RPG Recap: Alar, 2012-05-26, 2012-08-04, 2012-08-13
Year 28 of the 7th Imperator, 13th of Declarations
Having slaughtered just about every living thing near the once-captured villa, the first task was to search the bodies of the bandits, who ended up proving fairly broke. The weird shambling soldiers were left untouched. Next, the gang looked around for a bit of plunder. Although there was some discussion of looting the villa itself (owner-clients be damned), this was put aside after a number of expensive-looking items were hauled out of the shambling soldiers’ wagon. Among the treasures:
- an etched, bejeweled sword
- a bronze torc
- stone carving of the Lion of Agia
- a silver seal stamp, inset with a few gems
- weird black statuette (that seemed to sing quietly)
Year 28 of the 7th Imperator, 14th of Declarations
After an uneventful night spent at the villa, the gang went back to town.
MM’s note: I think they took the ox cart, but I’m not sure. I know there was a time when a bribe had to be paid to get a cart into town, but that cart was in quite a state. Surely it would’ve been a problem to get it in. Maybe I forgot, though. Sorry, this game was three months ago!
They collected the villa’s owners and ferried them back home. The owner was willing to skip dickering over the price, which each party remembered differently, but was a bit put out when Redorus demanded more gold for the job of moving the corpses away from the house and to a ditch. He paid anyway.
Back in town, it was time to see how much coin could be gotten for the loot. Felix was consulted and reported that the stamp could be used to open and reseal documents without a trace, and that the black figurine was … weird. The rest were quite mundane, though valuable. They were sold off to Calliope’s fence, Bith Bissix, for quite a profit. The seal and statuette, the gang kept just in case.
With the sudden windfall, it was time to resupply and enjoy a few days of rest.
Year 28 of the 7th Imperator, 20th of Declarations
After nearly a week off, loafing (except for Tilton, who kept busy with his official duties), the group reassembled to look for more mischeif. Happy with the results they got from the daemons in the Commons of Knowledge last time, they headed back and consulted with the job board. It suggested that they consider an open ended job: even without finishing the job, they could earn a gold solidus for each week in which they did some productive work looking for the lost Fountain of Purity. They group signed up — what did they have to lose?
Research
Felix didn’t have any leads to offer, but explained the story of the fountain, and said that it was as likely to be a legend as to actually exist.
Redorus consulted his friend (and military officer) Cyprias, asking whether he knew of any interesting hidden places beneath the city. The group had been told to look underground and so far their only idea was the sewer — not an option to which anyone was eager to commit. Cyprias said that he’d heard tell of an old underground shrine to some unpleasant power. The shrine had long ago been emptied of its cult and converted to a tourist attraction, but after some sort of grave accident that, too, was closed. Cyprias wasn’t too clear on the details or the time frame, but it sounded like it had to be decades ago.
Tilton sought the divine council of Olixitus, and received a vision of a dark, close place. He stumbled through narrow halls until finding himself in a great, open chamber — though still pitch black. Soon, a single point of light crossed through the air, followed by another, and then another. The lights swarmed in a ring, then crashed through the floor. When Tilton moved to investigate, he found they’d descended a long, round hole in the ground. He peered over the edge… and fell! As he hit bottom, he awoke with a start: Brulex had barged in to see what on earth Tilton was doing.
Scouting
Knowing only that they should be looking somewhere along the interior of the northern Old Wall, the group begin a long, slow walk along its length, sizing up possible places to investigate. At one likely spot, Redorus crept boldly in to investigate, but only found a few elderly squatters arguing, oblivious to his intrusion.
Later on, at another likely location, the gang was blocked from entry by the eccentric old man camped out on the front stoop. When they tried to pass him by, he introduced himself as the guide, and collected a few denari to give them the tour.
The tour proved somewhat rambling and confused, but he gave an account of the site’s history and popularity, pointed out some of its features, and apologized that the lower level was still closed for repairs. After some time, the party left, thanking Sek the guide, and quietly lifting his keys for later use.
Delving
The gang returned at night and found Sek asleep in front of the entrance. Calliope attempted to gingerly pass over him, but instead gave him a good kick in the ribs and stumbled. No matter: Sek was deeply asleep. Calliope opened the door and everyone descended into the shrine. A few lanterns were lit as they descended.
They headed directly to the closed second floor, where they found a small room with that they judged to have once been used for draining the blood from sacrifice victims. They declined to investigate it. Instead, they began a slow southerly progression, smashing open plaster crypt seals to loot the bodies within. They recovered only a few coins and a dried-up scroll, until they were set upon by a group of skeletons that had been walled up together and were apparently eager to be free of their long confinement. Of the four that clattered into action, one made it past the group and up the stairs, but it was quickly chased down and destroyed.