The Chronicles of Mordek Vol. 002

Gameplay Date 01-27-07

Players present:  Mordek, Taneus

It was about noon by the time we came back up out of the well.  Corny said he'd take us to Meg's place to get our injuries looked at.  As we left the well behind, we caught sight of 2 guys up on top of Goblin's Knob cemetery hill.  They must have seen us climbing out of the well as they were watching us rather intently, and I'm not sure, but I think I remember seeing them last night while we were at the Ever Inn.  Not too worried by them, we continued to follow Corny as he led us to a small 20' x 30', 2 room, 1 level house with front & back doors.  It was almost completely surrounded by hedges.  Corny yells out to Meg and the door swings open to reveal a small, round, human woman in her mid-50's.  She promptly grabs the kid by the ear and drags him inside.  With a slight chuckle, the elf & I follow them inside, where we also find another young woman in her mid-teens as she is sorting herbs.  We also catch a glimpse of the symbol of Obad-Hai on a necklace around her neck.  Meg introduces herself and the young woman, Luvana, to us before taking a look at our injuries.  We told her of the centipedes and Meg thinks we've probably been poisoned by them.  Meg & Luvana go off to prepare some herbs & medicines to treat our wounds, and soon we're feeling much better.  However, before we can thank them, we spotted the 2 men from Goblin's Knob coming toward Meg's place...  also injured.  As they approach, we can hear them muttering about a key being lost and that Valen's not gonna like it.  As they knock at Meg's front door, the elf and the kid and I quietly head out the back door.  Staying close by a window, I can still hear them as they are talking with Meg.  They tell her that Merrick will pay her for her healing services.

Once they get healed up and take off, we come back in through the back door to ask Meg a few questions.  Who where those two?  Cedric & Tundle.  Who's Valen?  No idea.  Who's Merrick?  He's the town Magistrate, lives in the manse near the bottom of Goblin's Knob, kinda paranoid according to Meg as he's got 2 war dogs guarding his residence.  We ask her if there is a library or something in town and she directs us to Paginus, an elderly man that runs the library.  I drop a handful of gold pieces in Luvana's hands as we thank them and start to head out.  We follow Meg's directions to arrive at the library, which is near to Wrend's Shack where we were this morning, only to find that the library has been tossed as if someone was looking for something in a big hurry.  Paginus is busy trying to reshelve everything and apologizes that he won't be able to help us until he gets the mess sorted out again.

By now, we were feeling pretty hungry so Corny suggests we head to the Cauldron.  He says that lotsa sailors tend to go there, so it may get a little rough.  As we are about to head into the Cauldron, we spot a pale horse with strange markings tied up outside and Corny says "Uegan."  We recognize the name to mean the horsemen of the plains, a nomadic group with no permanent settlement known.  Once inside, we can see 4 tables are occupied...  Wrend & Kristond (as Corny fills us in), 4 sailors from a ship called the Gargoyle drinking together, Unger & another dwarf in conversation, and a cloaked figure (the Uegan?) eating by himself.  Divina is the Innkeeper in here and she promptly takes our food & drink orders, as Corny chimes in that he'd like an ale too.  We talk amongst ourselves a bit more.  I order a 2nd plate of that delicious rabbit stew.  The elf doesn't seem to be much of a drinker, but the kid's holding his own so far.  But it doesn't last.  Before too long, the kid is passed out and slumped over the table, but at least he told us beforehand that Meg had practically raised him since he was really little.  So the elf & I carried his drunk body back to Meg's in the hopes that she'll let him sleep it off at her place.  As we are leaving, we can hear Divina shout out as the 4 sailors have started a fight in her tavern.

Afterward, the elf asks me if he can borrow some gold to purchase a bow & some arrows.  Though why he doesn't already have them is beyond me...  I thought every elf was born into this world with a bow already in hand.  But he's got a point...  if this Cedric or Tundle or Valen is looking for what we found underground and they decide to cause us trouble, well then I rather have the elf shooting arrows at them then just waving his hands & arms in the air.  We find what he's looking for, then decide to go check out the Magistrate's place to see if we can learn anything.  It's a large, one-story building with a 4' tall hedge surrounding it's grounds.  Only one entry point allows passage through the hedge wall, and it's is on the southern side.  We manage to spot 2 Mastif type dogs untethered in the yard outside the front door.  Nearby to the Magistrate's house is the cemetery on Goblin's Knob, and as we are glancing that way...  some stinky creature that is all salivating maw & slashing claws (a ghoul?) attacks me and I get paralyzed.  The elf decides to use me as cover while he tries to fight this thing as he keeps maneuvering to keep me between the two of them.  There is a strange whizzing sound and suddenly a tombstone shatters as a sling rock collides with it.  Apparently, the still drunk Cornelius had woken up, gotten back to his feet and staggered out to find us again, or maybe he was heading for his lair (which isn't all that far off).  All I remember is that sling rocks were flying everywhere as the kid tried to help out.  Then things went quiet for a long time and the next thing I know, a city guard is tipping my still paralyzed body over and I'm being hauled off.  Corny is insisting that they take us back to Meg's place.  Wait...  I missed something...  and why is my head throbbing...  did...  did that kid bean me with one of his sling stones???

The next morning I wake up at Meg's.  Corny is suffering from a hangover...  good, serves him right!  Luvana seems to be making a tea for him.  I make sure to give Meg & Luvana some more gold for their services.  The elf is waiting for us and he's got a bird (a raven) with him now.  Thanking them again, we head out with Cornelius in tow.  Not sure why...  I realize he kinda means to help...  but his wanton thievery is gonna get him into trouble one of these days, so I try to give him some advice to hopefully help straighten him out.  We head back to the Cauldron for some breakfast, to find that the 4 sailors are still in there, 3 of whom are conscious.  Sounds like they'll be shipping out for Straag with passengers and that it is a one month trip.  We also overhear that they had left Buckler Island in a hurry too...  left half of their crew behind.  They're just waiting on 2 guys...  Serlick & Turnip?  Maybe they mean Cedric & Tundle.  2 tired militiamen show up and then leave and the place gets quiet for a bit.  When we leave though, we find 4 militiamen waiting outside for us.  We've been summoned by the Magistrate and get taken to the town's Garrison.  When we are allowed to leave again, we find that we're being followed.  Not sure where, but the elf managed to come up with a blade...  if it can be called that.  First we had to visit a blacksmith to get it sharpened, and then a visit to the local weaponsmith (Burren) to get the handle wrapped.  In idle conversation, we hear that the stable in the southeast corner of town has been losing horses.  As we head out again, we manage to lose our "shadows" by ducking through a rug merchant's shop.

To be continued...