14 February 2020
Mei cannot stop thinking about the last moments of Midnight Storm’s life. It was an honorable death, but she cannot stop blaming herself for what happened.
Oh how she loved that horse more than anything in the world!
“A soldier does not get attached to her mount; doing so is foolish as the battlefield shows no mercy” the commander’s voice continues to repeat inside her head as she tries to push back the tears from running down her face. She takes a moment to collect herself, puts her journal away and focuses on the task at hand, the report to Kitria, due two hours after completion of assignment:
From: Bogdown Junior Delegation, Chien Mei
To: First Sword, Kitria of Reckenmark
Subject: Bogdown Risk Assessment
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this report is to describe what was uncovered during the Bogdown patrol on the evening of the negotiation between Bogdown Town Elders and the Reckenmark delegation. The captain of the watch, Bandel and a group known as Stool’s Irregulars accompanied Chien Mei on this risk assessment.
Two groups were formed, two from Stool’s Irregulars (Kais and Ezri) scouted near The Pen and in Shoreside and me, captain Bandel and two from Stool’s Irregulars (Caius and Autun) scouted through The Fens.
PATROLLING THE FENS
We were informed by town inhabitants that fish and other food items were recently stolen from the fisheries in addition to a hunter that has gone missing from the area two ten-days ago. We investigated beyond the western dike into marshy territory that proved difficult to cross. Twenty minutes into our investigation we heard, coming from the town, drumbeats and a fifth member of Stool’s Irregulars (a Bogdown hafling known as Bree) yelling from the top of the western dike for help. We circled back toward the dike where Bree informed us, she just encountered townsfolk who witnessed a child kidnapping by unidentified humanoids who escaped across the eastern dike into the fields toward the river.
Me and Bree rode Midnight Storm across the town while the others in our patrol traveled to the tavern to fetch horses before joining us in pursuit.
BEYOND THE EASTERN DIKE
As we crossed the top of the eastern dike, we observed across the river, that Kais and Ezri had engaged with the two of the four fleeing unidentified humanoids. We made haste through the fields and across the river to engage. I charged past Kais to catch the third humanoid escaping with bundle in hand; a fourth ahead of me, was also escaping with bundle in hand. I engaged and fought my target attacking from the saddle and noticed my target’s white hair and dark skin leading me to believe, we encountered a drow raiding party.
Autun charged past me and engaged with the fourth drow escaping, while Caius assisted Kais with the two drow attacking him. Bree provided aerial support to Kais and Caius from the back of Midnight Storm.
A cloud of poisonous gas appeared on the southern hill one hundred feet from us moving in our direction; I could only guess additional drow accomplices unaccounted for, were to blame for this magic use. Caius magically removed the encroaching cloud while we continued to battle our targets. Before I could neutralize my target, streaks of lightning appeared from the southern hill in our direction hitting myself, Bree and Midnight Storm. Midnight Storm was terminated upon impact.
Autun had neutralized his target and Kais and Caius had also neutralized one of their targets. I called out to the group to finish my target while I ran toward the southern hill.
SOUTHERN HILL
Caius and I made it to the top of the southern hill to find no one there. We searched for invisible creatures but were not successful to find anything around. We concluded whoever was responsible for casting the poisonous cloud and lightning already had evacuated the area by the time we arrived.
THE BUNDLES
The bundles the drow carried away from Bogdown contained an adult halfing and a child halfing. The adult hafling was rescued and taken back to town by Ezri while the child was found dead. I suspect the child may not have survived the fall when the levitated drow holding her bundle was neutralized by Atun.
THE DROW
Stool’s Irregulars informed me that the neutralized drow targets wore insignias from a drow house called House Mizzrym, who they have encountered before; they have more knowledge about this drow house and may prove to be valuable partners in preventing further assaults on Bogdown. Kais also informed me that four other drow escaped with bundles at the same time we pursued our targets.
