(G491 03/09/2022 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), KT, AD) HOM12

 (G491 03/09/2022 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), KT, AD) HOM12

[The adventurers Griffolk Ethyn the Dragon-Shaman, Corhim Sparkledingle the Gnome Wizard and Fangornio the Barbarian are on a mission to follow Baroness Partick and have been onboard the galleon known as the Dementor for several weeks now.
Recently they have just come to blows with the Baroness's silent servant - a hulking brute called Mr Nice. This fight had just been interrupted.]

DAY 37 (day 26 of the voyage) cont ...

Baroness Partick stood in the corridor, waiting for an answer, or at least to see what they did next. While everyone hesitated Mr Nice stood up and shut the door.

'Cease this nonsense immediately!' said the Baroness.
'It was just a tickle fight,' piped up Sparkledingle.
'Nonsense?' asked Griffolk. 'There seems to be a lot more than nonsense going on, on this boat at the moment.'
The Baroness stepped forward to get a good look at him.
'If you want to do this now, then we can, otherwise, go back to your cabin,' she said in a low threatening voice.
This was enough for Fangornio and Sparkledingle who both then went to their rooms. Griffolk stood firm, blocking the corridor.
'You seem unconcerned about what is going on,' he said. 'As if you have insider
knowledge.'
She silently pushed past him and entered her cabin.
Griffolk was now alone in the corridor so he too went to his room.

Sparkledingle couldn't sit still for long though and decided to go and raid the surgeon's room one more time. There were dozens of potions in the room, half were unlabeled and the other half were all written on in cryptic spidery lettering.
He brought some to Cookie next door to get her opinion.
'I wouldn't trust any of them', she said. 'He mixed them with alcohol and all sorts of things.'

Meanwhile Griffolk also eventually left his cabin and went on deck. He watched as the Baronesses men silently worked the ship. He decided to test their capabilities by throwing apples at them.
Ah yes, the old apple toss technique. You may be wondering now if Griffolk hadn't been at the surgeon's potions, but it worked well enough. One of the men caught an apple and dropped it over the side while another was hit in the chest and let it roll away.
According to the apple toss technique then, these men were neither lightning fast or stupidly slow. They reacted to tossed apples as would normal men.

They were now only two or three days away from Calimport.  


DAY 38 (day 27 of the voyage)

After some discussion in the morning the three heroes decided to take serious action. Without consulting any of the crew or the other passengers they went up on to the deck and attacked the Baroness's men.

Griffolk and Fangornio tried to grab and throw one over board who was at the rail, but he was too agile and managed to scramble around for quite a long time before they finally ditched him.

This gave the other men time to arrive on deck and they drew their daggers and joined the melee. Sparkledingle found himself menaced by two of them and was  cut twice as he cowered behind a barrel.

The other two eventually came to protect him and he passed potions to Fangornio when he was bleeding from several cuts. Either through panic, or a desire to experiment, Sparkledingle passed over potions at random. While neither were  healing potions there not harmful. One turned out to be Protection from Evil and the other was Aid.

In the final phase of the combat Sparkledingle used a Launch Item spell on Kenneth (a strange long spikey object that he prized above all other possessions) but it missed its target and flew out into the sea.

Crestfallen, all Sparkledingle could do was watch at it hit the water with a splash and sunk into the depths of the Shining Sea.

(G490 27/08/2022 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR54

 (G490 27/08/2022 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR54

[Myself and Dak are on the trail of the Black Mirror and have arrived in Waterdeep. While waiting for the ship to come in, we had just finished clearing out a dungeon of undead and other nasties.]

DAY 565 (19th  Eleint) (September) cont ...

When we left Roge Gelnne's house we had quite a lot of treasure in our bags that had come from the dungeons he had wanted cleared. Such is the way of things, and it felt like we had earned  every gold piece of it considering what we had taken on.
He was happy enough, and could sleep easy in his bed again, safe in the knowledge that there was nothing dangerous down there any more. The cleaning crews would be sent in, I assumed, and he'd have a new wine cellar, or whatever he fancied.

Anyway, we relocated to the Singing Sword and had a small celebration, a slap up feast and drinks all round for the room. It was quite late at night when I finally got to my bed.


DAY 566 (20th  Eleint) (September)

Late in the morning, with more than a slight hangover I went down to the docks to check for the Black Mirror. She was easy to find, a xebec has a distinctive shape and there she was, as bold as brass at the Seaswealth Dock. Me and Dak sat down at some tavern tables that were set up in the street and while drinking tea we watched the ship.

We saw that there were eight crewmembers. They must have arrived near dawn as they were already taking on supplies. Crates and barrels were being delivered and lowered into the hold.

