Down and Out in Taren Kost – Campaign Report Episode 11 – Family, right?

This takes place shortly after Interlude 3, again, amazingly, it is a straight chronology from one game to another.

Our cast for this episode (for more information on the game background, see here):

Reed Greenbottle, Mercutio, Skathfka and introducing:

• Agrippa, tortoise beastkine martial artist seeking his three lost brothers.  (Shadow Monk 3, played by B, naturally, as his other character is very city focused)

Episode 11: Family, right?

Quickly convincing Mercutio it is in his best interest to get out of the city for awhile, and noticing that Hartessa seems to have taken herself away somewhere, they head to Port Celestia with Elshamint and his companions.  There they board an elven starship, the Crystal Pegasus, and set sail.  Where upon they meet the wandering turtle, Agrippa, who attaches himself to the group.

A swarm of giant wasps (as in foot/30cm long, not, say horse sized) assaults the ship, the which the crew responds by battening down the hatches, throwing out food and barricading themselves in.  A few of the wasps make it in to the crew quarters, only to be viciously dispatched.

Soon thereafter they arrive in Diverseport, a dwarven trading port carved into the side of a mountain and controlled by the Emerald Dwarves.  They take advantage of the stop to stretch their legs and get some new equipment while the Crystal Pegasus undergoes minor repairs.  Arriving a few hours later is an extremely fancy ship decorated with fantastic carving, crystals, and a hot tub in the stern.  Its passengers are willowy dragonkin with too much money and no place to, the call themselves the Children of the Dragon and their ship is the Empress’ Blessing.  They are happy to buy our heroes a meal and learn about the wonders of Taren Kost.  In return, they tell their tale, that once they were a poor tribe of small, degraded dragonkin but they performed a mighty ritual and were plucked from their world to this one and given new and better forms by the Empress.  Now, they are on a grand tour of the Sea of Stars.  They thanks the characters for their time and advice.  Unrish, their spokesperson, takes out one of their extravagant earrings and tosses it to Mercutio who sighs, wishing he could go with them.

A week of so of travel later, they arrive at the lands of Clan Baitam, specifically the city of Tivaran, which still bears the scars from its conquest two generations ago.  Looming over the city is the imposing Tower of the Black Scale, the Baitam Clanhold.  They are met at the dock by V’kavtha, Skathfka’s eldest brother who does not like him much, and escorted through the city, which still is partly depopulated even this long after its conquest with many abandoned building along the fringes.

Arriving at the keep, V’kavtha hands Skathfka and his companions over to Sertha, older sister to Skathfka and Priestess of the Dominae.  She leads them into the temple and fortification that serves to protect the eggs to see Shavrika, Lady Baitam, High Priestess of the Dominae and Skathfka’s mother.  She welcomes him home but also berates him for abandoning their Clan’s beliefs to live with the weaker breeds as though they were equals.  She sends Skathfka out with a warning to prepare for the difficulties ahead.

Agrippa sneaks off while the rest go to the, dwarven built, distillery and draw part of Skathfka’s yearly ration of brandy.  Mercutio believes that there could be a market for the strong drink.  Agroppa sneaks into the main keep and down to find cells with several dozen prisoners, none seemingly too mistreated, and then makes his way back before he is missed.

Skathfka finally takes the long walk, climbing to the top of the keep, to see his uncle, Patriarch Ogrash Baitam, ruler of the Clan for the last century, a massive Dragonborn who has grown fat with power and luxury.  He welcomes Skathfka home and says, after looking to his astrologer, “With your return, the Clan Thing can begin tomorrow.  But tonight, we feast.”  He then waddles over to a chair that, with some effort, magically levitates him and they head down for the great hall.

And that was the end of the session.

Notes: A fun game with some unanswered questions, as the players never asked them, but fun.

Top image (en) Ships Sailing and Beating up against the Wind in the Sound; (da) Sejlende og krydsende skibe, Øresund by Adolph Friedrich Vollmer from the Statens Museum for Kunst. Used under CC0.