IDLEWOOD.  

The team gathered except Raelin who sent word he was sick and could not attend.  I fixed chicken with mushroom, leek cream sauce and some potatoes.  A bottle of wine was shared around, except for Friz who drank a glass of water as he expounded what alcohol does to one’s body. 

We discussed keeping some of the money back from the society and putting it in a separate fund we could pull for our society pursuits. Samus and Friz paid their rent and I was able to keep Cedric Tunney off our backs for a month.  We decided any coin collected in the pursuit of society needs half would go to the fund and half would go to us so we could continue to pay our bills and keep to the shadows as much as possible.

After paying Friz back for his ingredients for healing potions and for the ingredients we have 380 gp left.  We also decided any magical items need to be procured for the sake of our missions would come out of this fund – hence paying Friz back for this ingredients.

Friz explained that he had spent quite a bit of his funds on something called a homunculus, a small construct that works like my sweet Mouse but on a more advanced scale.  Friz says it looks like a small gargoyle and could be used to spy for us.  It might be useful when we are looking into the Dark Coven.  If we find it of use for our society needs we will need to reimburse Friz for his costs.

Samus said he felt out of shape and was disappointed in his performance.  He has started a training regiment and says he is feeling better.  His old promoter contacted him and asked if he would like to do an exhibition fight and he agreed.  Win or lose he gets paid and we could use the coin.  But what is most interesting is his opponent is called Kong and he is supposed to be an ape.  Samus does not know if he is a wild ape or someone dressed in wild ape clothing but might be a good chance to get the 3 hair follicles taken from a wild ape. He needs a second and a healer with him.  Obscura will be his second and Friz, of course, will go as his healer.  I will be in the stands and will place our bet for Samus to win.  The group agreed to bet 100 gp of the society fund.  Obscura will be talking with Sir Clifton Dolittle, the Bender’s biggest fan, to see what the odds are? 

We did discuss our last adventure and I praised Obscura for have listening at the door then calling us to block it.  She said she is used to working alone and the first thing she does is look for exits and places where enemies can come in to surprise us.  I am sure Raelin has this same skill.  I told her that if we ever find ourselves in such a place as we did in the catacombs (and I’m positive we will) that they should let us know of these and which should be blocked.

We then moved on to why we were here in the first place.  We first verified if everyone was still on board for joining the society.  I will of course ask Raelin when I see him next.  Everyone agreed which is good as I said the society was very pleased with our quick recovery of the recipe and our willingness to see the task through to collect and make the potions for them.  Soon the society will send representatives to Idlewood for the initiation ceremony and a tattoo artist who will give each of us a tattoo with some magical properties.

Everyone was busy gathering information on some of the ingredients or in some cases buying them.

We decided our best bet was to go to the Dead Gull and talk to this Salty McGibbons to see if we could get a lead on the sand under a shipwreck and then get a good night’s sleep prior to tomorrow’s fight. I was very interested in trying rum, as I never had it before.  Obscura warned it was very strong and I should just sip it.

Our ruse, we are two couples on date night Friz and Obscura and Samus and me.  We headed to the Wharf District where we were stopped by a tall lanky gentlemen in a black coat introducing himself as Sam Creed.  He opened up his coat and asked us if we were interested in buying any wares.  Based on his descriptions of these items they are all magical.  He is a very brave or very foolish man, but we could not resist. Sam said he usually sells near the Barbarian quarter (we should ask him about the Dark Coven and if he knows where we may be able to get some of these other ingredients as he must have sources).

I bought a potion that may aid Samus in his fight tomorrow (25 gp); Obscura bought a tinderbox that always stays lit even if it gets wet (10 gp); and Samus bought an eternal flame torch (10 gp). 

He also had –

·        A bracelet that helps you dodge things, narrowly avoid things, grants you fortitude to resist stuff – 100 gp

·        A dagger that when thrown comes back to you  - 125 gp

·        Short sword – very fine – 200 gp

Samus paid him 2 gp – tax for going in and out of University quarter and asked if he would meet as at noon the next day as we may be interested in some of the items and any new ones he had – Sam agreed.

We hid our newly purchased items and paid our 1 gp each to get through the gate when we saw a crowd gathered.  A top a hastily constructed execution block out of crates was a man, his hands tied behind him and looming over him, a black hooded executioner with his gleaming axe.  At the side was Cedric Tunny, Rolly Splints, Cromell and TNT of the Righteous Rose and many other Iron Wolves.  As we approached Cromwell stood on the gates and called out to the subdue crowd that Adivamin Ameso was bein executed for trying to smuggle illegals into the city and he is being executed for his crimes.