It looked like the tall half-elf was the captain, while a half-orc was the first mate. The rest of the crew consisted of two more half-orcs, three humans and one dwarf.

Later on, one of the humans and a dwarf left and headed to the Selune's Smile off Fishgut Court. I was disguised as a sailor, Dak, as always, was is standard half-orc self.

We went to the bar and watched them for a while, but then I went to talk to them, bringing some drinks over. I introduced myself as Jack Blackbird.

I said:
'You part of the crew of the Black Mirror? I bring warnings of the Annubus and the Reaper.'

The dwarf gave me a side-eyed look. I went on:
'Did you not know? The Annubus was lost. Crew pulled apart by wild animals. That's what I heard. Reaper too. And you are a sister ship right?'

Dak gave the dwarf a hearty slap on the shoulder.

They were puzzled and evasive, but since I was willing to pay for the drinks they accepted our company. Glenn was the name of the dwarf and Bryen was the name of the human.
I asked questions, trying to gauge their strength, their defences and such. I don't think they had heard anything about the other two xebecs and as such they were going about their business as usual.
Their stories were much the same as the two we had captured before when we had dealt with the reaper. They started out as sailors and were now mercenaries and occasional pirates, they did  not say so in such clear terms, but it was obvious.
'Don't you worry, that your misdeeds will come back to you? A family member of one of your victims seeking revenge for instance?'
'Oh you know,' said Bryen. 'You take a job. A quest. Or whatever. Sometimes people die, its not personal. I'm not going to lose any sleep about it.'
'Well,' I replied. 'I'm sure your pragmatism will be a comfort to you as are you are being ripped apart by wild animals.'
'What about you?' he asked of me. 'You are so pure? A gentleman of fortune like yourself must  have a few  enemies.'
'That's true I do,' I accepted. 'And as a consequence I take a great deal of care to make sure I am safe from them!'
'Huh,' he grunted. 'I'll take your advice onboard. Now please bugger off. Me and Glenn have private business to conduct.'

Me and Dak returned to the bar and drank. The two sailors sat and whispered together.
The barman was starting to get cross with Dak, who was treating him to some inane blather about Jibby-Jibby.
While Dak visited the privy I told the barman, 'you should humour him, he is incredibly wealthy!'
Dak returned and continued to describe his favourite drink. The barman said he would see what he could do and sent out for some things.
Half an hour later he had Dak's drink. 'It's not the same sir, but as best as I can manage from your description. I call it jobbly-jobbly.'

Dak thanked him and took the bottle over to the pirates. He poured them each a drink, but they would not touch it until he had some himself.
Dak did so, then Glenn who had a coughing fit and Bryen who went very red in the eyes.
I went over and tried some. It tasted like cheap spirits with parsley in it.

I returned to the bar and paid the barman one gold to tell me what it was.
'Just rotgut and parsley, sir.'
'Well he seems to like it anyway,' I observed.

I then did my best to describe jibby-jibby. 'It's like liquid sunshine going down, it leaves a glow in the belly. It tastes nice, smooth but strong. I think it is  made from desert plants like agave or aloe. It has a sweet aroma, like berries. It hits you like a warhammer to he forehead though.'

'That's it!' declared Dak who had joined us. 'Fifty gold if you bring me that!'

A hour later the barman returned with something that looked like jibby-jibby. It was fruity and strong, not really the same but pretty tasty in its own right. We took it over to the pirates and they drank as much as they could get off us. I suppose they knew quality brandy when they tasted it!

Glenn managed to survive, but Bryen was flat on his arse. I managed to get some more information from them though. Glen had been crew on the Black Mirror for six to eight months, while Bryen had been onboard for a year. This meant  that they had very likely been part of the raid on the Lost Refuge.


DAY 567 (21th  Eleint) (September)

This is a very nice room I have in the Singing Sword I must say. The bed is very clean and comfortable. The furnishings are tasteful and well made. The desk I sit at to write this was made by a master craftsman, ornately carved and with a leather top. I should get one just like it for the keep when it is completed.

Anyway, to record the events of the day.

We went and ate breakfast at our usual table beside the dockside tavern we now frequented and watched the Black Mirror as they went about their business.

They could see us plainly, we made no secret of our presence but we were not approached. In the evening two human crew members disembarked and headed for  the Selune's Smile. We followed and as with the night before Dak splashed out on another bottle of expensive brandy that had been relabeled as 'Jibby Jibby.'

We carried out much the same performance and learned that these two were called Myce and Robert. They had been with the crew 18 months and 2 years respectively.