CONCLUSION
The recent assaults on Bogdown are a serious threat to the townsfolk now that we have identified that a drow raiding party is to blame. The abduction of livestock and other food items besides townsfolk, leads me to believe this drow raiding party is larger than the nine or so drow we know about from this raid. I suggest a medium sized Reckenmark contingent be installed in Bogdown immediately to provide necessary protection from future drow raids. I also recommend an expert Reckenmark scouting contingent pursue the surrounding area for clues to where the drow raiding party resides. The Stool’s Irregulars proclaim there is a tunnel nearby which is an entrance into the Underdark; this could explain how the drow are traveling to the surface. Further inquiry into how the Stool’s Irregulars know of this tunnel should also be considered.
My time spent observing the Stool’s Irregulars during my assignment, reveals to me how effective and well trained they are on the battlefield which is an opportunity worth leveraging. They should also be consulted for their drow experience even though I am unclear in how they have obtained such experience. Their acumen and insightfulness may be the key to helping Bogdown survive another day against the drow.
Mei puts the quill down, raises her head and stares out across the square watching the children run around laughing and screaming. She takes a deep breath, content her assignment is done but also feeling uneasy about the serious threat uncovered. “And I thought this was a bunch of goblins or kobolds, hah!” she whispers. “But this assignment could be exactly what I need to make my father proud of me! I know he always wanted a son and he got me, but I can show him I’m just as strong as any dumb son would be” she says to herself.
She reaches for her journal intent on writing an elegy for Midnight Storm when the image of her hand around Caius’s chess piece necklace takes shape. “How odd his necklace looks like the exact same chess piece my father’s set is missing. I’ve wanted more than anything to find such a replacement.” She lets out a small laugh as she imagines snatching the necklace off of Caius neck the moment, she saw it.
Horns immediately blare out across the square announcing Reckenmark’s First Sword has returned.
“Shit!” Mei screams as she grabs her report and runs out of her room.
Prior: Cut_Scene_1, All: Play_Sessions, Next: 21_February_2020
Lost & Gained
Gained
- Greater Restoration put in SpellGem by Gurnick (cutscene)
- holy water, x2 (cutscene)
- 22 crossbow bolts
- 3 House Mizzrym insignia
Lost
- 3 storing gems level 3, returned to Kazook Pickshine (cutscene)
- 3 storing gems level 1, returned to Kazook Pickshine (cutscene)
- 500 sp of silver/silver-powder (cutscene)
- 2 +1/+1 arrows (Autun)
Inventory
The inventory of Stool's Irregulars. This inventory includes the gained and lost items listed above.
| Cash & Valuables | Worth |
|---|---|
| Platinum pieces | 54 pp |
| Gold pieces | 4243 gp |
| Electrum pieces | 30 ep |
| Silver pieces | 5054 sp |
| Copper pieces | 4047 cp |
| Various gems | 60 gp |
| Pouch of varied surface coins | indeterminate ( found with the Obelisk) |
| 6 x 100gp gems | 600gp |
| 4 x 150gp rubies | 600gp found on starved drow |
| 2 x 100gp gorgets | 200gp found on starved drow |
| 4 x 75gp rings | 300gp found on carved drow |
| pearl encrusted suede cloak | 250gp found on carved drow |
| Consumables | Number | Gained | Carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potion of Greater Healing | 2 | reward from Basidia, Lorthio's Lab | distributed jointly |
| Potion of Healing | 2 | Ilvara's room | distributed jointly |
| Anti-toxin | 2 | hook horror den | Ciaus, Kais |
| Pygmywort | 18 | found in Gracklestugh, Bree's room, a pit | distributed jointly |
| Bigwig | 8 | mushroom pit in Whorlstone tunnels | distributed jointly |
