Returned to Freelancers same day, after which Aranel got uncharacteristically drunk and had to be escorted out of the tavern by Nohea Tasi.
Loot
  • Coin:  158 eagles
  • Instruments (sold for 3 eagles 6 cats):  shawm, flute
  • Mission pay: 150 eagles (10% to Freelancers)
Tags
investigation
apprehend
Storyline
Pressgang People
Session Dates