When I asked about the captain I was informed that - 'the captain's business is his own. He is not a man to cross!'

This provoked much mirth from Dak as he joked 'Is he then a manti-core?' He made much of this jest for the rest of the night.

The only other thing we learned was that the Black Mirror was due to sail in two or three days.

I am the worse for drink again so I will now blow out the candle.


DAY 568 (22th  Eleint) (September)

Today was similar to the previous two. We watched the ship, the tailed the captain and the first mate to the Selune's Smile.
Here, either by habit or to elude us, they hired a private room. I paid the barman to keep his ears open as he served them, but we learned only that they were not concerned about me and Dak at all.
Although we had pestered their crew the last two nights it was assumed it had been a different set of drunks on each occasion.

It appeared that the crew of the Black Mirror did not gossip much between themselves which was good news for us.


DAY 569 (23rd  Eleint) (September)

The forth day of our vigil was the day the Black Mirror set sail from Waterdeep Harbour. We watched them leave with the tide, heading out through the deep water harbour. As they headed out to sea we left the city through the South Gate and in a quiet spot I turned into a giant owl and with Dak on my back took to the air.

We located the ship and followed it from the air. This time the plan would be simpler.

(G489 25/06/2022 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), KT) WA97

 (G489 25/06/2022 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), KT) WA97

[And now back into the Underdark with Fenrir and Reinward, who have entered the Lair of Queen Arachnia and with one of the magical keys in their possession they are now deep inside the mysterious mansion of Lady Petal-Ash. They have just had a very narrow escape from some very nasty mirror-image monsters.]


DAY 507(22nd Flamerule)(july) cont..

Fenrir took a breather and used Fiendish Resistance to heal himself. This took some  minutes. After that they moved on and came to a room where a red dragon told them to 'come no further.'

After much experimentation with thrown coins and such like it appeared the dragon was an illusion. A good one, that fooled all the senses, even smell, but still just a harmless illusion.

The corridor they followed next doubled back towards Evengelina's room. Here they were attacked by four slimy demons that I think may have been Farastu. They were no great challenge. Evengelina greeted them again from her room but they were still not interested in her charms and followed an unexplored corridor to the north.

In the next chamber they battled an unknown tentacled horror, but all they had to do was let Fenrir blast it to death from outside of its range of reach.

After crossing an illusionary bridge through the stars they finally came to the chambers of Lady Petal-Ash herself. It consisted of a long wide corridor with four doors on each side, for a total of eight, and a set of double doors at the far end.

They worked their way up, going from room to room. They met various denizens of the mansion, flying broomsticks and a talking chest that could magically clean the clothes put in it. They met a confused elven maid called Pemelle, but she did not trust them and took a knife from the table in her room and backed into the corner.
Just as Fenrir was talking to her, trying to explain he was not a threat,
Lady Petal-Ash appeared at the double doors. She immediately attacked, casting a Fireball at them, then summoning tigers. As they ducked for cover another Fireball hit. Even after that barrage, they were still healthy enough to fight off the tigers. With all the magical items Reinward now possessed he was almost impossible to hit and Fenrir had always been warded by his demonic powers, so the tigers were eventually beaten back and they followed Lady Petal-Ash into her personal chambers at the top
of the corridor.

Despite all her magic and all her illusions, it was not long before they managed to corner her, where she was then blasted and stabbed to death.

After a search of all the chambers they found the key they were looking for, some treasure and finally a wild eyed man that lived in one of the rooms they had not yet looked in.

For a while Fenrir thought this man and Pemelle were the Lady's servants, and maybe they were, but they were ready to leave and he decided not to stop them.

This left only 'Chesty', the talking clothes trunk. They talked to him for a while but he only knew what he was and what his function was and little else. Fenrir  convinced the chest to follow them, propelled as it was by mysterious little legs, but Reinward was less convinced. Perhaps he thought it was no more than a tame mimic that used its tongue and spit to clean the clothes put in it? Yuck!

(G488 18/06/2022 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR53

 (G488 18/06/2022 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF, KT) LR53

[Myself and Dak are on the trail of the Black Mirror and have arrived in Waterdeep. While waiting for the ship to come in, we are clearing out a dungeon of undead and other nasties.]

DAY 565 (19th  Eleint) (September) cont ...

After my very near death experience I needed the remainder of the day to calm my nerves. We then rested at Roge Gelnne's house.


DAY 566 (20th  Eleint) (September)

After healing and restoring myself, we headed back down into the haunted cellars of the house of Roge Gelnne.