| Alchemist's Fire | 10 | made by Bree with recipe | Bree |
| Acid | 4 | made by Bree with recipe | Bree |
| Drow poison | 10 | dead drow | Kais, bag |
| Keoghtom's Ointment | 5 | found in Nerrick's chest | bag |
| Scroll of protection from Fiends | 1 | gift from head of the Circle of Hunters | bag |
| Wind bag | 2 charges | gift from a badger | Autun/bag |
| Oil of sharpness | 1 / 5 | found in the temple | kais |
| +1/+1 arrows | 14 | boneyard | Kais (13) Autun (1) |
| Philter of love | 1 | found with Dawnbringer | bag |
| Potion of force resistance | 1 | found in Rockblight | bag |
| Holy Water | 3 | Autun's Ceremony | Bree |
| Oil of corrosion resistance | 4 | given | 2 Caius, 1 Kais, 1 Ezri |
| Speak with plants, scroll | 1 | Pudding King's throne | bag |
| Conjure minor elementals, scroll | 1 | Pudding King's throne | bag |
| Summon rat swarms, ear-ring | 1 charge | Chipgrin's gift | Kais |
| Augury, hairband | 1x | gift from fangirl | Ezri |
| Necklace of force | (6 beads) | found in badger tunnels evocation? | Caius |
| Necklace of fireballs | (6 beads) | found with Dawnbringer | Caius? |
| Magic Items | Gained | Carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Bag of Holding | from a trapped drow | Autun (mostly) |
| +2 Dawnbringer | sarcophagus | Autun |
| +1 shield | From the gullet of a Shambling Mound | Caius |
| A Rope of climbing | gift from a darkling | Caius? |
| Quiver of Ehlonna | found in a hook horror den | Kais |
| Instrument of Illusions | from a book of mysterious sheet music | Caius |
| Boots of Elvenkind | gifted by Errde Blackskull | Kais |
| Rod of the Pact Keeper | found in the corpse of the reanimated Buppido | Bree |
| Goggles of Night (2) | gift from the Bregan D'aerthe and Badger tunnels | Caius & Autun |
| Stone Speaker Crystal | a gift from Hgraam | Bree |
| Folding Boat | gifted by Errde Blackskull on behalf of the Deep King | Autun |
| Preacher's Pendant of Sending | found on the corpse of drow priestess | Autun |
| storing gem level 5 (greater restoration) | payment from Kazook Pickshine | Bree |
| Stone of Good Luck | given | Ezri |
| Underland Magic, book | Pudding King's throne | Bree |
| Spell components of particular note | Spell | Number | Carrier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond 300 gp | (Revivify) | 2 | bag |
| Incense & Charcoal 10 gp | Find Familiar | 2 | Kais |
| Incense 15 gp | 1 | bag | |
| silver dust | Ceremony | 500 sp | bag |
| Story items | Gained | Carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Book of dwarven history | found amongst Kobold skeletons | Caius |
| Book of dwarven recipes | found amongst Kobold skeletons | Ezri |
| Silvered sickle | From the gullet of a Shambling Mound | Ezri |
| A book on Drow heresies | found on the corpse of drow priestess | Autun |
| Thieves' lantern | found in a strange cottage | Kais |
| A notebook with a record of objects | Obelisk | bag |
| Portrait of Ilvara | found on the corpse of the reanimated Buppido | bag |
| House of Mizzrym signet ring (3 gp) | bag | |
| Insignia of House Mizzrym (9) | Collected from various dead Drow | bag |
| Pouches of surface potpourri (12) | bag | |
| Feather of unknown bird | found with the Obelisk | bag |
| Recipe for Alchemist's fire | Lorthio's Lab | bag |
| Recipe for Acid | Lorthio's Lab | bag |
| Book of Nerrick | from Nerrick's chest | Bree |
| crappy poetry about gemstones | 10 May 2019 | bag |
| gnoll? necklace with 3 headed flail (Yeenoghu??) | Ilvara's bedroom | bag |
| a lockable chest (60x30x30) | bag | |
| bone flute | found in boneyard | Caius |
| bone hourglass (worth 2gp) | found in boneyard | Autun |
| small wood scroll case | gift from head of the Circle of Hunters | bag |
| small wood box | Ilvara's bedroom | bag |
| Component pouches (2) | distributed jointly | |