Samus drifted away and I could see him talking to the large Righteous Rose named TNT.  He came back and said that the poor frightened man was a bosun from the ship The White Knuckle and he had apparently forgotten to declare some goods coming into the city.  Cromwell wanted to make an example of him.  Cedric could be bribed for probably 200 gp to stop the execution.

We did not have the coin to save the poor soul nor could we risk exposing ourselves with Tunney and Cromwell about.  I buried my face in Samus’ waist as he led me away, but I could still hear the axe and last scream of the bosun.  This is why we are doing what we are doing, but stones and boulders it breaks my heart that we can’t save all the innocents.

We entered the Dead Gull and made our way to the bar.  Samus and I ordered rum and while Samus asked John the bartender who Salty was I forgot to sip my rum and down the whole small glass. It was very vile going down but then warmed me from the inside out.  John pointed to an old man sitting smoking a long pipe and said Salty would be more willing to talk with us if we bought him an ale.  I bouth him a rum and brought it over to me.  I found it a bit difficult to walk in a straight line but sat down next to Salty who eyed me suspiciously.  I told him I heard he was a great storyteller and I was a historian researching local shipwrecks.  I pushed the rum toward him and Salty was more than happy to start singing a song about a shipwreck not too far from Rel Astra called the Edmund Fitzgerald.  It was a sad song about a ship that wrecked on Shark Tooth island during an early winter gales, all hands were lost. Apparently Shark Tooth island is not far from the harbor and the crew of the White Knuckle may be able to get us there for the right price.  We bought Salty another drink for his fine singing.

Samus asked John the bartender if he had some aged port wine and John said there was some in the cellar. Samus paid him a bit to go and look as John muttered something about wharf rats.  After the song Samus became worried about John and was going to check on him.  I followed when a hairy fellow blocked Samus way, recognizing him as the Bender and wanting to bring down the champ.  Then he and his crony, Bobbin took a swing at Samus snapping his head back.  Samus grabbed Rudy around the middle holding him tight and the two exchanged insults with Rudy yelling for Bobbin to back off. Obscura reiterated that order with a slice of her rapier and the crowd in the bar surged forward cheering.  I tried to hit Bobbin in the knee cap with my staff but it seemed to move and I missed.  Four Iron Wolf guards came rushing in calling out to break it up. We ignored them. Samus easily knocked out Rudy and flashed a smile through his bleeding lip, “That’s more like it!” And then the Wharf Rats came out of the basement…very LARGE Wharf Rats…pony size Wharf Rats.

Bobbin and two other of Rudy’s cronies tried to get him up but he was too weak and hid under a table.  They stepped up next to Samus and Obscura who were making a front trying to keep the rats cornered. The four iron wolves watched the rear and ushered the rest of the screaming patrons out the door.  Unfortunately one poor drunk was cornered. I hid behind the bar and tried using my crossbow but I couldn’t keep my aim straight.  Friz went running past me toward the hatch and I tried to scramble after him but fell back down.  Rum is a powerful drink.  I could hear the fighting but couldn’t see over the bar.  Friz came running back, his leg bloodied and headed toward the fight.  A rat jumped on the bar blocking me from view and I laid my hand on his filthy fur and shot a firebolt into his side and down he went.  Another replaced him and again I killed him with fire.  “Push the barrels and block the hole,” yelled Obscura, and Friz came skidding over the bar.  “Fire really hurts them,” I said. 

“Help me,” yelled Friz as he pushed the barrel.  I pushed along side him with all my might and we moved it even with a Wharf Rat hissing down at us. Maybe rum makes me stronger!

“Friz, I need you!” yelled Samus and Friz was gone. 

I grabbed a torch from the wall and scrambled up on the bar.  Dead rats laid all around the bar with two of the Iron Wolves, but Bobbin and his friends were still standing.  The poor drunk was minus a head, but I couldn’t dwell on that as I moved to the black rat at the end of the bar.  Using the torch as a ruse I used fire bolt again and did smoldering damage but did not kill it.  Two more rats went down and the rest ran for their escape hole – but HA we blocked it.  Samus, Obscura and the others quickly dispatched the rest.

The iron wolves revived one of their comrades but the other was dead.  They called for drinks and I took another rum, sipping it this time to calm my shaking hand.  Rudy came and shook Samus’ hand and they two chatted over ale.  Turns out Rudy is the captain of the White Knuckle and was planning on being at the fights tomorrow. After Rudy went to sit down, I came over to him and secured passage on his ship for a day’s journey for the day after next for 5 gp to Shark Tooth Island.

My head started to hurt and felt very heavy that I had to hold it with my hands. Rudy and his crew left as did the Iron Wolves.  We checked the bodies and found 30 gp and 10 sp on the poor drunk – more money for our society pot. We decided to call it a night.