Whatever this place had been, it was not short of undead. Rooms and corridors of dusty corpses led through to yet more catacombs. Not burial chambers as such, but areas for the collection of the dead. Perhaps a powerful necromancer had once inhabited this place?

I used Stone Shape on doors that Dak could not hack through, and we came to another chamber full of giant zombies and flesh golems. How many years had they stood here silently and undisturbed? Maybe a hundred years judging by the dust that was thrown up as Dak chopped them to pieces.

Another room, and three more golems that met the same fate. We then moved on, down the dusty corridors to smaller room that had a square pool in it. Dak immediately fell in.

This pool was a doorway for an aboleth. I have fought these creatures before (although Fenrir is the expert!) and these pools always lead down into dark watery caverns or flooded halls. I hauled Dak out, but the dwellers beneath had been alerted and we were then attacked by an aboleth and its skum slaves.

Dak felled three of the skum in one wide sweep of his blade. I summoned a polar bear that just barely squeezed into the already crowded chamber. The aboleth hit us with a Lightning Spell.
I summoned some crocodiles next and the pool became a wild frothing turmoil of tentacles and angry animals. I turned into a polar bear and belly flopped in. The aboleth stood no chance. We chased it through to another chamber were it tried to surrender, I think, but since we could not understand its language I told Dak to just kill it. He leapt into  the water again and cut it in half.

After all that, we moved on to another chamber full of treasure chests. These contained a large amount of loot that we happily stuffed into our Bags of Holding. This job was finally paying off!
Next though we were attacked by another dread wraith, and it very nearly did for us again. But Dak held it off with magical blows while I used Sunbeam and Hypothermia until the terrible thing was slain.

(G487 11/06/2022 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), KT, AD) HOM11

 (G487 11/06/2022 via Roll20 - AP, JF(GM), KT, AD) HOM11

[The adventurers Griffolk Ethyn the Dragon-Shaman, Corhim Sparkledingle the Gnome Wizard and Fangorino the Barbarian are on a mission to follow Baroness Partick and have been onboard the galleon known as the Dementor for several weeks now.
Recently Mr and Mrs Baleworth went missing, presumed taken by the vampires lurking in the ship's hold, and Sparkledingle has talked to the new Bosun, a middle-aged fellow called Redthorn who also happens to be a Harper Agent.]


DAY 27 (16) cont...

Sparkledingle returned to Griff and Fangorino and told them everything about his talk with Redthorn.

Eventually they all returned to their cabins.


DAY 28 (day 17 of the voyage)

After all the excitement of the day before, the Dementor settled back into a sort of routine.
A day of sailing, good progress was made.


DAY 29 (day 18 of the voyage)

A day of sailing, good progress was made.


DAY 30 (day 19 of the voyage)

Today Gingols the Sane finally snapped. He had been wandering around on the deck for a while unnoticed until he suddenly attacked Sparkledingle who was standing with his friends at the rail.

Whatever prompted this sudden violence was very ill-advised as Fangorino chopped him with his axe as he rushed in. Then, as Sparkledingle cast Mirror Image to confuse him, Griff shot the (presumably now) insane wizard in the head with a crossbow bolt and that was the end of that.

Shortly afterwards they searched his cabin and found his journal that, in spidery letters, documented his decent into madness.
The captain, quite drunk, finally turned up. 'What's going on?' he burped.

As they explained he led Griff and Fang back to his cabin, where the drink was. Sparkledingle decided to go back to the surgeon's cabin and look at the potions again. Most were unlabeled or too mysterious to risk, but he took a few that he thought would be useful.

After that he went to look at Mullmaster. The First Mate was chained to the wall in the infirmary. He looked malnourished and dehydrated. He went to talk to Cookie who said, 'I don't know what to do with him. He doesn't eat.'
They then went to offer him food and water, but he was not interested.

Later still Sparkledingle went to the captain's cabin where he found them all rolling around as drunk as lords.


DAY 31 (day 20 of the voyage)

No alarming events today.

A day of sailing, good progress was made.


DAY 32 (day 21 of the voyage)

Today Yoram Pelloto was found dead by a sailor on the morning watch.
The rogue and card-sharp had been hung from the rigging.


DAY 33 (day 22 of the voyage)

Today Sparkledingle noticed that a lot of the crew were sleeping on the deck now, or even up in the rigging if they were either agile or fearful enough.

He went to talk to Redthorn.
'Having fun yet?' asked the Bosun bleakly.
'The crew appear nervous.'
'That they are, young gnome,' agreed Redthorn. 'My instructions are to simply make sure we get to Calimport. If we can make it there, all will be well.'