| Head of Medusa | 11 October 2019 | pickled, in the bag |
| Crystal, mostly transparent | recovered from stone gnome in crystal garden | Kais |
| Bree's basilisk egg | found a basilisk in Entemoch's Boon | Bree / Shuusar |
| Mundane communal supplies (in bag or distributed) | Number |
|---|---|
| Arrows | many (~200) |
| Bolts | many (~110) |
| Rations | many (~150) |
| bottles of surface wine | 3 |
| Torches | ? |
| Kindling | 5 fires |
| Firewood | 6 fires |
| Salt | 15 fish worth |
| Fire lichen | 6 meals' worth |
| Fishing tackle | 4 |
| Hemp Rope | 2 x 50 ft |
| Silk Rope | 2 x 50 ft ( escape, Gracklestugh market) |
| Grappling hook | 2 |
| Autun's Inventory | Number | Gained |
|---|---|---|
| Healer's kit | 1 | origin |
| necklace with unicorn head | 1 | origin |
| pouch with herbs (garlic, thyme, basil, ginger, mandrake root, belladonna, wolvesbane, yew leaves, cinnamon bark, firelichen) | origin | |
| bag of pitons | 2 | origin, Velkynvelve |
| clothes travel, high hard boots, belt, belt pouches | 1 | origin, Blingdenstone |
| dress clothes (deep blues, dark greens, and browns) | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| broach of giant origin | 1 | origin |
| purple velvet cloak | 1 | Cottage |
| leather backpack, bedroll | 1 | origin |
| splintmail (corroded -1) and jerkin with unicorn head | 1 | origin |
| tarps 10'x10' for simple tent | 2 | origin |
| 10' pole | 1 | origin |
| torches | 10 | origin |
| water/wineskins | 2 | origin |
| tinderbox, flint, steel, carving knife, whetstone | origin | |
| messkit, dented pot | 1 | origin |
| sticks of incense | 5 | origin |
| bag of caltrops | 1 | ? |
| longbow | 2 | origin, ? |
| greataxe | 2 | (extra from from ettin) |
| handaxe | 1 | origin |
| extra bowstring | ? | |
| arrows | 33 | ? |
| hand mirror | 1 | purchased in Blingdenstone |
| Bree's Inventory | Number | Gained |
|---|---|---|
| Bree's Book of Shadows | found hidden amongst Kobold skeletons | |
| hand mirror | 1 | purchased in Blingdenstone |
| travel clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| dress clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| hobit-kini | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| Caius's Inventory | Number | Gained |
|---|---|---|
| Belt from surface leather | Bought from Ylsa in Gracklstugh | |
| hand mirror | 1 | purchased in Blingdenstone |
| travel clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| dress clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| Ezri's Inventory | Number | Gained |
|---|---|---|
| Necklace with silvered spider fangs | 1 | taken from dead Ilvara's drow "pirates" |
| Drow spiderwebby headdress (10 gp) | 1 | Ilvara's bedroom |
| silver handmirror | 1 | Ilvara's bedroom |
| Perfumes, ~2gp each | 6 | Obelisk |
| drow underwear | 1 | Ilvara's bedroom |
| travel clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| nice dress | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| Studded leather armor (corroded -1) | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| Kais's Inventory (excluding items in general inventory list) | Number | Gained |
|---|---|---|
| Belt from surface leather | 1 | Bought from Ylsa in Gracklstugh |
| bag of pitons | 1 | ?? |
| studded leather armor | 1 | Velkynvelve |
| short swords | 2 | Velkynvelve |
| daggers | 3 | Velkynvelve |
| hand crossbow | 1 | Velkynvelve |
| bag of caltrops | 1 | Velkynvelve |
| longbow | 1 | |
| rapier | 1 | starting inventory |
| thieves' tools | 1 | starting inventory |
| burglar's pack | 1 | starting inventory |
| very old "fox and foxgloves" scabbard | 1 | starting inventory |
| Hairpins | 4 | Picked from Derendil's teeth |
| travel clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
| dress clothes | 1 | Blingdenstone |
Prior: Cut_Scene_1, All: Play_Sessions, Next: 21_February_2020