DAY 34 (day 23 of the voyage)

Today Jilley Hidescore came to them. She had had enough, she told them.
'I'm filled with dread!' she exclaimed. 'Every night I don't sleep a wink, how can I, knowing what is just below my cabin?'
She went on, 'we have to do something! Let's go down there with bags of garlic and sort them out! Are you coming?'

They calmed her down a bit before she could march off to her death. Other plans were discussed.
'Well, we often think about sinking the ship...' said Sparkledingle.
'Yes!' Jilley cried. 'Let's do that! I'm all in!'
Sparkledingle then went to bring Redthorn down to their mutinous cabal. No one was entirely sure how to sink a ship though, and while Sparkledingle had a book on engineering it was more geared towards building houses.
'Anyway,' said Redthorn after joining the others in looking at diagrams of  stonemasonry. 'Sink the ship if you want, but we are headed to Calimport. I have friends waiting there.'
'Hmm,' put in Griffolk. 'How about we just sink it a bit? Like, just put a foot of water or so in the lower deck?'
Redthorn, who could still smell the drink on young Griffolk, sighed and said, 'well, aye. If your going to try that, I'm manning the lifeboats.'

Finally Jilley Hidescore yelped and said, 'oh, enough! I'm taking matters into my own hands.' And off she went.

Corhim went to his room to study. Griff went to talk to his sort-of friend  Midshipman Krondor, but she was still, either deliberately or not, completely  oblivious to everything going on.
'What's the big deal?' she said 'It's no skin off my nose if passengers disappear.
Dangerous place the sea. Captain's business, not mine.'

Griff then went to Midshipman Alise who was a decent fellow and unlike Krondor very unhappy about the situation. Griff put all his cards on the table;
'In theory,' he enthused. 'Running water in the hold could get rid of the vampires without sinking the
ship!'
Seeing Alise's skeptical look he went on. 'Don't worry, it's all going to be fine! Its a secret haha, but we have a harper agent on board, it's all sorted!'
Alise was not convinced.
'If I see you doing anything to endanger the ship I'll have you clapped in irons!' he snarled before going back to his work.


DAY 35 (day 24 of the voyage)

Today Jilley Hidescore took the jolly boat, and with two of the crew sailed off into the mist before anyone could stop them.


DAY 36 (day 25 of the voyage)

Today one of the other sailors went missing. They later learned it was their friend Bobby Shafto.

DAY 37 (day 26 of the voyage)

In the morning the brave companions arose and went on deck. None of them were sailors, but they could tell something was wrong. The ship was barely moving and what sails there were on the masts were hanging like useless rags. There was no one working the ship at all!

The truth was that with three sailors missing the ship was now unsailable. They went to the Captain's cabin and found him drinking himself senseless with two of the marines.

Around ten in the morning Baroness Partick arrived on deck and ordered her six silent guards to start sailing the ship. Sparkledingle knew that this did not bode well and went to talk to the one that had taken over the wheel. He was met with silence.
Just then the last two sailors (who were Darfellen, a race of seal-like people) stripped off on the deck and jumped into the sea.

Redthorn, also on deck, looked from the wheel to the sea, wheeling around in confusion and fear. His plan for Calimport was looking a lot less likely now.

Sparkledingle tried the captain again, but he was roaring drunk.
'Well,' he declared. 'It looks like I'm the captain now!'
It was no surprise to anyone that the silent guards ignored him.

Corhim, Griff and Fan decided to go and confront the Baroness. Redthorn declined to join them. 'Well, we've not changed direction,' he muttered. 'We are still going towards Calimport...'

So, without the Harper Agent, they went and knocked on the Baroness's cabin door. Mr Nice opened it, looked at them, then slammed the door shut.
They then played a bit of open and shut with the door as they knocked again and again. On the third round Fang tried to intimidate Mr Nice. The strange tall and green-skinned being was unimpressed.

They then went and had their lunch, and without having any better ideas they went back to the door and this time when it was opened, they attacked.

Mr Nice was massive, and although young Fang was far from small, initially he was badly beaten by the giant and fell back into the corridor in a bloody heap. The door was slammed shut.

A potion was applied to the barbarian and he was up and raring to go for another round.
The door was opened and this time Griff used his dragony fire breath. Mr Nice did not like that at all and walloped Griff with his mighty fists, making his head ring.

Corhim cast Grease and Mr Nice fell, making him an easy target for Fang's axe. Just as it looked like they were finally winning, as Fang roared in barbarian rage, beating down the green-skinned giant with a rain of heavy blows, a female voice behind them demanded,
'What is the meaning of this?'

Behind them they saw the Baroness, with several of her silent guards. Things had just got a lot more complicated.